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The first four plagues are general and not interpreted individually.

This is an article in the series on the vision of the seven last plagues (Rev 15-16).

Summary

In the Book of Revelation, there are several series of seven, of which the most important are the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowl plagues. The first four of each of these series of seven are general and non-specific and should not be individually interpreted. But the last three in each series represent very specific historical events and are individually interpreted. This approach is justified as follows:

The Number Four

In Revelation, the number four symbolizes the entire earth, for example, “the four corners of the earth” (Rev 7:1). For this reason, Revelation uses four words to describe the population of the world where one word would have sufficed, for example, “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9; cf. 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15).

Creation has four elements.

Revelation describes the creation as composed of four elements; the earth, the sea, the waters, and the heavens (Rev 14:7). Both the first four trumpets and the first four plagues target those four components of man’s environment and in the same sequence (Rev 8:7-8, 10, 12; 16:2-4, 8). These trumpets and plagues, therefore, are understood as various plagues that will fall on man’s total environment.

The First Four are short.

The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven plagues cover, in total, 182 verses of which the first four seals, first four trumpets, and first four plagues, in total, cover 12%. One, therefore, should not put too much focus on the first four of a series.

The Fourth Seal is a Composite.

The second seal is a great sword that men would slay one another (Rev 6:4). The third horse brings famine (Rev 6:5-6). The fourth seal includes both.

Conclusion

The first four seals, trumpets, and plagues are, therefore, understood as worldwide and as ‘highly figurative’, meaning that not each object or event should be separately interpreted. But the fifth, sixth, and seventh in each series represent very specific historical events and should be individually interpreted.

– End of Summary –

This is the end of the summary. If you would like to skip the detail below, the next article in this series is – The First Four Plagues show that people with the mark of the beast will not repent. Alternatively, see the List of all articles on the Seven Last Plagues.

Revelation has several Series s Sevens.

Received the Sealed Book

In Revelation 5, Jesus receives a scroll sealed with seven seals (Rev 5:1, 7).  In Revelation 6 to 8, He breaks the seals one by one. Each seal results in dramatic events on earth. 

In Revelation 8 to 11, seven angels blow seven trumpets, each with dramatic consequences on earth. 

And then in Revelation 16, seven angels pour seven bowls with the seven last plagues out on earth, with catastrophic consequences.

There are several other sevens in Revelation. 

Purpose of this Article

This article proposes that the first four of each of these series of seven are general and non-specific. In other words, they are highly figurative, and should NOT BE INDIVIDUALLY INTERPRETED. But the last three in each series are specific and interpreted individually.  

This approach is justified as follows:

(1) The Number Four symbolizes the entire earth.

For example:

“I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth” (Rev 7:1).

This is also seen in the fact that FOUR WORDS are often used to describe the population of the world, where one word would have been sufficient:

    • Tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev 5:9);
    • Nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues (Rev 7:9);
    • Peoples and nations and tongues and kings (Rev 10:11);
    • Peoples and tribes and tongues and nations (Rev 11:9);
    • Tribe and people and tongue and nation (Rev 13:7);
    • Nation and tribe and tongue and people (Rev 14:6);
    • Peoples and nations and tongues and kings (Rev 17:15);

(2) Creation consists of Four Elements.

Revelation describes the creation as composed of four elements:

“Worship him who made the heavens,
the earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Rev 14:7).

The first four trumpets respectively attack exactly those elements (Rev 8:7-8, 10, 12). The first four plagues target the same four components of man’s environment and in the same sequence (Rev 16:2-4, 8). These trumpets and plagues, therefore, are understood as an attack on man’s total environment. They are merely various plagues that will fall on the entire earth.

(3) The First Four are very short.

Thirdly, the average length of the description of the last three of a series is ten times longer than the first four:

    • The first four seals cover 8 of the 35 verses of the seals (Rev 6:1-8:1).
    • The first four trumpets cover 6 of the 63 verses of the trumpets (Rev 8:2-11:18).
    • The first four plagues cover 8 of the 84 verses of the plagues Rev (16:1-19:21).

Some interpreters spend more time on the first four of a series than on the last three. For the reasons above, this seems to be the wrong approach.

(4) The Fourth Seal is a composite of the previous seals.

Lastly, the fourth seal seems like a composite of the previous two:

      1. The rider of the second horse has a great sword. It was given to him to take peace from the earth; that men would slay one another (Rev 6:4). 
      2. The third horse brings famine (Rev 6:5-6).
      3. The name of the fourth horse is Death, killing and it with the sword and with famine.

Conclusion

The first four seals, trumpets, and plagues are, therefore, understood as worldwide and general. They are regarded as ‘highly figurative’, meaning that not each object or event should be separately interpreted:

      • The first four seals describe the experience of God’s people on earth.
      • The first four trumpets are plagues on the unrepentant world, to bring them to repentance.
      • Similarly, the first four plagues are various plagues that fall on the people with the mark of the beast.

But the fifth, sixth, and seventh in each series represent very specific historical events. They are also symbolic, but here most elements of the symbols should be individually interpreted.

The Interludes explain the Series.

In each of the three sevens under discussion, we find an interlude between the sixth and the seventh elements. These interludes provide background information that explains the series less abstractly:

      • The interlude in the seals reveals God’s people (Rev 7), indicating that the seals describe the experience of God’s people.
      • The interlude in the trumpets (Rev 10-11:13) describes the proclamation of the gospel to a fallen world.
      • The interlude in the plagues (Rev 16:15) is more difficult to find but is discussed below.

Final Conclusions

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