Four trumpets and as Auburn fans say, "War Eagle"

This is where the movement of Revelation gets more precarious.
You thought the seals were weird, now we get to the trumpets.
They could be similar to the plagues of Egypt in Exodus.
The story of Exodus was a story of God battling the gods of Egypt and Pharaoh. Pharaoh's gods had power, but not the ultimate power of Yahweh/God the deliverer. So as you read these trumpets see the cosmic struggle taking place. So, John sees these images that harken back to the Exodus in his present situation.

The first four trumpets in Rev 8:6-13 have a meaning.
First trumpet is blown and destroys the land...'a third of the earth was burned.'
Second trumpet is blown and destroys the sea...'a third of sea became blood' (The River Nile became blood in Exodus)
Third trumpet is blown and the rivers are made impure.
Fourth trumpet is blown and the heavens are corrupted...'third of the sun was stuck, a third of the moon was struck, and third of the stars...'
All the elements of the universe seemed to be effected in this cosmic struggle, the earth, the rivers, the sea, and the heavens.

John wants to emphasize the completeness of this struggle between God and the forces of evil.

This ends with a short interlude. An eagle crying out "woe, woe, woe to the inhabitatnts of the earth...' The eagle is a symbol, Auburn fans know is a sign of power, War Eagle.

joy,
guido