A caring, unnamed Bible guide
The Judgments: Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls
Revelation describes three sets of seven judgments. This page lists each one, where it is in the Bible, and when many Christians think it happens. Read it slowly, and remember that Jesus offers hope and forgiveness.
Seven seals (Revelation 6:1 to 8:1)
| Number | What happens | Revelation | Best guess for when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White horse: a conqueror who wins through peace | 6:1-2 | Start of the agreement |
| 2 | Red horse: war, and peace is taken from the earth | 6:3-4 | First half |
| 3 | Black horse: hunger, and food costs a great deal | 6:5-6 | First half |
| 4 | Pale horse: death to a fourth of the earth by sword, hunger, sickness, and wild animals | 6:7-8 | First half |
| 5 | People killed for believing ask God how long | 6:9-11 | Late first half |
| 6 | A great earthquake, a black sun, a blood-red moon, the sky rolled up | 6:12-17 | Near the middle (compare Matthew 24:29) |
| 7 | Silence in heaven. The trumpets begin. | 8:1-2 | Opens the second half |
Between seals 6 and 7: the 144,000 are sealed, and a great crowd from every nation comes out of the tribulation (Revelation 7).
Seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2 to 11:19)
| Number | What happens | Revelation | Best guess for when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hail and fire: a third of the earth, trees, and grass burn | 8:7 | Early second half |
| 2 | A burning mountain falls into the sea: a third of the sea turns to blood | 8:8-9 | Early second half |
| 3 | The star Wormwood: a third of the waters turn bitter | 8:10-11 | Early second half |
| 4 | A third of the sun, moon, and stars go dark | 8:12 | Early second half |
| 5 | Locusts from the pit sting people for five months (about 150 days) | 9:1-12 | Middle of the second half |
| 6 | Four angels at the Euphrates: an army of 200 million kills a third of mankind | 9:13-21 | Late second half |
| 7 | The kingdom of the world becomes Christ's | 11:15-19 | End of the second half |
Between trumpets 6 and 7: the little scroll and the two witnesses (Revelation 10-11).
Seven bowls (Revelation 15 and 16)
| Number | What happens | Revelation | Best guess for when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Painful sores on people who have the mark | 16:2 | Last stretch |
| 2 | The sea becomes blood and everything in it dies | 16:3 | Last stretch |
| 3 | Rivers and springs become blood | 16:4-7 | Last stretch |
| 4 | The sun burns people with fire | 16:8-9 | Last stretch |
| 5 | Darkness on the Beast's throne | 16:10-11 | Last stretch |
| 6 | The Euphrates dries up and kings gather at Armageddon | 16:12-16 | Last stretch |
| 7 | "It is done." A great earthquake, huge hail, and Babylon falls | 16:17-21 | End, near day 2,520 |
The bowls are called the last plagues (Revelation 15:1). They come quickly, one after another, and end when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:11-16).
Words to know
- The mark of the beast: A mark on the right hand or forehead. Without it, no one can buy or sell. Its number is 666 (Revelation 13:16-18). Teachers disagree about what it will be. The warning is about worshipping the Beast.
- The 144,000: Servants of God from the tribes of Israel who are sealed for protection (Revelation 7:1-8, 14:1-5). Many think they tell others about Jesus.
- The two witnesses: Two prophets who speak for God for 1,260 days. The Beast kills them, and God raises them up again (Revelation 11:3-12).
- The false prophet: The Beast's helper. He does signs and makes people worship the Beast's image (Revelation 13:11-17).
- Armageddon: The place where armies gather for the last battle. Jesus wins (Revelation 16:16, 19:19-21).
Please remember
- The Bible does not give a date for each judgment. The timing column is a common pre-tribulation guess, not a rule.
- Some Bible teachers think the seals, trumpets, and bowls overlap instead of coming one after another.
- Pre-tribulation teachers say believers are kept from God's anger (1 Thessalonians 5:9, Revelation 3:10). They disagree about exactly where that anger begins.
Next: the seven years and the day count, or Can I still be saved?
This guide explains one way many Christians read Bible prophecy. Other Christians read it differently. It sets no dates for the rapture and names no living person as the Beast or the antichrist. It is about a future system of power, not about Jews or Muslims as people. God loves everyone. Test every teacher by the Bible (Acts 17:11), and talk to a pastor if you are afraid.