21st Century Revelation's premise is that we are living in the End Times right before the Tribulation. God gave Noah 120 years of warning before the flood (Genesis 6:3). God gave us 120 years of warning before the end of humanity's rule. Revelation describes seven wars of seven trumpets. Today, we see some seal and trumpet judgments occur before the Tribulation. God revealed prophecy so people living in the End Times can identify not only whose they are but when they are.

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them (Isaiah 42:9).

The 6th trumpet ends after Antichrist kills the two witnesses who are later resurrected (Revelation 11:7, 14) and 7th bowl ends at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). All others events are not directly associated with a time. Compare the 7th seal, 7th trumpet and 7th bowl. They are the same event linked by lightning, thunder, voices, hailstones, earthquakes, mountains and islands move (Revelation 8:1, 5, Revelation 11:15, 19, Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21). See Revelation Views. Revelation is not sequential but a downward spiral. The seals, trumpets, Tribulation, Antichrist, bowls and Armageddon begin at different times but end at the Second Coming (Revelation 19:19-20, 21).

Since four horses of red communism, black capitalism, white apostasy and green Islam are on the run before the Tribulation, when do the seven trumpets start? Scripture with history tells what. Jewish holy days and God's promises to Israel confirm when.

God put two keys in prophecy to unlock the trumpet judgments: Wormwood and Destroyer. These two proper names reveal specific events that align the seven trumpets. Chernobyl is Wormwood and Saddam is Destroyer. We complicate Scripture but God wants us to know.
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Trumpet 1 - Earth (Revelation 8:7)

The 1st trumpet was World War I and judgment was against the earth. On August 1 (9th of Av) after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, Germany declared war on Russia. Central Powers fought the Allies in Europe, Africa and Asia.

John sees hail, fire and blood. Advances in artillery, especially machine guns, shoot a hail of bullets. There are many firsts: tanks, airplanes and anti-aircraft guns. Chemical weapons were used by both sides. This was the first modern war of land, sea and air. Trench warfare stretched 475 miles along the French and German borders devastating the earth. The war caused a third of trees and grass to burn up.

In 1917, the British issued the Balfour Declaration supporting a homeland for the Jews. On December 9, 1917, the lion miraculously captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks without a shot fired (Isaiah 31:4, 5). Two days later on the 25th of Kislev (Hanukkah), British General Edmund Allenby walked into the Holy City. Many Jews return to their homeland (Ezekiel 37:11-12).
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Trumpet 2 - Sea (Revelation 8:8-9)

The 2nd trumpet was World War II and judgment was against the sea. On September 1, 1939 (17th of Elul, Teshuvah). Axis Powers fought the Allies in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

A major part of the war was fought on the sea. In the Battle of the Atlantic, U-boats sank merchant ships and naval convoys. In the Pacific, battles were fought island to island. A third of ships sank. A nuclear explosion looks like a mushroom cloud but John describes it as a mountain on fire. On August 9, 1945 (1st of Elul, Teshuvah). the second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki (Exodus 34:1).

Since 63 BC, the Holy Land was ruled by Gentile nations. The United Kingdom voluntarily surrendered control of Israel. The United Nations divided the territory between Israel and Palestine. On the 5th of Iyar (May 14, 1948), the nation of Israel was born (Isaiah 66:8).
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Trumpet 3 - Rivers & Springs (Revelation 8:10-11)

The 3rd trumpet was the Cold War and judgment was against fresh water. Red Communists fought Black Capitalist horses. On April 26, 1986 or the 17th of Nisan (Unleavened Bread), Chernobyl Reactor 4 powered down to test the backup generator but caused a catastrophic failure.

The city Chernobyl, Ukraine is translated Wormwood, a bitter plant in the sunflower or aster (star) family. John sees a star-like object falling from the sky. The reactor overheated causing a steam explosion that blew the 1000-ton lid off the reactor. A second explosion caused a graphite inferno which started the nuclear meltdown releasing uranium and plutonium about a mile into the atmosphere. The radioactive fallout was three hundred times Hiroshima. The Soviet Union evacuated 3.5 million people from Belarus and Ukraine and used 600,000 liquidators to contain the reactor. It rained in Europe and Western Asia for a week, poisoning fresh water.

After the fall of the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain, many Jews immigrated from Russia and Eastern Europe to Israel. Former Soviet countries opened borders to missionaries (Jeremiah 29:14).
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Trumpet 4 - Heavens (Revelation 8:12)

The 4th trumpet was Iraq War I (Persian Gulf War) and judgment was against the heavens. On July 31, 1990 (9th of Av), Iraq talks with Kuwait failed. Two days later, Iraq invaded Kuwait and Saddam Hussein threatened the Persian Gulf region.

A coalition of thirty-five countries moved over 500,000 troops into the Persian Gulf. The war to liberate Kuwait began on January 17, 1991 and ended on February 28 (14th of Adar, Purim). The Iraqi army retreated, setting 611 oil well fires. The sun, moon and stars were darkened by a third. The black smoke impacted the climate throughout the Persian Gulf, taking over eight months to extinguish the fires.

Despite Iraq's attempt to bring Israel into the war, the United States persuaded them to be neutral. Thirty-nine Scud missiles landed in Israel but only two people were killed. Patriot missiles were used to intercept Scuds. God protected His people by an eagle (Psalm 91:4-6, 7-8).

Trumpet 5 - Unsealed (Revelation 9:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11)

The 5th trumpet was Iraq War II and judgment was against the unsealed. Iraq used chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq War and genocide of Kurdish Iraqis. After Iraq War I, the United Nations required long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction destroyed. By 1998, Iraq refused to cooperate but in 2002, they reluctantly allow UN weapon inspectors back. US and international intelligence agreed Iraq was developing nuclear weapons. After 9/11 attacks, the coalition decided on a preemptive strike to remove Saddam Hussain. On March 19, 2003 (15th of Adar, Purim), the Iraq War began.

John gives many details with the 5th trumpet. A star falls from heaven (bunker buster bombs), smoke out of the pit (oil trench fires), great furnace (Shock and Awe), they should not hurt the grass but the unsealed (Geneva Convention), tormented five months (Abu Ghraib), men seek death (dishonor is worse than death) and locusts, horses, crowns, men, women, iron, chariots, lions, scorpions type creatures (AH-64D Apache helicopters). Saddam means destroyer and he was literally found in a pit. He is a type of Haman. Both men were hanged, sons killed and people judged for persecuting the Jews  (Esther 7:10, 9:14). Saddam was buried on December 31 (10th of Tevet, Babylon siege of Jerusalem) (2 Kings 25:1).

Israel was freed from Saddam the Destroyer (Esther 9:20-21, 22). Instead of turning to God, they turn to foreign alliances for protection. In 2000, Israel became an associate member of the European Union and later the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (Isaiah 31:1).

Five trumpets are past and two trumpets occur in the future Tribulation period (Revelation 9:12).
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Trumpet 6 - Humanity (Revelation 9:13-14, 15-16)

The 6th trumpet is Iraq War III (World War III) and judgment is against humanity. The Euphrates River flows through Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Despite current politics, America will return for a third Iraq war. Since Babylon and Rome destroyed the Jewish temple and Germany and Iraq started wars, World War III may start on the ~9th of Av right before the Tribulation.

With over a billion people, China, India and Islam can assemble an army of 200 million. India does not have an aggressive nature. Islam does but Russia and radical Islam attacks Israel later (Ezekiel 38:3-4, 5-6). China plans to replace the US as the world's superpower. World War III may start with Iran, North Korea, Taiwan or the China-US trade war that leads to Iraq. As a huge dragon army crosses the Euphrates River, the war goes nuclear and a third of humanity is killed (~2.5 billion). Once China, India and the US are severely weakened, the German leopard, Russian bear and United Kingdom lion lead the EU (Revelation 13:2). World War III ends at the middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:14).

Antichrist will confirm the covenant to start the Tribulation (Exodus 23:32-33). Israel gives up Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to Palestine but gains 3½ years of peace to build the third Jewish temple. They join the EU and become a protectorate. When Antichrist takes power on the 10th of Nisan (Lamb Chosen), Russia and radical Islam fight a civil war (World War IV) against Antichrist to plunder Israel (Matthew 24:15-16, 21, Ezekiel 38:8, 12, Daniel 11:40).

Trumpet 7 - World (Revelation 11:15-16, 19)

The 7th trumpet is World War V. Toward the end of the Tribulation, Antichrist gathers all the world's armies at the valley of Megiddo in northern Israel. War starts near the ~9th of Av. After sixty days, Israel is devastated as two-thirds of the people are slaughtered and half of Jerusalem is taken captive (Joel 3:2, Zechariah 14:2-3).

The 10th of Tishri (Atonement) is the Second Coming. Jesus Christ will return to earth, rescue the Tribulation Saints, redeem Israel and defeat His enemies (Zechariah 12:9-10, 13:9). The 7th seal, 7th trumpet and 7th bowl occur. By the 15th of Tishri (Tabernacles), all nations fall and Jesus Christ reigns (Revelation 21:3).

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

The book of Revelation is not sequential but a spiral  of parallel events that have shorter and shorter time spans until the return of Jesus Christ. The Church Age began at Pentecost and ends at the Rapture. The seals began at the merger of Church and Roman State. The trumpets began with World War I. Since we are over one hundred years into the Laodicean period, four horses are on the run and five trumpets sounded before the seven years of Tribulation. Seals, trumpets, Tribulation, Antichrist, bowls, Mystery Babylon and Armageddon end at the Second Coming. We are so far into the End Times that we see Revelation being fulfilled.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars - Chapter 22: Keys to the Trumpets, Chapter 23: World Wars, Cold War, Chapter 24: Between Iraq and a Hard Place, Chapter 25: Iraq War III, Revelation Outline, Timeline of the Tribulation, Tribulation, Revelation, Covenant, 21st Century View, Chronology of Man, Hebcal, Endtime Ministries