Revelation 8
What Happens in This Chapter
The Lamb opens the seventh and last seal, and heaven is silent for about half an hour. An angel offers incense with the prayers of God's people, then throws fire from the altar down to the earth. Seven angels are given trumpets, and the first four blow them, striking a third of the land, the sea, the fresh water, and the light of the sun, moon, and stars. The chapter ends with a loud warning about the three trumpets still to come.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
1The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then heaven went quiet. The quiet lasted about half an hour.
2And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
2Then I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Each of them was given a trumpet.
3And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
3Another angel came and stood at the altar. He held a gold bowl for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to burn. He offered it, along with the prayers of all God's people, on the gold altar in front of the throne.
A censer is a small metal bowl, often hung on chains. People burned incense in it, which made sweet smelling smoke.
4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
4The sweet smoke from the incense rose up in front of God. The prayers of God's people rose up with it, from the angel's hand.
5And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
5Then the angel filled the bowl with fire from the altar. He threw the fire down onto the earth. There were rumbling sounds, thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
6The seven angels who held the seven trumpets got ready to blow them.
7The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
7The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the trees burned up. All the green grass burned up.
8And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
8The second angel blew his trumpet. Something like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood.
9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
9A third of the living creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were wrecked.
10And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
10The third angel blew his trumpet. A big star fell from the sky, burning like a lamp. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
11And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
11The star's name is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from drinking that bitter water.
Wormwood is a plant with a very bitter taste. Here the KJV uses the plant's name as the star's name.
12And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
12The fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars were struck. A third of their light went dark. A third of the day had no light, and a third of the night was the same.
13And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
13Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying high in the sky. It called out in a loud voice, "Trouble, trouble, trouble is coming for the people who live on earth!" This was because three more angels were still going to blow their trumpets.
The KJV word "woe" means great trouble is coming. It is said three times, once for each trumpet still to come.
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