The Story-Line of
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect
Lesson 4: Earthquake, Darkness, and
Trumpets at the End of Time
Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect also uses
Hebrew Bible presentations of earthquakes, darkening
of sun, moon, and stars, and trumpets blowing at the
end of time as resources.

Click for the next slide and a Hebrew Bible resource
for Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.
The Rebellion of Korah and His
Associates as a Resource
for Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect
After Aaron and Moses leave Mount Sinai to
advance toward the land of Canaan, the persistent
rebellion of Korah and his associates leads to their
destruction.
Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect uses the
splitting of the earth apart and its swallowing of Korah
and those with him as a resource to describe what will
happen at the end of time to those who are evil.

Click to read the story of Korah and his
associates.
The Earth Splits Apart and Swallows
Korah and His Associates
Numbers 16:28 Moses said, “Hereby you shall know
that Adonai has sent me to do all these works; for I
have not done them of my own mind….
16:30 But if Adonai make a new thing, and the ground
open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that
appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol;
then you shall understand that these men have
despised Adonai.”
16:31 It happened, as he made an end of speaking all
these words, that the ground split apart that was under
them;

Click for continuation of the Korah story.
The Earth Splits Apart and Swallows
Korah and His Associates cont.
Numbers 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth, and
swallowed them up, and their households, and all the
men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods.
16:33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went
down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and
they perished from among the assembly.
(Read Numbers 16)
 Click for Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect that uses
this as a resource.
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect:
God Destroyed Korah and His Associates
Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of whatever things they
don’t know. What they understand naturally, like the
creatures without reason, they are destroyed in these
things.
1:11 Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and
ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and
perished in Korah’s rebellion. (Read Jude)
 Click to read about earthquakes and darkening of
the stars, sun, and moon in the Hebrew Bible.
Hebrew Bible Resources:
Darkness and Earthquakes
Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of the sky and its constellations
will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its
going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
(Read Isaiah 13)
Joel 2:10 The earth quakes before them. The heavens
tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the
stars withdraw their shining. (Read Joel 2)
 Click for Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect that uses
this Hebrew Bible resource.
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect:
Darkness and Earthquakes
Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that oppression, the
sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
13:25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the
powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
(Read Mark 13)
 Click for other verses of Joel 2 that Christian
apocalyptic rhetorolect uses as a resource.
Darkness, Blood, Fire, Smoke
on the Day of the Lord
Joel 2:28 “It will happen afterward, that I will pour out
my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters
will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your
young men will see visions.
2:29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids in
those days, I will pour out my Spirit.
2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

Click for continuation of this Hebrew Bible resource.
Darkness, Blood, Fire, Smoke
on the Day of the Lord cont.
Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of
Adonai comes.
2:32 It will happen that whoever will call on the name of
Adonai shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Adonai
has said, and among the remnant, those whom Adonai
calls. (Read Joel 2)
 Click for Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect that uses
this Hebrew Bible resource.
Darkness, Blood, Fire, Smoke
before the Coming of the Day of the Lord
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted
up his voice, and spoke out to them…
2:16 “This is what has been spoken through the
prophet Joel:
2:17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God…
2:19 I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on
the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
 Click for continuation of this Christian apocalyptic
rhetorolect.
Darkness, Blood, Fire, Smoke
before the Coming of the Day of the Lord cont.
Acts 2:20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the
Lord comes.
2:21 It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the
Lord will be saved.’ (Read Acts 2)
 Click to see how Joel 2 in the Hebrew Bible also
features the blowing of a trumpet at the end of time.
Joel 2 features
a Trumpet on the Day of the Lord
that Brings Earthquake and Darkness
Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm
in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land
tremble, for the day of Adonai comes, for it is close at
hand:
2:2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds
and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the
mountains, a great and strong people; there has never
been the like, neither will there be any more after them,
even to the years of many generations. (Read Joel 2)
 Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for the
blowing of a trumpet at the end of time.
Hebrew Bible Resource:
A Trumpet will Sound on the Day of the Lord
Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of Adonai is near. It is
near, and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of Adonai.
The mighty man cries there bitterly.
1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and
anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness
and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
1:16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified
cities, and against the high battlements.
(Read Zephaniah 1)
 Click for the use of these Hebrew Bible resources in
Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect:
A Trumpet will Sound on the Day of the Lord
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we don’t want you to be
ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen
asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have
no hope.
4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so God will bring with him those who have fallen
asleep in Jesus.
4:15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that
we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord,
will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
 Click for continuation of this Christian apocalyptic
rhetorolect.
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect:
A Trumpet will Sound on the Day of the Lord cont.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ
will rise first,
4:17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
(Read 1 Thessalonians 4)
 Click for a presentation of seven trumpets at the
end of time in Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.
The Ten Plagues as a Resource
for the Blowing of Seven Trumpets in
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect
In Revelation 8-9, darkness, fire, blood, smoke,
locusts, death of humans, lightning, thunder,
earthquake, and hail come on the earth when angels
blow seven trumpets in heaven.
The ten plagues in Egypt are a resource for the
presentation of the seven trumpets at the end of time in
Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.

Click for the seven trumpets at the end of time.
Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect:
TRUMPETS WILL CAUSE PLAGUES ON EARTH
Revelation 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there
was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 8:2 I saw
the seven angels who stand before God, and seven
trumpets were given to them….
8:6 The seven angels who had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound.

Click for the first trumpet.
First Trumpet:
HAIL, FIRE, BLOOD
Revelation 8:7 The first sounded, and there followed
hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to
the earth.
One third of the earth was burnt up, and one third of the
trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Click for the second trumpet.
Second Trumpet:
MOUNTAIN
OF FIRE; BLOOD
Revelation 8:8 The second angel sounded, and
something like a great burning mountain was thrown
into the sea.
One third of the sea became blood,
8:9 and one third of the living creatures which were in
the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.

Click for the third trumpet.
Third Trumpet:
STAR FALLS FROM HEAVEN; BITTER
WORMWOOD
Revelation 8:10 The third angel sounded, and a great
star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on
one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters.
8:11 The name of the star is called “Wormwood.” One
third of the waters became wormwood. Many people
died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

Click for the fourth trumpet.
Fourth Trumpet:
DARKENING OF SUN; MOON; STARS
Revelation 8:12 The fourth angel sounded,
and one third of the sun was struck,
and one third of the moon,
and one third of the stars; so that one third of them
would be darkened,
and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and
the night in the same way.
(Read Revelation 8)

Click for the fifth trumpet.
Fifth Trumpet:
A STAR FELL FROM HEAVEN;
SMOKE DARKENS THE SUN; LOCUSTS
Revelation 9:1 The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star
from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the
pit of the abyss was given to him.
9:2 He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up
out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The
sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke
from the pit.
9:3 Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the
earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of
the earth have power.

Click for the sixth trumpet.
Sixth Trumpet:
FOUR ANGELS; TROOPS OF CAVALRY; FIRE;
SMOKE; KILLING HUMANS
Revelation 9:13 The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice
from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
9:14 saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet,
“Free the four angels who are bound at the great river
Euphrates!”
9:15 The four angels were freed who had been prepared
for that hour and day and month and year, so that they
might kill one third of mankind.

Click for continuation of the sixth trumpet.
Sixth Trumpet cont.:
FOUR ANGELS; TROOPS OF CAVALRY; FIRE;
SMOKE; KILLING HUMANS
Revelation 9:16 The number of the armies of the
horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number
of them.
9:17 Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who
sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth
blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of lions. Out of
their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
(Read
Revelation 9)

Click for the seventh trumpet.
Seventh Trumpet:
LIGHTNING; THUNDER; EARTHQUAKE; HAIL
Revelation 11:14 The second woe is past. Behold, the
third woe comes quickly….
11:19 God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and
the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple.
Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great
hail followed .
(Read Revelation 11)

Click for a summary.
Excellent!
You have learned in Lesson 4 that Christian
apocalyptic rhetorolect uses the splitting of the
earth to destroy Korah and his associates, the
darkening of the stars, sun, and moon, and the
blowing of trumpets in the Hebrew Bible as
resources for its presentation of the end of time.
When Revelation 8-9, 11 present seven
trumpets in heaven at the end of time, they use
the ten plagues God sent on Egypt as a resource
for the destruction that occurs on the earth.

Click for a table that compares the plagues
with the seven trumpets.
Ten Plagues
Seven Trumpets in Heaven
1. Blood
1. Hail, fire, blood (cf. 7, 1)
2. Frogs
2. Fire, blood (cf. 7, 1)
3. Gnats
3. Darkness, wormwood (cf. 9)
4. Flies
4. Darkness (cf. 9)
5. Livestock killed
5. Darkness, smoke, locusts (cf. 9,7,
8)
6. Fire, smoke, killing humans (cf. 7,
10)
6. Boils
7. Thunder, hail, fire
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. Firstborn humans and livestock
killed
7. Lightning, thunder, earthquake,
hail (cf. 7)
Excellent!
Great work! This has been another long
lesson.
You are now ready to continue to Lesson 5,
where you will see the imagery Christian
apocalyptic rhetorolect uses to present God,
God’s throne, and creatures and people around
God’s throne.
May you have good strength as you
continue.