Immediately after the 144,000 are sealed the four angels who are holding the winds release the winds. The four winds blow and the first four trumpets sound.
A barrage of meteorites hits the earth and thousands of fires are ignited. The crops that are ready for harvest are burned up and 1/3 of the trees in the forests are burned up. Every person on earth is personally affected.
An asteroid the size of a mountain plummets into the ocean. 1/3 of the ships that are sailing on the ocean are sunk and 1/3 of the fish die. The ocean becomes like blood.
An asteroid falls to the earth, blazing with fire. The asteroid contains a bitter contaminant. One third of the rivers and springs of water are poisoned. Many people die from drinking the water.
One third of the sun, moon and stars are darkened and the day and night turn dark. The smoke and ejecta from the first three trumpets darkens the air and the sky.
The first four trumpets sound over the course of a few days. They cause worldwide devastation and they get the attention of everyone on the earth.
These calamities are acts of God. They are not caused by man or by Satan. It is evident that God has interrupted the lives of people on earth. People are frightened beyond description. "Is God angry with us?" they are wondering. Preachers are calling on people to repent and return to God.
God is using the havoc caused by these trumpets to get the attention of each person on earth. He is opening each mind and every ear to hear His three angel's messages.
The 144,000 join the angel in proclaiming this message. They tell people to worship God who created the heavens, earth, sea and springs of water – the very four things that have been damaged by the first four trumpets.
The everlasting gospel proclaims that Jesus will save people from their sins.
This is the same gospel that was preached to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The same gospel that saved Abraham when he had faith. There was no change in the gospel when Jesus died on the cross. There is no change in the gospel during the Great Tribulation. This gospel will be preached to every person on earth.
The first four trumpets have devastated the heavens, earth, sea and springs of water. People will be terrified because of the calamities that have just come on the earth. But they should not fear physical disasters or harm that other people may inflict on them. They should fear God.
Everyone will be afraid of something during the Great Tribulation. If people fear natural disasters and threats of other people then they will live in constant fear. If they choose to fear God then He will replace their fears with peace. They will learn that they really can trust Him and depend fully on Him.
Accepted Jesus' life and death instead of his own. Please note that this includes complete obedience to all ten of God's ten commandments.
Each person will be given a clear revelation of Jesus. He will choose to accept Jesus and worship Him or to reject Jesus and worship Satan. There are only two options.
Each person will be tested on his decision.
Each person will be settled into his chosen position. If he chose to worship Jesus he will receive the seal of God and eternal life. If he rejects Jesus he will become a slave to Satan and will eventually die eternally.
"4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image -- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
"7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
"8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Keep the Sabbath holy. Work 6 days and rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.
The first angel's message is given with clarity and power while the first four trumpets are sounding. It will continue to be given during the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets.
Just before the seventh trumpet sounds the judgment of the living will reach completion and the first angel's message will cease to be given.