0905 THE TRUMPETS

SEPTEMBER 5 = REVELATION 8

THE TRUMPETS

Let’s review where we are right now in the book of Revelation. John has been taken up into heaven to see what things must happen soon. A scroll appeared, and the Lamb of God was found worthy to break the seven seals that will open the scroll and complete the history of the earth from a heavenly point of view. Six of the seals have been opened so far, sending economic and natural disasters upon the earth. The day of reckoning is at hand. But before the seventh seal is opened, angels are sent to put the mark of God on the foreheads of each believer on earth. Then, suddenly there is a great multitude of believers from all over the earth, praising God and thanking him.

It’s time now to return, in order to open the seventh and final seal. With all that’s been happening, it is sure to be the biggest, baddest, end of all things, when the earth is judged and Jesus reigns supreme. Well, that’s what we want to happen, anyway.

Instead, here’s what does happen:

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

This is astonishing! Do you recall how much singing in loud voices was going on just a few verses ago? Something has overcome the crowd, and they hush. No doubt, it is the first silence there has ever been in heaven. And it is so overwhelming that it lasts for half an hour. In heavenly time, that’s close to 21 years on earth, by the way (if you recall, a thousand years is like a day). It seems strange, doesn’t it, that after so much build up there would be this moment?

But what is about to take place on earth is no small matter. Each soul on earth is important enough to God that Jesus died for it. Executing judgment on these souls, however evil they may be, is not a matter to be taken lightly.

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Seven seals were broken. Now that the last one is opened, we see seven trumpets? Are we starting over again?

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

Golden bowls of incense were the prayers of God’s people earlier in the book. The smoke and the prayers are still related here. The petitions of the people of God are still pleading, and God is readying his answer.

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Do you think that your prayers are not effective? Not so! Now I see why there had been silence for half an hour! It’s about to get really nasty down below! Perhaps the judgment is now!

Time for the trumpets:

Trumpet #1: “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

Trumpet #2: Something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Trumpet #3: “and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

This sounds a lot like global climate effects. And to be sure, a third of the waters turn bitter and many people die from it. This may be climate change, but it is not from the sin of carbon emissions!

Trumpet #4: “a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

“As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!””