Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #82 Jesus and the Trumpets of Judgment Revelation 8

 

Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #82
Jesus and the Trumpets of Judgment

Revelation 8

Introduction: Yellowstone bears and Bison

When you go to a national park, as you enter and pay admission, the rangers will give you a pamphlet of several pages, it consists of a map, points of interest and especially important warnings of danger. Don’t get of the marked trails, don’t get close to Bison, don’t feed the bears. And yet what do we see almost every week on our newsfeeds? People being tossed in the air by charging bison, because they got too close. They ignored the warning to their own hurt or death. roughly 358 people die each year in U.S. national parks. About 7 deaths per week. I would imagine most of those are due to ignoring the warnings. And it reminds me of what we find in the book of revelation, a world that has ignored the warnings of God’s Word and now are facing the judgment of God.

Structure of the Book

The main body of the book is divided into four sevens: seven letters to the seven churches, seven seals on the scroll, the seven trumpets, then seven vials or bowls of God’s wrath. The seals, trumpets and bowls are chronological, happening in sequence, one after the other. We will see that the 7th seal opens the rest of the scroll and in that remainder of the book, we see the seven trumpets. When the 7th trumpet sounds, we see the 7 bowls of wrath revealed as the scroll is unrolled further.

The book of Revelation completes “God’s plan for the ages” that we first saw in Daniel’s 70 weeks Vision in Daniel chapter 9. Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

God’s plan for the ages in Daniel 9 and the book of Revelation is His completed plan of redemption and restoration for Israel and His judgment upon the earth for its sin. The seals in Revelation 5-6 are indirect judgment, the antichrist, war, famine, pestilence and death. The direct judgment of God begins with the 7 trumpets in Revelation 8 and 9. And that brings us to the subject of God’s Wrath.

The Wrath of God - Romans 2:3-9

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality - eternal life: 8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, - indignation and wrath, 9  tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil…

The Word Of God

…states it plainly. It declares that those people, who believe that there is not God, that they are not under the judgment of God, that their sins will not be punished, that they can commit the most evil and immoral acts and not suffer the consequences of judgement, are despising the goodness and mercy of God and are storing up, building up, wrath, like money in a bank accruing compound interest. They are turning the present grace of God into the future wrath of God.

The word wrath here, is the Greek word orge (orgay). It means violent passion, justifiable abhorrence and punishment. - Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

But does the world really deserve the terrible wrath of God described in the Book of Revelation? Well, look around us, look at the history of the world and the present state of the world and once that is done, then the only question is, “Lord, Why are you waiting?”

World history is filled with the most unspeakable evils. From Cain killing his own brother, to Pharoh’s killing of the Hebrew babies to the Nazi Holocaust, to Communism’s massacre of millions of innocent people. If you say well, we don’t have such things today, you would be so ignorantly wrong.

Today, we have people who believe in the murder of babies in the womb, even worse than the sacrifice of babies to Moloch. And our governments make this child sacrifice legal. Recently, in MA they wrote into law that a child can be killed up to the day of delivery. Today in Texas, we have a man running for congress who believes children should be physically mutilated and mentally manipulated to become a different gender than what they were born. He is one of thousands who want to deny God’s design of male and female. We have groups calling themselves churches that deny Jesus’ life, death and resurrection while at the same time their homosexual pastors are hosting Drag shows and promoting abortion from the pulpit.

In places like Africa and the Middle East 100s of Christians are being killed each day by Islamic armies. Slavery is still common and women are treated as chattel in those same Islamic states. In communist countries like China and North Korea to own a Bible or go to church or worship God even in your own home means a prison or death sentence.

Now we can understand why in Revelation 6:10 that those who have died for the cause of Christ, cry with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” “Oh Lord, Why are you waiting?”

God has His reason for waiting. Paul says one reason God is waiting is for the immoral, sinful, and rebellious to finish storing up their full measure of wrath. What the wicked think is freedom to sin with no penalty or consequence is actually the accumulating wages of sin that will be paid out in the Day of Wrath. Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death….

That is what the world, that rejects God, has done and is doing today. They have despised God’s grace, despised God’s Word, despised God’s house. They despise God’s grace. But when the day of wrath comes, no one will be able to ignore the righteous judgment of God any longer.

But there is also a second reason why God wrath is waiting. No, God is not ignoring the sin of this world, not even the sin of a single person, but God in his mercy is giving time to repent, time to hear, time to trust, time to believe, time to accept His gift of grace.

Peter’s Warning

2 Peter 3:9-10 9 The Lord is not slack (not slow, not delaying) concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

This verse is one reason why I can’t believe in the predestination of souls to Hell or Heaven. It says God is not willing but that all should come. This is the age of grace when we can choose or ignore grace. The first brings God’s blessings the second brings His wrath.

That brings us to Revelation 8. Here we see that opening of that Day of Wrath fully realized, fully outpoured, fully sounded out by the trumpets of God’s angels so loudly that no one will be able to ignore God anymore.

The Seventh Seal, Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

The Seventh Seal unveils the Seven Trumpets of God’s wrath. When the seal is broken by the lamb there is silence in all of heaven for about a half an hour. All the praise that has filled the throne room of heaven from chapter 4-7 now goes utterly still as the 7th seal is broken and the scroll unrolled to reveal the terrible wrath of God upon the earth.

This silence is the stillness before the storm, it is the shocked and stunned reaction heaven when they see the terrible judgments about to fall, as wrath from heaven is poured upon the earth.

The War of God - Revelation 8:2-4

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And 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. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And 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. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Preparation and Prayers: The Seven Angels and the Angel At the Altar Revelation 8:2–6

Trumpets in the Bible were used for warnings and for a call to war. Here they warn those on earth of God's coming wrath and call to war to the angels against those on the earth.

The angel with the censor acts in the role of the high priest. Some believe this is Jesus acting in his role of high priest, others point out that Jesus does not appear as the Angel of the Lord after the Old Testament closes. Opinion is greatly divided. I believe that this is another great angel and that his orders come from the throne where the Father sits.

This angel, as John sees him, is given incense to offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar. The incense and golden altar here are the real items in God’s throne room, while the Tabernacle and Temple held but symbols. Now John recognizes those symbols in their true form.

Revelation 8:5–6 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it to the earth. And there were voices, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

In the Old Testament the censor and the altar were for the appeasement of God's wrath. The incense from the censor and the golden altar were fueled from the coals of the brazen altar, the altar of sacrifice. The incense ascended up into heaven and was a sweet-smelling savor and represented the prayers of God’s people and God’s wrath was appeased, satisfied by their prayers for forgiveness.

But now it is reversed. The censor is filled with fire from the altar and is cast down upon the earth. Instead of the appeasement of God wrath, it is now the release of His wrath. The prayers of God’s people who have suffered persecution, torment, torture and martyrdom have been storing up in heaven, stored in that golden altar and now it is full, now when the Day of Wrath has finally come, now when finally the prayers of God’s people, “How long O Lord, How long?” will be answered. The censor is filled with the prayers the for righteous judgment of God and then is thrown down upon the earth.

Let me show you an interesting verse. Jesus said in Luke 12:49 about his first coming, “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?” Jesus is saying that he come to send fire on the earth. Yes, part of that fire was controversy, conflict but mostly it was to bring judgment and Jesus states that he wishes it was already burning. Jesus knew what lay in store for his people, his nation, his church. What they must endure, what they must suffer, and he wishes that God’s righteous judgment was ready to burn even then. It could not happen then, but we are glimpsing the future when that willing of Jesus happens as the seven trumpets begin to sound.

Punishment: The First 4 Trumpets - Revelation 8:7–12

Description - Like the seals the trumpets are divided into 2 groups of 4 and 3. The last three trumpets are called the three “Woes!” in vs 8:13. The first 4 trumpets is followed by the first woe, which is the 5th trumpet and then the second woe, the 6th Trumpets and finally the seventh trumpet which is the third woe, will be the seven bowls or vials of God’s final wrath.

The First Four Trumpets Sound

Vs. 7 First Trumpet: The plants of earth are struck. The 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.

Vs. 8-9 Second Trumpet: The Seas Are Struck. And 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; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Vs 10-11 Third Trumpet: The Rivers and Streams Are Struck And 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; And 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.

Vs. 12 Fourth Trumpet: The Lights of Earth Are Struck - And 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.

Literal not symbolic - I believe these are literal, not symbolic judgments. I believe that a great hailstorm, filled with lightning, which is the fire of heaven, will fall on the earth and the blood of those who are crushed will mingle with the hail and lightning of that terrible storm. I believe something like a great mountain burning with fire, which is a good description of a meteor or an asteroid, will fall from heaven into the sea, probably the Mediterranean Ocean for that is the Sea John knew, and will destroy 1/3 of all the sea life and 1/3 of all the ships caught in a terrible tsunami that will sweep them away after that fiery mountain crashes into the sea. I believe something like a great star, burning like a lamp, lit within like the ice of a comet reflecting the sun will fall upon the earth and 1/3 of the rivers, and water sources will be poison by this star called Wormwood, a word that means bitter poison. And I believe because of these events happening within weeks or at the most months from each other, that the earth’s atmosphere will be filled with dust and the light of the sun, moon and stars will be dimmed by 1/3.

I believe these are literal and not metaphors not symbols because things like this have already happened on our earth the only difference here will be the timing and the clustering of them one after the other, like the attacks of a War Lord upon the bastion of the Enemy.

The Tunguska event was a massive explosion that occurred near the Tunguska River in Russia, on the morning of 30 June 1908. The explosion over the sparsely populated Eastern Siberian flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2000 square miles of forest. The explosion is generally attributed to the air burst of a stony meteoroid about 300 feet in diameter.

Winslow meteor crater in Arizona is almost a mile in diameter and about 600 feet deep. The meteor that made that massive hole was a nickel-iron meteorite about 160 feet (50 meters) across. The force of the strike is estimated at 100s of megatons of TNT, roughly the power of a nuclear bomb. These catastrophes have happened in the past and one day in the future in the timespan of about 3 years the earth will have two such strikes earth shattering strikes.

Why is God’s wrath turned against the earth itself?

Judgment Against the Earth

This is Satan’s domain being judged by God. The prince and power of the air, the ruler of this world has been persecuting, attacking, and seeking to destroy God’s Kingdom and God’s people since he rebelled and was cast from heaven, the first falling star.

Now God’s judgement has come upon Satan’s domain, His Kingdom of earth and all those who have worshiped this earth and rejected God’s mercy and walked in the path of idolatry and earth worship are devastated by the war unleashed by God when the seven trumpets sound.

Think of the pagans of old or the Neo-Pagans today, these earth worshipers who pray to Gaia the earth spirit and gather at Stonehenge to worship the sun at solstice instead of the Son of God who ordained the solstice. These and so many others have worshiped the earth, worshipped nature instead of God and in their worship they have rejected God and instead been worshiping Satan. Now their temple of the earth is crushed, and like the prophets of Baal in the Old Testament, there is no answer as they pray call out to their earth goddess, Gaia.

From Living Water To Poisoned Springs

I can’t help but think, as I read of this terrible devastation, that there was a time when Jesus stopped at a well in Samaria and talked to an sinful woman. Do you remember what he told her?

John 4:10-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. … 13 Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Also in John 7:37-38 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jesus offered springs of living water, eternal life, the thirsting of the soul quenched by the living water of God. The woman at the well drank of that spring and for centuries the cry of Jesus from the Gospel has sounded, “If any man thirst, come unto me and drink” but when the Day of Wrath begins it is poisoned water that will be found upon the earth. The world that refused to accept the Lord’s invitation to drink of the water of life must now drink from the poisoned springs of death.

Vs. 13 Transition to the Woes

Vs. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Woes of Earth - Revelation 9-13

Fifth Trumpet / First Woe: Demonic Locusts from the Bottomless Pit – Revelation 9:1-12

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

There are many ideas about what these are, everything from helicopters to tanks to some new kind of flying weapon like jet packs. I think it is safest to not guess but just to also take the Bible literally here and let the description stand as is.

These creatures are released from the bottomless pit, the abyss in Greek. This is another name for Hell and if they are released from Hell, they can only be one of two things the souls of the unrighteous dead or demons. Since we know that the dead will not rise until the Great White Throne judgment, then these most probably are demons given shape and form so that they can physically torment the inhabitants of earth.

Revelation 9:2–5 This fallen star, which could be Lucifer, the morning star, finally cast to earth is granted a key, the authority to open the bottomless pit. When he does smoke rises like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke. 3 Then out of the smoke come these demonic creatures. They have power like scorpions and they torment all upon the earth except those have the seal of God on their foreheads. These they cannot touch. They cannot kill the people of earth, but they will torment them for five months, with a stinging, burning pain. So great is this pain that people will want to die, but death, which is under the authority of God, will run from them.

The Bible describes them and the description best fits a type of demon. It also says that their king, is the king of the bottomless pit, the angel of the bottomless pit and his name is Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek). Both names in both languages mean “The Destroyer.” Satan directs this army of demons against the very people who once worshiped him as they worshiped the earth and now that very earth has opened up and spews forth the truth. The truth that Satan hates those who were created in the image of God. This is Satan’s reward for their devotion to him and their rejection of their creator.

Sixth Trumpet / Second Woe: The Angels from the Euphrates - Revelation 9:13-19

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

The sixth angel sounds and the second woe is unleashed.

Four fallen angels that have been bound by the Euphrates river are unbound. They have been prepared for this exact hour, day, month and year and when they are unleased they bring with them an army of 200 million that will bring death back to the world, death in devastating numbers. 1/3 of the living are killed by this army. If we take 6 billion for the population of earth today and we multiply it by one third, we get 1.8 billion people who will be killed by this demonic army. This number of the dead is in addition to all those who died in the opening 4 seals of war, famine and pestilence. No war or natural catastrophe has ever or will ever claim more human lives than in this 7-year time period of the Revelation.

The Army of 220 Million I think that again looking at the description is an army of demons, no longer the size of locust but now the size of horses and under the command of four fallen angels. After five months of intense, unending, burning stinging torment come the next woe and I’m sure those on the earth, if they could, would choose to go back to the sting of the demon scorpions.

These last 3 trumpets are called the 3 woes, the word has the meaning of damnation, judgment, sentencing, execution, curse. Some, hearing this, believe it is too much, that God should not act in such fury, but God who is holy cannot act outside of His Holiness. In His love He offered an escape from wrath, when that love is callously rejected, all that is left is His wrath.

Isaiah gives us the mind of God when it comes to woe as judgment for sin in Isaiah 5.

The Woes of Isaiah

Isaiah 5:18-24 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:  19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:  23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!  24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

How much greater will be the wrath of God against this sinful world, 1000s of years after Isaiah first wrote. It will be 1000s of years of stored up, accumulated wrath.

Conclusion

Lets go back to Revelation and see the response of the people of earth to God’s wrath.

The Future - Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Listen carefully, that day of Wrath is coming, but it is not yet. That terrible judgment is yet in the future. Now, right now in this present age in this present time, here is what the Lord wants you know. This is what you need to hear. It comes at the conclusion of the book of Revelation and it reveals the heart of Jesus Christ and the heart of the church for this present age. Listen.

The Present - Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.