REVELATION 2012: #7 – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
(March 2012 – Beausejour Church – Pastor Chris Jordan)
OPENING: Have you ever got tired or weary living life on planet earth?
Have you ever been frustrated by all of the injustices in the world around us?
Revelation is designed to encourage us with the hope that one day; all wrongs will be made right.
No matter how hard the battle gets, we can be encouraged because ultimately, we will win.
When Jesus returns to the Earth, He will take His people home to live forever with Him in Heaven, and execute righteousness and judgment on His enemies, wicked and evil people.
One day, the devil will get what’s coming to him – cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity!
CHAPTER SEVEN – THE GREAT MULTITUDE:
“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Rev. 7:1-3).
• The seal of God refers to God’s ownership and protection of His people (Eph. 1:13).
• The judgments in the seven trumpets are not to be feared by God’s faithful church – these are the threatenings promised to God’s enemies!
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:9-17).
• What is the Great Multitude? Tells us God has chosen to save many people!
• What is our response? As always, it is to worship God on the throne and Jesus!
• The revelation of Jesus here: He is the Lamb of God who will shepherd us and lead us to living fountains of waters, just like He is described in Psalm 23!
APPLICATION POINT: Let us commit to living lives of worship NOW on the earth.
CHAPTER EIGHT – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS #1:
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” (Rev. 8:1-2).
• Trumpets = warnings of coming judgment, call for people to repent (Is. 58:1, Ezek. 33:3)
• Trumpets = blown to proclaim the rule of a new king (1 Kings 1:34,39)
TRUMPET #1: - hail and fire thrown to the earth – grass & trees burned (Ex. 9:23).
TRUMPET #2: - flaming mountain thrown into the sea turning water to blood (Ex. 7:19).
TRUMPET #3: - star fell from Heaven, burned up water and made them bitter
TRUMPET #4: - third of the sun, moon and stars darkened (Ex. 10:21).
• OT imagery used for the fall of nations and rulers – Isaiah 24:19-20.
QUOTE: What’s going on in this chapter?
“References to the Egyptian plagues suggest that in Revelation we have the final exodus of God’s people from the bondage of a world controlled by hostile powers.” (NASB Study Bible).
CHAPTER #9 – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS #2:
TRUMPET #5:
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth.” (Revelation 9:1-3).
• Who is this star? It is an angel (see Rev. 1:20), possibly a fallen angel
• The imagery of the locusts comes from Exodus 10:12.
• In Rev. 9:3-10, we see this terrible description of a demonic locust army.
• The imagery of these locusts comes from the OT prophet Joel 2:1-10.
• In Revl. 9:11-12 we see the demon locusts’ king is called Abaddon = Destroyer = Satan.
TRUMPET #6: - demonic army of horsemen released to kill a third of mankind (v.13-19).
Sad Commentary: “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21).
Why does God pour out His wrath in judgment upon mankind?
• First and foremost, God’s desire is that they would repent of their sins and turn to Him.
• What were the sins they did not repent of? Demon worship, idolatry, murder, sorceries (Greek pharmakeia – drug use or witchcraft), sexual immorality, thefts
APPLICATION POINT: How should we respond to these judgment trumpets?
1. If we are children of God, then let us thank Him that these judgments will not befall us.
2. If we are guilty of any of these sins, then let us be quick to repent and return to God.
3. Let’s get out there and share God’s love with those who are lost so they can be saved!
CHAPTER TEN – THE ANGEL AND THE LITTLE BOOK:
“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” (Rev. 10:1).
“Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth." So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” (Rev. 10:8-11).
• What is the little book? The Word of God. Parallel passage: Ezekiel 2:9-10; 3:1-3.
• Note: God told both Ezekiel and John to ‘eat’ a book before speaking God’s Word to people. We too must put God’s Word into our hearts before sharing it with others.
• Why was it sweet? – the Good News of the Gospel for all who will believe
• Why was it bitter? – the punishment of the wicked who will not repent of their sins.
CHAPTER ELEVEN – THE TWO WITNESSES:
“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” (Rev. 11:3-6).
• This imagery of the olive trees & lampstands comes from the prophet Zechariah (4:1-3).
• Fire coming out of their mouths reminds us of Elijah who called down fire from Heaven.
• Power to turn water into blood and strike the earth with plagues reminds us of Moses.
WHO ARE THE TWO WITNESSES? Here are some different interpretations…
1. Literal: Two Jewish prophets who come in the power of Elijah and Moses
2. Symbolic #1: The Bible (Old and New Testaments; law/Moses & prophets/Elijah)
3. Symbolic #2: Israel and the Church (olive tree & lampstands)
4. Symbolic #3: The Witnessing Church (Jesus sent His disciples out ‘two by two’)
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET:
“15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.” (Revelation 11:15-19).
• Here we see a description of Judgment Day again: God’s wrath against His enemies.
• Punishment is decreed for the unrepentant, but rewards are promised to God’s people!
• God is calling us to repent –turn from our sins and turn to God – and put our faith in Him.
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/
