The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 8
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
II. Things Which Are – The Church Age – Rev 2-3
III. Things Which Are To Come – Rev 4-22
A. The Throne Of God – Rev 4
B. The Seven Seals Book – Rev 5
C. The First Six Seals Are Opened – Rev 6
D. The Sealing Of The 144,000 – Rev 7
E. The Lamb Opens The Seventh Seal – Rev 8
Rev 8:1 (NASB) “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
1. There is silence in heaven for a about half an hour – Rev. 8:1
How many or you have heard “Silence is Golden”? Not this silence – it is eerie! This silence is the lull before the storm! Suspense, expectancy, anticipation! Silence can be extremely loud. Even a few seconds of silence can be deadening. Here now we find in heaven – 30 minutes of silence. This is an interesting fact since:
(a) Heaven had been filled with noises – 4:5; 4:8; 5:9-14; 6:1-10; 7:2-3
(b) Heaven is silent after the seventh seal is broken – Hab 2:20; Zeph 1:7; Zech 2:13
Hab 2:20 (NASB) "But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him."
Zep 1:7 (NASB) “Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.”
Zec 2:13 (NASB) "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused from His holy habitation."
Now let’s look at verse two:
Rev 8:2 (NASB) “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
2. The Seven Angels – Rev. 8:2
(a) The seven angels stood before God
The words used here show these angels had been standing before God for a period of time – perhaps a long, long time. We will see these angels will be used to bring judgments upon the earth.
(b) The seven angels are given seven trumpets
They do not have the trumpets now but one day they will have them. Trumpets are used in the scriptures many different events. They were used when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down –
Jos 6:3-5 (NASB) "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead."
To sound a alarm –
Num 10:9 (NASB) "When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies.
It was also used to signal the beginning at religious feasts, to call to battle, to announce news, to acclaim kings, and to call to worship.
In the New Testament – it is associated with the rapture of the church –
1Co 15:51- 52 (NASB) “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1Th 4:15-17 (NASB) “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Here the trumpets are all associated with judgment.
In verse three we are introduced to another angel:
Rev 8:3-6 (NASB) “Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”
3. The Eight Angel – Rev. 8:3-6
(a) Comes and stands at the altar – 3
(1) Alter is of gold
(b) Holds a golden censer
(c) Is given much incense
(1) Incense to be added to the prayers of the saints
Prayers are associated with this altar – incense pictured the prayers being taken up the sweetness of the incense reminds us our prayers are acceptable to God.
(d) Offers up smoke and prayers before God – 4
(e) Takes the censer – 5
(f) Fills the censer with fire
A censer was thought to be a fire-pan. The shape of which is never clearly shown.
In Catholic churches they have a lantern shaped thing made from metal. It has a top and a bottom. If you take the top part off you can put some hot coals at the bottom. The top has holes about it to let the smoke out. You drop the incense of the coals and fasten the top and bottom together. Then there is a chain that is fastened to it and they swing the censer about – smoke fills the area.
(g) Throws the censer to the earth
(1) Peals of thunder
(2) Sounds
(3) Flashes of lighting
(4) Earthquake
(5) The Seven Angels prepare to sound the trumpets – 6
The silence is clearly broken – VOICES, THUNDERINGS, LIGHTENINGS, and EARTHQUAKE
Rev 8:7 (NASB) “The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”
4. 4 Trumpets are sounded
(a) The first trumpet sounds – 7
(1) Hail and Fire mixed with blood thrown to the earth
1/3 of the earth burned up
1/3 of the trees burned up
1/3 of the grass burned up
You’ll hear 1/3rd used about 10 times in this chapter. Since only one-third of the earth is destroyed by these trumpet judgments, this is only a partial judgment from God. His full wrath is yet to be unleashed. Some have suggested volcanic activity.
Rev 8:8-9 (NASB) “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
(b) The second trumpet sounds – 8-9
(1) Something like a great mountain cast into the sea
1/3 of the sea became blood
1/3 of the sea creatures died
1/3 of the ships were destroyed
The "Great mountain" could be a meteorite or some other body from space.
Rev 8:10-11 (NASB) “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
(c) The third trumpet sounds – 10-11
(1) A great star falls from heaven – burning as a lamp
It fell on the rivers and on the springs of water – (fresh water)
(3) The star is called Wormwood
1/3 of the waters become wormwood
Many men died because of the bitter water
By the name of "wormwood" it suggest that this judgment is for idolatry and injustice. It was the name of a bitter herb that was fatally poisonous to some people and was a symbol of divine punishment.
Rev 8:12 (NASB) “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.”
(d) The fourth trumpet sounds – 12
1/3 of the sun is struck
1/3 of the moon is struck
1/3 of the stars is struck
All the light by day and all the light by night will be cut by 1/3
Isa 13:9-11 (NASB) “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.
Eze 32:7-8 (NASB) "And when I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud And the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will set darkness on your land," Declares the Lord GOD.
Summary
1st we had hail and fire falling from heaven – Vegetation
2nd we had a mountain falling from heaven – Salt Water
3rd we had a star falling from heaven – Fresh Water
4th all the celestial lights are darkened – Heavenly Bodies
Rev 8:13 (NASB) “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
5. An Eagle flying – 13
Saying:
"Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
Just when we thought the worst was over we are told that three more trumpets are about to sound – woe – woe – woe – more is still to come……..
