Studies In Revelation Chapter 8 Series

Note: I used many sources to study this book, one of my favorites is Revelation: God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept by Daymond Duck and some out of different study bibles.

Title: The Seventh seal and the four judgements

Text: Revelation 8

What happened in our previous chapter? Who opens the trumpets?

Chapter 6: six seals Chapter 7: intermission; sealing of the saints

Chapter 8: seventh seal

Pattern: 4 then 3, it gets worse

1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Why do you think that there was silence in heaven? What could silence heaven?

Maybe a great judgement and amazement at what will happen

2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Here we see seven angels with seven trumpets? These all in the last of the seven seals. Zephaniah gives seven different names for the tribulation period. Some other names you may recognize in the Bible is, Jacob’s trouble Jer. 30:7, Seventieth-Week Dan 9:24-27, Lord’s Vengeance Is 34:8,

Two known arch-angels Gabriel Luke 1:19, and Michael Dan 10:13

Trumpets are mentioned about 100 times in scripture. 1) giving the Law at Sinai (Ex 19:16) 2) calling of the congregation of Israel, also to announce the wilderness march in Numbers (Lev 25:9) 3) the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6 13X) 4) sounding of warning by prophets Is 58:1; Jer 4:5; Ez 33:3 etc) Here we see it is used to announce the ;lagues of judgement. Use for a signal of war.

God is going to go to war against a rebellious man. Why? for their own good and to give them a chance. How do you fight a war with God.

Another use of a trumpet

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 AV)

3 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.

Here we see a part that was used in the Jewish worship system. A censer with incense was used. It represtented prayers unto the Lord. We know of the spice of frankincense that was given to Jesus. It was a symbol that he died for our sins. 1 Pt. 2:24

Ps 141:1 LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalms 141:2 AV)

What do saints pray for? Rev. 6:10 tells us of one prayer.

What happens to our prayers? Do you think that God stores them up?

5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth:

Notice the prayers being answered.

and there were voices, and thundering, and lightning, and an earthquake.

voices-God calling out instructions

thundering-the approach of a coming storm

lightning-the storm

earthquake-the earth’s response to the pressure, more and more do we hear about the faulk lines of earthquakes. We hear about the vulnerability of our nation. Just think one major disaster could change our whole world

Who is this angel? Who could it be?

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (Revelation 7:1 AV)

1st judgement see Exodus 9:24-25 against goddess Isis

7 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.

Purpose of the judgements

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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21