The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 8 Series

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.”