Threefold Woe

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THREEFOLD WOE (REVELATION 8)

I lived in an environmentally friendly housing estate. We have recycling bins for paper, plastic and cans for a while. Later, to my delight, a glass bottle bin was added. I was not a recycling fan but my wife did not want to waste anything, so now it is a habit for me. When visitors come to my home, I often go through the trash bag to pick up objects that could be recycled.

I have to change my habits even for small things. For example, I used to buy a pack of six small packs of milk, which I tear open one and keep five for freshness. Later I decided to change because it was very troublesome for me to recycle small paper packs, so I bought a bigger pack of milk, which is easier to drain of its milk stain for the pack to dry and recycle. I tried to wipe or wash plastic containers for recycling purposes.

Before the swimming pools were reopened in April 2021 after the virus scare, I used to take a walk up a hill to the reservoir and picked up the trash as I go, of which the top things people left behind were cigarette butts, tissues and wrappers.

The opening of the seventh seal in the eight chapter of Revelation threatened the earth, her environment and existence. The first four seals for the four horses were introduced by the four living creatures/beasts saying “Come,” and the last two with one response from the martyrs – “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (6:10) and the sixth response from the inhabitants of the earth who cried in the imperative facing an earthquake, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” (6:16) The seventh seal has no way out with “Woe, woe, woe!”

Seal 1 Seal 2 Seal 3 Seal 4 Seal 5 Seal 6 Seal 7

6:2

white horse 6:4

red horse

6:5

black horse

6:8 pale horse

6:11

white robe 6:12

black sun 8:3

golden censer

6:1

first living creature:

“Come!"

6:3

second living creature: "Come!"

6:5

third living creature: “Come!"

6:7

Fourth living creature : “Come!"

6:10

The slain: “How long, Sovereign Lord?”

6:16

The kings of the earth… "Fall on us and hide us

8:13

Loud voice: “Woe, woe, woe”

6:2 In order to (hina) conquer 6:4 in order to (hina) slay “each other” 6:6 Do not DAMAGE (VS imperative) the oil and the wine 6:8 to kill (infinitive) 6:11

to (hina) wait/rest a little longer

6:16

Fall on us (VM)

6:16 hide (VM) us 6: 17 For the great day of their wrath has come 8:6

to (hina) sound

8:12

(hina) turned dark.

8:12

SHONE not

VS imperative)

After the first six seals were introduced, what impact would the opening of the seventh seal have on earth? How severe can it get? How are we as believers do our part?

Mediate Prayerfully

1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

I became more consistent in prayer the last ten years or more in Hong Kong. It started with praying for lost souls when I exercise. In my daily prayers are family and friends who are unbelievers, pastors in my zone, young people, seminary students and unsaved neighbors. Three years ago I called my former pastor in Singapore the last time I was there, “Rev. Chang, Come share the gospel to my mother!” Praise the Lord, she accepted Christ after many years of no-response.

Next, an unbelieving neighbor on my prayer list for left for Canada while unsaved. I asked myself, “Now what?” A year later, he texted me and said, “Pastor, my kids got to know your former pastor Holy Wong and they are attending church.” Soon, he was baptized.

Two months ago, I met Doris’ childhood classmate who urged us to live in our island to keep her daughter company. I told her I was still praying for her husband’s salvation. She said, “Oh, you didn’t know Calvin was baptized six years ago!” Not by accident, he accepted Christ half a year before my prayer warrior wife passed away.