Revelation week 5

Chapters 8-11

GAME:

GAGA BALL SOCCER.

Questions?

Review!

What is the focus of Revelation so far?

What was the focus of Chapter 1?

The is about things that will happen in the future.

What is the focus of Chapter 2-3?

This is written to the churches

Chapters 4 & 5?

The Throne! and the one who is on the Throne, Jesus!

What is Eschatology?

What is Pre-tribulation? - Rapture occurs before tribulation

What is mid-tribulation? - rapture occurs at or near mid-point of tribulation

What is Post-Tribulation?- rapture occurs after tribulation

What is the Rapture? (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

When will the rapture occur?

What should we focus on with Eschatology?

a. Matthew 24:35-37 “35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

b. Focus is on future hope and victory we have in Jesus.

NOT WHEN things will happen but that God’s VICTORY WILL happen.

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Chapter 8: The opening of the 7th seal.

Note God’s patience over the next few chapters despite the calamity occuring.

Note also how rebellious man has become in Rev. 9:21.

From the seals, to the trumpets, to the bowls, the judgements are increasing in intensity.

Trumpet’s 3 uses according to Numbers 10.

Called people together Numbers 10:2 “2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.”

Announced war. Numbers 10:9 “9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.”

Announced special times Numbers 10:10 “10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.””

The voice of God sounded like a trumpet Revelation 1:10 “10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet”

Matthew 24:6-8 “6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

Note the parallels to Egypt in Revelation 8.

1. Trumpet 1 - Hail and Fire. (8:7)

Exodus 9:22-26 “22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.”

Food will be affected by this plague. God in his patience affects only part of the earth and not all of it. Roughly 1/3 of the earth.

2. Trumpet 2 - Burning mountain cast into the sea. (8:8-9)

-Exodus 7:20-21 “20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Water will be affected. 1/3 of the seas will turn to blood.

God is again patient by not destroying.

Like Egypt and Rome, God is showing that his power is superior to all earthly powers.

3. Trumpet 3 - Star falls on rivers and springs.

Jeremiah 9:15 “15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink.”

Jeremiah 23:15 “15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.””

Exodus 8:24 “24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.”

water is poisoned or at least made undrinkable.

Rather than being the source of life, it can take away your life by being poisoned and ruined.

This would strike a chord with the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:16 “16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

4. Trumpet 4 - Sun, moon, stars darkened. (Revelation 8:12)

Exodus 10:21-23 “21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

Again, God is in charge. Not Rome, Not Egypt, whatever the specific meaning, things man needs daily (food, and water) will be affected, but also the light itself will be in short supply

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Now, clear distinction between Trumpet 4 and 5.

Revelation 8:13 discusses 3 woes.

5. Trumpet 5 - Demons from the Abyss (9:1-11)

This seems to be demons released from hell. They are not allowed to touch those who belong to God (his church 9:4) nor any trees or plants.

Their mission is to inflict pain giving those afflicted the desire to die, but they will not be able to do so.

Furthermore, think of the nefarious nature here.

Who are the enemies of Satan?

Followers of Christ.

Who is Satan and his demons allowed to attack?

Anyone who is not a follower of Christ.

To say this differently, The demons are only allowed to The SEVEN TRUMPETS

The Seven Trumpets of 8:7–11:19

Restrained judgments from heaven are sent in response to the saints’ prayers.

Trumpet 1

8:7

hail, fire, and blood cast on land—one-third burned

Trumpet 2

8:8-9

burning mountain cast into sea—one-third bloodied

Trumpet 3

8:8-10

burning stars fall on rivers and springs—one-third embittered

Trumpet 4

8:12

sun, moon, and stars—one-third darkened

Trumpet 5

9:1-11

Demons from the Abyss

Trumpet 6

9:13-21

Invasion from the East – One third of mankind killed

Trumpet 7

11:15-19

Kingdom of world becomes kingdom of God.

attack their allies. Those already against God.

The symbolism that the demons appear as locusts seem to show their power to destroy.

There have been many horrible nations through the years.

All the nations that attacked Israel in the OT.

Rome in the NT.

But none of them compare to the torments that Satan’s demons will bring.

But the irony is, Satan and his demons will only affect those who already belong to him.

Now think about this again…

Logically, this is a warning to the earth to turn from sin and turn to God.

The only ones not affected by these plagues are God’s people, the church. Why would anyone willingly accept the afflictions they are facing and not turn to Christ?

6. TRUMPET 6 - Invasion from the East 9:13-21

John 8:44 “44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

How does Satan kill? By lying. The very thing he has done since the beginning.

With the 6th trumpet blast, we see 1/3 of humanity die now.

How they die is unclear. but it is likely again through the deception of Satan.

But I want to really focus on Revelation 9:20 “20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,”

For the idol worshippers, how could this not shake their belief in what is false?

This sounds like Daniel 5:23 “23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.”

Scripture constantly reminds humanity that idols are blind, deaf, dumb, and worthless rocks.

Yet even as demons wreck humanity, the very people essentially worshiping demons, humanity still rebels against God.

Man does not repent.

All of the warnings of God falls on deaf ears.

Essentially imagine all of chapters 8 and 9 being like Moses in Egypt.

You would think after all they had been through that Pharaoh would understand the plagues were from God and Pharaoh would turn to the God of Moses and let the people go.

But man in his sin always doubles down.

We are naturally hard to the things of God.

7. Trumpet 7 - Thy Kingdom Come (11:15-19)

Revelation 11:15 “15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.””

NO more resistance.

No more rebellion.

NO more false contest with worldly powers thinking they can overcome or be more powerful than God.

The Lamb has conquered and has taken his seat on the throne.

Revelation 3:21 “21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Revelation 5:5-6 “5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

Here we see the victory of Christ.

Saints are rewarded. The world has been judged and found to still be rebellious against God.

Next Week:

Read 19-22.

Finish all of Revelation.