Revelation 8

Easter Saturday Vigil Story

Revelation 8:1–7 “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Well good life long Bible readers, we often know our context even before the text is read aloud, but quick review if for no other reason that to show from what approach I come to the Book of Rev.

We began with the message to the seven churches, some have warnings but not all, the book continues with Saint John being brought into the the throne room of heaven where he sees the heavenly worship and what is defys expectation is that Christ the Lamb is worshiped not for political victory or military prowess, but because he is slain annd by his death he ransoms the chorus sings.

There is a scroll, an in the scroll God’s plan of vindication for his saints is written, and it is sealed perfectly with seven seals and the lamb who is slain is the only one worthy to open the document and bring about God, vindication.

Chapters 6 and 7 is the opening of the seals and each seal brings about a new event in God’s work for vindication, Seal 1 conquoring, Seal 2, Civil War, Seal 3, Famine, Seal 4 Death, Seal 5 continued persecution, Seal 6, The natural world was fully disrupted. And before the seventh seal chapter seven shows the church in heaven at worship.

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

The seventh seal will bring about the next section of the book, seven trumpets. but first there is a dramatic pause.

A favorite movie Apollo 13,

As the pause subsides we have we have the preparation of the trumpets.

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 God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.

The prayers of the saints are there present in the throne room of heaven, the concerns of the people of God are part of the heavenly worship. God is not too big, not to busy, not too concerned to hear the prayer of his people. Our prayers are there.

Tim Keller. “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” [1]

The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 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.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 19

On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a trumpet, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the LORD came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.

What happened at Sinai that we see here again? God gathered his people, they made a covenantal agreement. And in Revelation we see God’s people gathered in his covenantal care, not just one ethnic group in 12 tribes, but multiethnic, multi racial gathering from across the known world.

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

And the trumpets begin and plagues akin to those visited on Egypt begin.

Thoughts

Friends the primary meaning of this text is not worship, but worship is a part of this text as it is one of the scenes of heavenly worship that we see through out St. John’s Revelation.

I want to share a little of my conviction with you. When Covid shut down Castine Church, the Evangelical church I worked for we began to do our music and our preaching online, and being anabaptist we did our Love feast online. And I remember thinking because they have a memorial view this might work on some level, but I dont hold a memorial view, I would be willing suffer for the communion, covid, health department warning, arrest.

Where in Chysendom is there protestants with a high view of the Lords table.

It was a wandering journey to arrive here.

One big epiphany came during a church planting intensive…Doxology versus Missiology.

See I had been trained for ministry by Young Life…

But now I was feeling the pull of Doxological seriousness. And I was introduced to a book, “Reformation Worship”

Eden, to the Tabernacle to the Temple, to the Cross, to Revelation. A Biblical theology of worship.

Friends the Liturgy is not only a Biblical priority, not only an inheritance from the early church, but it accomplishes something, something wonderful, somthing beautiful. And if I didn’t figure it out as a trained minister till age 40 my guess is our people also do not understand. We need to bring this before them.

The Kyrie that ancient prayer of the church, a plea for mercy that God hears, The Gloria, a celebration of the incarnation of Jesus, God’s word spoken, not just one text in front of a clever TED talk but four reading that we would hear the whole council of God, The sermon God’s word proclaimed, The Creed, the affirmation of the ancient faith once delivered, the prayers of the people, which we see todaypresent before the throne of God. The Sursum Cordia, lifting up in Heavenly worship of God, the Sanctus, singing along with the Heavenly hosts, The communion, the meal shared with God for the forgiveness of sins, where God is “here on earth both priest and victim In the Eucharistic feast.” The Blessing of Aaron, 3,500 year old Benediction.

A good liturgy is often done with a lot of ceremony, but it is not required. This last Sunday, I sat on the floor next to an agin saint, who cannot make it to church any more, not vestments other than clerical, no altar table other than her end table, no organ, just our voices. We did the Kyrie, a couple lies from the Gloria, we did the Sursum Cordia, and we san a short Sanctus. I said the words of institution , gave her the Christ’s Body and Blood. and gave her the blessing of Aaron.

And it was a large auditorium with a band, it would have been valid. Please dont hear me say there is one cultural white wash by which we should paint the whole church worship. But let us look to the Bible and worship as God lead Adam and Eve, the people os Israel, the Saints in Heaven.

Finally I would remind us that what we all truly deserve for our rebellion is not the worship of God in heaven, but the wrath poured out in the seals and the trumpets. Yet like we read in the Gospel today the great king has invited the lowely and the sinner to the wedding feast. Today we will foretaste that wedding feast for which we did nothing to earn, we will eat the meal of the king, because Jesus has suffered on our behalf on the cross, we will be blessed on his behalf in heaven, the happy exchange that is ours in baptism. Prepare your hearts this morning. In the name of the Father…