God's Immutable Justice
Notes
Transcript
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 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Introduction:
Jesus the Lamb now opens the seventh seal, and all that follows is part of that seal.
John’s vision of these future events leaves out nothing, because everything that is part of this vision is important and essential.
Let us never be accused of being sensationalist!
There are many who have gone before us, many today, and if time permits, many who will come after us that will dream up all kinds of fanciful ideas and predictions about future events.
Right now, the internet’s full of them!
And here’s something to keep in mind, when the focus is on prophecy and not on Jesus, watch out!!
Leave them to it!
Let us be true to His word!
I. Everything God does is planned with perfect mercy and judgment.
I. Everything God does is planned with perfect mercy and judgment.
A. Silence for a half hour.
Even in Heaven, there is a pause before divine judgment!
It is the wise man who pauses and reflects before casting judgment, how much more at the throne of God?
Ever been in a prayer meeting and right in the middle of it, no one is praying? It seems like that 20 or 30 seconds feels like eternity. we get nervous, edgy, on the edge of our seats so to speak.
Well, imagine this scene, and now John says the silence was about a half hour.
We don’t do well with silence because we must always be doing something.
When we are in the presence of the Lord, whether in Bible reading, prayer, meditation, we must learn to be silent before Him. It is here that we come to appreciate and draw closer to Him.
B. Seven angels with seven trumpets prepared and waiting for His command to sound.
The text says they prepare themselves to sound!
Do they practice in heaven?
II. Our prayers are of utmost importance to God.
II. Our prayers are of utmost importance to God.
A. They are all accounted for.
B. They are presented on the golden alter before Him.
C. They are mixed with incense
The righteousness of Christ and holiness of God.
34 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
D. Every one of them will receive God’s attention.
Think about this - We pray and get an answer, or we think God isnt hearing our request because nothing changes.
But every prayer, regardless of how human it may be, is mixed with the incense of His holiness so that God discerns every aspect of what and why we are asking this, and then one day He judges every aspect of them.
We may not understand much of this now, but we will certainly have knowledge one day.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
Again, it is Jesus who opens the seals, who alone is worthy, because He is the Lamb, the perfect and loving sacrifice that has made us accepted in the beloved!
Keep your eye on Him!