The Incense of Your Power-Prayers amid God's Judgment & Wrath in the World
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The book of Revelation - an apocalypse, a revealing of Christ, its a prophesy both what will happen but also calling us to God’s ways - patient endurance and witness, a letter. The form is not in linear words and timetables, as you read it - caught up in visions - vast paintings from two perspectives: 1. What is going on on earth - vast forces of evil raging around us, some seen, many not, and some against creation and the world in general including Christians under tribulations, and some very particularly of attack on Christ’s church, others of God visiting actual space and time judgments on unrepentant people who refuse His gospel and truth, and rebel against Him. And then there is a second camera angle of 2. what is going on in heaven at the very same time, what is the perspective and plan and action of God and indeed his angels. So much of that has to be seen and experienced in this vision.
As we actually read the book itself, we experience not only with our eyes. But like the sound track of a great movie we experience this revelation with our ears. Think of how that works with Chariots of Fire, or kids moive Frozen, but this time its not just nice background music, with the book of Revelation you have got to get the role people play in this cosmic drama by the speaking parts of people both saved and unsaved - it gives us their voices give us in quadraphonic surround sound - how God’s plan unfolds and our part in it! So much of that has been about worship - real goal and teaching - loud joyful!
What have we heard in the first cycle of judgment in the 7 seals? John is weeping because none can open the scroll of God’s plan his judgment and salvation. But that is turned to exuberant pure joy - and the whole of heaven is signing a new song - because the Lamb who was slain is able. Then do you remember what happens when each of the first 6 seals is opened and god’s judgment’s first 4 riders and horses - unraveling of civil order, economy, death and plague - then the sixth warning of ultimate judgment the people - all people - 7-fold designation of classes of people - from kings, to slave and free - all those unreconciled to God: Rev 6:16-17
calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
And what about God’s people what are they saying - in the midst of this unfolding judgment and hardship on the earth - up to 1/4 of the earth affected? They too pass through general sufferings, and persecution on top of that - second mention of prayer, - Rev 6:10
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Not revenge, but deliver from evil, stop the rebellion and judge the wicked. But God says, I am in control of even these tribulation and judgments - wait a bit longer. Then God reveals in chapter 7 in answer to their question, who can stand through these tribulations and judgments visited on the earth - Look at it: Rev 7:2-3
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Those and those alone with the seal of God, as Eph 2 makes clear every converted child of God - sealed, a pledge and guarantee a protection, that the evil the poison of punishment wrath, even in physical death, - can’t touch us - not as Romans 8 says, tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or sword - death, life, angels or rulers, present, things to come, nor powers, height, depth nor anything in all creation -can separate us from the love of God in Christ!
And that first cycle before the 7th-final last days judgment concludes with a picture of church on earth and church in heaven - pure worship! Well now in our chapter, and in this second cycle of judgements in this new vision, given a picture to see, the 7 angels, we’re talking 7 arch angels, maybe the guardian angels of the churches, given trumpets but they don’t blow them yet. No, first there’s another sound track to hear.
Key Truth: The Lord uses the prayer of all His People, in sending out His judgments that call our world to repentance!
Key Truth: The Lord uses the prayer of all His People, in sending out His judgments that call our world to repentance!
Now before you tune out this as so strange and fantastical that it doesn’t affect you and just awaits the generation of supernatural events just at the very end, let me tell you right up front that if you are a child of God, your voice is part of the first voice that God uses in determining and accomplishing His great plan for this world!
A. The Voices amid the Trumpet Judgment Cycles
A. The Voices amid the Trumpet Judgment Cycles
The seventh seal is opened and you expect the climactic judgment, after that pause of the sealing of God’s people, but after all that noise of martyrs crying out to God, after the people of the earth - crying out inn guttural fear - scream like in the forest - like VanGough, the next sound is stunning: Rev 8:1
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
This is stunning to you and I whose lives are full of noise so much white noise, music, pod casts, traffic, chatter, tv, radio. Hardly know Psalm 46 any more Bestill and no that I am God. See his works see his wonders, see his judgments on evil in this world, on the Cross , see his holiness, see his loving plan - see His people and kingdom - Everyone everything silent, like calm before the storm - eerie silence. But why does God want this silence before the final judgment comes? And as John describes it - OT silence before sacrifices, silence in Gentile temples when their god Emperor comes in to offer prayers. But look an angel comes in and he is holding something of yours and mine.
Rev 8:3-4
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
Like OT priest took fire from the altar of sacrifice - and Christ’s sacrifice made, and combine that fire with sweet smelling incense, and on the altar of incense - that is under the throne of God in heaven, look at what wafts up with the smoke and incense intermingling with something of yours and mine:
i. The Sound of All the Saints Prayers with Yours
Now not just martyrs and God’s people in heaven, but a second picture Jesus wants his church to have in Asia Minor and us today. It says it there the prayers of all the saints - not people who are holier than thou, not self-righteous, not extraordinarily-gifted and dedicated spiritual people, but those set apart by Christ, those trusting in Christ’s righteousness, by faith. All believers are saints, and a holy nation in Christ. They are a royal priesthood, and here this angels mingles the sacrifice and incense - what purifies everyone of our weak and fumbling prayers. Through the mediation of Christ in heaven who ever lives to intercede, our prayers rise before God in heaven.
But the wonder is the next sound that answers the prayers of God’s people. Look at God’s response s to our prayers made perfect through Christ. You doubt your prayers get through, especially while suffering.. look what God wants you to know! Rev 8:5
Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
That’s normally what we think of when God appears. Already saw this in heaven - but these words also what happened, when God delivered Israel out of Egypt. And God promises his church my judgment swill come down on earth and shake this world up - I will unravel the creation and I will bring torment and darkness to those in rebellion, I will bring my kingdom and bring you through! And before looking at what those judgments are in our world, notice the second voice in the middle of the trumpet judgments, after the unraveling of nature judgments, just before the final three trumpets. The ones next week, which describes God’s permission of Satan and his forces to torment those who refuse to repent. Another voice screams as an eagle.
ii. The Sound of Warning of Woe to those Living without Christ
Now we’ve seen an eagle before haven’t we? God interrupts the judgments not only for prayer of his people, but for this message to the earth dwellers - to the avowed enemies of Jesus’ church. Those not citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, those who are citizens of Babylon the Great. The Eagle is a symbol of message of herald, often of like carrion bird, same word for vulture, but wiser and stronger. Eagle bears a message before war breaks out. So God sends a warning that this world, and the people around you need! What is it? Rev 8:13
Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”
In the Bible often in Hebrew and Greek - repeat word twice - dreamed a dream, King of Kings, Amen, Truly Truly. But seldom three times. Maybe can think already had the other thrice repeated word in the Bible, Holy Holy Holy. But as God is now about to send judgment into this world, not just in creation in general, but against those who don’t repent, refuse His reign WOE WOE WOE. And God is going to give the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit - and spiritual angst and torment come on those who don’t have the seal of God!
Now do you know anyone in spiritual darkness, ignoring God in their lives? Do you see in this world, any individual, organization, nation, who systematically stomp out anything of God and particularly of Christ - God will not only bring judgments in Creation, but on those people those nations - and look at what his goal still is at the end of the 6th trumpet: Rev 9:20-21
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, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Oh, stop and listen to the eagle to the woes - do you not have concern for these? Look at that description all people who are breaking God’s 10 commandments, who have set up an idol-god of stuff of this world instead of the living God Jesus Christ reveals! Do you not long for God’s kingdom in the midst of persecution - The eagle announcing a war; but the two weapons that God’s people pick up in this time of tribulation are prayer -take out the rebel by conversion, or if not stop them from destroying the earth and your people. Imagine how it worked in Paul’s life - not bed of roses and fluffy inspiration - Pray for unsaved God may bring them to repentance through feeling these woes, pray for nations facing inhumane suffering and Christ’s church persecuted… E Germany - God may rock the society and take it down, and , before the final judgment.
So interesting that George Herbert called these kind of prayers Reverse Thunder, normally from heaven to earth God sends. But here its God’s people in prayer, sending thunder up to God! -God obligates himself to hear the cry of his people and they call up thunder from earth - and God acts. Like E. Germany - prayer meetings, young people, spread to other church, soon spilled out into streets, Russian communist leadership critical mistake - Think of other world situations, think of church under persecution, think of loved ones in tribulation of their own. - prayers -unexpected way… align you to pray God’s will and to see it, in his time worked out!
And that brings us to the third voice we must hear in this second cycle of judgments. It comes at the end of the sixth one. We expect final judgment to fall, but again no, big gap big delay, interlude, and then indeed 7 more bowls. So what is the conclusion of the trumpet cycle before the final judgment comes? Listen, the repentance hasn’t come even from our prayers and from these judgment warnings God sends from heaven. What more will God do?
iii. The Voice of Witnesses to Jesus
Look at the end of Ch 10 and beginning of 11. Before the 7th trumpet, and with our earnest prayers and God’s serious judgments in the world, God’s angel hin this vision now turns to John and says, here’s this little scroll eat it … sweet as honey on the lips, but bitter if keep it in your stomach. And then he says: Rev 10:11
And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Do you get the picture, the peoples, this world, including your family including your neighbour coworkers, people you do sports with - not ready for the great Day of the Lord, - so there has got to be real witness in this time of tribulation,. When they feel woes and trials, and judgments of God in little and big ways already. Even in this pandemic!! When they face famine or pandemic, or even just death, or sickness. The temple,the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be under pressure oppression, but look at what goes on in the court of Gentiles of this NT Temple of the people of God - position whom? Whose voice heard before the final judgment comes?
Rev 11:3
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Witness is a key theme of this book, and when the trials and tribulation get ratcheted up, God says, my people must witness! But look how they are doing it - not: You wicked people are getting blasted, you deserve it and I don’t. But look at these two - they are sharing the gospel of Jesus - in sack cloth, mourning with those in their trial! That witness will be mimicked by Satan beast and having their witness in our world that many will be led a astray to follow. And while this hugely important part of the book and of our calling must await a later sermon, I do want you to see that these voices of worship, and prayer, and witness are the key themes and indeed instructions of this book. Christians may disagree on the context of when and how these judgments will happen, but this calling of God’s people of you and me, in time of pandemic, in time when friend or family facing tribulation, and even if we live in the days of when our nation faces the more intense. But that is what we need to ask now: What is the context in which you and I need to really have our prayers recorded in heaven, and expect God’s all-wise answers through judgment? What is the context of how we worship the Lion who is the Lamb? What is the context in which you and I must give witness to those deceived to live without Christ in our world and in our lives today? And just like the seals, John is given a vision of it with a picture of 4 then 2, and then 1 the big and last judgment. The first are going to show God’s hand in the unraveling of creation, and the last three trumpets, the three woes, show the unraveling of people’s lives spiritually without God. And now we must see rather than hear to get God’s perspective on these terrible judgments.
B. Intensifying Judgments of God on the World turned against Him
B. Intensifying Judgments of God on the World turned against Him
After the prayers of God’s people are registered, after they have been sealed - the trumpet blows. Like book of Numbers - can be for worship and that will be the 7th trumpet when Dy of Lord comes and Kingdom established in fulness. But more so for the moving of God’s pilgrim people as military-camp, and especially for war. And you look to the prophets of the OT and they say that trumpet blown as great warning to make enemies against God tremble , for judgment is coming.
Notice what they all have in common. They all match up with the plagues that God sent on Egypt to deliver his people and to warn Egypt and Pharaoh to turn and repent and obey before the last great plague. These plague s serves similar purpose for our world. Notice also the numbers associated. In the seals, only 1/4 of the earth affected at a time, and then the command was given unravel their society; but don’t touch the olive trees and vines. Remember after the 6 seals opened, four angels hold back the four winds, the spirits of the Riders of Apoclayse why? Rev 7:1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
But here we have increasing intensity - now 1/3 at a time with these judgments; and now God uses the break down and the forces of nature to unravel the lives of those living wihtout him. For John fellows Christians, they saw Rome flourishing, and Christians so marginalized, but Jesus says to John and the Church: worship, pray , witness and look what you will see.
i. The 1st Trumpet disturbs Food Security
i. The 1st Trumpet disturbs Food Security
Rev 8:7b
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
An electrical storm is pictured and there is hail, and fire mixed with blood - symbols of what God did to Lush, lush, fertile, wealthy, only self-sufficient nation of Egypt - Trees in Roman empire olive orchards and figs, and the green grass - pasture. Rome is called Babylon in this book , and it is not the wealth itself - but the reliance on wealth and luxury and the oppression that comes with it that God targets. How many of you have watched someone who has nothing in this world but wealth for reliance, go through like financial down turn - panic - those life so stuffed with material possessions, - housing crash -
ii. The 2nd Trumpet disturbs Economic Security
ii. The 2nd Trumpet disturbs Economic Security
But a second angel blows the trumpet and kazam - the Sovereign Lord in his overseeing providence - Rev 8:8
The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
What’s the target? The sea and what happens - 1/3 of the fish in oceanic catastrophe like a oil spill - dead fish .., not just food suppl. But listen Rome absolutely dependent on the Sea for grain, for admnistering its , for rixhes - the sea was kind of what the internet has become for our culture. And listen to what happened to Rome AD 79 Mt Vesuvius a great mountain exploded - and lava like a river of blood flowed in tothe Sea and the Medetarian was decimated. And the Romans are saying: if gods against the sea what hope have we? We need a witness to recognize that God is shaking up all that can be shaken - giving them warning of a greater judgment, giving them opportunity to turn to the One who is a refuge in these times. To Join His Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
iii. The 3rd Trumpet disturbs the life-fountains
iii. The 3rd Trumpet disturbs the life-fountains
An angel blows the third trumpet. Rev 8:10
The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
And what you need to understand is that in the ancient world - living water , a river or sprigs essential for a city. Jerusalem unique in ANE only city without river but springs. Rome mighty Tiber river. Laodicea - lukewarm, had to pipe it in from near by Colosse or … A meteor, at God commands falls and water supply becomes wormwood of bitterness. And so in the first three God's judgment on land and sea. But lastly look now how are human evil in our lives, in our society can bring a judgment from God that will change the heavens above.
iv. The 4th Trumpet brings GLOOM
The fourth angel blows his trumpet of judgment and of God’s battle against the evil of Rome in John’s day, and of the empires of this world, and in the last day. And look what happens: Rev 8:12
The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
Now tell me do you think that is final judgment? Only 1/3, later it will be complete. Tell me do you think it necessarily is a literal physical eclipse of sun, moon, and punching out of the stars? What’s being described here are supernatural judgments of God on a people turned against him. In the OT, this exact language used when God took down a nation. Joel and Zechariah. It is used for what would happen when the Messiah had the wrath of God poured out on Him on the Cross, He was suffering the Day of the Lord - and God made a sign with the lights of the world being knocked out. These are what have been called the Messianic woes of the day of the Lord
Joel 2:1-3
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.
Do you see it, multiple fulfillments and all picturing the final day of judgment. But until then God gives all these warnings, and when we see this kind of desolation in our world, we should not just say, oh random chance, not say - hardship fallen so necessarily your personal sin, but should say - God can shake all this up - but I am held by him -= and my life not self-sufficient and in my stuff - - found a rock and refuge in the middle of this turn to Him. And we should look around and be able to say - you face all this desolation and darkness - and you have no real light - its a judgment form God - and is the birth pangs of what is going to get worse if not found in Him and His kingdom that can’t be shaken.
Do you see the context in which God’s people must give voice to worship and real and earnest prayer and witness? It is in this world where as Romans 1:18 says:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Times in history see that more than others times, and in the later-days in even more so. So God gives us chapter 8 of the Revelation of Jesus Christ - so that we both get the proper perspective on these tribulations and as those who are children of light, shining in a world that is being overcome by gathering darkness, which as we shall see in Rev 9 is a spiritual and demonic darkness. But as 2 Peter calls it this is the murky light of the world, dark place but
we are to as Jesus said, shine our light, as Paul put it Phil 2:15
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Conclusion: Let me conclude then with an illustration for what you and I should do with this revelation of three different voices - and the sight of four terrible judgment from God in our world.
Back in the early days of television, couldn’t just hit the clicker. Turn a knob, that was also the volume, but depending on the weather and the setting of the transmitter and your receiver, turn to a channel out ring you would have to mess with. Problem was no automatic tuning, had to do it manually - have double triple vision, race up and down, or sideways and snow, and staticy voice. So every once in awhile, as I remember our first colour tv set, i think early in the morning and then late at night. TV stations would broadcast a TV Card. Ever see one? Look like this. Twist those knobs, bang the side of the tube, move the aerial, till lines were straight read the letters, colours were right, and then you could know when show came on - tuned in properly and the picture of the outside world accurately brought into your home!
Well, that’s what the whole book of Revelation and these judgement cycles are giving us - a test card to make sure we are accurately tuned in to God’s program i this world, see it , all these events as God does! The world out there is distorted by the lies of our culture and the distorted interference of our sinful culture. Its discolored by the perspective it keeps feeding us, it limited to earthly perspective. But when we get this test card, able to interpret the judgment of God in this world aright. See that there is real holiness in this world, and where we are out of step with that there is real and dangerous and despairing WOE WOE WOE. Until we get that perspective won’t see God’s holy wrath against sin, nor the love that sent Jesus down into the midst of our woe, nor the mercy and passion He has to rescue out of it. But you actually take the time to use this test card, see His judgments and holiness and recognize in isn our live, in this world and the wrath of God against it, then can tune into the program - God prescribes here - get God’s unique view His outlook, and sharing in it as faithful believers - we can be those who shine real light in murky darkness - with worship, prayer , and with our witness!