Warning of Judgment
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Introduction
Introduction
In a world full of messages and distractions we have to have a way for us to have our attention redirected to things that may have a higher priority. We use many sounds and alerts to bring our attention from one thing to something that may be of greater importance. These alerts may keep us from forgetting something or missing something that is important. Such as something in the oven, time to wake up or a message that is coming in that we need to be aware of. Sometimes the alerts are warnings of imminent danger. Cars have horns to blare prior to collisions to alert drivers to our presence. We have sirens that go off for tornadoes, hurricanes - etc. There are sirens to alert to fire, break ins, air raids and such. To ignore the blaring warnings is to risk your very life.
During the Tribulation period God as we learned in chapter 7 still has mercy and grace on display in the midst of judgment beginning. Tonight we are going to see that God has warnings that sound to awaken people to the reality of judgment and the end coming.
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God; seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, with a golden incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel’s hand. 5 The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth. So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. So a third of the sea became blood,
9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water.
11 The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter. 12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light and also a third of the night.
13 I looked and heard an eagle flying high overhead, crying out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!” 1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. The key for the shaft to the abyss was given to him.
2 He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth, and power was given to them like the power that scorpions have on the earth.
4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads. 5 They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces; 8 they had hair like women’s hair; their teeth were like lions’ teeth; 9 they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle;
10 and they had tails with stingers like scorpions, so that with their tails they had the power to harm people for five months. 11 They had as their king the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed. There are still two more woes to come after this.
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet. From the four horns of the golden altar that is before God, I heard a voice 14 say to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels who were prepared for the hour, day, month, and year were released to kill a third of the human race.
16 The number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17 This is how I saw the horses and their riders in the vision: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18 A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues—by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came from their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails, which resemble snakes, have heads that inflict injury.
20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.
Seventh Seal
Seventh Seal
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God; seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, with a golden incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel’s hand. 5 The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
We come now to the seventh seal on the scroll, the final seal which allows for the scroll to be opened. When the seventh seal is opened there is silence in Heaven for about half an hour. In most respects we wouldn’t consider half an hour to be much time at all. Things seem long or short in their own context though. Since heaven is a place of continuous praise and worship of God - silence lasting half an hour is relatively a long time. The silence should give weight to the importance and significance of the final seal being opened and the scroll rolled out.
As the seal is opened seven angels who stand in the presence of God are in sight and to each of them is given a trumpet - seven trumpets in all. The seven trumpets are distinct from the seven seals in fact the seventh seal contained the seven trumpets.
I would like us to understand that these are angels’ trumpets and should be distinguished from the trumpet of God.
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
They are also distinct from other New Testament trumpets
19 to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet
1 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Another angel with a golden incense burner - a censer - came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense with prayers of the saints went up in the presence of God in the angels hand.
This offering in heaven corresponds to the custom of offering incense on the altar of incense in both the tabernacle and the temple. The censer would hold the coals and a separate vessel would carry the incense which was poured out on the coals once the altar was reached. The resulting smoke was typical of prayer ascending before God.
The idea is that just as incense is precious, pleasant, and drifts to heaven, so do our prayers. Notice that here before anything happens at the opening of the seventh seal the prayer’s of God’s people come before Him. The prayer’s of God’s people set in motion the coming consummation of history. The angel at this point casts the censer filled with fire from the altar and hurled it to the earth - which produced peals of thunder, rumblings,flashes of lightning and an earthquake. This produces a picture of ominous anticipation “More potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in the world, more powerful than anything else, is the power of prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth.” - Thomas Forsyth Torrance
The seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The First Four Trumpets
The First Four Trumpets
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth. So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. So a third of the sea became blood,
9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water.
11 The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter. 12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light and also a third of the night.
The first angel blew his trumpet and the result was hail and fire mixed with blood hurled to the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea became blood and a third of the living creatures of the sea died and a third of the ship were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet and a great star blazing like a torch fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood and a third of the waters became wormwood - bitter poisonous. So many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter. The fourth angel blew his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon and a third of the stars so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light and also a third of the night.
These events are best left to be interpreted literally and the results of the judgments are literal as well. “The truth is if earth, sea, and grass do not mean earth, sea, and grass no man can tell you what they mean. Letting go the literal signification of the record, we launch upon an endless sea of sheer conjecture.” Joseph Seiss
How will this all happen? Many speculate through phenomenon we know today, like nuclear war, fallout, pollution, meteors, etc. There is a lake between Pavlodor and Semipolatinsk in Kazakhstan.
Though beautiful, the lake is radioactively poisoned and as a result nothing lives in it. The radioactive effects of an atomic explosion found in the water are well known. Perhaps the great star is John describing modern weapons. Interesting to consider and quite possible, but keep one thing clear however it happens it is judgment brought by God. God is not passively allowing nature to take its course. God may use any method He desires to bring judgment. People on the earth during these judgments will know that they are from God and not merely natural disasters.
9 and people were scorched by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God, who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.
11 and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works.
A third of all earth, water and sky are being effected. The sun moon and stars are struck causing them to have a third darkened. a third of day and a third of night with light. This echoes the words of Jesus about those days.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Fifth Trumpet - First Woe
Fifth Trumpet - First Woe
13 I looked and heard an eagle flying high overhead, crying out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!”
1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. The key for the shaft to the abyss was given to him. 2 He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.
3 Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth, and power was given to them like the power that scorpions have on the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.
5 They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces; 8 they had hair like women’s hair; their teeth were like lions’ teeth;
9 they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle; 10 and they had tails with stingers like scorpions, so that with their tails they had the power to harm people for five months.
11 They had as their king the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed. There are still two more woes to come after this.
John then looks and hears an eagle flying overhead crying in a loud voice “Woe Woe Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts about to sound” The Hebrew spelling of Angel and Eagle are very close together so this could be either of these.
The importance is on what was said - not so much what said it. Woe - means grief anguish or affliction. The three woes to come are the final judgment God pronounces on the wicked of the earth to spur them to repentance.
The 5th trumpet is blown by the fifth angel and there is a star that has fallen from heaven to earth. The context here indicates the star is a someone and not a something.
12 Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. 13 You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. 14 I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you; they will look closely at you: “Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble, who shook the kingdoms, 17 who turned the world into a wilderness, who destroyed its cities and would not release the prisoners to return home?”
18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
This star represents Satan and the key to the shaft of the Abyss was given to him. The Abyss is the home or prison of the demonic. Satan here uses the key to bring forth demons from the Abyss out into the earth. Smoke like smoke of a great furnace; the sun and air were darkened by the smoke. Out of the smoke came locusts
The locusts by description from where they come and the description of them are not literal locusts but are similar to locusts in that they depict judgment, they depict famine, and destruction. These locusts were given power like the power that scorpions have on the earth. These locusts do not afflict the vegetation of the earth but rather they are given power and authority to afflict people. Specifically those who do not have the mark of God on their foreheads.
These locusts are demonic with the power to inflict stings and pain, but they cannot kill. There are things worse than death though and they are permitted to torment for 5 months. The life span of a locust is 5 months again a similarity for these demonic locusts.
The torment is the insufferable pain coming from the sting - perhaps the pain lasts five months perhaps they are stung over and over again for five months not sure. One thing is for sure, the pain and torment is so great that people will seek death and will not find it. They will desire to die and death will hide from them. Many think death provides an escape but in these times death will not be found by those who seek it. The picture of those wanting to die but finding they cannot is horrifying.
The locusts appear like horses prepared for battle (clothed in armor). A golden crown on their heads, faces like that of men, having women’s hair (long) teeth like lions teeth and chests like iron breastplates. Their wings sound like that of chariots of horses rushing to battle. Tails with stingers like scorpions with their tails they harm and torment for five months. Unlike locusts who have no king these locusts have a king.
27 locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;
Their king is the angel of the abyss whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apolloyon - both translated to destroyer.
Truly this judgment was a woe for it was not a quick and passing judgment but lingered and stayed for five months. The first woe has passed and there are still two more!
6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe
6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet. From the four horns of the golden altar that is before God, I heard a voice 14 say to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels who were prepared for the hour, day, month, and year were released to kill a third of the human race.
16 The number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17 This is how I saw the horses and their riders in the vision: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18 A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues—by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came from their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails, which resemble snakes, have heads that inflict injury.
20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.
At the blowing of the trumpet by the sixth angel there is a voice saying to the angel who had the sixth trumpet to release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates. One thing we can be sure of these are not holy angels - for holy angels do not need to be bound and restrained. Interesting to see here that these angels bound and restrained are prepared for this very hour day month and year - in other words they were prepared for this exact and precise time of the 6th trumpet.
These angels are prepared for and given authority and dominion in which to kill a third of the human race. After the fourth seal and this trumpet 1/2 of the world’s population will have been killed.
The river Euphrates was a landmark of ancient Babylon and the frontier of Israel’s borders (the one promised by God not the one they actually possessed). Euphrates is associated with many firsts
First sin - Genesis 2
First murder - Genesis 4
First rebellion against God - Genesis 11
These angels mounted troops numbering 200 million - literal as John heard their number precisely not an estimate or best guess. Red China in 1965 boasted of having a standing army of 200 million back in 1965 - most likely not true but perhaps still the one nation who could produce such a vast army led by the demonic angels. A prophecy of an army from the East coming across the Euphrates river as the river is dried up. Great dams have already been built to divert water for irrigation purposes leaves the river bed dry or partially dry.
44 But reports from the east and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many.
Points to an army from the east and north
Perhaps the description of the army again is ancient language describing modern warfare. The power in the mouth and the tails and these have the power of plagues smoke, fire and sulfur and a third of the human race is killed
We see the response of man - despite the devastating judgments, and the obvious trumpets of warning 2/3 of humanity did not repent. They dont repent of their evil deeds, of their false worship of demons and idols. They dont repent of their murders sorceries sexual immorality or their thefts.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The overall picture painted is that in spite of the turmoil, calamity, chaos and severe number of casualties of human life - men still reject God and turn in favor to gods of their own making or worse demons who enslave them. Rejection of God causes one to continue in depravity and lack of regard for the things of God.
The first four trumpets reveal the severity of God’s judgment. He attacks all the ordinary means of subsistence - food and water, along with ordinary means of comfort or knowledge. Man has come to view the aspects of God’s created order as impersonal, perpetual forces. The Tribulation period God reveals His Majesty and Lordship by disrupting it all.
These trumpets also continue to reveal the grace and mercy of God, even in the midst of judgment. These are partial judgments and they strike only one third. Meant as a warning and a call to the remaining two-thirds to repentance before the final judgment. Right now see that God spares more than He smites.
The trumpets grow in a form of crescendo becoming worse and more and more devastating. The sixth judgment produced fear but not repentance - repentance cannot be manufactured from fear. The most devastating thing to see is that not the judgment but the sins of men that they persist in even while God is judging. Punishment and suffering cannot change a sinner’s heart only the new birth can do that - Wiersbe