Revelation Part 5

Intro

last week; began opening the seals

four horses

two pictures moving toward the end

today; trumpets and woes

The Seventh Seal

one seven leads to another

the seventh seal is opened and the scene is once again the throne

silence for half an hour

the censer and the incense and the fire from the alter

a difficult image of God; he is both a loving God and a wrathful God

Seven Trumpets and Three Woes

important to note that we have not reached judgment yet

it is easy to paint this all as images of the eternal punishment

however, this all falls more within the category of the aforementioned tribulation

the seal has opened but it is not all finished

the first four trumpets deal with natural things

thirds of everything are destroyed

eagle crying of woes

locusts and horses and armor and fire

plagues of Egypt and images of things to come

the times are not literal, the people are only plain in that these are those not marked

however, the truth is that those who are marked are still going to face tribulation and have to overcome

it is only the same or worse for those who do not repent and follow their own wills

Application

we have talked about the ideas of wrath and suffering before and we will talk about them again

God is justified in his wrath and there is suffering in this world just as there is the opposite

we know these things and we seek after God so that we might be one of those who are marked as his in the end, one of those who conquer, one of those eagerly awaited for in the throne room of God

there is a world of people who don’t understand this and would rather take the passing joys as they come with the plagues of their own greed

they can’t see that a lot of the problems in their lives, the anxiety, the fear, come from their own fixation on this earth that is doomed to be destroyed and made new anyway

keep your eyes on the goal and help others to be free of their own plagues