Thursday, December 19 - Revelation 8

Revelation 8

New International Version (NIV)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 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 seven trumpets were given to them.

³ 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. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ 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.

The Trumpets

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SUCCESSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE JUDGMENT

The successive series of the seven trumpets reiterates the struggles of the seven seals.  In this case, however, there is a sense that things are spiraling downward and progressing toward the end.  That is, the pains of the end are getting worse and worse.  We will see this again with the vision of the seven bowls which comes later.

 

This time, the picture has the sound of the plagues that came upon Egypt.  Just as these brought judgment on a wayward, stubborn, sinful people, so also God will bring His judgment upon the wickedness that reigns on the latter days.  The end result of all this will be that evil is punished, and God's people are free.

 

This is the ultimate picture that should come from these disturbing images.  God is in control and is bringing redemption to the earth and its people.  The Devil and his henchmen will face their ultimate demise, but they will put up a fight as they continue on their quest to wrench us away from God's embrace.

 

But the Lamb of God is more powerful, and He will keep us to the end.  May we persevere in faith and in good works as we express our love for Him.

 

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⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ 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.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood.^[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded 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 turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”