Lesson 20Review of Chapter 6-7 & Chapter 8 |
Before moving to Revelation 8, we need a review. First in Revelation 6, we covered the first six seals. So let us recap the first six seals opened by the Lamb:
| 1st Seal: White Horse - Rider was given a
bow and a crown, and was sent forth to conquer. This is the Anti-Christ. |
| 2nd Seal: Red Horse - Rider was given power to take peace away from the earth and to have people kill one another. There will be war, persecution, and bloodshed. |
| 3rd Seal: Black Horse - Rider was given a pair of scales and with him came famine. Food was scarce and very expensive. |
| 4th Seal: Pale Horse - Rider was Death and Hades followed. |
| 5th Seal: The souls of the martyrs crying under the altar. They wanted God to avenge their blood that was shed on earth by the unbelievers. |
| 6th Seal: Great Earthquakes, the sun became black, the moon became red as blood, stars fell from heaven to earth, heaven departed, and every mountain and island moved out of place. Those who were not believers tried to flee from the face of God. |
In Revelation 7, there is a pause in the opening of the seals. We have the angel of God holding up the opening of the seventh seal until the believers of the tribes of Israel (144,000) and the Gentiles (too many to number) are sealed in their foreheads. We learn of the benefits that will come to the servants of God.
We are now ready for Revelation 8. Revelation 8:1 starts with the seventh seal being opened, and a silence in heaven of about ½ hour. Praising the Lord is continually done by the angels and the saints in heaven, so this silence is very rare. Why do you suppose the silence in heaven occurs when the seventh seal is opened? The silence in heaven indicates the beginning of a new series of judgments. This seventh seal is a unique conclusion of the previous six seals. It is the foreshadowing of the coming terrible judgments of great anguish.
In Revelation 8:2-5, John sees the seven angels who stand before God, and to them was given seven trumpets. Seven trumpets were also used in Joshua 6:2-6, as Joshua was instructed by God. Trumpets were occasionally used by the Israelites as a call to battle. Trumpets in Revelation 8 are the execution of God's judgment. Another angel holds a golden censer, 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. The angel burning the incense is presenting the smoke with the prayers of the saints to God. Then he fills the censer with fire and throws it to earth, which causes thundering, lightning, and an earthquake.
The first angel sounds his trumpet, hail and fire mingled with blood fall on the earth destroying 1/3 of the vegetation on earth. With 1\3 of the vegetation destroyed what impact does this have on the earth and the environment? The destruction of vegetation means a loss of oxygen and famine will result.
The second angel sounds his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and 1\3 of the sea, 1\3 of the sea creatures, and 1\3 of the ships were destroyed. Does this sound like a gigantic meteor hitting the earth? All these centuries of the earth never being hit by a large meteor, God shows that in all of these centuries He has been protecting earth and us. Without His protection the earth cannot continue to exist. Also, a gigantic meteor hitting the seas like that would cause tremendous weather changes on the earth in addition to the changes that occurred on earth with the opening previous seals. Did a tsunami do major damage to Southeast Asia last year? Imagine the tsunami and earthquake this judgment will cause. This judgment affects rain production, water supply, food supply and distribution, and international commerce.
The third trumpet is sounded and a great star falls from the heavens destroying 1/3 of the rivers and springs. The great star was called "Wormwood". There are no speculations as to why this great star is called "Wormwood", but it is fascinating that this is also the name of a bitter herb. This "star" turned the 1/3 waters to wormwood or bitter waters which caused many to die. Some see this "star" called Wormwood descriptive of the evil influence of Satan or the antichrist. Earth reaps the bitter fruits of sin in this judgment.
Then the fourth trumpet is sounded, which is followed by 1\3 of the sun smitten (Gk- plesso), 1\3 of the moon and 1\3 of the stars. Following the sounding of the trumpet, John saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven shouting Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of earth. This is further degradation of the earth, its atmosphere, food growth and supply. This judgment results in killing more of the unbelievers on earth.
The death and destruction brought by these four judgments impacts what is left of the earth after the opening of the first six seals.
 |
 |