Revelation 8:6-7

Click here for the Revelation 8:6-7 PODCAST6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. ~ Revelation 8:6-7

We return to the first of the seven trumpets that are about to be sounded. This is very similar to the seventh plague that fell on Egypt during the ten plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians. Similar to to the seventh plague when hail and lightning came upon the whole land. Here, it is mingled with blood. 

In v.7 we read, "The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up."

This is not a new phenomenon. Scientists have recorded other times when red rain fell from the sky. They could never explain it fully, but it actually left great puddles of water that were as red as blood. In today's text, the same type of plague will hit the earth. It will bring terrible destruction upon the sons of men. 

Notice that the plagues of the first four trumpets all fall on creation. This is, in a sense, God's judgment upon a people who have been in the process of destroying the environment. He is saying, in effect, "You want a destroyed world, then you shall have it." This is fully in line with his methods of judgment.

But the destruction is not only literal, it is also symbolic. It is teaching something invisible to the eyes of men at that time. As we have already noted, the earth is used in Scripture as a picture of Israel, the intended model nation under God. Here is depicted a judgment upon Israel, both on its leaders (the trees), and upon its people (the grass).  

Back in v.3, you will remember, the angel is standing at the altar and he is holding a golden censer which would be on some kind of a rope or a chain, and much incense is given to him that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

In the tabernacle in Exodus, there were two altars, the bronze altar, and there was the altar of incense. The bronze altar was basically the altar used to fire the coals to burn the sacrifices for sin. It was made of bronze because bronze is always analogous of judgment in the Scriptures. And the altar of incense was where the priest poured the incense and the fragrance of the incense arose and was emblematic of the prayers of God's people. 

Typically, the priest would go to the bronze altar and he would take fiery coals out of it with tongs out of it, and he would put the coals in the censer which was just a little instrument by which he could transport the coals. And, he would then take the coals to the golden altar, which was the altar of incense. And he would put those coals with incense on the altar of incense and the incense would rise. The smell of the incense would successfully rise to the nostrils of God, as it were, symbolic of the prayers of God's people.

This angel, in today's text, is functioning like an Old Testament priest. This is the heavenly counterpart to the bronze altar where the fires of sacrifice for sin burned. Twice a day the high priest would do this, once in the morning and once in the evening, at the morning sacrifice and at the evening sacrifice. 

And so this powerful angel hurls this thing out of heaven and it crashes into the earth. This censer in the angel’s hand is inextricably linked to the prayers of God's people. This means that our prayers are powerful! It is in response to the prayers of God’s people that this judgment happens. God will hear the prayers of His people and His judgment will fall upon rebellious man. How amazing that believer's prayers become this fiery comet that strikes the earth.

It is sad beyond all description that many will reject the love of God as demonstrated through His Son on the cross of Calvary. They rejected Him when He came as they reject Him now, and they’ll reject Him when God's final judgment arrives. So needless, but this is how it will all go down. It will go down like this because the world loves sin.

When the Lord Jesus returns, He will judge those who have rejected Him. But that day has not come yet. So until then, we must persevere at loving the unsaved! True Christian love doesn’t come easy. It’s a sacrifice that the world will never understand.

Revelation 8:1-5

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1 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. ~ Revelation 8:1-5

Today, we transition into Revelation 8 and the scene is in heaven where one could hear a pen drop after the seventh seal is opened. When we are silent and waiting, something great inside us keeps on growing, and the silence communicates a much greater degree of anticipation. Silence is not simply the absence of noise because constructive silence creates interest and moves the suspence forward. Silence gives space for God to speak to our hearts. 

In Psalm 46 we read, “Be still, and know that I am God.” As those who live by faith in the Lord Jesus, we need the silence of heaven to see the God of the Bible with our hearts. It is in this context that God can best make Himself known to us. The climactic events that will follow this silence will end man’s control and Satan’s rule on the earth. This thirty minutes of silence will be all the more effective at giving those on the earth yet another opportunity to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The first five seals introduced us to false peace, war, famine, death and vengeance as illustrated by the prayer of the martyrs. And by the time we have gone through the first five seals, hundreds of millions of people across the earth have been killed. Then, the sixth seal gives beginning to the day of the Lord which is the day of God's judgment upon the rebellion of all who oppose God.

Following the opening of the seventh seal there is silence in heaven for about half an hour. This silence comes as a dramatic contrast to the eruptive worship that has been going on in heaven up to this point. Millions of angels, hosts of redeemed humans, and other heavenly creatures have been crying out before the throne of God, and singing His praises. But now, suddenly everything stops, and there is total silence. It is the silence of mystery, the silence of intense anticipation of what is about to happen. 

This half hour of silence is the silence of expectancy, the silence of awe and wonder. The margin of suspenseful expectancy seems to us to be brief, but it will seem to be very long for those in heaven and on earth when it happens. Some have even suggested that it is a brief half hour for a few more on earth to repent before the next wave of judgment hits, a brief half hour of merciful suspense.

In v.2 we read, "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them."

With the opening of the seventh seal, we are introduced to seven angels who have been given seven trumpets to sound. These seven angels, probably archangels, are given the task of sounding these trumpets. The trumpet was the most significant of all the musical instruments of Israel. It's used more in the Bible than any other musical instrument. Twice as many times as a harp and it played a role in the meetings of Israel. When these seven trumpets are sounded, they will result in God's judgment. 

In v.3 we read, "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."

Many identify this angel as the Lord Jesus Himself. The reason is that in the Old Testament, while Israel was traveling with God through the wilderness, they were led by a great angel called "the Angel of the LORD." Most Bible scholars feel that it was an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ, leading His people through the wilderness. Since Israel is in the forefront again in this book of the Revelation, it would make sense that the Angel of the LORD appears again in connection with the nation of Israel.

This merely underscores the great desire of God to reveal Himself to man. His heart is for us and His heart is only seen by the willing. God desires to connect deeply with each of us through the redemption of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. He pours out His unlimited mercy and compassion, not desiring anyone to perish. From the very moment we received the gift of the Lord Jesus, we received not only His forgiveness but also His perfect righteousness. The Lord Jesus makes us right with God, all at once and for eternity. This is the gospel.

In v.4 we read, "The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand."

Before the angels blow their trumpets another dramatic scene is recorded. Another angel presents the prayers of God's people. In the Scriptures, incense is analogous of the prayers of God's people. In Exodus, the tabernacle contained two altars, one in the outer court was the bronze altar where animals were sacrificed and offered to God for the forgiveness of man's sin. 

Then there was the golden altar, much smaller, in the holy place in front of the Holy of Holies. The priest would take a coal from the altar of sacrifice, put it in a little incense burner, a censer that had a little bowl attached to a rope or a chain, and he would walk from the outer court into the holy place where there was the altar of incense. He would put the coal on that altar, sprinkle incense on it, and the incense would rise up as a sweet aroma into the nostrils of God, as it were, a picture of the acceptable prayers of God's people. 

David used this idiom, "Let my prayer come before You as the offering and sweetness of incense." And here, it says it's mixed with the prayers of all the saints. Notice it says that they are the prayers of all the saints. All of the prayers past and present are wrapped up and are presented successfully to God who answers them all. There's no prayer uttered by a child of God that is not answered. 

There are times when it feels like God is cruel, deferring our hope while fulfilling everyone else’s. God is not in the business of ignoring our prayers. He is waiting to perform miracles in our lives. There are often other pieces which need to come into play for the miracle to come to fruition. And, the patience we display in these moments adds to the outcome of the miracle.

We tend to treat our relationship with God how we treat our relationship with people. We think if we are in God’s good graces, He’ll answer our prayers with a "yes," but when we are not, the answer will be a resounding "no." Our performance-driven relationships can often shape our view of God. But He does not act like us, and His way of thinking is far beyond ours. Sometimes, God will answer our prayers in ways that are the complete opposite of what we had anticipated. This can devastate us, especially when we think our request is in alignment with scripture and His will. It’s difficult to think that His "no" is based on His loving-kindness and our eternal good. This is when we must wrestle and go deeper with Him to be at peace with the situation, but this does not mean that there is no blessing in response to our prayers. And, we must be careful not to mistake a "no" with a "not yet."

In v.5 we read, "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 seventh seal is God's answer to the prayers of His people for the termination of sin and death. The seventh seal contains all of God's final judgments, and this is described here by way of an earthquake when the angel throws the fiery censer to the earth. Wickedness is the target, and it will be destroyed, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted. At this point, one of the greatest events since the fall of Adam will come to pass. It is so fitting that heaven stands in utter stillness, all of its praise is absolutely silent. The hour has finally come. Those who have long been persecuted will be vindicated, and Satan will be conquered.

Revelation 7:15-17

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15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger;  never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” ~ Revelation 7:15-17

We return to the scene in heaven before the throne of God where those saved out of the great Tribulation are arriving in heaven. The curtain is being pulled back by God for us to see the activity of eternity for the redeemed. And, everyone in heaven is captivated by the One who laid down His life for His friends.

In v.15 we read, "Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence."

The word “serve” is a priestly word, and it describes the rendering of spiritual worship. These who are serving have been washed in the blood of the Lamb for the very reason that they may come before the throne of God: to worship Him day and night in His temple. In the Millennium, there will be a temple, the millennial temple. There will be a temple in heaven, also. There will be two temples, one in heaven and one on earth. 

A description of the Millennial throne is given in the prophecy of Micah 4:1-6. There the prophet describes the government of God as centered in Jerusalem. Justice will flow out from there to all the earth and the nations will bring their tribute to the Lord. Peace will reign and men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and will make war no more. Peace will come at last over all the earth. There will be one thousand years of peace. And, then, the end will come.

In Revelation 21:22 we read, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."  

At this point in the timeline, we are beyond the Millennium. This is in eternity and time is over. And, in eternity, there will not be a temple, per se. There will be no need for a Temple and God will be with man everywhere. 

During the Millennium there will be a temple, a place where God will dwell in an otherwise still-fallen universe, partially restored but not fully. In the eternal state, God doesn’t need a temple because there will be no evil in the universe and He will be the temple, the dwelling place of holiness. 

We are told that "they will serve the Lord day and night." As you know, there is no day or night in heaven. So, this is clearly an earthly scene. He who sits on the throne, the throne of David, will spread his "tabernacle" over them and never again will they hunger or thirst. This is a beautiful description of the blessings of that millennial day. 

At the end of v.15 we read, "he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence." God's very presence will become for all in heaven, protection. Never again will anyone harm these citizens of heaven, never again will there be suffering and pain.

In v.16 we read, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat."

During the Tribulation, the tribulation saints will experience hunger and thirst. In fact, they will experience great hunger and great thirst because they will refuse to take the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. And, the intensity of their hunger and thirst will be magnified and intensified. But, this verse ensures that those days will come to an end. And, God says, "NEVER AGAIN." 

In v.17 we read, "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

As we have seen, the question asked at the end of Revelation 6, "who is able to stand?," is answered in Revelation 7. First, the 144,000 Israelites who will be sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the living God, because of the presence of the Hoy Spirit in their lives, they will be able to stand during the revealing of the wrath of the Lamb. They will be sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s possession and will be protected from the persecution of the Antichrist. In fact, they will be the greatest missionary force ever known as they go into all the world with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. People will come to the Lord in unprecedented numbers at that time.

The second group who will be able to stand during the unveiling of the wrath of the Lamb is that innumerable multitude. These are in heaven because of the witness of the 144,000. These will have been martyred for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will refuse to get the mark of the beast, and they, therefore, will be unable to buy and sell anything during the second half of the Tribulation. They will be on the run as they are hunted down and murdered for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But, as we have seen, their story will end very well.

Finally, tears are a common theme throughout the Bible. In fact, the word "tear" appears 13 times, and the word "tears" appears 36 times. According to Psalm 56:8, God collects the tears of His people in His bottle. God is not unaware of our struggles. He is not apathetic to our pain. He understands, because He has felt the burdens we feel. He felt loneliness and He tasted abandonment while hanging on the cross. And, when it is all over, He will underscore Psalm 126:5 which reads, "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy."

Revelation 7:11-14

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11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory  and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ~ Revelation 7:11-14

We return to that scene in heaven where two specific groups are being highlighted, the 144,000 Jews and the innumerable host who believed in the Lord Jesus through the witness of the 144,000.

In v.11 we read, "All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God."

This verse begins with the word "all" accentuating the fact that in heaven no one will be distracted from their hearts desire. And, what will be our hearts desire in heaven?, you ask. Our worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. That which we love, we worship. And, that which we worship, we love.

But, the angels did not experience salvation like the others around this throne. Yet, they are worshipping. It makes sense for those whose sins are forgiven to fall down and worship the Lord but for the angels to do so is different. These angels didn't choose the rebellion of Satan and do not even need salvation. Not that any fallen angel can be redeemed. And, these angels are very curious about our salvation, because it is something they can’t explain. 

In Ephesians 3, we are reminded that the Lord saved us so that He could make known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places His manifold wisdom. His saving work the angels can not experience, but they’re fascinated by it, puts God’s power on display. They have never experienced and never will experience salvation, but they love to praise God for it.

So, there is an immense crowd in the presence of God, wearing white robes of righteousness, celebrating God for the salvation He has provided through the cross of His Son. This elicits the praise of all present and this impacts the angels to the point that they marvel and worship God.

In v.12 we read, "saying: Amen! Praise and glory  and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

The content of the angels praise was birthed out of our story with the Lord Jesus. Ad, there are certain things about our story with Him that perhaps we would like to forget, but God forbid that we do that. Our best moments with Him come out of our most horrible moments. It is in these most horrible moments that our understanding of Him is framed up best. The praise of these who came out of the Great Tribulation is the product of the persecution and trouble that they experienced at the hands of wicked men and Satan.

These unworthy sinners who had missed the rapture due to their unbelief, they have been the recipients of God’s marvelous mercy, even after they had rejected Him so many times before. And they’re not second-class citizens in heaven, either. He takes them right to the throne and they mingle with the holy angels. These redeemed sinners, now in heaven, stimulate the praise of heaven. What a mystery!

The word “amen” in v.12, means “let it be.” It is an affirmation, so let it be that blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be given to our God forever and ever. Let it be. Did you notice that these words total in the number seven? These words are seven because the number seven represents the wholeness of God. The choice of all around the throne to give to God blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might brings to completion the plan of God. And, we are at our our best when we are most pleased with God.

In v.13 we read, "Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

The scene is worship because that’s the occupation of heavenly beings. They worshiped in Revelation 5, before the seals were opened, before the judgment began. And now they’re worshiping again as the judgment comes to an end. This is a mounting crescendo of praise coming in response to what they once anticipated and now have seen. And they stand on the brink of the seventh seal and the final explosion of judgment that comes in the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments that are to follow.

So, in v.13, one of the elders representing the church asks this question. He’s not asking for his own information, he knows the answer. He knows who this group is. He’s a heavenly being now, he’s a glorified believer. He has experienced full resurrection and translation and is like the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows even as he is known, this representative of the church. This elder asks this question in order to make sure the Apostle John knows who they are. The point is this: there will be people getting saved during the tribulation. 

John responds in v.14 which reads, "I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

So, here we are presented those who have come out of the great tribulation. The Greek word translated "who have come out of," literally means, “who are coming out.” It is a present, continuous, durative participle. It shows a prolonged process, the ones who are coming out. This group keeps accumulating as people keep dying. It therefore doesn’t lend itself to describing the rapture. A rapture is in the moment. In the twinkling of an eye, in a split second, in an instant everybody goes up. This is not that, this is a continual process, prolonged, going on of people coming out over the years from the persecution and the death that is occurring.

The end of v.14 reads, "they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 

While the primary emphasis earlier on the white robes is celebration, and joy, there is also the idea of righteousness and purity and here that is the emphasis, these are white robes because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. But, blood doesn’t get anything clean, it stains and has to be cleaned. But, here is a precious paradox. His blood doesn’t stain, His blood cleanses every stain. The Bible declares we couldn’t be redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats, but by the blood of Jesus Christ we have been redeemed.

Hunger makes food precious; thirst makes water precious; and poverty makes riches precious. Sin makes the blood of Jesus Christ precious. When the Lord Jesus went to Calvary’s Cross, He willingly traded His flawless life for ours. Our lives were riddled with guilt and shame, and yet the stench and filth of our sins was instantly traded for a robe of purest white. We gained the opportunity to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life by trusting in His shed blood for our eternal redemption.

Revelation 7:9-10

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9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ~ Revelation 7:9-10

We return to Revelation 7 and we find ourselves in a time when the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit has been taken away with the Rapture of the Church. And, sin runs absolutely unchecked and wild. We are now observing what it will be like on earth during the time of the rise of the Antichrist. For three and a half years the people of the earth will not know him as the Antichrist, but in the middle of this seven year period, he will reveal himself to be the opposite of what everyone was led to think of him.

At the end of Revelation 6 the question is asked, "Who will be able to stand during the wrath of the Lamb?" And, in our last blog and podcast, we considered the first group who will be able to do so, the 144,000 Jews who choose to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah during the middle of the seventieth seven when they realize that this man whom they thought was their Messiah did not truly fit the bill.

Think of it, the world in the first century heard the gospel and were radically changed because of 12 Jewish apostles. They turned the world upside down. Imagine 144,000 sharing the gospel throughout the world. The group that we are introduced to today, will be the Gentiles who will trust in the Lord Jesus during the seventieth seven of Daniel 9:27 because of the witness of these 144,000. This was promised to Abram in Genesis 12. God has always placed His saving power on display through Israel in order that He might reach the nations of the world. 

Israel was never ever called His people to be an end in themselves. They thought that but it wasn’t God’s plan. God didn’t save them as an end; He saved them as a means to reach the world. So, during the second half of the seventieth seven or the Tribulation, there will be worldwide preaching of the gospel. This is true for all of God's children, including you and me. He saved us to give us His message to give to others will listen with willing hearts.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

And, notice that these described in today's text are standing.  They are not seated. This indicates they are not the church. Because the 24 elders are seated in heaven. These are the ones who are washed with blood during the tribulation.

This is a group of people whose number could not be counted. This group is so big it is beyond counting. And, they come from every nation, and all tribes, and people, and language. Those four things speak about descent, language, and race. And, "They were wearing white robes, and were holding palm branches in their hands."

The only other people we see in the book of Revelation who are dressed like this are found way back in Revelation 6:9 which reads, “And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained.”

Like those in Revelation 6:9, these believers had been clothed in Christ's righteousness and they had been martyred, as well. And, they have palm branches in their hands. In their culture, palm branches were associated with celebrations. To the ancients, the palm tree was the perfect tree because it had so many uses. And whenever there was a time of joy or a time of triumph or a time of celebration, palm branches became prominent. 

In v.10 we read, "And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Note those two words “our God” which denotes that the God of the Bible has become their God, and they’re now worshiping Him. They have had a change of heart. This is quite encouraging because currently we live in a world which seems to be resoundingly rejecting God. And, notice that the action of heaven is that of praise. 

The day is coming when by God’s grace and mercy the gospel will triumph across the world. And the promise of salvation to the nations of the earth will come to pass. It’ll be the best of times during the worst of times. But that’s just like God, who in the midst of wrath remembers mercy, in the midst of judgment remembers grace.

The Lord Jesus told us in Matthew 24 that during the tribulation "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end shall come." Of course, He is speaking of the tribulation period when in the midst o famine, destruction, death and persecution, the gospel will have its greatest impact. And then the end will come. When the worst of times are happening on this earth, the gospel will flourish. And, God uses yielded lives in all periods of time to take the gospel to those who are willing to listen. Let us not miss one of these appointments today. The power is in the gospel.

Revelation 7:4-8

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4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. ~ Revelation 7:4-8

We return to our study of the first group who will be able to stand during the releasing of the wrath of God during the seventieth seven of Daniel 9:27. It is clear that this group is Israel and only Israel! These are the well-known 144,000 Jews of the last days.

In this list of the tribes of Israel, two of the tribes, Ephraim and Dan, are not mentioned. Though Ephraim is not named, his brother-tribe, Manasseh is included. Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph, the next to the youngest of Jacob's sons. Because of Joseph's role in the history of Israel, and his preservation of the nation in Egypt, his two sons were adopted by Jacob to be given an inheritance with the rest of Joseph's brothers. When it came time to divide up the land, Levi was left out because he was called to be the priestly tribe. Ephraim actually does appear here under the name "Joseph." So Manasseh and Joseph are really Manasseh and Ephraim.

The tribe of Dan is not included here because they are the tribe that introduced apostasy into Israel. The closing chapters of Judges give an account of the way the tribe of Dan led Israel into apostasy, involving homosexuality and idol worship. This was in line with Jacob's prediction concerning Dan in Genesis 49:17. There Jacob predicts the future of his twelve sons and he says, "Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heel so that its rider tumbles backward." Interestingly, during the millennium, according to Ezekiel 48, Dan will have a portion in the distribution of the land.

In Matthew 24:14, the Lord Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." 

The gospel has always been the same in every age. It is the story of God sending a Savior to die for the sins of man. Whether it is told by means of Old Testament symbols or whether it is during the early days of the church, the gospel is has always been the same.

The phrase "of the kingdom" in Matthew 24:14 indicates the specific application of the gospel to Israel. John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus both introduced to Israel the messianic kingdom, long promised by the prophets. You see, when the Lord Jesus walked the earth, He announced Himself to be Israel's King, but not the kind of King the Jews expected. His kingdom has always been about providing a personal relationship with God through His sacrifice on the cross. 

The Lord Jesus deliberately fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 

This prophecy was fulfilled on the day when the Lord Jesus rode a donkey down the side of the Mount of Olives and was greeted by the people as the promised King of the Jews. This group of 144,000 select men from Israel, will fulfill the word of the Lord Jesus that this "gospel of the kingdom" will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the final judgments of God will come. This group will proclaim the gospel during this seven-year period. This enlightened group will preach the gospel throughout the earth as the judgments of God will be on display. This teaches us, among many things, that in the midst of judgment, there is always mercy. 

In Malachi 3:16-17 we read, “16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. 17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.”

The first tribe named in Revelation 7:4 is Judah. But Judah wasn’t the firstborn; Reuben was the firstborn. Judah is named first, though he’s not the firstborn, because according to 1 Chronicles 5:1, Reuben lost his birthright because he sexually defiled his own father’s bed.

Then in v.7, Levi is included, even though in the Old Testament they were never given a territory. The Levites are mentioned because the tribe of Dan is left out due to their idolatry, as mentioned before. In Deuteronomy 29:18-21, we learn that anyone who brings idolatry into Israel will have his name blotted out. 

Interestingly, in the millennial listing of the tribes in Ezekiel 48, Dan is included. God’s grace will triumph on Dan’s behalf, but Dan will not be protected through the seventieth seven of Daniel 9:27 because of their idolatry. But, no Jew knows the tribe from which he descended because the records have all been lost and destroyed in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But God does. And, I find it amazing how Israel still has a tribal heritage, they just don’t know what it is, but God does. 

So, it is clear that God is not finished with Israel. History has been unable to blot out the Jew. Genocide has failed to remove him because God is true to His word. The Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless all families of the earth through Abraham. 

It is quite instructive that according to Deuteronomy 7:7-9, “7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

And, in Zechariah 12:7-10 we read, "7 The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." 

By the way, back in v.3 the mark that will be put on the foreheads of these Jews is mentioned also in in Ezekiel 9:4. The Hebrew word used is the word tav, which was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The design of the tav is a dalet and a nun. These two Hebrew letters, at first glance, looks like a person kneeling before the Judge. And, Dans name means judged.

In the ancient Greek text, the Greek equivalent to Dan looks like a cross. This will be the mark that will be set on their heads at that time of judgment. In this seventieth seven of Daniel 9:27, the believing Jews will be protected by the sign of the cross on their foreheads. And, as the Apostle Paul guarantees in Romans 11:26, "And in this way, all of Israel will be saved." Simply amazing! 

Revelation 7:1-3

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1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ~ Revelation 7:1-3

In the final verse in Revelation 6 the question is asked, "Who is able to stand during the lamb's wrath?" That question is answered in Revelation 7 which introduces us to two groups who are able to stand during the seventieth seven of Daniel 9:27, the seven year period of time many referred to as the Tribulation.

The very small nation of Israel receives an has always received enormous attention in the world's media, far beyond what its size would warrant. The only explanation for this extraordinary fact is that Israel has a special purpose in the program of God. Israel was on center stage in the Old Testament. Everything centered around this little nation which came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even when we come to the Gospels in the New Testament, Israel is still the focus of attention. The perseverance of this seemingly insignificant country adds great argument to God's existence.

As we have noted before, the next prophetic event that the world will experience is the rapture of the church which is described in detail in 1 Thessalonians 4. It is a stunning event wherein God suddenly removes from the earth a great host of people. You can imagine what an effect that will have on all of  those left. That is how the long-predicted "last days" will start. After that, God begins a program of judgment in which Israel is at the center yet again.

Having seen six of the seven seals opened in Revelation 6, before the seventh seal is opened, God declares an intermission wherein He takes us back to the beginning of the judgments to see another aspect of His working during that time. In today's text God highlights a special group of Jews who will be able to stand during the wrath of the Lamb.

In v.1 we read, "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree."

Most of the book of the Revelation is symbolic. The "four corners of the earth," for instance, stands for the four directions of the earth: north, south, east and west. And, there are four angels holding back the four winds of the earth. Winds are a symbol of devastation and destructive power in the Bible. This is a picture of God's judgment that is about to fall on the earth.

The land or the earth, is used frequently as a symbol for Israel throughout the Old Testament. Israel is viewed as a nation with stability because it had God as its head. It has structure, order, and foundation, and so it is depicted as "land." But the sea is used many places in Scripture to describe the Gentile nations which had no inner stability because there was no recognition of the authority of God there. They worshipped idols and held to pagan concepts which rendered them unstable and uncertain in their conduct of human affairs. 

Trees are used in the Bible to describe people. In Psalm 1:3 we read, "That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers." Trees are symbols of influential people of authority, who stand out from the crowd like tall trees in a forest.

These four angels are identifiable as the first four of the seven angels that will blow their trumpets in succeeding chapters. If we carefully compare what happens under the judgments of the seven angels we will see that the first four affect the land, the sea and the trees. At this point they are told to hold back until a very important group of individuals are sealed by God.

In v.2-3 of today's text we read, "2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

We do not have to guess at what the seal of God is, because believers today are also sealed by God. In Ephesians 4:30 we read, "You were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." The presence of the Spirit of God in every individual Christian is the unmistakable mark of God's ownership. 

This indicates that this group will be sealed by the Holy Spirit due to their conversion to Christ. The seal is placed upon their forehead which indicates the Spirit is especially related to their minds. Notice that these people are specifically called the "servants of our God." They serve with the willingness to give up themselves for the sake and benefit of others. We are told exactly who these are in v.4-8 and that will be our topic of conversation tomorrow.

Before we conclude, a remnant is a surviving trace or vestige and often refers to a small surviving group of people. In the Bible God has always had a remnant of believers who remain true to Him no matter what. Someone once said, "A remnant is what is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe." This definition certainly applies to this group of Jews mentioned in Revelation 7. 

Think of it, Israel is a nation which has been persecuted for 2000 years, most recently in the horrible Holocaust where up to 6 million Jews were savagely murdered. Remnant is a two-sided word. In the first instance it speaks of disaster and loss. Israel as a people will not emerge unscathed from the scrutiny and outpouring of divine judgment. But there is promise in it too. It will not be a total catastrophe, for there will be a divinely preserved remnant. 

In the Old Testament some passages refer to the total destruction of a nation, when God brings judgment on the people, however, He does not destroy the faithful with the wicked, but leaves a remnant. The existence of a remnant is evidence of God existence. The remnant are the real people of God. The remnant concept is found in all periods of redemptive history where catastrophe threatens the continuity of God’s purposes. 

The concept of the remnant has its roots in the Book of Deuteronomy where Moses warned the people of Israel that they would be scattered among the nations. But God also promised that He would bring the people back from captivity and establish them again in the land of their fathers. This concept was picked up by the prophets, who spoke of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. And, Revelation 7 speaks of yet another remnant whose hearts have been captured by the God who created them and who will recreate them.

Revelation 6:15-17

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15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” ~ Revelation 6:15-17

After all that takes place after the opening of the sixth seal, the great earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon turning blood red, the stars falling out of the sky, the heavens receding like a scroll, and every mountain and island removed from its place, fear will grip all the unsaved upon the earth. 

The mind does something interesting when we experience fear. The brain tries to find the quickest way out of the discomfort. But, the problem is we can not escape our court date with the truth. The truth is we were all conceived sinful. And, as a result the penalty for that which separates us from all that is true and good must be paid or we will pay the penalty for our sinfulness for eternity.

In v.15-16 we read, "15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!"

Notice that in v.15, all of humanity is broken down into seven groups: the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, the slave, and, the free. They will be certain that all of these cataclysmic happenings are the expression of their separation from God. And, His wrath will be poured out upon all humanity. No one will escape. And, in the final analysis, it will be a payment that will be final and full.

No one will be able to hide from God. No one will escape the horror of the inequity of our sinfulness. No one will be able to capitalize on race or status. And, all who have not received the free payment for their sinful condition will experience such terror as described in today's text. This will happen because they refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus and receive His free gift of forgiveness. 

Deceived totally by the devil, the unsaved will reach a point where they will not be able to believe. They will be defined by unbiblical fear to the point that they are driven away from all that is true and good. They will sadly feel at home with isolated darkness, but, darkness is not a place anyone would consider home. Isolated, and all alone, there will be no one present with the unsaved in eternity. This aloneness will not warrant relationship with anyone, and they will experience an eternity of closing in of the madness. This is where unbiblical fear leads.

But, there is a fear that is healthy. It is the type of fear that directs us back to the Lord. In fact, we read in Proverbs 9:10 that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God. Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous.

We can not have a biblical understanding of sin until we understand the holiness of God. When we see God for who He really is, we would never think of trying to solve our sin problem ourselves. Biblical fear realizes we can trust God and run to Him. And, when we do, we discover the embrace of the loving of the loving Father.

In Genesis 42:18, Joseph wins his brothers' trust when he declares he is a God-fearing man. According to Exodus 18:21, Moses chose leaders to help him on the basis that they feared God and wouldn't take bribes. Leviticus 19:14,32 cites the fear of God as a reason to treat the vulnerable well. 

In Matthew 10:28 the Lord Jesus states this stronger than anyone when he says, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." 

And then, in 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul urges us to work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

But, for those whose choose not to fear the Lord, the great day of His wrath will come, and no unforgiven person will be able to withstand it. You see, someone has to pay the penalty for that which separates us from God and we can't. We do not have the moral constitution to measure up to the truth. But, the penalty the Lord Jesus paid was enough for all who willingly receive His free gift. The difference is the Lord Jesus is the perfect God-man, and His perfect life and sacrifice will always be sufficient.

When the Lord Jesus came to earth for the first time He did not come to judge or to condemn the world. He came to offer the free gift of pardon. But, when He returns, He will come to judge the unwilling, the unmoved, and the ungodly. It is my prayer that you will be found trusting in Him, clothed in His righteousness alone, on that day when He returns.

Revelation 6:12-14

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12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ~ Revelation 6:12-14

We return to our study of the book of the Revelation, and we jump back into our study of the seven seals in Revelation 6. With the opening of the first seal, false peace and prosperity was introduced to the world. With the opening of the second seal, there was worldwide war. With the opening of the third, there was famine. The fourth seal introduced pestilences and other natural disasters. The fifth seal introduced us to the prayers of the martyred saints. Theirs was a prayer for the end of evil. This brings us to the opening of the sixth seal.

In v.12 we read, "I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red."

With the opening of the sixth seal, the world has been filled with false peace, ongoing distrust and violence. And now, a great earthquake shakes the entire universe. There have always been earthquakes. They come now and then, here and there. Even in the first half of this seven year period of time that is called the Tribulation. But this isn’t just describing any old earthquake. 

The Greek word used here is seismos from which we get the English word seismograph, which is an instrument to measure shaking. It means a quaking, a shaking, but the word “earth” is not here. It would have been better to translate it, “And there was a great shaking.” Because, frankly, it isn’t just the earth that is shaking. 

In the remainder of v.12-13 we read, "The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind."

The sun, and then the moon, and then the stars careening out of the sky, and then the sky splitting apart like a scroll. This is a shaking more than an earthquake. This is seismos in the universe.

Earthquakes are frightening. They create phobias, because man has always counted on a stable universe. He always counts on dawn and darkness, on the cycle of the rotation of the earth and the seasons as it moves in orbit.

The sun will become black as sackcloth which was what people wore to funerals. Sackcloth was a rough garment that was worn by someone who was mourning. This shaking will be so enormous that it blackens the sun. 

The earth’s solid crust is traversed with a complex network of faults, with all resting on a plastic mantle. And, the vast network of unstable earthquake belts around the world suddenly will slip and fracture on a global basis, and a gigantic earthquake will ensue. This is evidently and naturally accompanied by tremendous volcanic eruptions spewing vast quantities of dust and steam and gases into the upper atmosphere. It is probably these that will cause the sun to be darkened and the moon to appear blood red.

This will be a total eclipse. The blackened sun, of course, then will hide the moon because it only reflects the sun. When this begins to happen, it will affect everything. There will be no daylight. All the cycles by which animals function, plants function, humans function will be thrown into total chaos.

Then, the stars will fall out of the sky. This will probably be a meteor shower. The stars moving out of their orbits will result in the collapsing of the universe. The earth then will plummet with fiery balls coming out of the sky. 

In v.14 we read, "The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."

The sky will be literally ripped apart. And every mountain and island will be moved out of their places. This sequence fits exactly with the sequence in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, as does Joel 2. The result of the sixth seal is fear. In fact, when all of this happens, we are told by the Lord Jesus in Luke 23, people will pray for the mountains to fall on them. This will be a prayer for suicide. They will be so afraid that they would rather die than face the wrath of the Lamb.

Fear is a powerful emotion. It takes control sometimes of the will and makes people behave in ways that are inexplicable. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 21:26, “Men will faint from fear.” The word “faint” appears only in Luke 21:26, and it literally means to breathe out the last breath. When that day comes, there will be such fear that people will be scared to death. Some will die on the spot. They will die from sheer terror, because they will realize they have fallen into the hands of the living God.

Revelation 6:9-11

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9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. ~ Revelation 6:9-11

Today, we return to our study of the book of the Revelation. We currently live during the Age of God's Grace, but the time of God's grace will soon come to an end. As the Scriptures urges us, "Today is the day of salvation." I trust you have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. Otherwise, you will have to pay the penalty for that which separates you from God. And that penalty is quite hefty ... separation from all that is good for eternity.

In today's text we come back to our study of the seven-year period of time that many have wrongly called the Tribulation. It is most accurately called the seventieth seven of Daniel 9 and the time of Jacob’s trouble with reference to Israel’s role in it.

In v.9 we read, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained." 

The altar mentioned here in v.9 has not appeared in the book of the Revelation until now. It will be confirmed by later references in this book, that we are viewing the great temple in heaven, the temple which Moses saw when he was on Mt. Sinai. He was shown a pattern which he was to copy. He was ordered to copy it exactly as it was shown to him. The tabernacle that Moses was given included a brazen altar, a laver in the outer court, a Holy Place with certain furniture, and a Holy of Holies, all reflecting the heavenly temple that Moses had seen.

We learn from other Scriptures that these symbolize the ultimate dwelling place of God which is man himself! Man is the dwelling place of God. Imagine that. When we come to the end of Revelation we will see that fulfilled. These symbols are given to us as a tremendously significant explanation of the psychological makeup of our humanity: body, soul and spirit, just as the tabernacle consisted of an Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies.

This group of martyrs seen in today's text, is clearly identified with the great multitude in Revelation 7. John, the Apostle, saw a great crowd which no man could number, from every tribe, nation, and language of earth, standing before the throne, all having been killed for their testimony of the living Lord Jesus Christ. This group belongs to that multitude as well, for they are given a white robe and told to wait until their brethren would also be killed. This indicates that these martyrs and those killed later who make up the great multitude, all enter heaven at the same time. This is God's way of expressing the transference from time into the conditions of eternity, where past and future are eclipsed and only the instantaneous now exists.

In v.10 we read, "They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 

These prayers are not personal vendettas, they’re not thirsts for personal revenge. These prayers are the desire for the end of sin. Their holy desire is for the destruction of Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet and all who followed them. This prayer is the sign that sin has reached its zenith and unsaved man is slaughtering those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus. 

This seven-year period, identified in the book of Daniel as seven years, will be the time when God will unleash His judgment and wrath on the earth like never before. And, the Lord Jesus Christ not only will judge the ungodly, but He will take back the earth and the universe for His own possession.

The first four seals occur during the first three-and-a-half years of this seven year period of time. A careful study of the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24 reveals this. With the opening of this fifth seal, the second half of the seven year period of time is about to begin. Again, the pulse of this prayer from the martyrs is vengeance, but the vengeance doesn’t come in the fifth seal; only the prayers does. 

In 2 Thessalonians 2:4 we read, “When the man of lawlessness is revealed he opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship. He takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” 

At this point, the Anti-christ will not be a political leader as before. He will not be a world deliverer, nor will he be a savior. At the mid-point of the seventieth seven, the Antichrist will proclaim himself to be god and he will sit in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. 

In v.11 we read, "Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been."

These white robes which will be given to these martyrs is a sign of holiness and righteousness. The Greek term used here gives clear evidence that these robes will be dazzling white robes of dignity and honor. So, the Lord Jesus will give them honor and dignity and righteousness and holiness to clothe them. Their souls will be pure and righteous because they, during the first half of the seventieth seven, believed on the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

My friends, I trust that you have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of your sin. If you have not, let me encourage you to bow your head right now and tell God that you are a sinner and that you need His help and invite His Son into your life.