In this world the church, the people of God; always have tribulation. As Cain persecuted Abel and Ishmael persecuted Isaac, the world always persecutes the church of God. Ever since the fall of our father Adam, the seed of the serpent has persecuted the seed of the woman. As it has been so it shall be until the end of time. The gospel we preach is offensive to men. It exposes their sin and demands that they bow, in absolute surrender, to the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Savior. And this no man will do by nature, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). When God came into this world in human flesh, the men and women showed their raging malice and hatred for him, by crucifying him. And if we confess Christ and follow him this world will display its enmity toward God upon us. Our Lord himself said, "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake… The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord… Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword… If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you… If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you… In the world we shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Matt. 10:22, 24, 34; John 15:18-20; 16:33). James tells us that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4). And the opposite of that is also true: Whosoever will be the friend of God is the enemy of the world. You cannot serve both God and man. You cannot have both God and the world. Your must choose one and despise the other. And if you choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, to live for his glory, and to serve the interest of his kingdom you will incur the wrath of men and women who hate God. But you have nothing to fear. God shall avenge his own elect!
In Revelation 6:10 we hear the cries of God's saints, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" And now, in chapter 8, with the opening of the seventh seal, we are shown the trumpets of judgment. These seven trumpets of judgment, which are described in chapters 8-11, show God's retribution upon our enemies. Although the final, complete retribution is reserved for the great day of judgment," even now the seals of persecution are followed by the trumpets of Judgment" (W. Hendriksen). Notice that before the trumpets of judgment are sounded the saints of God upon the earth are sealed and preserved from all harm (7:3-8). And we are given a picture of all God's elect in their final, glorious, eternal triumph in heaven (7:9-17). Great tribulation shall come. But all of God's elect shall come out of great tribulation into everlasting glory. Before the trumpets of judgment sound, we are assured of conquest, victory, and everlasting joy.
These trumpets of judgment do not symbolize single, isolated events, or specific periods of time. "They refer to woes that may be seen any day of the year in any part of the globe" (W. Hendriksen)." These trumpets of judgment are symbolical pictures of God's providential judgments, which fall upon the wicked again, and again throughout history. They are God's warnings of wrath to come. These are the things, which God brings upon men and women, cities and nations, for their opposition to Christ and their persecution of his church.
Proposition:Every act of Divine judgment in time is a warning of eternal judgment to come and calls for God's enemies to repent and bow to Christ. In chapters 8-11 God sends seven angels to "blow the trumpet and warn the people" (Ezek. 33:3).
Divisions:Tonight, we will look at the first four trumpets of judgment as we come to them in this eighth chapter. As we look at this chapter, I want to show you four things.
1. Judgment Is God's Strange Work – (v. 1).
2. The Angels, Who Minister To God's Elect, Execute Judgment Upon
Their Enemies – (v. 2).
3. There Is A Direct Correlation Between The Prayers Of God's People And The Judgment Of Their Enemies – (vv. 3-5).
4. Every Providential Act Of Judgment Is A Warning Of The Greater, Eternal Judgment To Come – (vv. 6-13).
I. Judgment Is God's Strange Work – (v. 1).
When we come to consider the matter of Divine judgment, our hearts should be filled with awesome reverence, humiliation, and submission. Judgment is a cause for awesome reverence and praise, because it shows forth the truth and justice of God. But there is nothing in God's acts of judgment to inspire joy, or pleasure. God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked. And we certainly should not. Indeed, the judgment of God upon others should fill our hearts with a deep sense of humiliation. If God dealt with us according to that which we justly deserve, we would all be eternally damned. Let us ever acknowledge that grace alone has preserved us from the wrath and judgment of God. Yet, we will not murmur against the hand of God's providence, even when it is a hand of judgment. Though we do not rejoice in God's judgments upon men, we do see and acknowledge the rightness and justice of God's acts. Therefore we submit to God's work and upon worshipping him.
NOTE: Let me say, in passing, that this will be true with regard to God's eternal judgment. In heaven, God's saints will no more rejoice at the damnation of the wicked than society rejoices in the execution of a murderer. And we will no more lament the damnation of the wicked than society laments the execution of a murder. We look upon the judgment of God as a matter of justice and that, which is necessary for the good of his kingdom.
When the Lord Jesus had opened the seventh seal of the book, John says, "There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." Why this silence? What does it mean? For 30 minutes there was absolute silence in heaven. All the songs ceased. All praise ended. All movement stopped. For thirty minutes, all heaven was completely silent. What does this mean?
A. Certainly This Silence Was An Indication Of Sober Reflection.The calm before the storm is always a time of sobriety and thoughtfulness. God, the Lamb, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, the seraphim's, the cherubim's, all the multiplied millions of angels, all the church of God, the innumerable host of his elect were silent. Meditate on this scene. The more you consider it, the more awesome it appears. God is thinking about what he is going to do. The angelic hosts are thinking about their mission. And the redeemed of the Lord are thinking about God's great mercy to them. Silent worship is often the trust worship.
B. And This Half-Hour of Silence In Heaven Was Also An Indication of Anticipation.
"Great things were upon the wheel of providence. And the church of God, both in heaven and earth, stood silent, as became them, to see what God was doing." (M. Henry). Throughout the Old Testament prophecies, the goings forth of the Almighty to judgment were introduced by reverent silence. "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" (Hab. 2:20). "Hold thy peace before the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand" (Zeph. 1:7). "Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation" (Zech. 2:13). So fearful and awful is the judgment of God, even his providential judgments, that the inhabitants of heaven stand spell-bound, in breathless, silent amazement for thirty minutes.
C. But, Above All Else, This Silence In Heaven In An Indication Of Something Strange And Terrible.
Someone said, "The steps of God from mercy to judgment are always slow, reluctant, and measured." Judgment is God's "strange work." He "delighteth in mercy." But God is slow to anger and slow to wrath. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. "God is love." Judgment is "his strange act" (Isa. 28:21).
1. God is willing to be gracious, willing to save, willing and ready to forgive all who trust his Son.
2. Even the temporal, providential acts of God in judgment are intended by God to warn his enemies of eternal wrath to come, to persuade sinners to be reconciled to him.
3. But if you go on in your rebellion, God in justice and truth must and will slay you in his wrath.
II. The Angels, Who Minister To God's Elect, Execute Judgment Upon Their Enemies – (v. 2).
"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets." These angels are, to God's elect, ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). They are messengers of mercy to the people of God. They watch over us and protect us. But they are messengers of wrath and judgment to all who oppose and persecute the church of God – (II Sam. 24:15-17; II Kings 19:34-35).
III. Thirdly, John shows us that There Is A Direct Correlation Between The Prayers Of God's People And The Judgment Of Their Enemies – (vv. 3-5).
"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censor, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."
This angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, the angel of the covenant, the angel of God's presence, the great High Priest of the church. He is our only intercessor and mediator (I Tim. 2:5-6). Here our Lord is described in his sacrificial, priestly office. He has in his hand a golden censor and much incense; which are the merits of his blood and righteousness. He offers up the incense of his obedience, "with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar" of his own glorious Being. What does this picture teach us?
A. In Order For Us To Draw Near To God And Find Acceptance With Him, We Must Have A Mediator And Advocate To Make Intercession For Us.
We are sinful. God is holy. We are darkness. God is light. We are carnal. God is Spirit. We are dried stubble. God is a consuming fire. We cannot approach God without a Mediator. Even the prayers of God's saints already in heaven must be performed with the sweet incense of Christ's blood and righteousness.
1. He is Jesus Christ, our Divine, anointed Savior.
2. He is the Righteous One.
3. He is the Propitiation for our sin.
4. And he makes intercession for us by will of God.
C. We also see in this picture the fact that All God's Saints Are Praying People – (Ps. 32:6).
None of God's children are deaf mutes. They both hear from God and speak to God. The Spirit of grace is always a Spirit of adoption and supplication, teaching us to cry, "Abba, Father."
True prayer is born in the heart of a believer from the heart of God, goes from the heart of the believer to the heart of God again, and returns to the believer in the accomplishment of God's purpose – (II Sam. 7:27-29).
D. Now Notice The Connection Between The Prayers Of God's Saints And The Judgments Of God Upon The Wicked – ( v. 5).
As the king is honor bound to avenge the blood of loyal patriots, God is honor bound to avenge the blood of his people upon their enemies who have persecuted them, abused them, tormented them, and killed them.
The Lord Jesus, our Mediator, who offered up the prayers of the saints by his own merits, "took fire from off the altar" by his own merits, "and cast it into the earth." And this fire caused many strange commotions in the earth: voices, thunders, lightnings, and earthquakes. These were the answers of God to the prayers of his saints – (Rev. 6:10). These were tokens of the Lord's anger and wrath against the world, by which he declares, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay!" "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" God is our Defender. God is our Refuge. And God is our Avenger. Our cause is safe in his hand.
"And," after Christ gave the command of judgment, "the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound." (v. 6). Now, let's look at the four trumpet judgments in this chapter.
IV. I want you to see that Every Providential Act Of Judgment Is A Warning Of The Greater, Eternal Judgment To Come – (vv. 6-13).
These trumpet judgments are clearly acts of Divine retribution. These terrible calamities fall upon the wicked in order to punish them for their opposition to Christ and his church. Yet, even by means of these judgments, God is calling for sinners to repent. The trumpets do not sound out God's complete, final, irreversible displeasure. The trumpets are sounded to warn of the vials of wrath that shall be poured out upon the wicked in the end. It should be noted that these trumpet judgments affect every part of the universe: the land, the sea, the rivers, and the heavens. In other words – There is no place of refuge for the wicked, if they do not seek refuge in Christ himself.
As you read the description of these judgments, you cannot fail to see a similarity between these and the judgments of God upon the Egyptians. As then the plaques were all poured out upon Egypt and Israel was unharmed, even so these judgments fall upon the wicked. They do not harm God's elect! God punished his elect in Christ. God's judgment against us fell upon our Substitute. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Though the wicked are punished. "There shall no evil happen to the just" (Pro. 12:21).
A. The First Trumpet Sounds And Brings A Terrible Storm, Leaving Destruction In His Path – (v. 7).
It is a mistake to limit the judgment to a strictly literal interpretation, though that is certainly included,
1. It is a terrible storm of hail, fire, and blood.
a. Perhaps it refers to a violent hailstorm, which causes fire and death.
b. It may refer to storms falling upon society in general of pestilence, war, political or economic disruption.
c. But it most certainly has reference to the storms of heresies, by which God's elect are proved (I Cor. 11:19) and those who rebel against the truth of God are destroyed (II Thess. 2:10-12).
NOTE: Arminianism, Free-willism, and Pentecostalism is a storm in this day, by which God's judgment has fallen upon this world.
2. But, thank God, in wrath he remembers mercy – The storm of judgment is limited to a third part the earth.
B. The Second Angel Sounds His Trumpet And "As It Were A Great Mountain Burning With Fire Was Cast Into The Sea" (vv. 8-9).
The words "as it were" are significant. They tell us that the picture is symbolic, not literal. It seems most reasonable to me that the reference is to some greatly acclaimed spiritual leader, a notable pastor or evangelist, who appeared to burn with zeal for Christ and truth, falling publicly into great sin and disgrace. The fall of such men destroy many. But, still, "the foundation of God standeth sure" (II Tim. 2:15-19). (Illus: The Public Fall of A Heretic – Jim Baker).
C. The Third Angel Sounds His Trumpet And A Star Falls From Heaven Polluting The Waters Of The Earth (vv. 10-11).
Unlike the mountain that fell, this star was not a heretic. Rather he is one who holds the truth of God, preaches the gospel and shines as a brilliant lamp in the kingdom of God; but he falls into heresy, and with his heresy pollutes the word of God and poisons the souls of men.
D. The Forth Angel Sounded His Trumpet And Brought Great Darkness Into The World – (v. 12).
The sun, in the Scriptures, represents Christ and the light of the gospel shining from him (Mal. 4:2; Luke 1:78; John 8:12; II Pet. 1:19). The smiting of the sun speaks of the abundance of heresy in the world, engulfing the churches (represented by the moon) and preachers (represented by the stars) in thick darkness. What terrible judgment this is! When the churches and preachers are engulfed in the darkness of will worship, works religion, ritualism, and emotionalism the perishing world is left in utter darkness. But, thanks be unto our God, even this terrible judgment is limited. Only a third is corrupted and destroyed. God always has his elect remnant.
E. What Are We To Learn From These Judgments?I will leave it to others to debate about the meanings of these symbols. Let me conclude by making several plain and practical statements.
1. When the gospel comes to men and is despised by them, it is usually followed by dreadful judgment.
2. God gives warnings of judgment before he actually brings judgment.
He has given his written Word. He sends his messengers to sound the alarm. He speaks by the events of providence. And he warns by the voice of conscience; so that any who are surprised have none to blame but themselves.
3. Doctrinal perversion and corruption in worship are the greatest judgments of God upon men in this world.
4. It is God who brings the judgment.5. And all the temporal judgments of providence are warnings of greater judgment to come – (v. 13).
I solemnly warn you of the wrath to come. You have seen the hand of God in judgment, to some degree. God is warning you. Your conscience torments you. But judgment alone will never bring repentance. Only the grace of God can melt your heart and cause you to believe. Lord God, send that grace now to the hearts of sinners by your Spirit. Cause many to believe, for Christ's sake.
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