Sermon notes from Sunday 12 August 2018 am
Revelation 8
Remember how John was told in chapter 1 verse 19 he was to write these things down. He was told to record those things which he had seen in the past, those things which are in the present and then more importantly those things yet to happen. As this book unfolds we see a vision John was given on the Isle of Patmos. He must have taken a second breath at some of the things he saw. The things we are looking at today in the book of Revelation will one day come to pass. "My word shall never pass away" Jesus said. We are looking at something steadfast and true.
Chapter 8 verse 1 these are the seals God is reading. The scroll he had received. The seals are being opened one by one. In chapter 5 the effects of that opening of the scrolls is seen on earth. In chapter 6 he opens 6 of those seals. Then in chapter 8 he opens the seventh seal. As he opens the seal it is like a telescopic view of what would happen. The 7 trumpets are about to blow and we notice what God will do on earth. The anti-Christ will reign on earth. God seals 144,000 Jews for the preaching of saving grace. In that time he shows the results of the preaching of the word of God. Multitudes are saved. When hell is let loose on earth God is still saving people. Let`s not give up on God. He is able to save today. He is able to reach down and save people today. When you feel it is too hard to save, God is still able to do it. From this seal onwards the effects on earth are going to intensify more. God is pouring out his wrath on a Christ rejecting world. A world turned against him. In verses 1 to 5 we see a seventh seal that is opened in heaven. Verse 1 there is a silence for half an hour in heaven. All heaven realises that something awful is about to take place. Something never seen before on earth. Notice here this little phrase. God stops for a moment to listen to the prayers of the saints. Verse 3 who are the saints - are they special people? People that have been blessed in heaven? Saints are those who are saved by the grace of God. We are a saint because of what Jesus has done on the cross, our sins are forgiven, never more to be brought before us. God heard your prayers today. Already there is something we should take heed of and give great adherence to. A time of preparation - verses 6 and 7. When the trumpets were sounded in the Old Testament it either gathered the people together to march or called them together for assembly. Verse 7 the first angel sounded - there will come a day when mens hearts will fail them because they wonder what is happening to this world. In verse 7 the first trumpet which the angel sounded. A storm never felt in such global aspect before. Something will happen that has never been felt or seen before. Jesus himself said of the tribulation there will be nothing like it before. We are entering in now to the second half of the 7 year period. The first 3 1/2 years were a time of relative peace. The anti-Christ was reigning and ruling. He has now broken that covenant with Israel and the other nations. Now it is hell on earth. There is a storm now that the world has never seen the effects of before. It will affect the weather patterns. Imagine the scene for a moment. The church of Jesus Christ, the true blood washed church is no longer on earth. All manner of evil can now come in as a flood. Mens hearts are failing them for fear. Verse 7 hail and fire mingled with blood. These people had received the mark of the beast, were giving their allegiance to him, following him day and daily. All seemed well for a while but now hail is falling along with fire mingled with blood. Exodus 9 verses 25 and 26 "Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven and the Lord sent thunder and hail and the fire ran along upon the ground and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt ... and the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt ... and brake every tree of the field." This chapter speaks of a third - third part of trees, third part of the sea, third part of the sun, third part of the moon, third part of the stars. This is not haphazard. God is in control even at this stage in time. Not something going to be hit and miss. A measured response so that man will know it is the divine intervention of God. This is only going to affect a third. Trees are an important asset to the environment. Now a third of those trees will burn up. 70% of animal and plant life is confined to forests today. Imagine the destruction of land. Thank God for the saving grace of the Lord. If you are not saved come and trust him as Saviour. I do not want to be on the earth when all this happens. Trumpet 2 is sounded in verse 8. When the angel sounded the trumpet it affected the seas, the fish and ship industry. Notice the language John uses. John is not saying this is a mountain but rather "as it were." John is saying the only thing he can liken it to is a great mountain being lifted in the heavenly places and cast down to earth. It is an awful thing. Something so big that words cannot explain it. It is as if a mountain came crashing down to earth. Something that is real, coming from the heavenly places right into the earths atmosphere, right down into the sea. It affects the shipping and sea life. John cannot put this vision into words. A gigantic rock caught by the earths gravitational field. It becomes as a burning mass as it hit the earth. This is not a thriller book, this is reality. It gives the thought of an atmospheric bomb. The reaction is that the sea is turned to blood. Exodus chapter 7 verse 17 God has done this same thing in the past and he will do it once more. The third trumpet is sounded in verse 10 and here is another catastrophy to hit planet earth. Here as we see this object come into the earth`s atmosphere the language is a little different. Verse 8 the image of a mountain was hurled into the sea but in verse 10 when the third angel sounded the trumpet, a great star fell from heaven, burning as it were a lamp. Maybe it is a comet, maybe out of course, maybe caught up in the gravitation force of the earth. Maybe it can be seen from miles away. The name of the star is Wormwood. It has a poisonous effect to it. It is in the fountain systems of the earth. No longer drinkable. The reality is that there will be those living on earth because when Jesus comes back he will take the church of Christ home to be with him. The sad thing about it is this - if it happened today would you be left behind? Have you loved ones that would be left to face this situation? That is the challenge to us today - to be on our knees in prayer for our family and friends. When this star falls into the water system people cannot drink from it. In verse 11 we read that many died from drinking the waters. They cannot turn on the tap or take a bucket to the well because there will be no water safe to drink. The warning goes out. The unavailability of it. In verse 12 the fourth angel sounds the trumpet. You can imagine the interpretations of all these great events taking place. The sun, moon and stars will be darkened. What a day that is coming. A day that is shortened. Imagine the mayhem on the streets. 4 hours of darkness for man to do his evil deeds. In Exodus 10 verse 22 we see the darkness in the land of Egypt. God didn`t explain how he did it in Moses` day. Remember the covenant promise to Abraham - my people will spend 400 years in a strange land and the children of Israel did just that. Even the bones of Joseph were taken up because God said he would visit Egypt again. God said 70 years would be spent in Babylon because the people had rejected Christ and after those 70 years he raised up a deliverer once again. The reality of the Bible today - surely this would challenge us to live for him, to win our friends out of this situation.
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