REVELATION LESSON 9

REVELATION

LESSON 9

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation chapter six described the opening of the first seals, but it ended before the opening of the seventh seal. Chapter seven covers the sealing of the 144,000, but also failed to mention the seventh seal.

It is not until chapter 8 that we learn about the final seal. The opening of the seventh seal reveals the appearance of seven angels with seven trumpets.

The seven seals are broken down into two sets. Likewise, the seven trumpets will be broken down into two sets. Four of the judgements are called one third, followed by three judgements which are called woes.

Revelation 8:1-2   8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

² And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

When this seal is broken, nothing will remain to be restrained. The carrying out of the remaining judgements. Before they begin there will be a silence in heaven for about half an hour.

The flashes of lighting and rumblings and thunder coming from the throne of God will cease. The four living creatures will cease their talk about the holiness of God. The twenty-four elders will suspend their declaration about the worthiness of the Lamb of God.

The heavenly host will stop their singing, and the tribulation saints will cease their praises. There will be total silence across heaven. Everyone will wait in anticipation of what is to come next. Something of tremendous importance is about to happen.

Out of all the angels in heaven, only seven particular angels constantly stand in the presence of God. They are most commonly known as archangels, but some call them the angels of the presence.

The king James bible identifies only two angels, Michael and Gabriel. But the non-canonical books identifies the other five as, Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Remiel and Sariel.  These seven archangels will each be handed a trumpet on this day which is named trumpet and battle cry.

Notice that these are angels that receive the trumpet in heaven as they stand before the throne of God and Jesus. God will judge the earth, but not without purpose. Society can not expect God to ignore the persecution and death of the saints on Earth.

Society should not expect Him to not be offended by the blasphemy of the anti-christ and the false prophet. Society can not expect God to delay His answer to the prayers of the righteous forever.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7   ⁶ Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

It is a righteous thing for God to repay those who harms his people.

Revelation 8:3-4   ³ 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 saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

⁴ And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Even though this angel is not identified some experts believe he is Jesus, however I feel it is probably just another powerful angel. We do know that this angel holds a special position of service before the golden alter of God.

The golden censer is similar to the one used in the old Testament Jewish temple. It contained charcoal that was burned under a layer of incense. When the hot charcoal warmed the layer of incense, a sweet fragrance was produced.

This fragrance or aroma may be that of the spice frankincense. One of the gifts the wise men gave to the baby Jesus. frankincense was also one of the spices burned in the censer at the Jewish temple. The fragrance reminds God of his son who came and died for the sins of the world.

This eighth angel will come with a golden censer and stand before the alter of God. He will be given a great quantity of incense to mix with the prayers of the saints. Then he will place the censer on the golden alter before the throne of God.

We may never know what all those requests may be. Assuredly one of them was a prayer of the tribulation saints asking, how long Lord until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the Earth.

Judgement is not Gods first choice, but patience is. He is patient and will hold off his judgement longer than any man could, nevertheless when all options fail, His judgment will fall. The angel will take the censer containing the hot incense and the prayers of the saints and wave it around, causing the smoke to drift toward the throne of God. The almighty God will smell the incense, hear the prayers and prepare an answer.

Revelation 8:5   ⁵ And the angel took the censer, 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.

When the incense and all the prayers of the saints have been consumed in the censer the angel will take the empty censer and go back to the alter. He will fill it with fire and hurl it down to the Earth. The prayers go up to God and the answers go down to Earth. God will avenge the death of the tribulation saints with fiery trials on Earth.

The antichrist and the false prophet will rise to power leading the inhabitants of the earth to worship Satan, while at the same time gods people will be hunted down, persecuted and killed. These martyred saints will arrive in heaven. Praying to be avenged. At first, they will be told to wait until the number of the saved is increased.

Then after a short time God will hear their prayers and respond by having his angel hurl the burning censer, (possibly in the form of a meteor).  It will be followed by loud thunder and flashes of lightening and earthquakes.

The prayers of Gods hurting people will finally reach into His wrath and cause a response that will be felt by the whole Earth.

2 Thessalonians 1:10   ¹⁰ When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you and you in Him.

Until our next lesson….