THE REVELATION

OF JESUS CHRIST

PART IVCHAPTERS 8 - 11

LEARNING TO PROPHESYMarco Lafebre,

CTF Connect Group Leader

JOHN’S VISION

REVELATION CHAPTER 8 to 11

REVELATION CHAPTER 8

SEVENTH SEAL: PRELUDE TO THE SEVEN TRUMPETS

• 8 When He opened the seventh seal,

there was silence in heaven for about half

an hour.

HALF AN HOUR SILENCE IN HEAVEN

• As soon as each of the first six seals was opened, John either "saw" something or "heard" something, or both.

• When the seventh seal was opened, he saw nothing and heard nothing for about half an hour .

• The silence is total. It is said to be in heaven.

• Is it so that the prayers of all the saints can be heard (Beasley-Murray 1974:150)?

• The prayers of all the saints are not mentioned until the half hour is over, and when they are mentioned they are not "heard" but offered up as incense.

REVELATION 8:1

• 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand

before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

THEY ALWAYS STAND BEFORE GOD.

• These seven angelic trumpeters are elect and loyal servants of God with a high rank position corresponding with their trust.

• They stand, permanently, in the presence of God Almighty; these are special angels, they are of Heaven’s elite.

• In eastern courts the most favored courtiers had the right to enter the king’s presence at all times; these angels are angels of the presence of God.

• to them were given seven trumpetsThe trumpets were given to the angels by divine permission.

• The judgments which come forth once they are blown are initiated by God.

• These are the next set of seven judgments in the series of seals, trumpets, and bowls

REVELATION 8:3-5

• 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at

the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with

the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before

the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the

saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel

took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the

earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an

earthquake.

THE PRAYERS OF ALL THE SAINTS

• An angel with a golden censer stood at the altar.

• The priest of the Old Testament used censers to carry hot coals from the brazen altar from outside the tabernacle to the altar of incense inside the tabernacle.

• The censer of the New Testament is the prayer of the saint.

• Prayer is like the smoke of incense ascending to God.

• The angel first offered these coals with incense before God. After the prayer rises into the presence of God, judgment plunges to earth.

• God brings judgment in answer to prayer.

• In this case, prayer brings judgment to earth.

• Once the smoke arises mixed with the aroma of the incense and the prayers of all the saints.

• The angel threw the coals of fire that were in the censer taken from the altar to earth.

• The result: noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

• The altar is the place of sacrifice, where the blood of the saints is. Where the souls are asking God “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and

avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”• God has responded to the prayers of His saints and judgement is to start.

• And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

REVELATION 8:6

• 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared

themselves to sound.

THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS

• The effect of the first four trumpets targets the natural systems (Rev. 8:7-12). Earth, trees, grass, sea, rivers and a third of the sun, moon and stars are also affected. The effect of the first four is connected and interdependent. These first four blasts have only an indirect effect on mankind.

• The voice of an Angel flying in heaven separates these two sections.

• The effect of the last three trumpets affect mankind directly (Rev. 9:1; 9:13; 11:15).

• The fifth and sixth have men as their special objects,

FIRST TRUMPETVEGETATION STRUCK

• 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.

• Hailstorms; This will be a hailstorm that will blanket and devastate an area larger than the entire North and South American continents (28%). What a fearful storm that will be. This will be the first stroke of God’s punishment, a thunderstorm, or series of thunderstorms

• Fire; Fire generally speaks of judgment. In Pentecost, Jesus baptized believers with the Holy Spirit and fire and they joined the church. Those who rejected God would eventually be baptized with fire Mat. 13:41-42. At this moment, those living on get their first taste of God’s judging fire which ultimately culminates in the Lake of Fire Rev. 19:20

• Mingled with blood; Remember the plagues of Egypt? The blood mingled with the hail and the fire causes the green grass and trees to burn generating huge plumes of smoke. Joel 2:30

• Thrown to the earth; This is the first judgment targeted to destroy the life of natural systems on the planet.

• Those who reject God, worship the creature rather than the Creator. (Rom. Rom. 1:25). At this time, God will destroy this idol of the earth dwellers.

• There is a passionate concern to save endangered species. For many, protecting the environment has become far more than a concern for health and safety; it has become an issue of idolatry, as they worship “Mother Nature” by trying to protect and perpetuate the earth

• Mankind has failed to recognize and honor God as Creator, choosing instead to make a god out of the earth. But the environmental, evolutionary pantheism that devalues man, elevates animals and plants, and ignores the Creator will be severely judged.

• “Mother nature”; “Earth Day”; “Environment entities”; have proliferate in the last decades, deviating million of dollars to the support of these causes.

• a third; In each of the trumpet judgments which result in death, a third of the population receiving the judgment perishes. A third of the trees is burned up third of the earth is burned up Rev. 8:7

• Trees were burned up. Including fruit-bearing trees contributing to conditions of famine.

• all green grass; Stalks of grain in their early, grass-like stages , this judgment brings not just environmental destruction, but destroy grain production which aggravates the conditions of famine.

• These are literal judgements; not symbolism and interpretation is valid here.

SECOND TRUMPET: THE SEAS STRUCK

• 8 Then the second angel sounded:

And something like a great mountain burning

with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third

of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in

the sea died, and a third of the ships were

destroyed.

• Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. It could be a meteor, or something supernatural thrown by an angel.

• A third of the sea becomes blood.

• A third of the sea creatures and ships are destroyed.

• A literal judgment is in view because the result affects living creatures and ships.

• God created the sea to be a blessing to mankind, to provide food, oxygen and water from the rainstorms on the land that is originally gathered up by from the oceans.

• People have repaid God’s gracious provision with ingratitude and idolatry, revering the sea as the supposed source of their remotest evolutionary ancestors. As He devastated the land environment, the true God judges the sea.

THIRD TRUMPET: THE WATERS STRUCK

• 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning

like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on

the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is

Wormwood. A third of the waters became

wormwood, and many men died from the water,

because it was made bitter.

• God describes idolatry as “a root bearing bitterness of wormwood” Deu. 29:17).

• Idolatry is a prevalent sin of the earth dwellers during this time of judgment

• So God judges their bitterness of wormwood by giving them wormwood to drink.

• Wormwood also describes the fruit of unrighteousness, which will be a prevalent characteristic of the Tribulation period

• A third of the rivers is polluted.

• A third of the water become wormwood.

• Many People died, because of the bitter waters.

FOURTH TRUMPET: THE HEAVENS

STRUCK

• 12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of

the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so

that a third of them were darkened. A third

of the day did not shine, and likewise the

night.

A THIRD OF THE SUNLIGHT, MOONLIGHT, AND STARLIGHT IS AFFECTED

• Darkened; The sun became “black as sackcloth” as a result of the sixth seal judgment Rev. 6:12.

• During the plagues of Egypt God brought complete darkness during the day on the Egyptians side Ex. 10:21-23 but only a partial darkening is described here.

• The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars at this juncture it could be due to cloud cover—either by smoke or other physical disturbances

• A third of the day did not shine; Here, the implication is an eclipse or other supernatural phenomena where all light from the sun, moon, and stars is blocked for one-third of the time.

• However it occurs, it will be dramatic and unmistakable in its unnatural origin. “How the fractional darkening of the heavenly bodies can produce a reduced duration of daylight, moonlight,

REVELATION 8:13

• 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

• An angel flying through the midst of heaven;• The midst of heaven can describe the atmospheric heavens where birds fly.

• Woe, woe, woe;The angel announces that the judgments associated with the sounding of the final three trumpets are especially severe.

• Inhabitants of the earth;Inhabitants, the ones presently dwelling upon the earth. These are the earth dwellers who will experience the remaining severe judgments to come. These are the ones who steadfastly refuse God’s mercy throughout the period of severe judgments, but continue to harden their hearts and blaspheme God.

REVELATION CHAPTER 9

FIFTH TRUMPET: THE LOCUSTS FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

• 9 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

A STAR FALLEN FROM HEAVEN TO THE EARTH.

• To this fallen star was given the key of the bottomless pit.

• to him was given. God gave him the authority to open the pit.

• The horror which this fallen star is about to unleash is entirely subject to the sovereign permission of God.

• the key of the bottomless pit. The shaft of the abyss had been locked so that whatever or whoever was there could not escape. Now the star can unlock it and set the occupants free. Luke 8:30-31; Jude 1:6-7

• Later, an angel will be given the same key with which to lock Satan within the same compartment for the duration of the Millennial Kingdom Rev. 20:1-2

• The devil blinds the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error.

•

FIFTH TRUMPET

• 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

• 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

ON OPENING THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, A

GREAT SMOKE AROSE.• Out of this smoke came a swarm of

locusts, the devil's agents, who use great, cruelty.

• The trees and the grass, the true believers, should be untouched.

• The locusts had no power to hurt those who had the seal of God.

• The power is limited to a short season; In such events the faithful share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they would be safe.

• We see from Scripture, that such errors were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co 11:19.

SIXTH TRUMPET: THE ANGELS FROM THE EUPHRATES

• 13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.

“RELEASE THE FOUR ANGELS WHO ARE BOUND AT THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES.”

• Four angels are loosed from their place of restraint at the great river Euphrates.

• The first invasion seemed to come from the pit of hell, but this one is from "outside," from beyond the eastern borders of the Roman Empire.

• The angels were ready for this very hour and day and month and year. Four angels are in charge of these demonic cavalry.

• Two hundred million here are ready to kill one third of mankind.

• Horses and riders are described together as one terrible creature. They are not human but demonic, and their job is to carry out the commission of the four angels from the Euphrates to kill a third of mankind

SIXTH TRUMPET

• 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

• 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

THREE DISTINCT PLAGUES.• These horses had tails like snakes with similar power to injure.

• Out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur,

• The first four trumpets brought "fire" on the earth.

• the fifth, "smoke from the Abyss" (9:2),

• the sixth adds sulfur to the conflagration that is going on.

• And a third of mankind is killed Rev. 9:15, Rev. 9:18

• None of the judgments described up to now have succeeded in bringing about repentance or any change of heart in an evil world.

• The surviving inhabitants of the earth, have their hearts hardened and they will not repent.

• They continue with their vices: worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, idols that cannot see or hear or walk; also murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts (v. 21).

REVELATION CHAPTER 10

THE MIGHTY ANGEL WITH THE LITTLE BOOK

• 10 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

THIS MIGHTY ANGEL HAS AN AURA OF DIVINITY

• This angel does represent God, or the power of God, in a way others don’t.

• He is a divine agent acting on behalf of God and the Lamb. The mighty angel here, like the one in 5:2, is introduced in connection with a scroll.

• When the angel shouted, seven thunders spoke (v. 3).

• John is about to write down their messages when the heavenly voice stops him: Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down .

• There are things in the book of revelation that cannot be known yet.

• Paul says about the things that he saw, that there are things that he is not allowed to say.

• Mysteries that will be revealed at God’s right time.

• 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

• He stands astride land and sea as one who is sovereign over both.

• God's judgment fell on the land and the sea in the first two trumpets.

• The mighty angel, swears that there will be no more delay (v. 6).

• He swears by him who lives for ever and ever.

• In his oath there is an elaborate reference to God's sovereignty as creator over the sky and earth and sea and everything in them (v. 6).

• This comes as a reminder of the first four trumpets, with their demonstrations of God's power over each of these spheres of the created order (see 8:7-12).

JOHN EATS THE LITTLE BOOK

• 8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”

• 9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

• And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

• 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

THE ANGEL SAID: “TAKE IT AN EAT IT”

• It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.

• We must know Ezekiel's story in order to understand what is going on. Ezekiel too was told to eat a scroll and "then go and speak to the house of Israel" (Ezek. 3:1).

• When he ate it, "it tasted as sweet as honey" (Ezek. 3:3), suggesting that Ezekiel's message would be sweet to him, though bitter to his hearers.

• John's experience is more complex. Nothing is said of what is written on the scroll, but the message is sweet as honey in John's mouth and sour in his stomach (v. 10).

• Even though John have the sweet privilege of hearing and delivering God's "good news", this prophecies will inevitably bring him sorrow and suffering.

REVELATION CHAPTER 11

THE TWO WITNESSES

• 11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL

• You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.

• Prophesying is revealing the heart of God. When John is writing the book of revelation, he is prophesying.

• He was given a reed, then he is given a prophetic action to perform. The prophetic action consists of measuring the temple of God, the altar and the worshipers there.

• Apparently John is being told here to measure the heavenly temple or sanctuary, not the earthly one.

• The outer court, said to be "excluded" and not measured, is a place on earth--or perhaps the earth itself.

AND I WILL GIVE POWER TO MY TWO WITNESSES.

• This is God's voice speaking through John, as John fulfills his commission to prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings

• Who are John's "two witnesses"? The context suggests that in some way the testimony of the two witnesses corresponds to John's own.

• By referring to them as the two olive trees and the two lampstands, he recalls a vision of Zechariah (Zech 4:2-3),

• Olive trees (with their oil) and lampstands (with their light) are appropriate images for the Spirit of God, and John has already used lampstands as a metaphor for the seven congregations to which he writes.

• The witnesses, therefore, should be understood as vehicles of the Holy Spirit, representing Christian prophecy or the church in its prophetic ministry to the world, whether in John's time or ours.

THE WITNESSES KILLED

• 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

• The defeat and shame of the two witnesses is portrayed in some detail in verses 8-10.

• Their bodies lie in public view, unburied. The period of their shame, three and a half days, ironically recalls their three-and-a-half-year period of invincibility.

• The witnesses lie in the main street or public square of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified

THE WITNESSES RESURRECTED

• 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

• 14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

THE RESCUE OF THE TWO WITNESSES

• The breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet.

• Their resurrection is not from the grave, like Jesus' resurrection, because their bodies lie unburied. Their vindication is as public as their shame, for terror struck those who saw them, and they are taken up to heaven while their enemies looked on.

• Accompanying this visible resurrection is a severe earthquake destroying a tenth of the city and killing seven thousand people, with the result that the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

• The expression gave glory to the God of heaven implies that the end of the story is repentance.

SEVENTH TRUMPET: THE KINGDOM PROCLAIMED

• 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,

• With this event, the greatest moment in all history has arrived. At His glorious final Return, Christ replaces all human powers and laws with His own.

• All the governments of men are smashed and replaced by God’s government. Fairness, justice and peace are restored to a sick and broken planet!

• 17 saying:

• “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,The One who is and who was and who is to come,Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,And those who fear Your name, small and great,And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

• 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

• This earthquake occurs after the seventh trumpet has sounded (Rev. 11:15). This is the time Christ re-establishes His rule!:

• “…and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Rev/Seventh-Trumpet-Third-Woe

• http://biblehub.com/revelation/11-1.htm

• All Scriptures are taken from the new king James version.unless shown differently.