Coffeeville First Baptist Church by Craig Baker 2/13

Revelation tells us that God’s plan for the final redemption of earth and the judgment of evil is contained in a scroll sealed with seven seals. Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Only One Who Is Worthy, takes the scroll and begins opening the seals. With the opening of the first seal John saw the antichrist and the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. Things get progressively worse as seals two through five are opened. Humanity turns against itself and falls into worldwide chaos. The opening the sixth seal brings about natural disaster and concludes the first half of the seven-year tribulation, a period Jesus referred to as the beginning of sorrows. At the end of that time the Abomination of Desolation will occur. This is when the antichrist sets himself up as the object of worship in the temple. This will be the sign that the last 3.5 years of the tribulation is beginning, a time known as the Great Tribulation when the wrath of God will be poured out on the earth. While Jesus warned believers to be prepared to experience the things that will occur during the beginning of sorrows, in several places the Bible speaks of how believers will be spared from the wrath of God that will be poured out on the unrighteous of this world during the Great Tribulation (See John 3:16 & 3:36, 1 Thess. 5:9, Romans 2:8-10 & 5:9, Colossians 3:5-6). These verses and others along with what Jesus taught about the end times make it clear that during the end times there will be two groups, believers and unbelievers. While believers will endure the beginnings of sorrows (the first half of the tribulation), we will be saved from the wrath of God. The other group will be unbelievers who will endure the entire tribulation including the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation. This aligns with what we find in Revelation 6-18. In chapter 6, we see events that match the beginning of sorrows described by Jesus. In chapter 7 we see the sealing of the 144,000 and what certainly appears to be a rapture event saving believers from the wrath of God to come. Then in chapter 8 with the breaking of the seventh and final seal, the scroll can now be opened revealing God’s wrath and final judgment against the unrighteous as He prepares to restore His creation to its intended glory. Bottom of Form With the opening of the 7th seal, heaven falls silent for half an hour. Up to this point, we have seen constant worship in heaven, singing and praise to God and the Lamb. Like the silence in a courtroom just before the verdict is read, heaven falls into a solemn and foreboding silence before God’s judgment. Perhaps it is a moment in time when God’s heart is breaking for His eternal judgment must come, even if it means some of His beloved creation will perish. After the silence John sees seven angels given seven trumpets of judgment, but before these judgments are unleashed, we are told God receives the prayers of the saints. What are these prayers? In Revelation 6:9-10 the saints cried out for God’s judgment and vengeance against a sinful world. Perhaps those are the prayers of the saints offered to God here in chapter 8. We are told that along with the prayers of the saints, an angel with a golden censer offered incense to God. After that the angel filled the censer with fire and cast it to earth which appears to be a signal to the other angels to begin blowing the trumpets of judgment. These first four angels blow their trumpets releasing judgments that strike the earth with unthinkable, cataclysmic disasters. It is possible these four angels are the same four angels we read of at the beginning of chapter 7 who stand at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth. Trumpets are loud, jarring, and get your attention when blown. I can imagine that initially there is awe and amazement at the great sound of this first trumpet, but that quickly fades into terror as the earth is struck with hail, fire, and blood raining down, destroying a third of the trees and all the green vegetation. Can you imagine the fear sheer terror that will grip the people with each successive trumpet blast? With the second trumpet judgment something like a great burning mountain, perhaps a huge meteor, strikes the seas turning a third of them to blood, killing a third of the sea creatures, and destroying a third of the ships. With the third trumpet judgment a star called Wormwood falls to earth. Wormwood is a bitter plant that grows in the Middle East. It has some medicinal properties, but too much of it can be poisonous. It is mentioned in the Old Testament associated with bitterness, poison, and death. This third judgment strikes fresh water of earth , poisoning a third of it, and many die from the poisoned water. The fourth trumpet judgment strikes a third of the sun, the moon, and the stars, so that a third of the day and a third of the night were in complete darkness. Regardless of how we divide daylight and dark, there are 24 hours in a day. If a third of each is struck, that means 8 hours of absolute darkness. In addition to the emotional trauma absolute darkness can cause, being in complete darkness for prolonged periods of time causes serious health issues including the permanent loss of our eyesight. The question you may be asking is why a third? I believe at this point, God is not releasing His full wrath just yet because in His mercy and grace He is giving mankind one last opportunity to turn to Him before His final judgment comes. As I shared with you last week, during Great Tribulation the two witnesses, I believe with the assistance of the 144,000 who are sealed, will evangelize the world. As if the first four judgments are not bad enough, an angel flies through the midst of heaven declaring the woes of the next three trumpets that will blow. This is certainly a warning to the people. God’s wrath poured out on the earth will be a terrible thing. Many will experience it because in their pride, sin, and rebellion they reject Jesus and His gospel of salvation, but they cannot say God does not warn us of His coming judgment. The Word of God is clear. The judgment of the Almighty God is coming. The question is, “Will you heed God’s warning, repent of your sins, and turn to Jesus for salvation?”