02.25. LECTURE No. 25 -- Rev_8:1-6
LECTURE No. 25 -- Revelation 8:1-6 Who the Saved of the Tribulation Will Be - The Opening of the Seventh Seal - A Strange and Profound Silence in Heaven - Seven Trumpets to Be Sounded by Seven Angels - The Scriptural Importance of Trumpets - the Seven Trumpets Are Judgment Trumpets - The Other Angel - Who This Mighty Angel Represents - A Warning of Judgment
IN our last lesson we considered the great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and tongues, who are to be saved during the Tribulation Period through the preaching of the one hundred and forty four thousand Jews, who will be called out and sealed from among the twelve Tribes of Israel for this very purpose.
Multitudes Will Be Saved
We have every reason to expect that multitudes of people will be saved during the Tribulation Period, because the Prophet Daniel said in Daniel 12:10, “Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”
In Isaiah 26:9, the Prophet Isaiah said,
“Yea, with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” Who Will the Saved Be?
Now, it would be well for us just here to consider, before passing on to Daniel 8:1-27, just who those who are to make up the great multitude of the redeemed, during the Tribulation Period, will be. Who That Will Not Be
First of all we wish to state that, those who will be saved during the Tribulation Period will not be those who have sat beneath the preaching of the Gospel of the Grace of God, and who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. It stands to reason that if a man will not believe and accept the Lord under grace, he is not very likely to repent and believe when the judgments of God come upon him.
The fact of the matter is that those who are hearing the Gospel now, and are rejecting it, if the rapture should occur and they were left behind, they would be caught in the great delusion that is to come upon those who are now rejecting the truth. This is confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, where it says, “Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Logical This is perfectly logical, for it stands to reason that if a man will not believe the truth, he is ready and willing to believe a lie.
- If a man will not receive the true Christ, it is only logical to believe that he would be willing and ready to receive the Antichrist.
- If a man turns his face away from the light, it stands to reason that he is headed towards darkness.
- If a man rejects the mercy of God, he must of necessity accept the judgments of God.
And, my friends, during the Tribulation Period, it will be even so.
Those who are hearing the Gospel now, and are rejecting the true Christ and are walking in unbelief, have reason to expect that God will be merciful to them after the Church has been completed and raptured away, and the Tribulation begins.
Rather, we may expect that upon them will come the strong delusion that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. In other words; there will be no revival of Apostate Christendom during the Tribulation Period.
Louis T. Talbot in his book on the Revelation, says this point,
“Never let any cult or person lead you to reject the Gospel of the Grace of God with the hope that you will have another chance after the Church is translated. There is no word in the Bible which would lead anyone to believe that there will be any hope for those who reject Christ as their Saviour after the day of Grace is over.” Not a Contradiction
Now, do not misunderstand me, these statements are in no wise in contradiction to what we have said concerning the great multitude who will be saved during the great Tribulation Period. The great multitude of people will be saved during the Tribulation Period, exactly the scriptures have pointed out.
Who then are they to be? There is no question but that they will be those who hear and accept the Gospel of the Kingdom, which will be preached by the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews during the Tribulation period.
There are millions of people in the world today who are as yet unevangelized, and to them will be preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, and multitudes will believe and be saved. But let us not think for one moment that a man who has rejected the Gospel of the Grace of God will repent and be saved when he hears the Gospel of the Kingdom!
Therefore, the only safe thing to do, if you want to be saved, is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and accept Him as your personal Saviour now, in this day of grace, before the judgments of God, and the strong delusion come upon the earth.
Advance Lesson Now for today let us advance in our study by reading what is written in Revelation 8:1-6, where it says,
“And when He had opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
“And I saw the Seven Angels which stood before God; and to them wert, given Seven Trumpets.
“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.
“And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
“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.
“And the Seven Angels which had the Seven Trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” The Opening of the Seventh Seal
We now come to the opening of the Seventh Seal of the Seven Sealed Book which the Apostle John saw in the right hand of Him which sat upon the Throne. In our studies thus far we have considered those events which shall come to pass under the opening of the first Six Seals!
The opening of the Seventh Seal is of much greater importance than any of the other Six Seals preceding it, because the breaking of the Seventh Seal includes also the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Vials of the wrath of God. Let us remember that Seven is the perfect number, and since our theme is that of judgment, we may expect that those things which will occur upon the breaking of the Sixth Seal, will lead to the end or completion of God’s work of judgment so far as the earth is concerned. Therefore, those things that are to occur as a result of the breaking of the Seventh Seal must be looked upon as being of great importance.
What Happened When the Other Seals Were Broken?
Under the opening of the first seal a strong command was given by one of the four living creatures, saying, “Come and See” (or go) and the same command was given at the opening of the three succeeding seals.
Under the opening of the Fifth Seal there was a great cry which arose from beneath the altar that was in heaven from those that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held.
Under the opening of the Sixth Seal all nature went into convulsions, and there was a terrible shaking in the heavens and in the earth.
But under the opening of the Seventh Seal quite the opposite was true; for John said, “When He had opened the Seventh Seal there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.”
Surely this was a great contrast to that which occurred under the opening of the other six seals.
Silence in Heaven
Now let us consider the nature and the importance of this silence which is to occur in heaven at the opening of the Seventh Seal.
We believe the language of our lesson text to mean exactly what it says. In other words; when the Seventh Seal is opened there will be silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Indeed, my friends, there is something very impressive about absolute silence, and there is no question but what the silence spoken of here, will be the result of awe, rapture and expectancy, and rapt attention! It will be like the silence which precedes a storm, or an earthquake!
Personally I can enter well into the feeling of what is suggested in our lesson text regarding this silence which is to precede the awful storm. An Experience in Japan When we were living in Japan several years ago ye could nearly always tell in advance when we were going to have an earthquake of serious proportion, because preceding such an earthquake everything in nature seemed to go to sleep, and became as silent as death. A strange hush seemed to pervade the very atmosphere and not a leaf would be moving on the trees. This silence would often continue for some time before the earthquake, actually occurred. And then suddenly there would come a subterranean rumbling, and the earth would begin to shake as it had the ague, and the trees would begin to dance without even a puff of wind to disturb them, and the houses would shake and the windows would rattle, as if in the midst of a storm. What a true and accurate object lesson we had in such experiences of that which is to happen under the opening of the Seventh Seal. A Time of Suspense
Think of what it is going to mean when everything becomes absolutely silent in heaven for nearly half an hour. That will be a long time for all of the creatures in heaven to be silent and motionless, and what a solemn stillness that will be. We all know that even a few minutes seems like hours sometimes when we are waiting for something to happen. Even two or three minutes would seem like a long time if a person were drowning, or were in danger in any way, and we were trying to accomplish their rescue.
Therefore, when we consider the circumstances in the case now before us and realize the different things which will be interrupted, and the countless number of heavenly beings that will be affected by this silence in heaven, thirty minutes, or half an hour, will seem like a very long time indeed.
Imagine, if you can, all of the Angels and the Cherubim and the Seraphim, and the hosts of heaven, their eyes fixed in rapt attention upon the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, at the breaking of the Seventh Seal, waiting to see what will next occur in the program of justice and judgment being dealt out upon the wicked of whole earth. The Seven Trumpets
We next turn our attention to what is stated in the second verse where John said, “And I saw the Seven Angels which stood before God; and to them was given Seven Trumpets.”
This statement is both interesting and suggestive, the fact that these Seven Angels stood before God would indicate that they were the Arch Angels of highest rank. In Matthew 18:10, Jesus Himself spoke those Angels who always behold face of the Father which is in heaven.
Arch Angels
We are told that the Jews were familiar with Seven Angels of this particular class. The scriptures speak to us of Michael and Gabriel. We know that Gabriel was an Angel of this high rank, because in Luke 1:26-27 it says,
“The Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a City of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the Virgin’s name was Mary.”
We should have no difficult therefore, in believing that there are seven such archangels who stand in the presence of God to execute His will. The Importance of Trumpets Now, it is of striking interest and importance that to these Seven Angels were given Seven Trumpets.
Trumpets are mentioned frequently in the scriptures, and were used under many different circumstances, especially in Israel.
First of all, you will remember that when God came down upon Mt. Sinai there was the sound of the Trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled.
Trumpets were also used to sound an alarm as in the case of war.
This is confirmed in Jeremiah 4:19, where the prophet said, “I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.”
Also in Numbers 10:9, it says, “If ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets.”
The trumpets were also sounded by the Jews in connection with their worship.
This is confirmed in Numbers 10:10, where it says, “Also in the days of your gladness, and in your solemn days and in the beginning of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God.”
The trumpets were also blown in Israel in connection with some of their great religious festivals.
This is confirmed in Leviticus 23:24, where it says, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”
Trumpets were also blown to announce the anointing of certain Kings in Israel. This was true of King Solomon; for in 1 Kings 1:34 it says, “And let Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, anoint him there King over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save King Solomon.”
And what one of us would not remember how the children of Israel marched around Jericho, and how the walls of the city fell down at the blowing of the trumpets. All this is confirmed in Joshua 6:13-16.
We know also that trumpets were blown at the laying of the foundation of God’s Temple.
This is confirmed in Ezra 3:10, where it says,
“And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord they set the Priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph with symbols to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David, King of Israel.” An Interesting Quotation Now concerning these things, Seiss in his book on the Apocalypse says,
“With these facts before us, we are already in a degree prepared to anticipate what these seven trumpets are to bring forth. Their number is the complete number, and we may expect from them everything to which trumpets stand related in the scriptures. Are they related to war? Then war is coming; yea, “the battle of that great day day of God Almighty.” Are they for the calling of convocations and signals for motion? Then we may look for great gatherings and mighty changes. Do they herald great solemnities and blessed feasts and sacrifices? Then we may anticipate the sublimest festivals, and victories, and jubilee, and burning up of the victims of sin, that the world has ever yet seen. Do they declare investiture with dominion and the commencement of a new reign? Then may we look for the setting up of a new administration, and the opening of the reign of the true David, the greater than Solomon. Do they declare the presence of God in His awful majesty? Then may we expect a revelation of Divine power and Godhead which shall fill heaven and earth with trembling. Do they bring the fall of the cities of the wicked and the destruction of their inhabitants? Then we may look for the end of great Babylon and the sweeping of the dominion of Antichrist and all his confederates from the earth. Do they tell of the founding and building of the permanent temple of the Lord? Then may we look for the incoming of that true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, and of that firmly founded city whose maker and builder is God. And all this accords entirely with what John subsequently describes as resultant from the sounding of these seven trumpets.”
Another Angel
Now in Revelation 8:3 of our lesson text, it says, “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.”
Christ: The Angel of the Lord
There should be no difficulty in determining who the other angel referred to here, really is, because the work he is engaged in is the answer to any questions on this subject. The angel referred to here is described as offering incense with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Now we know this was the work of a priest. These words, therefore, describe none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, exercising himself as our great High Priest. In 1 Timothy 2:5, it says, “There is one God, and one Mediator before God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
The fact that the Lord is here called an angel, should not be any hindrance to our faith in this regard, because, in Old Testament times, Christ in his pre-incarnate form was often referred to as “the angel of the Lord.”
We know that the Angel referred here, is none other than the Lord Christ, because no other angel, however high in rank has the right to act in a mediatorial position.
Only Jesus, Son of God, who died upon the Cross to make an atonement for our sins, and arose again from the dead for our justification, and who ascended into heaven, has the right to plead our cause with God.
He Offered Incense
Now, to this angel was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints. The purpose of the incense was, of course, to make the prayers of the saints acceptable unto God. And in the fourth verse, it says, “The smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Our High Priest
How wonderful, is the thought presented to us here, namely, that to Christ as our High Priest will be given incense with which to offer up to God all the prayers of the saints. It is comforting to know that the prayers which Christian people have prayed will not one of them be forgotten, when this time comes.
The sum total of all Christian prayer is “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Throughout all centuries of time this has been the heart cry, and the prayer of every believing child of God. It is very appropriate, therefore, that just at this time in the ongoing of God’s judgment against the wicked of the earth, John in his vision saw this angel exercising himself in the Priest’s Office by offering up the prayers of all the saints. Because, when those prayers shall have been offered up by the High Priest, and have been made acceptable unto God, the answer will not be far away or long delayed.
How Many Prayers Will Be Answered The only way in which God can answer the sum total of all the prayers of the Saints, will be to send judgments upon the world which will completely dethrone the Antichrist and the false prophet, and destroy the wicked from off the earth. These things, therefore, will come to pass after the prayers of the saints have been offered unto God by the High Priest, and have been made acceptable unto Him. A Forewarning of Judgment
Now, let us notice that in Revelation 8:5 of our lesson text, it says, that “The angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundering and lightnings, and an earthquake.”
In our earlier studies, we have already pointed out that thunderings and lightnings and earth-quakes are symbolic of the wrath and of the judgments of God. Therefore, it is plain to see that the same fire upon the altar, which is to waft the prayers of the saints upward to God, and make them acceptable unto Him when taken by the High Priest and cast toward the earth, will result in terrible judgments upon the wicked of the whole world. Will Happen in Answer to Prayer Is it not wonderful, therefore, that all of these things are to occur as the result, or in answer to the prayers of the saints?
I know, there are some who are rather inclined to make fun of those who pray, and they are wont to say with Job, “What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto Him?”
And judging from our lesson study, the answer would be, “Much every way.” Why? Because, in the following poem it says:
“There is an eye that never sleeps
Beneath the wing of night;
There is an ear that never shuts
When sink the beams of light.
There is an arm that never tires When human strength gives way;
There is a love that never fails
When earthly loves decay.
That eye is fixed on seraph throngs; That arm upholds the sky;
That ear is filled with angel songs; That love is throned on high.
But there’s a power which man can wield, When mortal aid is vain,
That eye, that ear, that love to reach, That listening ear to gain.
That power is PRAYER, which soars on high, Through Jesus, to the throne;
And moves the hand which moves the world, To bring salvation down!”
They Prepared Themselves And last of all in our lesson text, it says, “The seven angels prepared themselves to sound.”
Summary
Now, as a sum total of what we have said in this message, we quote a brief statement from Reverend Seiss, in his book on the APOCALYPSE, as follows:
“Here are transactions which fill heaven with awe, and turn the songs of eternity into silence! Here are administrations which call the seven archangels into action, and for looking after the results of which, the universe is spellbound and mute with solemn expectation! Here are things, the mere prayers for which the Son of God holds in the golden censer, and offers on the golden altar, and sends up with awful solemnity into the presence of eternal Majesty! Is not this, then, a subject to command and justify the and holiest profoundest interest, study, and attention of rational beings?”
~ end of lecture 25 ~