REVELATION
John was a witness to many events that would unfold in the future. He was told to write them down so that he could pass them on to the church. Many of the events he wrote down are now unfolding in real-time. Unfortunately, countless people are unaware of the seriousness of the hour we now live in and how close we are to the Lord’s return. Therefore, they will be left unprepared unless they stop hitting the snooze button and allow God to reign supreme in their lives.
The world has turned its back on God in defiance and has shown through its actions that they do not want Him. People are too busy with their everyday lives, which involve earning a living, attending school, managing homes, caring for their families, and nurturing friendships, to dedicate time to God. However, Jesus is soon to return, and those who are righteous will remain righteous, and those who are wicked will remain wicked. God will have given every individual enough time to get it right and turn to Him. It will be a sad day for many when Jesus returns, and they are found unworthy to be caught up in the air to meet Him. What a day of sorrow that will be when they cry out to the rocks and mountains to fall on them so they can hide from His presence.
We do not want to be one of those unfortunate lost souls. We want to be ready when Jesus comes. So, let’s take the time to learn all we can about God and give great attention to what He has to say to us during these last days. May God bless you as you remove the prophetic veil of His word, as we learn about the opening of the seventh seal and the sounding of the seven trumpets.
Quick Review from Lesson 4
a.) The rider of the white horse held a crown and a bow. He rode out as a conqueror to conquer.
b.) The rider of the red horse was given power to take peace away from the earth to make people kill and was given a sword.
c.) The rider of the black horse was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Two pounds of barley for a day’s wages, the preservation of oil and wine, was heard being cried out from the four living creatures.
d.) The riders of the pale horse were Death and Hades. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by the sword, famine, plagues, and wild beasts.
e.) The martyrs were given a white robe and told to wait until their other brothers and sisters were killed before their blood would be avenged.
f.) The four angels who were given the power to harm the land and sea were told to wait until the saints had been sealed on their foreheads.
g.) The 144,000 who were sealed were from the tribes of Israel.
h.) People of every language, nation, and tribe stood before the throne of the Lamb wearing white robes and holding palm branches.
i.) The angels, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures worshiped God before the throne.
j.) The Lamb is the shepherd and will lead all saved to the springs of water where hunger and thirst will be no more.
k.) God will wipe all tears away from their eyes.
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval” (John 6:27).
In the late 1700s, a French chef, confectioner, and distiller named Nicolas Appert discovered, after a 14-year experimentation period, that food cooked inside a sealed jar did not spoil. This discovery set the groundwork for the modern canning process.[1] The sealing process for food helps create a barrier that prevents bacterial growth caused by oxygen, moisture, and other contaminants, thereby preventing spoilage.[2] Yet, an improper seal on food can cause spoilage, foodborne illnesses, and botulism that can lead to death. Similarly, there are two types of seals one can have: a proper seal or an improper seal, the seal of God or the seal of Satan. There are no in-betweens. The seal of God leads to eternal life and His hands of protection over us, whereas the seal of Satan leads to an eternity forever separated from Christ and the promise of God’s wrath to be unleashed upon the wicked.
God has consistently been patient with the nations of the world throughout history, giving them time to repent of their sins and turn their hearts and minds toward Him. Sadly, many have and continue to die in their sins and reject his goodness. Yet, some people have wondered why Jesus has waited so long to come due to all the pain, misery, sadness, and grief that is taking place on the earth. What they fail to realize is that it is not that He has not wanted to come. The wait has resulted from God not wishing anyone to be lost, so that they may have His seal upon their foreheads and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yet, many are choosing to be lost and spend an eternity without Christ, which is not His will. The Bible says: “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9).
John had an opportunity to see the opening of the six seals, but there was something different about this seventh one that He was about to open. This seal caused there to be silence in Heaven for half an hour. Yet, the other seals that were judgments poured out upon the land had not required this silence. Can you imagine Heaven being totally quiet with no singing, praising, and worshiping the Most High God? Nevertheless, this is what took place in John’s vision. The judgments were not for those who were righteous but for the wicked who refused to turn from their evil ways and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Bible says: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). So, what was different about this seal? Why did there have to be silence in Heaven? As we research the scriptures, let's find out more about the seventh seal and what Heaven’s silence meant.
Revelation 8:1-5
“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:1-5).
Recap of the Six Seals
The White Horse appears, and its rider, the antichrist, is given a crown and a bow to conquer.
The red horse appears, and its rider is given a great sword, taking peace away from the earth.
The Black Horse appears, with a rider holding a pair of scales, symbolizing widespread famine and economic hardship upon the earth.
The pale horse appears, whose rider is named Death, and Hades follows behind him. They were given authority to kill ¼ of the earth with the sword, famine, disease, and wild animals.
The souls of martyrs, those who died for their faith, were seen under the altar crying out to God for justice but were told to hold on a little longer and were given white robes.
A great earthquake occurs, the sun turns black, the moon turns red, and the stars fall from the sky. The heavens are rolled up, and the mountains and islands are moved from their places. God’s people who are washed in the blood of the Lamb are sealed from the coming disasters.
Silence in Heaven
John described Heaven as being silent for about thirty minutes when the Lamb opened the seventh seal. This indicates that there was something of greater significance when this final seal was opened, in contrast to the others, even though they were not to be taken lightly. The seriousness of what the seal represented was recognized by all of Heaven. This was no celebration, no moment of praise, but a matter of judgment to overtake the entire world. The Bible says: “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). Seven angels were standing before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. These angels were the messengers who would give the judgments that were to be handed down from God upon the face of the earth. Angels were often used to administer the judgments of God throughout the Bible. We find examples of this in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. An angel was also sent to administer the judgment given to Herod Agrippa when he did not acknowledge God; he allowed himself to be worshiped as a god. The Bible says: “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:23). Trumpets were also used to warn the people that judgment was soon to come. These angels, who would administer the judgment of God, were given trumpets to warn the inhabitants of the earth that they were about to be judged for their wickedness. The Bible says: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand…(Joel 2:1). This is like a train that is approaching a railroad crossing and blows its horn to warn pedestrians, motorists, and animals of potential danger. The trumpets will sound, the alarms are sounding now, but will people listen?
Another angel came before the golden altar, holding a golden censor, and was given incense along with the prayers of the saints before God. When the saints of God pray, it is like a sweet-smelling fragrance released before the throne of God. Just as lit incense cannot be in a room and go unnoticed due to the aroma that it releases into the air, so it is with God when His people cry out to Him in prayer. He always hears the petitions of the saints, and they will never go unnoticed. The Bible says: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).
The angel filled the censor with fire from the altar and threw it down to the earth. Afterward, the earth shook with thunder, lightning, and a loud noise, accompanied by an earthquake. This was an answer to the prayers of the saints who had been under attack. Their prayers had not gone unheard, and God was administering judgment upon the earth. The Bible says: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). The wicked may think that they are getting by with all sorts of evil; however, God will have the final say, and the day of reckoning is coming.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Read Revelation 8:6-13 about the angels blowing trumpets 1-4. Write down what events of time's present and past that coincide with the first four trumpets. See you next week!
[1] Britannica Editorial Staff, "Nicolas Appert," Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified May 4, 1999, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Appert.
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