Treasures In Heaven

Revelation - Lesson 6

Revelation 8:6-9:21 Six Trumpets

Briefly describe what happens at each stage of 8:6-9:19
Silence in Heaven for about half an hour. Seven angels are given seven trumpets, 1st Trumpet: Hail and fire mixed with blood. One third of the land and plants are scorched. 2nd Trumpet: A flaming mountain is cast into the sea. One third of the sea turns to blood, one third of the sea creatures are killed, one third of the ships are destroyed. 3rd Trumpet: A huge burning star crashes down. One third of the rivers and springs are polluted. Many people die from drinking this bad water. "Wormwood" is the star's name. 4th Trumpet: One third of the sun, moon and stars were hit hard enough to be plunged into darkness. The day lost a third of it's light, as did the night. An eagle flying through the midst of heaven cries out woe to the Earth. 5th Trumpet: A star falls from sky to earth. It is given the key and opens the abyss. Smoke pours out. Out of smoke comes locusts as powerful as scorpions in their stings. They are commanded not to harm plants or any living things except those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Tortures them for five months. They wish for death but will not find it. Description of locusts: In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns; their faces were like men's faces but they had hair like women's hair. Their teeth were like the teeth of lions. Their chests like iron breastplates. Their wings make a sound like the roar of many chariots and horses charging into battle. They had tails with stingers like scorpions; in their tails was enough venom to harm men for five months. Acting as their king was the angel in charge of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon. 6th Trumpet: The first woe is passed, but two more to come. A great voice says, "Release the four angels who are tied up on the banks of the great river Euphrates: " The Angels are released. It is precisely the hour, day, month, year for which they had been prepared to kill a third of mankind. Their cavalry troops numbered two hundred million. Description of horses and riders: The breastplates they wore were fiery red, deep blue and pale yellow. The horses' heads were like heads of lions and out of their mouths came fire and sulfur and smoke. One third of mankind is killed. Those who survive do not repent.
2. The first 4 seals were limited judgment, only 1/2 humanity died. (6:6-8) How do the first four trumpets compare? The first four seals and the first four trumpets are alike in nature because in the first cycle, one-fourth of the earth's inhabitants were struck (6:8); in this cycle the scale goes up to one-third.
3. Compare what the martyrs said about the inhabitants of the earth after the fifth seal was opened (6:10) to what the eagle says about the inhabitants before the 5th trumpet (8:13) What do you observe?
When the fifth seal is opened, John sees "the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained" These souls under the altar are pictured as crying out, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" (6:10).
"Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"The eagle makes clear that the intended victims of the trumpet judgments are the earth-dwellers. These individuals are consistently portrayed throughout the Revelation as enemies of God and the objects of God’s wrath.
(Woe – a sign of trouble)
4. Consider how God responds to the prayers of the saints 8:3-5
John goes on to tell us that the prayers of all the saints are “on the golden altar which was before the throne.” What a powerful picture! God esteems and enjoys our prayers so much that He keeps them before Him. In 8:4, John describes further God’s great pleasure with our prayers: “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.” The smoke of the incense went up before God symbolizing His receiving the prayers of His people. We see here that not only are our prayers supremely important to God, but they actually are closely connected to setting in motion the final judgments of God. So we can be certain that when we pray in faith and according to God’s will, we will receive an answer; maybe not on the same day on which they are offered, but at least in that day which John saw, if not before.
5 a. How do the inhabitants of the earth respond to the plagues? (9:20-21) those who survived the plagues still refused to repent and didn’t stop worshipping demons, or idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood. They refused to repent of their murders, sorceries, immorality and thefts.
b. What does this tell you about human character? People love the world and the things in it, they get caught up with having so much money that they will do anything for it. They want to be rich and famous no matter what the cost.
c. Have you seen this attitude today? Yes, we don’t have to look very far. We just have to look at the daily news on TV or the newspapers. We just have to look at how far away our country has strayed from God. Matthew Henry commentary said this and I really found so much truth to it: “The anti-christian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments. From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another. The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere, and the sins of professed Christians, render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful. And the attentive reader of Scripture and history, may find his faith and hope strengthened by events, which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears, while he sees that men who escape these plagues, repent not of their evil works, but go on with idolatries, wickedness, and cruelty, till wrath comes upon them to the utmost.”
6. Only 1/3rd of the earth, trees, sea creatures, water, etc are affected by the first four trumpets. Why do you think God sends such horrifying plagues yet limits them (9:20-21 The result and goal of all seven trumpet judgment of sinners is not only to demonstrate God’s incomparability and the just judgment of sinners, but above all to highlight God’s glory. These plagues are just punishments of the persecutors of God’s people because they have a hardened attitude and have already refused to repent just like Pharaoh who refused to repent and became more and more hardened in response to the plagues.
7. Do you think God is cruel to send such awful afflictions on the inhabitants of the earth? Why or why not? No not at all because the Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” and in John 3:17 it says, “For God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Timothy 2:3-4 “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”
8. What difference does it make to you that the locust are freed with God's permission (9:1) and that God chooses what they are and aren’t allowed to do (9:3-5) I like the way our lesson book wrapped it up by saying that we can praise God because He is in control even when Satan is loosed to do his worst and we can praise our God for having reasons for and limits on even the ultimate judgments that ravage the earth. We can thank Him for protecting His servants from the most horrible afflictions and for limiting the plagues so that all mankind has the chance to repent. We can thank Him for hearing and answering the prayers of the saints for justice.
9. How are the visions of the first 6 trumpets relevant to us in our time? What lessons do they have for us? (About God, the Kingdom, suffering, patient endurance, ultimate reality)? The trumpets are both warnings and promises we should act upon by sharing the Lord Jesus Christ with the lost. We need to take a good look at ourselves and how we behave as Christians.

Your response??? I’m thankful and I praise God that He is sovereign and in control of everything. We don’t have to worry about anything because we belong to Him and He calls us His own. He takes care of us, protects us and meets all our needs and we know we will one day be with Him in Heaven worshipping Him forever!