05 - Demonic Terrors 2009
Revelation Revealed - UPDATED 2009 • Sermon • Submitted
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Revelation 7
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.”
John then names the 12 tribes and attributes 12,000 to each tribe.
You’ll notice that between the 6th and the 7th seal, an interlude appears, consisting of the entire chapter. It is a moment of pause, as John is shown a vision of those who will come to Christ during the Great Tribulation.
As John watches, a special sealing of what we will call “Tribulation Believers” takes place. We see them being sealed in their foreheads. This seal is like the seal of a notary on a document. It implies protection, legalization, authority and authenticity. Regardless of the winds of adversity, they will fulfill their ministry.
Ironically, the false Christ—Anitchrist—will also cause those submitted to his evil system to be marked on their foreheads with what John calls in a later chapter THE MARK OF THE BEAST. This mark also has a sealing effect, but for damnation, not salvation, for eternal loss, not eternal gain.
Clearly, these that are being sealed in Chapter 7 are Israelites, end-time Jewish people, who accept Christ as Messiah and Savior AFTER the rapture, becoming the “godly remnant” of the end times.
During the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation, they will be the dynamic witnesses of God, proclaimers of the gospel, spiritually and supernaturally protected while they spread the gospel.
They will enjoy divine protection during this time period from the vicious attacks of Antichrist.
And John not only saw the 144,000, but also saw the fruit of their ministry:
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!" 13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
This is a description of Gentile people who come to Christ under the preaching of the 144,000.
Amazingly, one of the purposes of the Great Tribulation is to spark a world-wide revival. These multitudes dressed in white, worshipping before the throne of God are the result.
People will get saved during the Great Tribulation, but most will die martyr’s deaths.
THE SEVENTH SEAL
Chapter 8
1”And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.”
This silence of half an hour has been called THE GREAT SILENCE. Up to now the Lamb of God has been engaged breaking the seals of the mysterious roll, which He only was worthy to touch or look upon.
Six of the seals have been broken, but one yet remains. As that seal is broken there is a great and awful expectancy seen rising in the angelic company looking on. All of heaven literally becomes mute at what is about to take place. John they relays what follows:
2 “I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar.”
This “OTHER ANGEL”is no doubt the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. No other creature in heaven could answer prayers but Christ Himself, and we’re about to see that these are the prayers of His martyred saints.
And only the High Priest was allowed to make an offering on the brazen and golden altars, as we see taking place here in Chapter 8.
“And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.”
The “prayers” John sees is the prayers of the Tribulation Believers. It is the sum total of the cries of martyrs and persecuted believers that have risen to the Throne Room of God, demanding justice. John says:
4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.”
Following this offering on the heavenly altar of incense and the prayers of God’s people, cataclysmic events begin to take place on earth as God’s wrath is poured out.
5 Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake.”
Now, these thundering, lightnings and earthquakes are only a prelude to what is about to take place. The 7 seals have now been broken and it’s time now for the 2nd phase of God’s judgments—the blowing of the 7 trumpets.
6 “Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts.”
Trumpets in Bible times signaled a time of solemnity or celebration. Trumpets were also associated with war, with assembling and marching, with festivals, with introduction of royalty, with the power of God, with overthrow of the ungodly, and with the coming of Christ.
These seven angels that “stand” in the presence of God, whose responsibility it is to sound the trumpets, appear to occupy a high and heavenly position. It is likely that the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are in their number.
As they prepare to sound, the world’s ecology is in view.
THE FIRST TRUMPET
7 “The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.”
There will be firestorms of incredible magnitude at the sounding of the first trumpet. There is no question that John could be describing a nuclear holocaust. The ground, the trees and the green grass are affected. This is the beginning of the end of the ecology as we have known it.
THE SECOND TRUMPET
8 “Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, 9 one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.”
Again, this sounds an awful lot like a nuclear blast taking place at sea. Our oceans are filled with submarines and ships armed with nuclear weaponry. So, while these verses perplexed believers of centuries ago, it is very easy for us to imagine such a catastrophe.
And it might also be the description of a giant meteor or comet streaking across the sky and plunging into the ocean. Recent scientific speculations and calculations have pointed out the danger of an asteroid or a comet colliding with the earth, causing great catastrophes.
In 1991 there was considerable concern among astronomers about an asteroid that came within a million miles earth. Had it been captured by the earth’s gravity, it could have fallen to earth.
With the 2nd trumpet, one-third of the sea becomes blood, a third of sea life is killed, and a third of the ships at sea are destroyed.
THE THIRD TRUMPET
10 “Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Wormwood (bitterness). It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.”
WHEN THE THIRD ANGEL SOUNDS, another great star burning like a torch falls upon earth. This is the second comet-like object to strike and contaminate the waters. John makes it clear that this time the springs, or fresh waters needed for drinking are struck.
Once again, let’s keep in mind that John was a first-century man being shown 21st century events. He is using the words “like” or “as” in his search for words that best describe what he sees.
A “GREAT STAR” falling from the sky could be anything. But since he called it “WORMWOOD” meaning “BITTER”, you have to think of radioactivity from a nuclear exchange. People would indeed die upon drinking radioactive water.
THE FOURTH TRUMPET
12 Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night.”
More than likely, because of the burning trees and grass, along with the ash and dust from such horrific explosions, the light of the sun, moon and stars is diminished by one-third. Keep in mind that it took the ash from Mt. Helen’s eruption around ten years to leave the atmosphere.
Thus, the fourth trumpet completes the effect on the ecology; land, water and air. Unbelievably, these calamities and distresses, coming upon a planet embroiled in wicked wars, led by the coming Antichrist, are merely the preludes of even more intense woes.
Chapter 8 closes with John seeing even worse on the way:
13 “Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.”