The Calm Before The Storm

I invite you to turn in the Bible this morning to the last book of the Bible, chapter 8. Chapter 8 this morning, as we are working through the book of Revelation, and we come to this great section of chapter 8 here. The seventh seal, and then the trumpets that follow. This is the word of the Lord this morning, Revelation chapter 8. Let's give our attention to his word. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer. He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood. And these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water because it had been made bitter. The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead woe woe woe to those who dwell on the earth at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow and there we'll end the reading of god's word this morning well it was jesus himself who said that we ought always to pray and to not lose heart those were his words in the gospel ministry and we've struggled a little bit with that we've struggled uh with the question of what does prayer really do what does prayer really accomplish does it really change anything you hear people say that all the time uh why does prayer really matter if god's sovereign does god act upon our prayer requests haven't you struggled uh with that particular question and often with prayer that feel so powerless and often doesn't even get past the roof what really is happening when we pray it doesn't seem like god is answering does it how much sadness how much sorrow how much pain how much affliction that never seems to end is being experienced by god's people in the earth is god really defending us i mean that's a really important question the bible talks about it a lot is god really defending us how many abortions have happened since roe versus wade is he defending is god really setting a hedge around his people look at the persecutions they just continue to mount and accumulate? How can we watch everything go to hell in a handbasket and believe that God is on the throne and in control and defending? That's a tough pill to swallow. As all of these sorrows unfold and the world rages against everything that we stand for, what in the world is happening in heaven? And what is the truth before us? Well, I think if anything, something like psalm 73 stands out that the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous seem to suffer the wicked don't seem to have any worry in this life and the righteous continue to have nothing but pains it seems the wicked have no pains in their death everything is backwards seems like a pretty good life for them look at who hollywood puts up that makes the millions well the early christians struggled with this of course we've tried to set the context of this to understand what they were facing and why this book came to them rome was called the gift to the world and providing what we what we've noted here the pax romana the peace of rome which promised economic prosperity and security but the roman peoples the empire the peoples in the empire were expected to do certain things they were expected to to behave certain ways they were to treat the emperor as god sure there were a pantheon of other gods but the sole right of worship was claimed by the emperor domitian was about one of the worst at this time persecuting emperors in fact we know that he claimed divinity and wanted to be addressed as god and lord christians of course had taken stands against idolatry that had marked the empire the idolatries that had filled they knew what the scriptures called them to they'd study the scriptures they understood that uh even somebody like john's last word in first john is little children flee from idols john's words from by the spirit they understood uh paganism they understood the claims of christ what was known as the um about to come upon them in the second great persecution was coming and the tides were all turning and and things were moving and christians were perplexed it was having a dazing sort of a confusing effect upon them what rome promised was something that could tangibly be seen you could see the protection you could see the muscle you could see the power of Rome it was on display constantly but not so for us thought the Christians where's the muscle in this kingdom we become a ridicule we become a mockery we don't make any sense of this is God really answering us you struggle with that I mean you struggle with the sense of of god being distant don't you even the canons uh recognize that god can withdraw that sense of him withdrawing for a season why so far away doesn't seem like anything's being done to deal with this mess well that's that's revelation again and particularly this morning chapter 8 to a languished church on the earth a struggling church a persecuted church a somewhat feeling defeated church. The purpose is that the Lord, that kingdom shown in his visible church, the Lord wanted to encourage his church. Don't lose heart. Particularly thinking of Jesus's words, men ought always to pray and to not lose heart. In what seems to be a giant failure in this project that's going on, this project to evangelize the nations with the gospel, you need to think differently. And chapter 8 gives us another perspective on that, as I've been saying. You need to think differently. In particular, Revelation 8 is encouraging us. It's encouraging us and answering the great concern, is God defending us? That's 8. Is God defending us? It's really a simple message from this chapter. That's why I'm taking big sections. I want you to see the big picture it'd be a nightmare to try to to hone in and focus to to intricately and deal with all of these details in the book it's not meant to do that revelation 8 is saying don't lose heart it's encouraging us to pray it's uh it's it's answering and saying let me let me pull back the veil for you a little bit and show you what's happening with your prayers and that's what we have in front of us this morning in what is called here the seventh seal the seven seals that are described in chapter six you'll notice these judgments on the earth all leading up to this final judgment to come and remember we considered that last time in in chapter six chapter seven was sort of a briefing a moment here to encourage us to say last time the 144 000 all of god's people are marked by him it was already done before the judgments headed out into the earth in other words you were sealed you're going to be kept by God and all of them are there in the end John saw the future he saw all of them standing around the throne John saw you it's really a powerful ending there in chapter 7 but but this is continued from chapter 6 you had a break a break there in chapter seven chapter six ended with the sixth seal remember and you'll remember back in chapter six where it said in verse 12 when he opened the sixth seal i looked and behold there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth the full moon became like blood the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale then the sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place then the kings of the earth the great ones the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone slave and free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains calling to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who's seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb that's the wrath of jesus notice verse 17 for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand this is the day we've all talked about when we come to chapter 8 verse 1 we have now mentioned the seventh seal the completion of this cycle and you'll notice a very interesting verse in verse 1 a verse that is a little odd at first and a little perplexing to many when it says when i opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour what in the world is that there have been six seals the sixth told us the sixth seal told us day of judgment has arrived and now in verse 1 completes the seventh seal of chapter 8 and what does it say all of a sudden there's silence in heaven silence that's the seventh seal right there verse 1 That's it. What is this? I want us to think back for a minute of everything that we've learned so far. I think we will help back to chapter 4 when John was called up, come up here. And he went up in this vision and he saw heaven and he saw a throne fixed in heaven and then he said one was seated there. That's really important here. All around that throne were cherubim and they were singing, they were making praise. They were saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. He's coming. There's been nothing but worship up there, day and night. All of a sudden, in chapter 8, when we get here in the seventh seal, everything goes silent. So noise, noise, noise in heaven. Praise, wonderful praise. And all of a sudden, not a sound. What is that? Every time, I think we have something that we can draw on from nature that we know, before a great storm strikes, what happens? Everything goes very calm, doesn't it? Silent. Not even the leaves rustle. It's a phenomenon of nature itself. God wired into it. the the quotation uh calm continueth not without a storm was coined in 1576 before one of the greatest disasters that that century had known we we know that that little axiom don't we we say that the calm before the storm animals know this don't they it's interesting to think about that in nature animals know this before an earthquake hits what do animals do restless worried fearful creations groaning as romans 8 says something's wired into it the imagery here is very powerful isn't it in chapter 8 everything in a moment in heaven now goes quiet something happened something happened in the seventh seal the sixth seal announced the day has come everyone's scared cataclysmic chaos has happened but something now has happened in heaven in the seventh seal and you say well what do we need to get to the meaning of this i want to understand this and this is where the old testament really helps us think of the scenario Here has been a church in struggle. Here has been a church fearful in times of great distress, in pain. And if you go throughout history, this has always been the phenomenon, but there has always been one great struggle that God's people have had throughout history. It's the struggle you have right now. It always seemed like God was doing nothing. It seems that God was never helping. Listen to the cries. You know this from the Psalter. They're all over the place. But listen to the language. When you think about all the Psalter and all that's said of the cries of prayers of God's people in the past that are encapsulated and captured there for us, think of something like these verses. Do not keep silent, O God. Do not hold your peace. And do not be still, O God. Psalm 109. My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent. Why does it appear that you're silent? And then you have, of course, woven into that distress call is another question that constantly comes out of this altar, and it is, how long, O Lord? How long? How long, O Lord, will you look on? That's what I'm quoting here from Psalm 35. Rescue me from their destruction. my precious life. Rescue me. How long? Psalm 80. O Lord, God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? Psalm 89. How long, O Lord, will you hide yourself forever? This is a real struggle. It's a real frustration, actually, that we go through in life. It's a very real frustration when we don't understand why and why it's this way and it seems like i mean you know you pray about something and it just seems to sometimes get worse how long why this and then and then the question is are you really going to act are you coming we know we know the long history of of delay we study and we struggle with a question in second peter three helps us to wrestle with of of how long and and this delay that that a thousand years is uh one days is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day with the lord how long and it seems like he's never really going to come and we we sit back and we start to wonder is he really going to come we start doubting it ourselves we know that the world mocks it where is this coming all the frustrations captured right here all your frustration is captured right here all of the frustration of god's people throughout history in the tribulation in the crucible in the hardship is captured right here in the half hour a thousand years is you know one day here's a half hour revelation opens up in chapter 8 the seventh seal and and takes us to what the silence means you've wanted to know i want to know you got it this is what would be unlocked and and opened up in the last days to us and here it is so beautiful you see the old testament shows us over and over that just before the lord was ready to come in thundering judgment in fury to deliver his people everything went silent everything went silent listen to uh zachariah 2 verse 13 be silent all flesh before the lord for he is aroused from His holy habitation. Be silent. Zephaniah 1, verse 7. Be silent in the presence of the Lord God for the day of the Lord is at hand. For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. He's invited His guests. And it shall be in the day of the Lord's sacrifice that I will punish. Be silent. So Revelation is showing us that what appeared to be that God was not acting, the struggle of silence, was in fact, in earth, what appeared to be that God was not acting. How long? You're silent. That silence in heaven was the anticipation of God ready to break out of the temple. That's the imagery you're getting. God was ready to come out of the throne, off the throne. Remember, He's seated. The Lamb is seated. He's ready to get off the throne and come down to the earth in judgment. Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. He's coming. Tremble. So the silence here is the patience of the saints, Revelation will call it, through this struggle. but heaven knows exactly what this silence is the angels know exactly what this silence means it was designed to be an encouragement that the very silence we feel on earth that god is not hearing us translates in heaven to everyone recognizing all the living creatures recognizing he's getting up he's getting up that's revelation 8 verse 1 that's the seventh seal so i was thinking what happened in heaven for the whole thing to go silent and you have this picture and imagery that's given over and over in the scriptures but particularly of something that happened in the life of stephen i think you get a good picture of this remember um jesus when he ascended we celebrate his his session and seating on the throne when stephen was being unjustly stoned and martyred for the faith he's crying out in prayer he's praying and do you remember what he said in that prayer here's what he said Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. He's been seated. Standing. Jesus stood up to receive him into glory. That was the imagery. It's a powerful picture. It's a powerful thought. As Stephen prayed, Jesus got up. Now that is meant, and I think Revelation 8 is helping us with the final climax of that. That's the effect of the silence. Everything went quiet because he's got up off the throne. Wow, what a moment. What stirred him to get up? Well, the rest of the chapter, at least here in these verses that follow, immediately help us to understand that. Look what's said in verse 2. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth and there were peals of thunder rumblings flashes of lightnings and earthquake trumpets throughout the old testament trumpets were given to announce something weren't they they sounded the alarm that the the day of triumph and victory had was coming i mean you could think of jericho boys and girls right um what happens when the lord commanded remember uh when joshua was to go he was to march around the city seven times and on the the seventh day they were to sound the trumpets and and um the priests were to sound the trumpets and the walls of jericho would collapse remember all this is in the background here blow a trumpet joel 2 in zion sound the alarm on my holy mountain let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for For the day of the Lord is coming. Surely it's very near. Sound it. Verse 6 says that these angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound. The purpose here in sounding the alarm is to announce this day has come for Jericho to fall. Babylon will fall. I'm coming. I'm coming. Get ready. I'm not messing around. Get ready. I'm coming. Trumpets are sounding. So the announcement here of His coming is given, but here's where the vision is the great encouragement this morning. Here's where the vision is helping us in the struggle. John is seeing what's bringing this about. What's bringing this? John is seeing why the silence has come. What brought it? Trumpets are given. Why? What does John see? This angel comes and he has a golden censer and he comes and he stands at the altar. Now you should know this from our study in Exodus. This is why we go through this stuff. Remember that altar of incense sat right before the door of the most holy place. And when the incense burned, it filled the most holy place. It filled the whole place with smoke. What was that? Well, this incense altar is in heaven. That's the reality. That is where it really is. That's the reality. The angel takes the censer. He fills it with incense. And notice what he does. He mixes the prayers of the saints on earth with this incense. And it goes right up on into the throne room. What just happened? Well, it seems to me it's a fulfillment of a lot of things, and Psalm 109 speaks of it. Do not keep silent, O God of my praise. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me. They have fought against me without a cause, but I give myself to prayer, prayer. All of our prayers, all of our prayers are pictured here, are represented here as receiving intercession. And as these prayers are incensed, if you will, all of these prayers go right into the presence of the Lord, and he hears them. It's an amazing moment in Revelation. What is the Lord showing him? Every single cry that happens from earth of his people, every single cry, every single groan, Of his struggling, languished people on the earth? Remember last time when Ezekiel and the inkman came back and he had marked all the people of God on their foreheads in the earth election? And he came back and said, it's done. Remember what the Lord had told him to do? Mark those who sigh over the abominations in the earth. You're sighing over this stuff if you're a believer. You know how awful it's turned. You see the wickedness. You see the destruction. You see the hate. You see the violence. And all of it's pictured as these cries and sighs go up. It's pictured as receiving intercession and going into the ears of the Lord. You know, the very first cry came when? When Cain killed Abel. And the Lord said, Cain, his blood cries out to me from the ground. All this stuff keeps coming to me. You don't think I'm going to act? You don't think I'm going to deal with this? All the prayers of his saints are pictured as coming into the throne room, and the Lord hears them, the Lord receives them. He knows intimately your cries, your sufferings, your pains, your sorrows, and he's telling us in this vision, Dear children, I see, I hear. This is scary for the non-believer. This is scary. Really scary. And the Revelation is saying the silence that you're experiencing on earth is a preparation for my coming in judgment. The appearance that I'm not hearing. The appearance that I'm not acting. And the feeling that your prayers don't get past the roof, that struggle that makes you feel like I'm absent, it's not true. I've trained you a whole life to live by faith for a reason. I hear you. I know your cries. I know your thoughts from afar. This is not only moving, but it has such a long history with it, doesn't it? It's all borrowed from the Exodus. remember 400 years god's people cried 400 years they were in bondage in that place pharaoh was a cruel he was throwing their babies into the water and did god not hear this was the reason he came he told moses this listen to what he told moses i've heard the groanings of my people whom the egyptians keep in bondage i've remembered my covenant so god heard their groaning god remembered his covenant with abraham isaac and with jacob and god looked upon the children of israel and god acknowledged them how so well revelation says he's not just hearing see the next part says he's answering what happens as soon as the angel mixes the incense with the prayers he takes the empty censer it's been all emptied out all your prayers are now up to God and now he has this empty censer and you'll notice verse 5 he takes it he fills it with fire and he throws it back to the earth that's not good for the earth he's hitting the earth I'm not sitting idle says the Lord in the very place where your prayers he takes the censer and he casts it back to the earth you'll notice that in verse 5 and God told you he's sending the judgments on the earth we've been learning about this in revelation haven't we That was the horsemen who were sent out. And so he's telling them, you need to look at what's happening in the earth a little bit differently. I'm not transforming it, I'm judging it. It's going to be burned with fire. Think of the first century. There's a powerful Roman empire persecuting them. They don't know what to do. Roman society all of a sudden starts facing all kinds of problems. All kinds of problems they just can't solve. Where's this coming from? Makes no sense, does it? Should. Scandals in the Senate left and right. You can read about all this. Monetary messes. Remember, he's holding the scales. Fires. Natural disasters. All this stuff's happening. They can't stop it. Their empire's crumbling. Why? Well, the Lord wanted the Christians to know that all the problems they're experiencing on earth, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places, that's fire being hurled back down upon the earth from heaven. He gets angry when his people are assaulted and his people are martyred. And he delivers back blows, leading to the final blow. All over the Psalms, beloved. Psalm 18, In my distress I called upon the Lord. I cried out to my God. He heard my voice from his temple. and my cry came before him even to his ears then the earth shook and trembled the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken because he was angry smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth coals were kindled by it he bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet he rode upon a cherub and flew he flew upon the wings of the wind he made darkness his secret place his canopy around him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies from the brightness before him his thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire the lord thundered from heaven and the most high uttered his voice hailstones and coals of fire he sent out his arrows and scattered the foe lightnings in abundance and he vanquished them the lord's gonna afflict those who afflict us revelation follows us up by saying there were noises thunderings lightnings and an earthquake those are storm theophanies of of god coming in judgment on this world the storm has come and that's the perspective revelation is giving us you ever notice how the kings and kingdoms are all the leaders of this world are trying to build lasting peace and can't do it haven't you figured that out yet they can't do it lasting economic security lasting security lasting fortification lasting lasting nothing's been lasting the tower of babel spirit constantly gets broken up let us make our way to heaven and be our own gods look what we can do and god constantly splits the thing up he hits it god is calling us to see that economic woe, dangers, worldwide turmoil, present distresses are answers of keeping His people. Cast in the Exodus story, what did Moses say to Pharaoh? Pharaoh, let my people go. Let them go. Pharaoh said, no way. I'm going to make their bondage harder. What did God start doing? Well, he said he did. He plagued that place good, didn't he? Their rivers turned to blood. hell stones fell from the earth frogs smote them you i mean you just read the plagues we went through all of that the same thing happened the sun darkened judgments hit all of creation land sea and sky that's what you have described in chapter 8 all the major parts of creation are hit creation land sea water sky that's all the judgments right here paralleling what happened to egypt when they messed with god's people and then pharaoh was drowned in the sea the lord wants you to say i'm doing the same thing this is this is what's happening now but this is goshen this is goshen pharaoh wouldn't let go they cried the lord broke out of heaven and led them to the sea and led them through the sea and that's when the silence ends the lord breaks out of their inflaming fire to judge the wicked so what kind of perspective does that give us um this morning i hope a lot to be encouraged don't lose heart we of course pray don't we people would be saved in the day of salvation that's our greatest prayer that's what should fill heaven but remember there is a kingdom of darkness that absolutely under the dominion of satan that is absolutely wants to destroy you be thankful the lord is defending christian prayers are integral to the downfall of the enemies of the gospel they are you understand jesus's parable now there was a in a certain city a judge who did not fear god no regard man now there was a little widow in that city she came to him saying get justice for me for my adversary and he would not for a while but afterwards he said within himself though i don't fear god nor regard man yet because this widow troubles me i'll avenge her she just kept coming and coming bugging him get justice get justice get justice let her by continually lest by her continual coming she weary me so this unjust judge says i'm sick of this i'm going to deal with it because this widow keeps bugging me then the lord said hear what the unjust judge said shall not god avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him though he bears long with him he doesn't get tired of your prayer he invites you to keep doing it i tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the son of man comes will he really find faith on the earth when that day comes will it's a challenge because of the dangerous seasons will there really be people calling out in prayer to him that's a challenge to us what a reason than not to lose heart don't be shocked by what happens in this world. Don't live in fear of that. Don't fill up Facebook with worrisome posts about the nation. It's not what you're called to do. History's told you how this is going to go. The Scriptures tell you. Here's how it's going to go. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. And Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of our Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will see no more forever. The Lord will fight for you. Only hold your peace. Well, that's the message, isn't it? He's going to fight for you. If that's the case, then why don't we listen to Jesus this morning and honor our father as we were challenged to do by listening to jesus saying to us men ought always to pray and to not lose heart he will avenge his elect his 144 000 marked by god again not a literal number of a multitude no man can number he will avenge his elect speedily who cry out to him day and night. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we call out to You this morning and are thankful for Your Word that encourages us. If we saw and experienced in full the persecutions that are happening by our brethren around the world, this would take on even more meaning. But it shouldn't have to to bring us to this place to make us a praying people more. to call out more for deliverance, help, salvation in the earth, and to call out realizing your great power that you're with us, that you've promised to defend us, that you've given us a Savior who is seated on the throne, who lives and reigns forever and ever, who is true God and true man, the one to whom everyone will bow. If we believe that, then help us to pray more and take away our fears. Take away fear. Let us see in these trials and tribulations you have a good purpose. And when we don't see it for the present, to entrust ourselves more to you, knowing that in the end it will all be made clear. And we will see that indeed your promise was yes and amen, that all things indeed work out for good to those who are the called by God. Thank you that we can come to you and come to the King, to the throne of grace. we confess our laziness at times our ignorance that we in this discipline which is called a discipline for a reason of prayer we've been neglectful help us to be a more praying people looking and hastening for the coming day of the lord jesus christ and thank you for encouraging us that you're defending us and will keep us to the end we need that we receive all you all this today with thanksgiving thank you for your wonderful word and thank you for the gospel of our salvation in Jesus name we pray amen