Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets - Revelation 8:1-6

Welcome to God first with Boise, when committed to encouraging you to put God first, while viewing life the window in the Bible. Now, in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let's join Wayne see Thomas for today's message good afternoon God first, family network, family name is Brian Thomas and I greet you in the name of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I dress you as family because we are a family. We are a part of the body of Christ we may not be related by blood but we are all a part of the body of Jesus Christ and family. It is so important that as we are going closer and closer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the hostility toward the faith by the world is getting stronger and stronger. You since it you feel it you hear it you see you throughout our society is so important that we as believers in Christ we support one another that we keep each other lifted up and that we encourage one another that we must endure these last evil days as we look forward to the return of our Lord and Savior, the one who we come to magnify the one who we come to a door become to praise the great sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he died on the cross so that we can have eternal life will folks EEE is a great time in the Lord, even though again there is hostility toward the faith we see it continuing to grow, but this is still a great day of the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it.

It's what today I want to draw your attention to the book of Revelation. My favorite book in all of the Bible, Revelation chapter 8 will cover today versus one through six.

A few weeks ago we looked at the seven sealed scroll of chapter 5 in the book of Revelation we found that it is the title deed to the earth, but it also contains all of the trials that will unfold for those who reject Jesus Christ.

The first five seals revealed activities of mankind bringing misery on the earth and the six seal apparently is God's reaction to the persecution of the saints. So the seventh seal introduces the seventh trumpet judgments of God in the trumpet judgments God use the exclusive sender. Mankind is the exclusive receiver Psalms chapter 79 verses 11 through 12 tells us let the groaning of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power preserve those who are appointed by and returned to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom. Their reproach with which they have reproached you oh Lord, God's judgment is going to rain on the earth like we've never seen before. Concerning those who have rejected him as Lord and Savior. The Revelation chapter 8 please turn your Bibles area. Let's look at verse one. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Never heard that saying silence is golden. Will this obvious silence foreshadows what is about to take place on the earth. Remember, folks were talking about what is yet future.

The seven year tribulation. That is to come. This silence is significant in two ways first is opposite of how heaven normally is ended.

Secondly, the Angels, they are in all concerning what Jesus reveals is about to take place on earth you know heaven is normally a loud place and I don't mean loud in terms of I went to a church once a day habit amplifies turnips a lot of the music and the sounds reverberating off the walls and was vibrating through my chest and it is felt like Mark. My heart was going to get off of rhythm or something.

It was just that loud. I mean it wasn't a joyful noise.

But the Bible says make a joyful noise unto the Lord. And as we saw in chapters 4 and five. We found the voice speaking to me like a trumpet thunder celestial beings crying out continually holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty 24 elders chant you are worthy, our Lord and God.

In Revelation 512. An enormous number of angels. They state worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And so folks heaven is a place in which there's praise there's worship going on and so if you're not one who likes to give praise to our Lord and church will you better get used to it you view our believing that you were saving you going to heaven, you better get used to it because there is praise in the. The dwelling in heaven of our great Lord but admits all of this sound. All of this. Praise and worship that is going on. Suddenly heaven comes to hush is like the quiet before the storm.

With all that they know concerning God in heaven the angels appear mystified concerning what is about to take place. If you recall, Jesus Christ.

It is first coming how the Angels were just in all, they would mystify seen Jesus Christ in the human form in the but the manger. The babe in the manger.

They were in all of it. We see here they are in all of what is about to take place. You know it makes me think about is a child when you are playing with your and your siblings and maybe your your cousins, your playmates and you you do something that is is disobedient you do something that is wrong and and your mom says you just wait till your dad gets home she doesn't hand out the punishment them. She says you just wait until your dad gets home, so you go throughout your day playing in and around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 5 PM in the afternoon.

You know this. Around the time the data comes in for working so you hear a car pull up and everybody gets quiet here. The door closes your footsteps and everybody is just in a in a hush everybody stops his disquiet you been playing all day long with ruckus but you know that a judgment is coming and you're leaving you you're listening for dad when he comes to the door. This here is Molly going to tell him what I did this morning and for those who did not commit the transgressions. The other kids you're listening to it to hear. Also, because you were wondering, is he going to get it. Is he going to get into trouble and so that is what we see here.

These angels know that a great judgment is about to come upon the earth. And so they they stopped all their their praise and miss all the worship that is going on. They stop in the Bible says, for the space of about half an hour. Our Lord is balance.

He is just, he will judge sin. And so we see here that it is about to be a great judgment that is poured out. Then in verse two of Revelation chapter 8 and I saw the seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets upon the breaking of the seventh seal. The seven angels who stand before God receive trumpets. Note that the opening of the seventh seal does not bring the Angels before God, but apparently they stand before God continually awaiting the next command and upon orders each will blow the trumpet in sequence to bring judgment upon an unbelieving world. If we look at Luke chapter 1 verse 19 we find and the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. So this reveals to us the identity of one of these angels, so Gabriel.

He led Zechariah no that he stands in the presence of God.

While in heaven the same Gabriel appeared to Daniel on multiple occasions as a messenger from God.

In Daniel chapter 8 verses 15 through 16 in Daniel chapter 9 verse 21 so we can conclude that at least one of Gabriel's jobs is the stand before God and carry out his bidding to mankind. Scripture does not identify the other six were they likely have the same assignments. It is like an hour times the day in which we live, in which there can be an officer who was standing awaiting the order of a of a king or dictator there waiting for the command and likewise you know we as believers in Jesus Christ. We may not be physically standing before God. We should always be ready to carry out God's command. We should always be ready to carry out the great commission.

If you run into an unbeliever.

Are you ready to share the gospel as a preacher myself, I should always be ready to give a sermon if I'm called upon at any moment. I should be ready to carry out the command and then as we go on the Revelation chapter 8 verse three.

Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne this passage describing the angel with a golden censer reveals that the prayers of all Christians continually go before the Lord God we find here the sensor containing this incense.

This aromatic material like season is his burning disc fragrance and so the angel offers his golden incense since it is golden censer along with the prayers of the saints before the golden altar and John sees the smoke of the incense in the prayers of the saints rise up before God and people throughout time have been praying to God for their persecution that they have gone through as a as a result of believing in Jesus Christ. And so here we find that this just is that people have been crying out for and maybe has not came to pass, yet, and in many have faced tremendous persecution throughout history, but it very well may be that here after 2000 years that the prayers will be unlocked at this very moment we see the prayers of the saints in Revelation 6, chapter 9 through 10 when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who have been slain for the word of God for the testimony which they hail and they cried with a loud voice in how long the Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. The folks I want to tell you never stop praying. This is not just about for justice but never stop praying for that love one that person who is rejecting Jesus Christ, who has a heart heart towards our Lord never stop praying because the prayers are going to go up before our Lord and then in verse four and the smoke of the incense, with prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Notice that after the smoke of the censer and prayers go out before God and this is just a beautiful symbol that our prayers are heard by God. We sometimes think our prayers and I getting through this suggest otherwise.

And again for parent out there.

You have a wayward child that is that is against God is hostile toward the faith never stop praying he reminds me of my favorite movie the 10 Commandments which Moses when he found out that he was truly Hebrew and he was in the mud pits and there was an old man who spoke out against the ruling authorities and as a result, the, the officer of the Egyptian officers eat it through a javelin. He he he he killed the old man and as the old man was dying and Moses killed onto him and the old man said it is better to die than live in the bondage. He said I go with my prayers and answer Moses said what prayer old man and the old man said that I was see the deliverer with the old man didn't realize that Moses was the deliverer, so folks I want to encourage you. Sometimes we think our prayers are not being answered.

We think our prayers are not be heard, but trust in the Lord God he will and does hear our prayers.

It may not be answering the time in which we want them to be answered but God does hear our prayers and so folks.

We continue in verse five in the angel took the sensor filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth and there were noises, thunderings, lightnings in an earthquake. The angel feels the sensor with fire from the altar and then there's this exchange that takes place the prayers with fire eating.

He's this far you feel sensor from heaven onto the earth as a display of the prayers for vengeance.

Beautiful for you. This heavenly exchange, unknown to the inhabiters of the earth brings thunder rumbling's flashes of lightning, and an earthquake upon the world below the actions of heaven initiate a sequence of events on earth in response so folks again. We must trust in God. There is a a heavenly realm that we are not aware of. And so God he is going to bring justice trust in him.

Have faith in him, he will hear our cries. Then in verse six of the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared them sales to sound the opening of the seventh seal will issue the commencement of seven trumpet judgments upon the earth. Each trumpet will bring a fear's godly judgment upon mankind. This is the time to remind ourselves what first Corinthians chapter 6 verse nine through 12 tells us verses nine through 10 I'm sorry tells us that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexual sodomites, these covetous drunkards revile as extortioners and all reject as of Christ will not inherit the kingdom of God is so I strongly encourage you today to repent of your sinful lifestyles and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Today's the day to receive him. If you've never received them. If you've never come to know him as Lord and Savior today is your day will you receive our Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

These words that he is wonderful in folks.

You will have eternal life. You will be free from your sins. If you accept all of the great Lord to come right back at the break and continue talking about the judgment of God, don't go way tuned into God first program you're listening to Brian Thomas only got more wine please visit God, not horse around the library. There you will find articles and messages available as MP3 downloads on various topics such as salvation, marriage lesson is just to name a few. Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store visits God will go back to the Gompers program. My name is Brian Thomas and you just now joining us and would like to hear the program in its entirety. Please visit us and God first.org you can also write to us. We would love to hear from you.

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Well folks, we are coming out of the Easter season. What I like to call the resurrection season and there was some very interesting things that were stated in one of the things recently that you may have heard about was pastor Warnock gave the pastor of Ebenezer church in Atlanta Georgia made a very interesting statement through twitter a couple weeks ago on resurrection weekend, so I want you to hear Bishop Patrick wouldn't senior of the upper room Church of God in Christ, he addressed the issue so wonderfully, so I want to play the clip. This is somewhat of a long clip, but I want to hear would have you hear what he had to say concerning what again Rafael Warnock had to say concerning Easter this Sunday is Easter Sunday this past Easter Sunday. Did you ever think that a preacher would say this, the meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a Christian or not, through a commitment of helping others. We are able to save ourselves.

Okay so as you heard the bishop say this minister who's also a pastor of Ebenezer church.

He said that Easter transcends the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that he went on to state that we can save our sales. I want to share with you from the Ebenezer Baptist Church website it reasons 2005, the Rev. Dr. Rafael Warnock has served as the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. under Dr. Warnock's leadership more than 4000 new members have joined EBC enhancing the church's legacy of social activism with both spiritual and numerical growth now. Also keep in mind, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in January of this year. January 5, 2021, so let's continue to listen to Bishop Patrick wouldn't address this tweets by again. Rafael Warnock now this was posted. This was put on Twitter by a minister, a minister, and all of our friends in Georgia.

This was what minister Raffaella now.

Sen. Raffaella Warnock on Easter Sunday tweeted that Easter transcends that is goes beyond the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How can that be and he says that whether you are a Christian or not, through a commitment to helping each other others.

We are able to save ourselves right again.

Folks, this is Bishop Patrick wouldn't senior pastor.

The upper room Church of God in Christ.

He's addressing this tweets by Rev. Rafael Warnock.

He's addressing it during the Sunday service at the upper room Church of God in Christ, why thought that that the good news was that onto us is born in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the King. I didn't know I get Raffaella note new, something that the rest of us did know I didn't know that man could save himself. I was up was under the impression that the heart of the Christian doctrine was that man is not able to save himself.

That's what John 316 is all about. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe it own him should not perish but have everlasting life. In my right so now the preacher, the Rev., the senator, a man who is supposed to be of a Christian persuasion, no motion would ever post something like that during Ramadan, no, no, no, which wouldn't pull something like that against witchcraft right folks again. Bishop wittiness is speaking so eloquently again as he's addressing this man, this minister who's also a pastor. Remember I said he's a pastor and isolated from their church website. 4000 new members have joined Ebenezer Baptist Church. During the time of him being at the him and at this church sounds familiar. Many people will point out that this is the church and with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also pastored and so people look to point that out, but I'm say that because look at the number of people he pastors.

And these people are are are under his leadership. He's the shepherd of these people and listen to the things that he is saying is let's continue. Listen to listening to Bishop wouldn't a a a a deer, a devil worshiper wouldn't do that against the devil.

No Buddhists and the and yet we see Christian ministers and I'm writing a column that and listen. I didn't tweeted he did and it's a live from the pit of hell and and he's going go to hell if you don't get right and repent that goes against the Christian doctrine. Jesus is our Savior.

Now how many of you saved yourself. Everybody have made themselves born again raise your hand. Because of you raise general pull all the all on your head and try to cast that devil out of you said you pastor within the speed is so eloquently speaking truth folks because we cannot save our seals.

The only way by which we can have eternal life is through Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrificial lamb. We talked about that at Passover. He came to as fulfillment of the Passover feast. He came to be the perfect spotless lamb to die for the sins of all of mankind and everyone that receives him can have their sins forgiven wash clean and have eternal life.

So again here this this pastor Warnock speaking heresy is what he speaking, if you recall, while he was running for the Senate. He also made a very well known that he is a supporter of abortion. He believes that is a woman's right. He says there's no room in the hospital room is not space in the hospital room for for God and and for the woman is a woman's choice in the government. There's no room for the government and their and in so that's a woman's choice.

So again, keep that in mind this. This man is a track record of saying things that go against the Christian faith. I couldn't save myself the Bible says why we were without strength Christ died for us. You might find somebody would die for good me. You might find someone who would die for a righteous man, but when we while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The browser that God displayed his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and now the Christian minister. I guess I guess the Bible didn't matter anymore says that Easter is a mold transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No id is not a man, and that's why we don't waste time with no bunny rabbit, a man with a Haydn agent all that on that godly say they want to get Christ out. We will to keep it legal to keep Christ.

Christ in you the hope of and to that I say a hearty loud amen to the Bishop statements and I'm glad he putting it into when it comes to the resurrection season that did the Easter Bunny and Easter egg.

That's not not what it's about folks that has pagan origin is not about that is about Jesus Christ and you have to be. You have to to to understand the devil's tact is and how he tries to distract us from the truth. He tried to get key is think about things like the Easter Bunny and Easter egg and Easter egg hunts and candy and not thinking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that is why my wife and I we made the decision years ago, when our kids were born that we would not have them participate in Easter egg hunts. We don't get into any of that. So glad the Bishop stated that the Bible tells us in first Timothy chapter 4 verses one through two now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. Folks, we have arrived to that point as we see pastors who are saying that Easter transcends the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who are saying that we can save our sales in other words, we don't need Jesus to what was the point of Jesus Christ coming if we can save our sales. Why did he come became because we cannot save our seals became because the Bible says that the best that we could do before a a Almighty perfect God is like filthy rags to him.

We could not. We cannot save our seals and that is why we need Jesus Christ and that is why I encourage you to accept him as Lord and Savior.

The phones were in a time period in which there are seducing deceiving spirits doctrines of demons. That is why whenever you see on the news when there is a incident with the police officer who happens to be widened, and in the person who is the civilian happened to be black immediately. Here goes the accusation of racism to get the facts. People are just lying in the media, lies the leaders in high places and political offices lie for an agenda and the Bible says that as we get into the latter days as we continue going it's the latter days there will be lying spirit spirits that are speaking hypocrisy, speaking, seducing spirits, doctrines of demons and I think about it is not out there just in the world that we see it, even in churches folks we need to be on our toes and paying attention to these false doctrines that are going on. We need to rebuke them standby the true word of God. The no pastor Warnock cannot save our seals know Easter does not transcend the meaning does not transcend the resurrection cannot transcend the rigs or the resurrection of Jesus Christ is what it's all about. In the resurrection is what we hold onto in the day is coming when our Lord is going to call us home if all that up with the faith and trust in him that have passed on. They too will be resurrected to eternal life.

The Bible says that those of us who are alive and remain. We all will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with our Lord. I'm excited about it today. I reviewed the heresy of Dr. Warnock and all the heresies out there. We rebuke to deceiving spirits doctrines of the phones were all out of time. I want to thank you for joining me this week.

Please come back next week as we continue to encourage you to put God first, while due alive through the window of the Bible until they remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, bless God's great nation of Israel to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ, forever.

Amen.

You can blame God for Ryan and I first was a right protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great nation of Israel first