Day 230

Silence and heaven usually don’t go hand in hand. This is a stark contrast to the worship that has been taking place as the scroll has been taken up by Jesus and unrolled. And it stands in contrast to the trumpets that are going to sound following this silence. It is as if heaven itself takes a deep breath and pauses. This silence takes place at the opening of the seventh seal and in the seventh seal are the seven trumpets. The seals are complete and the trumpets are about to start.

And during the silence incense and our prayers are offered on God’s altar. Our prayers are accepted before God. Think of that! When we pray our prayers are joined with all the other prayers that are offered in Jesus’ name and offered to God in an act of worship. Our prayers enter into heaven itself.

After this fire from this altar is sent down to earth and the promised end of world judgment begins. When that happens the silence ends and is replaced by thunder sounds. And then the trumpets begin.

A third of the vegetation are burned up, and things in and on the sea die. The springs of water and the rivers were effected so that they become poisonous. Then a third of the light-producing bodies in the sky became black. If it looks like judgment, it is. And this looks like judgment. These judgments have been toward creation primarily. The upcoming judgments are directed more toward the people.

These four angels have carried out their jobs in rapid succession. Bam, bam, bam, bam.  There was no commentary or angelic pronouncements between them. The next three in the following chapter have explanations and expansions as part of their sounding. These just happen without much that helps us understand any lesson for us today.

And then an angel warns the people on the earth of the coming judgments on them.

Do we know there is a coming judgment and are we living our lives in light of that knowledge? Or are we going about our business without considering the eternal consequences of our actions and attitudes? Thet angel might not be sounding his warning at the present moment, but that does not mean that somehow we have escaped the wrath.

Jesus will protect us from the wrath. We have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Our eternity is locked with His. I am actually writing this on the morning after the election. No matter who had won, our salvation does not come from the government. The Christian Church thrives even under oppressive governments. Life will get more difficult. Even those under the evil Emperor Nero grew in their faith. Some gave their lives defending their faith. How important is your faith in Christ?

Are you ready to defend the faith at the cost of everything that our culture calls important? A day is coming when being a Jesus-follower will be much more difficult. The days of easy Christianity are coming to an end. We are joining the rest of the world as they oppose the Gospel. We fight not against flesh and blood. Get ready to fight.