every Saturday morning at 10.30 a.m.,
the emergency weather siren goes off in Kenosha.
It's a big test.
And every Saturday morning at 10.30 a.m.,
I'm usually in my office writing a sermon,
and I hear that siren, and my heart drops.
And then I remember it's 10.30 Saturday morning.
This is just a test.
Well, the purpose of the trumpeting of the emergency weather siren
on Saturdays at 10.30 is to test the emergency warning system.
But when it gets warm out,
it's mid-July, late Friday afternoon,
and we hear that siren blare,
and there are these dark, imposing thunderstorms
rolling in with a fierce wind,
it's not practice anymore.
At that moment, we're being warned.
And when you're warned of an impending danger like that,
you've got to stop what you're doing,
and you make sure you can find some cover.
And if you've got time,
you're going to make sure those around you
stop what they're doing
so that they can find cover with you.
This morning, you're going to be hearing
the blaring of the seven trumpets of judgment
from Revelation chapter 8 and 9 and into 11.
And this is no Saturday morning practice.
This is not a practice test this morning.
This morning, you're going to hear
real warning of judgment
blowing in on God's winds.
So this morning, don't ignore the warning calls.
Don't ignore God's mercy
in the face of judgment.
Like I mentioned,
we've got a lot of real estate
to cover this morning,
so I first want to kind of give you
a lay of the land
of where we're going to be going,
so I want to kind of place
some things in your minds.
So what you're going to see
in chapter 8, verses 1 through 6,
is an opening scene.
It's essentially in verse 6,
it's the raising of the trumpets to Blair.
And then in chapter 8, verse 7,
all the way through chapter 9,
you have the six trumpets blasting
one after another.
There's some really interesting details in this.
But when we get to chapter 10,
we've got a break in the action.
The six trumpet sounds,
and then in chapter 10,
in 11, 1 through 14,
we have what's called an interlude
between the sixth trumpet
and the seventh trumpet.
If you remember the sixth
and the seventh seals,
there was an interlude there too.
It's chapter 7 of Revelation.
And it's about the church
in chapter 7,
and chapter 10,
in 11, 1 through 14,
it's about the church too.
It's about what we must be doing
with these sirens going off
in the trumpets.
We're going to come back to that
over the next two weeks.
But what you have in chapter 11,
verses 14 through 19,
is the seventh trumpet.
And what's interesting
about the seventh trumpet
is that you're no longer in earth.
You're in heaven
seeing something going on.
And surprise,
instead of devastation,
you're seeing celebration.
What's up with that?
This morning,
it's possible to hear these trumpets
as some kind of Saturday morning
practice test of a warning system.
It's not a practice test.
These are real warnings
for us all today.
Judgment is coming.
So stop what you're doing.
Stop living a life against God
and find cover in the Lamb.
And if you've already found cover
in the Lamb,
we need to be telling others
about the judgment to come
so that they can find cover
in the Lamb with us.
So let me begin
by pointing you
to this opening scene
in chapter 8, 1 through 6.
It sets up the trumpets.
Chapter 8, verse 1,
the Lamb opens the seventh seal
of the scroll of God's plan
for the fullness of time.
And remember,
up until this point,
heaven has been a loud place.
The Lamb and the one on the throne
have been worshipped
after by many,
24 elders,
four living creatures,
myriads of angels.
Up until this point,
heaven is a loud place.
And then all of a sudden,
we read,
the Lamb opens the seventh seal
and there's a half hour of silence.
It makes you ask the question,
what's the silence about?
Well, look at verse 2.
All of a sudden,
there are seven angels
who are standing before God
and they have been given
seven trumpets.
Now look down at verse 6.
Now those seven angels
who had the seven trumpets
prepare to blow them.
So they're given the trumpets.
Verse 6,
that they raise them
to blow them
and then something happens
in between them
that's very important.
In verses 3 and 4,
we see another angel
coming and standing
in the heavenly,
before the heavenly altar.
It's gold before the throne.
This is in heaven
before God
and he's holding in his hand
a golden censer.
Basically,
that's a ceremonial fire pan
that you burn incense in
in the worship of God
in the heavenly temple.
What's this incense
that we're reading about?
Well, we hear,
what we read in verse 3,
he was given much incense
to offer with the prayers
of all the saints
and in verse 4,
the smoke of the incense
with the prayers
of the saints.
Now flip back
to chapter 5,
verse 8.
And when he had taken
the scroll,
the four living creatures
and the 24 elders
fell down before the lamb,
each holding a harp
and golden bowls
full of incense,
which are the prayers
of the saints.
It's best to understand
that incense
is our prayers
being offered to God.
Your praying
is being pictured
as an offering
to God
here in Revelation chapter 8.
It's the prayers
of all the saints.
So here's what we're getting at.
Heaven is silent,
trumpets are given,
still silent
so that God
can hear
the prayers
of his saints.
Not that there was
a distraction before,
it's focus.
God's interested
in the prayers
of his saints.
He hears
all
the saints'
prayers
and he hears them
with pleasure.
The silence
is to hear
his saints.
Those
sealed of God,
chapter 7,
verse 3,
those
whom Jesus
is the
exclusive
center
of their
lives
and Jesus
is becoming
more and more
important.
It's by his blood
that we even have
access into the throne room
to begin with.
The last prayer
we have come across
from God's people
is in Revelation
chapter 6
and it comes from
a select group
of the saints,
the martyrs,
the fifth seal.
They're below the altar,
this altar,
and they are
saying to God,
how long,
O Lord,
how long
until you vindicate
and judge
those who dwell
on the earth
for our blood?
The last prayer
we've come across,
God hears all
the prayers
of his saints,
but the last prayer
in the book of Revelation
is a prayer
of vindication.
God,
when will you
show us
justice?
When will you
do us right?
God hears
all of his saints,
but here,
what is being shown
in particular
is God hearing
the particular prayers
of his suffering
saints
calling out
for justice.
incense?
Verse 4,
they rise up,
these prayers
rise up
with smoke
to God,
incense,
from the censer
in the angel's
right hand.
Verse 5,
after those prayers
are offered,
the censer
is empty
and that angel
takes the same censer
that offered
the prayers
and then
grabs a whole
bunch of
altar fire
in the same
altar
and then
he throws
it down
upon the earth.
Do you see
what's going on?
See what's being
pictured?
Our prayers
offered up,
God responds
by the pouring
out of
holy fire
upon the earth.
It's very
important to notice
that the first
three trumpet
blares
deal with
burning
objects
being
cast
down
onto earth.
It's an
outworking
of this.
So,
verse 5,
the angel
throws
down
the holy
fire
judgment
in response
to the prayers
of the saints.
There is
this
thunder,
rumblings,
flashes of lightning,
earthquake,
this is
theophany,
God is at
work,
and then
in verse 6,
the seven angels
pick up their
seven trumpets
to blow.
That's
setting up
the trumpets.
And now
let's turn
to the
trumpets
themselves.
Before,
let me just
say this.
Remember how
Jesus taught
us to pray,
our Father
who is in
heaven,
hallowed be
your name,
your kingdom
come.
This
puts some
weight on
that.
When we
pray,
your kingdom
come,
we're asking
God,
bring justice
on this
earth
with your
reign.
We're
praying for
Jesus to
come.
These
seven trumpets
are sounded
in response
to the
prayers of
the saints.
it's a
response of
justice.
It's your
opening scene.
Now let's
look at
verses
seven
through
twelve
where we
read of
the first
four trumpets.
What we
have in
the trumpets,
the first
six at least,
they're broken
up,
they're divided.
The first
four,
then the next
two,
and then the
last one,
the seventh.
And there's a
reason for it.
But what we
notice is that
all start
with a
trumpet
player.
So they
have some
commonalities.
The first
four in
particular have
some things
in common
I want to
point out.
In chapter
seven, we
read the
first angel
blew his
trumpet.
And then
verse seven,
then verse
eight, the
second angel
blew his
trumpet.
Verse 10,
the third
angel blew
his trumpet.
Verse 12,
the fourth
angel blew
his trumpet.
When you
hear the
word trumpet,
don't think
Dizzy
Gillespie,
don't think
Wynton
Marsalis,
Louis Armstrong,
Miles Davis
playing their
metal horn.
These aren't
those.
These are
shofars.
These are
ram's horns.
These are
the trumpets
of Israel.
These are
the kinds
of trumpets
that were
handed to
the seven
priests in
Joshua 6
who led
out before
the ark
and they
blared their
trumpets
before
Jericho,
blaring
judgment,
the city
falls,
the people
enter the
promised land.
It gets
played out
the next
four chapters
in Revelation.
What this
trumpet blaring
does is it
announces
judgment
like an
early
warning
weather
siren.
But it's
more than
that.
Each trumpet
blown is
announcing
the lamb
reigns.
Because each
of these
trumpets
are being
blown by
an angel
who's in
the throne
room,
who's been
given a
trumpet
by the
lamb.
He's behind
it all.
So these
trumpets are
announcing
something,
judgment
and the
reign of
the lamb.
and it
also
notice
that these
first four
trumpet
judgments,
they fall
on creation.
In the
first one,
hail
falls on
the land.
The second
one,
it looks
like some
kind of
volcanic
eruption
on the
sea.
And then
what appears
to be a
blazing
meteor in
the third
judgment
falls into
the water.
and then
darkness
comes upon
the sun,
moon,
and the
star in
the fourth
trumpet
judgment.
All creation
will be
affected by
these four
judgments and
it will affect
all of
humanity,
both those
who've been
sealed by
the seal of
the living
God,
chapter 7,
verse 3,
Christians,
as well as
those who
have not been
sealed with
the,
the seal of
the lamb,
but with
the mark
of the
peace.
These are
cataclysmic
events that
will change
life on
earth as
we know
it.
We can't
get around
it.
It's going
to affect
the way
that we
live.
Now,
the first
one is
very
interesting.
It talks
about hail
coming down
and the
earth being
burned up
and a
third,
a third of
the trees
were burned
up.
I don't
know about
you.
I don't
know how
this,
how this
intersects
with global
warming,
but it
should do
at least
this.
It should
give you
at least
a third
option in
explaining why
our world
is warming
up.
Option number
one,
human
pollution.
Option number
two,
just regular
kind of,
kind of
rhythms of
creation.
Option number
three,
maybe this
is God
at work.
Raising
the
temperature,
causing
questions to
be asked.
Why would
God be
willing to
start destroying
his creation?
Here's why.
God is
willing to
destroy his
creation in
order to
rescue sinners
from being
destroyed.
Why?
So we
see these
judgments
being poured
out on
creation.
And what I
also want to
point out to
you here is
there are
allusions
to the
plagues
in Exodus.
Each of
the four
judgments
here,
and then
we'll see
it more
to come,
are allusions
to the
plagues
in Exodus.
Remember,
Moses,
let my
people go,
and Pharaoh's
like,
whatever.
And then
God starts
pouring out
plagues
on them.
Judgments
leading to
Egypt,
that idolatrous
nation,
their downfall,
in order to
deliver his
people into
the promised
land.
Trumpet
one corresponds,
alludes to
plague seven
of the hail
coming down,
Exodus chapter
nine.
Trumpets
two and
three have
allusions to
plague number
one of
blood,
the Nile
turning to
blood.
Fish
dying,
undrinkable
water.
Trumpet
number
four corresponds
to plague
nine,
darkness
covering the
land,
Exodus
10.
Trumpet
five,
plague
eight,
a plague
of locusts,
wait till you
see those,
and then
trumpet six.
What you're
going to see,
there's no
specific allusion
to one of the
plagues in
Exodus,
just the word
plague gets
explicitly
used there.
So,
why would
plagues
in Exodus
be showing
up in
Revelation
chapters
eight and
nine?
because plagues
in Exodus
were God's
warning to
Egypt,
to Pharaoh
in particular,
to force
his hand to
let his
people go.
There were
judgments
leading to
deliverance.
And all
throughout
Exodus and
these plagues,
there's a
refrain,
that you
may know
that I
am
the Lord.
The gods
of Egypt
cannot deliver
you,
only
I,
the Lord,
can.
So,
these trumpet
judgments
are God's
modern-day
plagues,
like warnings
to idolaters
in response
to his
suffering servants
crying out
for deliverance.
and they're
purposed.
I'm not sure
if you've
noticed this,
but there
is a
repeated
little phrase.
It's
the phrase
a third
that shows
up in all
of these
four judgments.
A third.
It's used
13 times.
And what's
it getting
at is
restraint.
God's
restraining
his judgment
on creation.
The point
is that
it's one
third,
not two
thirds,
or three
thirds.
It's a
fraction
of creation
being
destroyed
and
disrupted,
and it's
for a
reason.
When you
read that
little phrase
a third,
you need
to be
thinking
mercy.
13
times
mercy.
God's
mercy
is
restraining
his
justice
and his
wrath
for this
purpose,
to give
those who
dwell on
the earth
opportunity
to repent,
to stop
their
idolatrous
worship,
to stop
their sinful
ways,
and to
find cover
in the
lamb.
him.
His
mercy
restrains
for the
purpose
to save.
Now,
if you flip
over to
2 Peter
chapter 3
verse 9,
it's another
section
talking about
the last
days,
God's
coming
judgment,
and verse
9 says,
the Lord
is not
slow to
fulfill
his
promise,
as some
count
slowness,
but is
patient
toward you,
not wishing
that any
should perish,
but all
should reach
repentance.
These are
warning trumpets,
warning sirens
going off
for those
on the
planet who
have yet
to repent.
It's
announcements
of comprehensive
devastations on
only part
of creation.
One third
is mercy.
It's not a
practice warning.
The warning
is real.
So if you're
in the room
right now,
and you're not
a follower
of Jesus,
you've got to
stop what
you're doing,
what you're
living for.
If it's not
Jesus,
you've got to
stop it.
And what you
need to do
is you need
to turn
from that
and turn
to Jesus
and find
cover in
him.
Those are
the four
trumpet
judgments
to start.
And then
in verse
13 of
chapter 8,
we have
a rather
interesting
transition.
We read
this.
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
three trumpets
that the
three angels
are about
to blow.
The last
three trumpets.
This
angel flying
like an eagle,
it's a
reference back
to 4
verse 7,
one of the
living creatures
like an
eagle flying.
He's saying
the last
three trumpets
are way
worse than
the first
four.
Woe.
Woe on
those who
dwell on
the earth
when these
judgments
roll in.
Because these
judgments are
going to be
increasing in
intensity and
narrowing in
focus.
When we
read about
those who
dwell on
the earth,
I mentioned
a couple
weeks ago
in a
sermon that
that's a
technical way
of talking
about non-Christians.
It's not
talking about
all the
inhabitants on
the planet.
It's talking
about those
on the
planet who
are not
living for
Jesus but
for
themselves,
which ends
up being
part of
beastly
worship.
So,
these warnings
are those
who are
persisting in
the rejection
of the
lamb.
This eagle
is saying
woe,
woe to
them.
So,
let's look at
these three
trumpet blasts,
these warning
woes.
In the
fifth trumpet,
which is
chapter 9,
1 through
12,
9, 1
starts again
with the
blowing of
a trumpet
by an
angel.
And remember,
that is an
announcement of
judgment.
This time,
it's going to be
increasing in
intensity and
narrowing in
focus.
And it's
also declaring,
brings us back
to the throne
room,
the lamb
reigns.
The lamb
reigns.
He's behind
this.
The first
four trumpet
judgments,
they were
natural forces
bringing
devastation to
creation.
The next
two judgments
are supernatural
forces,
demonic
forces,
wreaking
havoc on
the dwellers
of the
earth,
non-Christians.
It's going
to hurt
you to
read this.
9, 1,
we read
about a
star that
is falling
from heaven
to earth.
It's a
reference to
Satan,
the devil.
Jesus in
his ministry
in Luke
10, 18,
he almost
used the
same language.
He has
sent out his
72 disciples
that have
come back,
they've seen
demons obey
them, and
Jesus says
this,
I saw
Satan fall
like lightning
from heaven.
Jesus'
ministry on
earth resulted
in Satan
falling from
heaven.
You'll see in
Revelation 12
that it's
talking about
the dragon
being thrown
down to
earth,
the subjugation
of the devil.
We read here
that he's
given a
key,
key.
And I just
want to
remind you
that we've
already seen
some keys.
It was on
Jesus, the
risen, radiant,
and wonderful
Lord in
Revelation 1.
He's got a
key chain, and
on his key
chain is the
key to death
and Hades.
Well, the
devil is given
a key.
And what that
means is he's
being allowed to
do something.
He's on a
leash.
Have you ever
seen a
convict who
wears the
ankle bracelet
that tells
officials where
they're at at
any given
time?
Satan, the
serpent, has
an ankle
bracelet.
He doesn't do
anything outside
of God's
purposes.
He's on a
leash.
And here we
see him being
thrown down, and
who throws him
down?
God himself
threw him
down through
the death and
resurrection of
Jesus.
And now he's
given a key,
and that key
turns the lock
on a shaft of
the bottomless
pit, verse 2.
Think of it as a
hell hole.
And those who
are resident in
that hell hole
are angels that
have been
imprisoned, 2
Peter 2,
verse 4.
And they're not
partying down
there.
They're raging.
So here what we
see happening is
Satan, he's been
thrown down, he's
given permission to
release a demonic
horde from a
hell hole, a
demonic horde that
God put there.
And now God is
allowing their
release, and the
question is, why
would he let them
be released?
Let's keep on
reading.
Verse 2, the
hell holes opened
up, smoke like the
smoke of a great
furnace comes out,
smoke coming out of
the shaft.
And with that smoke
coming out of the
shaft, verse 3,
came locusts on the
earth.
You should be
thinking plague
ate.
But these aren't,
these aren't your
ordinary locusts.
These locusts do
something other than
what normal locusts
do.
What do normal
locusts do?
Swarms of normal
locusts in a plague,
they eat green stuff.
Anything,
everywhere.
These locusts are
told not to eat any
green thing, plant or
any tree.
But here's what
they're to do, verse
4.
Their job, their job is
to torment.
Torment those people
who do not have the
seal of God on their
foreheads.
That word torment is
used in Revelation not
to describe so much of
a physical torment but
a psychological torment
to wreak havoc on the
minds of non-Christians.
So much so, our
non-Christians friends
and family would rather
die than to suffer the
mental anguish these
demons are bringing to
bear on them in this
play.
It's a horrific sight.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa to those non-
Christians who are on the
planet when this happens.
These locusts represent a
demonic onslaught from a
hell hole to torment
non-Christians, the
dwellers on the earth.
In verses 7 through 10, we
see a description of these
locusts like demons and it's
kind of grotesque and they're
bent on tormenting.
And you know what the irony of
it all is?
These are demonic.
Released by Satan.
And they're attacking those with
the mark of the beast.
Those who don't have the seal of
the lamb.
It's horrific.
Satan is tormenting his
quote unquote own.
In verse 11, we read that
there is an angel of the
bottomless pit, the king of the
hell hole.
His Hebrew name is Abaddon.
His Greek name is Apollyon.
One means destruction.
The other means destroyer.
You can call him the
exterminator.
He wreaks havoc.
Some think that he's Satan.
But I tend to think that this is
an early introduction to the
beast.
And here's why.
When we get into the bull
judgments.
Where God's wrath is
unrestrained.
In the corresponding bull
judgment.
The fifth bull.
The throne of the beast.
Gets whacked.
Whether it's Satan or the
beast.
It's Apollyon.
He's a destroyer.
I tend to think about him as the
second person of the anti-trinity.
He's the destroyer.
Not the savior.
The first woe is the releasing of a
demonic plague from a hell hole on
non-Christians.
But there's restraint.
There's mercy.
Even in this.
The lamb wants these unrepentant
ones to stop what they're doing
and find cover in his blood.
They're tormented.
Not killed.
Mercy.
And they're tormented for five
months.
It's a mercy.
And there's another kind of a
mercy.
The church is still on earth.
This torment is on only those who do not have the seal of God.
Which means that at this time, those with the seal of God are present.
They're there.
Which means this.
Those of us who are here at this time, we're not going to be looking at those people suffering
mental anguish from demons and being saved like, oh, I told you so.
I knew that was coming.
Sorry, buddy.
We're going to be doing things like this.
No, no, no.
You can find shelter in the lamb still.
There's still time.
Come find shelter in the blood of Jesus.
There's mercy present in the first woe, the fifth trumpet.
There's opportunity to repent.
But judgment is increasing in its intensity and narrowing in its focus, which brings us
to the sixth trumpet, the second woe.
This is chapter 9, verses 12 through 21.
Again, we start with the trumpet in verse 13.
And when you hear that trumpet, Blair, you need to be thinking, one, judgment, and two,
the lamb is on his throne reigning.
And in verse 13, we hear a voice from the heavenly altar.
I tend to think it's the lamb's voice.
And this is to remind us that what is happening is in response to his saints' prayers.
And this voice says to the sixth angel who's blowing this trumpet, he says to the angel,
release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates.
And just make sure you understand, these four angels aren't nice guy angels.
They're not good angels.
There's a reason why they're bound.
It's like those demons who've been in the hell hole.
These two have been bound at the river Euphrates because they're evil.
The reference to the Euphrates, maybe that's making a, well, why is that there?
Well, the Euphrates was classically the eastern border of ancient Israel and Rome at this time.
And the Euphrates formed a natural barrier against military invasion for both Israel and Rome.
And so what we're seeing here is this trumpet is announcing some kind of invasion militarily.
I'm not sure if you noticed this, but in verse 15, if you look,
so the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year
were released to kill a third of mankind.
These angels had been prepared for this day.
This has been a long time coming, which is really interesting because this is also a response
to the saints' prayers.
And so what we have in a little microcosm is this really interesting intersection between
human responsibility in our praying and God's sovereignty in His planning.
Both are true.
But they're invading with a purpose.
The purpose is to kill.
Released with a purpose.
To kill one third of mankind.
Increasing intensity and narrowing of focus.
The first four trumpets, natural forces on creation.
Trumpets five and six, supernatural forces on unrepentant mankind.
And now the question becomes, how are these angels going to wipe out one third of mankind?
And the answer is war.
Sixteen.
The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand.
We go from a description of these four angels to now all these troops.
Two hundred million is if you do the math, literally.
Massive amounts of troops.
Seventeen through nineteen, we read descriptions of these horde, these riders of horses.
They're corresponding in their colors.
But the focus lands on the horses.
And from their mouth, three plagues.
Plagues come.
Destroying one third of mankind.
There's the word, plague.
Exodus is behind this.
Woe to those one third.
Now I tend to think that this is a demonic force, but it also could be a demonic force mobilizing human armies.
We're just going to let God's word show us what it is as we go along.
But don't miss the irony.
It's a dark irony.
It's demonic forces mobilizing an army that will destroy one third of those who have not repented before the Lamb.
Satan destroying his own.
But again, there is restraint in even the sixth trumpet.
It's not all of mankind.
It is a third of mankind.
Mercy.
The Lamb is showing mercy to the unrepentant.
Woe to those who die.
And may it be a message for everyone else to stop what they're doing and find shelter in the presence of God.
Can you hear the words echoing?
That they may know that I am the Lord.
Here's one of the most tragic things you'll read.
Despite all the mercy.
Despite all the warning trumpets.
Despite all that's going on.
I'm just going to read chapter 9 verses 20 and 21.
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues.
Did not repent of the works of their hands.
Nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood.
Which cannot see or hear or walk.
Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Those left after the sixth trumpet stubbornly resist the mercy of the Lamb.
They choose not to stop what they're doing.
They choose not to find cover in the Lamb.
Heartbreaking isn't it?
We get to the end of the seventh trumpet.
And maybe you're starting to ask the question.
Hey what about the church?
What's going on?
Where's the church?
What's up?
Well that's answered in the next chapter and a half.
Chapter 10 and the first half of chapter 11.
And in these passages we're shown two pictures that call us to be courageous in our witness to those who are suffering.
And being called to repent.
Like I said we'll come back to that in the next couple weeks.
If you pick up in chapter 11.
If you turn to chapter 11 now.
Verse 14.
The second woe has passed.
Behold the third woe is soon to come.
And with what we've been through already you're thinking woe.
Okay.
What kind of devastation is next?
11.15.
The seventh angel blows the last trumpet.
It's an announcement of judgment right?
The lamb reigns right?
But what happens is surprising.
We don't see a woe.
There's nothing woe-ish about what we read next.
Seemingly.
And there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.
And he shall reign forever and ever.
All of a sudden we're off the earth and in heaven.
We're being shown something in the future that has present implications.
There's a multitude.
Loud voices in heaven.
I'm guessing it's a multitude who are standing.
I'm guessing it's a multinational multitude.
A multi-ethnic multitude.
A multi-lingual multitude who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
And they're saying the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ.
It's the surprise.
Instead of devastation, we're seeing celebration.
Celebration in heaven.
And what they're celebrating is that God has removed all his adversaries on earth.
It's like this big giant all clear being sounded.
It's done.
All of his enemies have been put down.
It's a picture of what will happen following Christ's return when he wipes out all of his opposition.
All of God's people are saying yes.
Jesus wins.
Yes.
And that's good news for us.
Jesus wins.
It's good news for us.
To see this picture when it's all done.
And simultaneously, it's woeful news for the unrepentant.
Our celebration of what he will do in fullness is woe to those who are unrepentant because our celebration happens simultaneously to their ultimate destruction.
Do you know how I know that this takes place after the return of Jesus?
It's because five words are missing in verse 17.
Five words are missing.
The church says the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of Christ.
There are 24 elders who sit around the thrones.
They fall on their faces and worship God.
In verse 17, they say,
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was.
For you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
Something missing.
Flip back to chapter 1, verse 8.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come.
The Almighty.
Chapter 4.
Verse 8.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.
Five words are missing here.
Who is and who was.
He's already come.
And when he comes, he comes against raging nations against him in his wrath.
And at that time, all the dead will be judged.
Verse 18.
At that time, the rewarding of his servants, both small and great.
At that time, the destruction of the destroyers.
Revelation 20.
Judgment.
Revelation 21.
Reward.
Revelation back to 20.
The destruction of the destroyers, the devil, the beast, the false prophets, even death,
are tossed with a hip check into the lake of fire.
This is great news for us.
Our victory is as good as done in Jesus.
But that in lies the woe for the unrepentant.
Our coming victory is their coming doom.
And it's sure.
This morning we have looked at the seven trumpets.
And I'm trying to tell you, this is not some Saturday morning practice test.
You are really being warned.
By God.
Judgment is coming.
So if you're not a Christian yet.
So if you're not a Christian yet, stop your idolatrous worship in your sinful living.
And find shelter in the blood of the Lamb.
The one who is warning you is welcoming you.
With wrists bearing nail marks.
The wrath to come you can avoid because Jesus bore the wrath already on the cross.
And what you non-Christian, if you're not a follower of Jesus, all you need to do is this.
Jesus, I'm trying to find shelter.
And I'm here and it's you.
Shelter me.
He will shelter you.
Stop what you're doing and find shelter in the Lamb.
And for those of us who have been sealed with the seal of God.
We've repented of our sin.
We've turned to Christ.
We know we're being sheltered on that day.
We're being given time.
To tell others of what is coming so that they too can stop what they're doing.
And with us find shelter in the Lamb.
That's what we're going to look at the next two weeks.
We're going to start with praying.
Would you bow with me now?
Lord God, if this is all true and we believe it is, this informs the way we live.
It compels us to live for you.
To help those who don't know of the coming judgment.
God, would you give us unprecedented opportunities in this city.
Unprecedented opportunities to make people aware of the trumpets blaring.
So that we, God, can point them to find shelter in you, Lord Jesus.
With us.
God, would you, by your spirit, would you pour out your spirit on our city.
Bringing conviction of sin and judgment to come.
And awakening sinners to the Lamb.
Who was slain and is standing.
We pray this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
We pray this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.