[:en]Thoughts from Revelation 8[:]

[:en]THE SEVENTH SEAL AND THE GOLDEN CENSER (vs. 1-5)

When the seventh seal is opened, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.  Then John saw the 7 angels, who were standing before God and they were given 7 trumpets.   Later in chapter 15 & 16, the seventh trumpet will announce the seven bowl judgment  The trumpet judgment and the seal judgment are only partial judgment of God.  The complete judgment has not yet come.

Another angel had a golden censer with much incense, offered prayers of all the saints before the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.  The angel  then took the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth, and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lighting and earthquake.

THE TRUMPETS (vs. 6-13)

The trumpet blasts have 3 purposes:

  1.  To warn that judgment is certain
  2.  To call the forces of good and evil to battle
  3.  To announce the return of the King, the Messiah.

There are 7 Angels with 7 trumpets as follows:

  1. First Angel – hail and fire mixed with blood hurled down uipon the earth.  A third of the earth and trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
  2. Second Angel – a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea.  A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
  3. Third Angel – a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and one the springs of water – the name of the star is Wormwood.  A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
  4. Fourth Angel – a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark.  A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

An  eagle was flying in the mid-air giving warning to the inhabitants of the earth about the 3 other angels that will be coming soon.  The image of the eagle symbolized swiftness and destruction.  Judgment is coming.  Let us prepare ourselves and work to help others turn to Christ.

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