Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000012
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00:23 Welcome again to our program,
00:27 "Revelation of the Coming King." 00:32 I'm glad to be with you here again 00:35 and my name is Ranko Stefanovic. 00:38 I'm Professor of New Testament in the Seventh-day Adventist 00:42 Theological Seminary, Andrews University. 00:45 The courses that I teach there 00:47 at Andrews are New Testament courses 00:50 even though my cognate is the Old Testament. 00:53 So I believe that we should be student of the Bible, 00:56 not just a part of the Bible. 01:00 As you know that this series is about the Book of Revelation. 01:05 We are trying to cover the entire book 01:07 from Chapter 1 to Chapter 22. 01:12 In our last presentation, 01:13 we tried to understand who are those-- 01:16 about those who will be able to stand on that day, 01:21 a great day of the wrath of God. 01:24 And the answer is 144,000. 01:27 I hope that you found the topic very enjoying. 01:30 But now we're coming, probably, 01:32 to the most difficult portion of the Book of Revelation. 01:38 And the Christians have been fighting 01:41 to find the meaning, the different opinions. 01:44 And once again we will try to go to the biblical principle, 01:48 let the Bible tell us 01:50 what that vision of seven trumpets is all about. 01:57 But in dealing with that subject, 01:58 we need the divine wisdom 02:01 and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 02:03 So I would like to ask you that we bow our heads 02:06 and ask God for His favor and His presence. 02:10 Our Heavenly Father, once again we are here 02:15 coming before you as we want to go and try to understand 02:21 these two chapters of the Book of Revelation 02:24 about seven trumpets, please be with us. 02:29 Give us that clear understanding 02:33 but that's why we need your Holy Spirit. 02:36 Let Him teach us in all the truth. 02:40 And, Father, we're grateful to You for everything, 02:43 what You're doing for us. 02:45 And we pray all of this in the precious name 02:47 of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. 02:53 As we do it normally before we go to the text, 02:59 I'd like to encourage you again that 03:01 once this presentation is over 03:04 that you take different tools. 03:07 Of course, the Bible is our primary tool. 03:10 And you'll see when you follow, okay, 03:13 the instructions here, and you use these tools, 03:15 you cannot be far away from understanding of the text. 03:19 But we need also some other tools. 03:22 That literally-- really point 03:24 to those different Old Testament backgrounds. 03:28 So I would like to suggest to you 03:30 this book titled "Revelation of Jesus Christ." 03:34 It's verse by verse commentary on the Book of Revelation. 03:39 But the main purpose of this book 03:41 really to give you those Old Testament 03:45 and New Testament background texts 03:47 for the understanding of the Book of Revelation. 03:49 And the subject that we are covering today, 03:53 it's Revelation 8 and 9 in next two presentations, 03:57 this presentation, next presentation. 03:59 Actually, the subject is covered here 04:01 in this commentary from page 281--281. 04:08 And you go on until we finish chapter 9, okay? 04:12 Let us now turn to Revelation Chapter 8. 04:16 And I would like us to read verse 2 of this chapter. 04:23 We read before verse 1, about the silence in heaven. 04:27 We saw what that silence was about. 04:30 And now John said, we have the beginning, 04:32 a beginning of a new vision. 04:34 It says, "And I saw the seven angels 04:37 who stand before God, 04:39 and seven trumpets were given to them." 04:45 So when we read in the rest of these two chapters 04:49 we will see about that later that they're actually, 04:52 those seven angels are blowing the trumpets. 04:55 Every time when they blow the trumpets 04:59 or when angel blows his trumpet and another angel-- 05:02 you know, one after another, 05:05 the events taking place on the earth. 05:08 So before we go into the subject, 05:10 we'd like ask ourselves the question, 05:14 what are these trumpets all about? 05:17 You see, we can express different opinions 05:21 and have a very good guess 05:22 about the meaning of these trumpets. 05:25 But in the Old Testament, the concept 05:29 "the blowing of the trumpets" 05:31 was well known in ancient Israel. 05:34 Actually, the entire life of the people of Israel 05:40 was defined by the blowing of the trumpets. 05:43 Whatever they did, 05:45 it was on signal of the trumpets. 05:48 Let me just provide few insights here. 05:52 There are several Hebrew words for trumpets 05:55 that we translate in English. 06:00 There's kind of trumpets that were made of hammered metal. 06:05 They were regularly blown by the priests 06:08 to summon people to announce those different festivals, 06:12 it was an alarm, the time of war, 06:16 signal for temple services, et cetera, et cetera. 06:20 The metal, okay, trumpets. 06:23 However, the best known trumpets 06:25 in ancient Israel were the shofar trumpets. 06:30 They were made, okay, of ram's horns 06:34 and they're used as signaling instruments. 06:38 Actually, evidently, 06:40 this is the concept of the trumpets 06:42 that is used here in Revelation 8 and 9. 06:45 But what is the meaning of the trumpets? 06:48 What does the blowing of trumpets actually means? 06:50 You see, again we've to go to the Old Testament. 06:52 You remember, the first step 06:54 is always to go to the Old Testament. 06:56 And I'd like to invite you 06:58 to open the Book of Numbers, Chapter 10. 07:08 The entire chapter actually, is the instruction 07:12 that God gave through Moses to the people of Israel 07:16 with reference to the trumpets, 07:18 but we will specifically focus on verses 8 to 10, 07:24 because these verses provide for the background 07:27 for the understanding of the seven trumpets 07:30 in the Book of Revelation. Are you ready there? 07:32 One more time, the Book of Numbers 10:8-10. 07:38 It says, "The priestly sons of Aaron, 07:42 moreover, shall blow the trumpets, 07:45 and this shall be for you 07:47 a perpetual statute throughout your generations." 07:50 Can I stop here for a while? Can you help me? 07:53 Who was in charge of the trumpets 07:56 in ancient Israel? The priest. 08:00 If the priest were in charge of blowing the trumpets, 08:03 what does it suggest to us? 08:06 That actually the trumpets were sacred instruments, okay? 08:11 Let us keep this in mind. Let's go to next text. 08:13 "When you go to war in your land 08:16 against the adversary who attacks you, 08:19 then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, 08:23 that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, 08:27 and be saved from your enemies. 08:30 Also in the day of your gladness 08:34 and in your appointed feasts, 08:36 and on the first days of your months, 08:39 you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, 08:43 and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, 08:47 and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. 08:53 I am the Lord, your God." 08:59 Actually, this is the key Old Testament text 09:04 that gives us the insight into the theological meaning 09:08 of the seven trumpets of Revelation Chapters 8 and 9. 09:13 What do we learn from these texts? 09:16 So trumpets are sacred instruments 09:18 blown by priests. Okay. 09:22 Why were they blown? For number of reasons. 09:26 And please I will use a kind of naive explanation here 09:30 just to illustrate, because this concept is here. 09:35 You see they were intended 09:39 to call God to remember His people. 09:44 Does it mean that God does not remember His people? 09:47 But you notice here that this concept is here in the text. 09:50 Let me go back. It's verse 9 in Book of Numbers. 09:55 "You shall sound the alarm with the trumpets 09:57 that you may be remembered before the Lord your God." 10:02 And also verse 10. 10:03 "Also in the day of your gladness, 10:05 in your appointed feasts, on the first of your months, 10:07 you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, 10:10 and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, 10:13 and they shall be a reminder of you before God." 10:17 So this served to remind God 10:19 of His covenant promises to His people. 10:23 What does it mean? 10:25 When people came to worship God, 10:28 they would offer the sacrifices. 10:31 At that moment, as the sacrifices were offered, 10:35 the priests would take and blow the trumpets. 10:39 And suddenly, I told you in naive way. 10:43 Suddenly, as the priests blow the trumpets, 10:45 God remembers His people. 10:48 And He forgives their sins 10:51 or people go there to war. 10:56 And evidently they are overwhelmed, 10:58 almost defeated by their enemies. 11:00 And at that moment the priests blow the trumpets 11:05 and God looks there from heaven, 11:07 He said, "Oh, my people are there in the trouble." 11:11 He remembers His people and His covenant promises 11:13 to protect them and He comes 11:15 and delivers them from their enemies. 11:19 I know you will say 11:20 this is just a story for children. 11:22 But please, would you go with me 11:23 to another Old Testament text? 11:26 2 Chronicles, Chapter 13. 11:29 We have actually-- the real event, okay, 11:35 that illustrates this statement 11:38 that God remembers His people from Numbers 10:8-10. 11:45 Are you there? 2 Chronicles 13:12-15. 11:53 He talks about the war between the Northern 11:56 and the Southern kingdom of Israel. 11:58 It says, "Now behold, God is with us at your head 12:04 and his priests with the signal trumpets 12:06 to sound the alarm against you." 12:08 Is the king actually trying to encourage people. 12:10 He said, "Don't be afraid. 12:11 The priests with the trumpets are here with us." 12:15 "O sons of Israel, do not fight 12:18 against the Lord God of your Fathers, 12:21 for you will not succeed." 12:24 Now we go to verse 13, "But Jeroboam has set 12:28 an ambush to come from the rear, 12:32 so that Israel was in front of Judah 12:35 and the ambush was behind them. 12:38 When Judah turned around, behold, 12:41 they were attacked from front and rear, 12:45 so they cried to the Lord." Now look at something. 12:47 "They cried to the Lord 12:49 and the priests blew the trumpets." 12:53 What happens next? 12:55 "Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, 12:57 and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, 13:00 then it was that God routed Jeroboam 13:04 and all Israel before Abijah and Judah." 13:07 Do you see the practical illustration of this? 13:10 The people of Israel were there in the trouble, 13:14 almost defeated by their enemies. 13:16 What did they do? 13:19 I'd like you to pay something very, very important is. 13:22 Because it's not just about the blowing of the trumpets. 13:30 It says that the priests blew the trumpets. 13:36 What the people do? 13:37 They shouted, they cried to their Lord. 13:43 You see, the trumpets 13:46 and the prayers of God's people, they go together. 13:51 It's not simply about blowing of the trumpets. 13:54 I will suggest to you that actually 13:55 the blowing of the trumpets 13:57 was a call to people to pray to God. 14:01 And when the trumpets sounded people prayed, 14:05 then God remembered His promises to be with His people 14:09 and He came to deliver them. 14:13 By the way when you to go the Old Testament, 14:15 trumpets are associated with very important events 14:19 in the Old Testament history. 14:21 When the law was given from Sinai, 14:24 the sound of the trumpet. 14:25 When Jericho was destroyed, you remember that? Trumpet. 14:30 By the way, when we read the prophetic books, 14:34 it is the sound of the trumpet 14:36 that the day of the Lord will come. 14:38 In the New Testament, Apostle Paul talks 14:41 in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, 14:43 he talks in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 4 14:46 that Jesus will come at the sound of the trumpet 14:49 and the sound of the trumpet, 14:50 there will be the resurrection of dead. 14:52 So you see, the concept 14:53 of the sounding trumpet is well known concept. 14:56 But let us keep this Old Testament background, 15:00 the trumpets and the prayers, they go together. 15:04 When people pray, when the trumpets sound, 15:08 then God remembers His people praying to Him. 15:11 Are you still with me? 15:13 So now in light of this, I'd like you now to invite 15:15 that we go back to our text in Revelation Chapter 8 15:21 but I'd like you to observe something 15:24 that is very important here. 15:28 We have another literary feature here. 15:30 So Chapter 8 from verse 2. 15:33 "And I saw the seven angels," 15:35 I'm repeating this text, "who stand before God, 15:39 and seven trumpets were given to them." 15:42 Can you now skip the next 3 verses? 15:47 And would you go to verse 6. 15:49 "And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets 15:52 prepared themselves to sound them." 15:54 You see, when you read verse 2, 15:55 when you read verse 6, It's chronological order. 16:00 John sees the angels, 16:02 now they're sounding the trumpets, 16:03 but what is the problem in the text? 16:06 That between the verse 2 and the verse 6, 16:10 there are 3 other verses inserted. 16:14 Actually, they function as another interlude. 16:18 And that interlude, actually is telling us 16:21 what the seven trumpets are all about. 16:25 Are you with me? 16:26 So let us now focus on these interludes. 16:28 You see, it's inserted between verses 2 and 6, 16:32 talking about angels with the trumpets 16:33 and when the angels start blowing the trumpets. 16:36 So let's see. 16:38 "Another angel came and he stood at the altar 16:42 holding a golden censer 16:45 and much incense was given to him 16:47 so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints 16:51 on the golden altar which was before the throne. 16:55 And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints 17:00 went up before God out of the angel's hand. 17:04 Then the angel took the censer 17:07 and filled it with the fire of the altar, 17:11 and threw it to the earth 17:13 and that followed peals of thunder and sound 17:17 and flashes of lightening and earthquake." 17:20 When the censer is thrown down, 17:23 creating that great noise. 17:27 It is that moment the seven angels 17:31 started blowing the trumpets one after another. 17:34 Are you still with me? Please. 17:37 I have to say here something very important. 17:40 This text is very important, very significant. 17:44 Unfortunately, very much misunderstood text. 17:49 Many futurist Christians, 17:54 including my dear brothers, sisters from my own denomination 17:57 some of them, they go to this text. 18:01 And they conclude that the throwing of the censer down 18:04 creating that noise actually signifies 18:08 so called the close of the probation. 18:11 The cessation of Jesus' intercession there in heaven 18:14 and that they include, 18:15 since the blowing of the trumpets 18:17 comes after throwing of the censer, 18:20 that actually seven trumpets 18:21 are still in the future 18:24 that will take place after the close 18:27 of intercession there in heaven. 18:29 So it's a future event to take place 18:32 before the second coming of Christ. 18:34 However, this is completely opposite 18:37 to the biblical evidences 18:39 and what we know about the temple services. 18:43 In the Old Testament, 18:45 especially in the 1st Century in Jerusalem temple. 18:49 So please you now allow me, 18:51 that we go and address those issues one more time. 18:55 We have to keep in mind that verses 3 through 6, 19:01 they do not follow, 19:04 they do not follow the chronological order-- 19:11 okay, of verse 2 and 6. 19:15 You see, it's a clear insertion, it's a clear interlude. 19:19 And the purpose of this interlude 19:22 is really to provide for us 19:24 the theological explanations of the seven trumpets. 19:28 So please I'd like you now that you be with me, 19:31 because I'd like to describe little bit in graphic way-- 19:35 so what we have here. Yes. 19:39 You read in your Bibles in English. 19:42 This is another scholarly article that I had to write. 19:46 John sees an angel. 19:49 Where is the angel seen by? By the altar. 19:56 Unfortunately this is completely wrong translation. 20:02 And please forgive me. 20:04 People who translate the Bible are great linguistics they know. 20:08 But sometimes their theological presuppositions 20:12 affect the translation, why? 20:16 Because they believe 20:18 that this scene takes place there in heaven. 20:23 And in heaven, there is only one altar, 20:26 according to the Bible, which altar is? 20:28 The altar of incense. 20:32 So they say, Altar of Incense 20:37 is object size of this. 20:39 So how can angel be up on the altar as Greek says? 20:44 So that they assume that 20:45 actually the angel was seen at the altar. 20:49 Are you with me? 20:51 I will suggest to you-- I challenge this view. 20:55 Please, would you go with me back there to the text? 20:59 It says, verse 3, "Another angel came 21:03 and stood at the altar holding a golden censer." 21:06 Where was the angel standing? 21:08 They said, at the altar, okay. 21:11 "And much incense was given to him 21:13 so that he might add it to the prayers of all saints 21:17 on the golden altar which is before the throne." 21:23 Did you notice here? 21:25 At the end of this verse that the golden altar is mentioned. 21:30 And when you go to the Old Testament-- 21:33 the century system, 21:35 there is only one golden altar that is in temple 21:39 and this is the Altar of Incense. 21:43 Now would it be unusual, 21:45 that John sees the angel standing at the altar, 21:50 assuming that this is the Altar of Incense. 21:53 An angel takes the incense 21:55 and he offers on the golden altar 21:58 which is also the Altar of Incense. 22:04 Would be normal that he sees 22:06 angel standing at the golden altar 22:09 and the incense is offered then on the altar. 22:13 Because the first altar is not the golden altar, 22:16 is the altar of the burnt offerings, of sacrifices. 22:21 And please I want to just 22:25 to portray to you how this altar look like. 22:29 We came from Josephus Flavius, from Jewish work Mishnah. 22:34 We have the description of the altar Jerusalem 22:36 and usually when we talk about altar what do we think? 22:39 We think about small object where the lamb was put. 22:41 And so many times we're impacted 22:43 by popular pictures of artists that they're doing that. 22:46 By the way, how they portray? 22:48 That altar had stairways. 22:58 I forgot the measure, 22:59 it's a huge object that the priest, 23:02 they have to climb there to the top there. 23:05 It was sizeable, a sizeable object there. 23:09 The priest would go there, you see. 23:11 People climb there, the priest-- 23:13 the priest would stand here and they would offer, 23:15 offer the sacrifice. 23:17 That's why John sees that angel upon the altar. 23:25 Where is the altar of sacrifice is located? On earth. 23:32 And here at this altar, the angel takes the censer 23:39 and he was given the incense 23:44 and he takes that incense where, 23:46 to offer up on the golden altar there in heaven. 23:52 That golden altar John makes very clear 23:54 is before the throne of God. 23:57 He says to open that incense 24:00 with the prayers of God's people. 24:04 Oh boy, something here is very significant 24:08 and very, very important to us. 24:12 I'll tell you something from the Mishnah, 24:15 what they say about the custom 24:17 that's reflected here in chapter 8. 24:20 But I'd like to ask you a question. 24:22 Have you ever thought why so significant 24:28 that at this altar-- the altar of sacrifices, 24:33 the angel is seen as taking the incense 24:36 and the prayers of God's people to take there before God? 24:42 Let me just remind you. 24:45 If you remember, just few presentations earlier, 24:49 we talked about the altar of sacrifices. 24:55 And John saw beneath that altar, the blood, 24:59 the source of God's people who were persecuted 25:02 and they were martyred there. 25:04 What were they doing there? 25:07 Praying to God, asking God how long Lord God of mighty, 25:12 will You not avenge our blood 25:14 and judge those who dwell on the earth? 25:18 But you know so many times when we pray to God, 25:21 our prayers seem to be unheard. 25:25 But you see it is with this vision, this interlude. 25:30 This interlude is inserted intentionally here to tell us 25:35 that now the time has come and there isn't any angel here. 25:39 He comes and takes those prayers of God's people. 25:44 And takes them there before God. 25:48 He offers those prayers 25:50 on the golden altar of incense there before God. 25:55 What happens when the angel offers those prayers before God? 26:02 Now the judgment comes. 26:04 The same angel takes that censer that took 26:09 the prayers of God's people there before God, 26:12 fills with the fire from this altar. 26:17 He comes out of the holy place there in heaven 26:21 and he throws the censer down and there was such a noise, 26:26 lightening and all kinds of sounds. 26:29 In that moment when he does it-- 26:32 the angels, they blow the trumpets. 26:35 When the first angel blows the trumpet, 26:36 there is something that takes place on the earth. 26:39 The judgments of God are on those 26:41 who persecute God's people. Okay. 26:46 Let me document these, what we were talking about. 26:50 In the Jewish work Mishnah, 26:54 we have the clear explanations 26:56 what we are talking here about. 26:59 The people who believe that Revelation 8:3-5 portrays 27:04 the close of the probation, 27:07 they are wrong for one simple reason 27:09 because the Jewish work Mishnah 27:11 describes what was going on in temple 27:14 in Jerusalem under the title Tanith. 27:18 Are you familiar with word 'Tanith?' 27:20 It's the Hebrew word 27:22 that we translate as the word 'daily.' 27:25 That describes what the priests were doing 27:26 every day in the temple. 27:28 It's not the Day of Atonement. 27:30 It's not the close of the probation. 27:32 It's something that was taking place every day 27:34 at temple and they sent, they sent. 27:36 The priest would offer the sacrifice here. 27:43 We're talking about evening sacrifice. 27:45 At that moment the priest would come there to the altar 27:48 and other priest would come to him 27:51 and bring him this golden censer 27:54 and another priest would help that priest 27:56 to put the fire into the censer and they give to him to incense. 28:01 People are standing outside and the priest there. 28:04 At that moment the priest would go down from this altar 28:08 and walk into the Holy Place of the temple. 28:13 People would fall down there on the ground 28:16 and be praying to God. 28:17 He would go there into the temple, 28:21 into the Holy Place, offer the incense before God. 28:27 When he ministered the incense, finishing, 28:30 finished ministering the incense. 28:32 Then he would go and fill that censer 28:35 now that in which originally was incense, 28:38 fill it with the fire there. 28:41 People were outside praying, 28:43 waiting for him to appear and he would come out, 28:47 triumphantly announce that the incense was offered 28:50 and he would take a censer and throw down. 28:55 Actually, Jewish work Mishnah said, 28:57 the sound of the censer was so loud 29:01 that people could not hear the voice of their neighbor. 29:03 Of course, it's exaggeration. 29:05 Actually, the next paragraph said 29:07 that the sound was so loud 29:10 that even could be heard from Jerusalem to Jericho there. 29:14 Evidently, they wanted to put 29:15 so strong emphasis on the sound, okay. 29:18 The moment when the priest threw the censer, 29:21 the priest, seven priests with their trumpets, 29:24 they started blowing the trumpet announcing that they-- 29:29 the Tanith service for that day. 29:32 See friends, you understand now 29:35 what we have in Revelation Chapter 8. 29:37 It reflects the daily or Tanith services in the earthly temple. 29:42 This is not the close of the probation. 29:45 It has nothing to do with that. 29:48 It simply reflects the daily services. 29:50 Something that was taking place on the daily basis 29:55 there in the temple in Jerusalem. 29:58 Are you still with me? 29:59 So now, what is actually 30:03 the meaning of all of this that we try to understand? 30:06 Please let me just remind you of several background texts, 30:12 what we have here in this interlude. 30:16 The first important text is Ezekiel 10:1-7. 30:22 When Ezekiel saw in the vision, 30:24 "An expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim, 30:28 something like sapphire stone, 30:30 in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them. 30:33 And he spoke to the man clothed in linen and he said, 30:37 'Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim, 30:40 fill your hands with coals of fire 30:43 from between the cherubim 30:45 and scatter them over city.'" City, Jerusalem. 30:48 "And he entered into my sight... 30:50 then the cherub stretched out his hand 30:52 from between the cherubim to the fire 30:54 which was between the cherubim, 30:56 took some and put it into the hands of one clothed in linen, 30:59 who took it and went out." What is this vision all about? 31:04 It's actually about God's judgment 31:06 over unfaithful Jerusalem. 31:08 So this vision of Ezekiel is telling us actually, 31:12 what this interlude is all about, 31:14 because this interlude reflects the vision, 31:17 the vision of Ezekiel. 31:19 By the way let me remind you just a few biblical texts. 31:22 If you go to Psalm 141, Psalm 141:2, 31:27 "May my prayer be counted as incense before you, 31:33 the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." 31:37 You can see how this text really tell us 31:40 what the offering of that incense is all about. 31:43 But I'd like us to go to the Book of Revelation, 31:45 because the Book of Revelation really gives us 31:48 the meaning of this incense. 31:51 Chapter 5, verse 8, "When he had taken the book, 31:55 the four living creatures 31:57 and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, 32:01 each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, 32:08 which are the prayers of the saints." 32:12 Do we have any doubt 32:14 what actually this incense is all about? 32:16 Now please I'd like you that you see now connection. 32:21 When it says in symbolical language 32:24 that the angel was there at the altar, 32:26 up actually on the altar, up on the altar, 32:28 when he took that incense and he offered that incense up 32:33 on that golden altar before the throne, 32:35 before God together we praise for God's people. 32:38 Now we see what is this all about. 32:40 These are not any prayers. 32:42 These are the prayers of God's harmed, 32:45 persecuted and oppressed people from the fifth seal. 32:49 You remember that God gave them the promise, 32:52 just wait for a while. 32:55 The time is coming when I will judge your enemies 32:59 but please now, please now, it's very important. 33:03 But actually this interlude is giving us 33:06 little bit different message. 33:09 Not only that God, one day 33:11 will judge the enemies of His people. 33:13 He is telling them I am already judging your enemies. 33:18 Yeah, amen. 33:21 Let me stop for a while. 33:23 That God will judge the enemies of His people refers to what? 33:27 To the seven last plagues. 33:30 But seven trumpets are God's judgment 33:35 already in the present time judging enemies. 33:37 So the seven trumpets are the precursor. 33:39 A foretaste of that great judgment. 33:44 The seven trumpets are actually 33:47 the expression of the wrath of God, 33:50 okay, to help His people to deliver them. 33:52 But when we come to seven last plagues 33:55 you'll see the seven last plagues, 33:58 actually are the fullness of God's wrath. 34:02 You see the seven trumpets are mixed with the mercy, 34:05 they intended even the enemies of God's people 34:08 to bring to repentance. 34:10 But the seven last plagues, 34:11 they're not intended to bring anybody to repentance, 34:14 because they take place after the closed probation. 34:17 Seven trumpets are before the close of the probation. 34:20 And we will see the chapters 10--11 show clearly 34:25 that even while the sixth trumpet is blown, 34:30 there is the preaching of the gospel. 34:32 And the two witnesses are doing that, 34:36 proclaiming the everlasting gospel to the world. 34:39 So the seven trumpets, actually, 34:42 around the same period of history as the seven seals. 34:48 Okay, now you have to help me. 34:49 I just want that you see 34:51 how we have the keys in the Book of Revelation. 34:54 Can you go back one more time 34:55 to how Mishnah describes the daily services? 35:01 According to Mishnah, the Mishnah, 35:04 when did the angel, sorry, 35:07 when did the priest take the incense 35:12 to offer there in the Holy Place, when? 35:15 After the offering the evening sacrifice. 35:22 Here we have a clue 35:25 of the beginning of the trumpets, 35:28 because we have 2,000 years ago 35:33 that the sacrifice was offered on the cross of Calvary. 35:39 It was after Jesus' death on the cross. 35:42 And His ascension there to the heavenly places 35:46 that it is after that the seven trumpets are blown 35:50 and both the sixth seal and the seventh seal 35:54 and the sixth trumpet and the seventh trumpet 35:56 actually brings us to the time of the end. 35:58 So we have here the clear indication 36:01 that the seals and the trumpets, 36:02 they run the same course of history. 36:06 Does not mean that each seal and trumpet they match there, 36:09 but they cover the same period of Christian history. 36:13 I'd like you now to notice something else. 36:17 Please, now you have to cooperate with me. 36:20 I'd like to bring to your memory what we talk about seals. 36:25 Let's see how the seals are organized. 36:27 Please I will use the blackboard here. 36:30 Please, the seals they fall in groups. 36:35 What is the first group of seals? 36:37 Four horsemen. Okay, let's put it here, seals. 36:42 You have four horsemen. What comes next? 36:48 Two seals, do you remember that? Why two seals? 36:50 Because before the last seal, we have the interlude, okay? 36:55 So we have two seals. 36:58 Seal fifth and sixth and then we've the seventh seal. 37:05 But before the seventh seal, 37:09 we have a kind of interlude and it's chapter 7. 37:13 Do you see that? 37:15 Please, what is the purpose of chapter 7 of this interlude? 37:19 To identify God's people, to tell us 37:23 about those who'll be able to stand 37:26 in the day of the wrath of God. 37:28 The God's end time people. Are you with me? 37:31 Those who will live before the second coming of Christ. 37:33 Let's go to trumpets. Okay, let me put here. 37:41 How the seven trumpets organized? 37:45 In the same way. 37:46 You can see we have here four trumpets. 37:49 Why four trumpets? 37:51 If you can just see the first four trumpets, 37:56 they're just in one chapter very short 38:00 2-3 verses about each chapter, about each trumpet. 38:03 Can you notice it there? 38:05 But then if you go to Chapter 8 verse 13 38:08 only 12 verses about four trumpets. 38:11 You read in verse 3 about war 38:15 against inhabitants of the earth, 38:17 those who live on the earth, 38:18 because of the last three trumpets 38:20 which are actually three wars. 38:23 They're different-- so once again 38:27 we have here two trumpets. 38:32 And then there is-- oh, sorry, 38:34 this is not seven--actually another one trumpet, okay? 38:37 And then there is the seventh trumpet 38:41 that comes actually in chapter 11, very far, later. 38:45 But before the sixth and the seventh trumpet, 38:48 what do we have? 38:49 We have another interlude, which is actually chapter 10. 38:56 You remember John, and eating the scroll 39:00 that was sweet in his mouth, bitter in his stomach. 39:04 Then we go to chapter 11, we have the two witnesses, 39:07 you remember that. 39:09 So we have here, 39:12 chapter 9, sorry, chapter 10. 39:19 Okay, from verse 1 39:21 to chapter 11 verse 14, 39:28 we have another interlude. 39:31 You will notice here how the two interludes 39:36 that fit into the same historical time 39:39 just before the second coming of Christ. 39:43 What is the purpose of this interlude? 39:45 To identify God's people 39:47 who will be at the time of the end. 39:49 What is the purpose of this interlude? 39:51 To tell us what these people will be doing 39:57 at the time before the second coming of Christ. 40:00 They're commissioned to preach the gospel 40:03 and they will go through that sweet bitter experience 40:06 as they proclaim the gospel. 40:08 By the way, we have great message 40:10 when we come to that. 40:11 So we hav to wait until we come to chapter 11-- 40:14 And also to chapter 10 and also to chapter 11. 40:18 So you can now see how actually the seven trumpets 40:24 and the seven seals, they cover the same historical period. 40:30 There is no teaching of the Book of Revelation 40:33 that are first seals and after that trumpets. 40:35 Trumpets and seals, they're on parallel. 40:38 I hope that they--both begin with the first century 40:41 after the cross and both end with the second coming of Christ 40:46 and actually seven seal and the seven trumpets 40:50 describe the time after the second coming of Christ. 40:54 So one more time before we go to the seven trumpets, 40:56 please can somebody help me? What are the trumpets all about? 41:01 They're God's judgments 41:04 in response to the prayer of His people. 41:07 Let's keep the Old Testament background. 41:09 When God's people were in trouble what did they do? 41:12 They prayed to God and they blowed trumpets. 41:16 Do you see the same concept 41:17 that we have here in this interlude? 41:20 So please we have now the clue, what the trumpets are about. 41:24 They're God's judgments 41:27 in answering the prayers of His people. 41:33 Okay, so with this information, 41:38 now we are going to analyze and to see 41:44 what these seven trumpets are all about. 41:47 So the prayer of God's people are answered, 41:50 they're heard there before God. 41:53 And now the angels 41:55 are blowing the trumpets. 42:02 And now let us go and to see 42:05 about the first, the first trumpet 42:08 that is portrayed in verse 7-- in verse 7. 42:15 It says that the first angel sounded 42:20 and there came hail and fire mixed with blood 42:26 and they were thrown to the earth 42:29 and a third of the earth was burned up 42:33 and a third of the trees were burned up 42:37 and all the green grass was burned up. 42:45 We have here a very strange symbolism. 42:50 But when you read this you have, okay, 42:53 you have when the angel blows the trumpet 42:55 that there was hail and fire mixed with blood. 43:00 By the way, what is going on here? 43:03 It's an allusion to the Egyptian plague. 43:06 If you remember, that one of the Egyptians plagues, 43:10 we have the fire mixed with hail and killing not only the animals 43:18 but also killing the people 43:20 who found themselves there in the field. 43:24 In the Old Testament, as we read, 43:28 God very often used hail mixed with fire 43:35 which caused the bloodshed as the means of the judgment 43:39 against the enemies of His people. 43:41 Probably, one of the best text is Ezekiel 38:22-23. 43:49 Let's read this text. 43:50 Ezekiel says, "With pestilence and with blood 43:54 I will enter into the judgment with him. 43:57 And I will rain on him and on his troops, 44:01 and on many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, 44:05 with hailstone, fire and brimstone, 44:08 I will magnify myself, sanctify myself, 44:12 and make myself known in the sight of many nations, 44:15 and they will know I am Lord." 44:17 Let's read another text which is actually Isaiah 44:2-4. 44:25 We read here, "Thus says the Lord who made you 44:28 and formed you from the womb, who will help you, 44:31 'Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, 44:34 and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 44:37 For I will pour out my water on the thirsty land 44:41 and streams on the dry ground. 44:43 I will pour out my spirit on your offspring 44:46 and my blessing on your descendants.'" 44:48 And now please pay attention to this. 44:50 "'And they will spring up among the grass, 44:52 like poplars by streams of water.'" 44:55 These two texts are crucial 45:00 for the understanding of the meaning of the first trumpet. 45:04 Number one, we see that hail and fire 45:09 mixed with blood is the frequent symbol 45:12 in the Old Testament of judgment. 45:14 So we're talking here about the judgment. 45:17 But you'll notice that all of this 45:21 actually affects the grass and the trees. 45:24 Keeping you one more time, 45:27 that the Book of Revelation is a symbolic book. 45:30 So the question is, are different commentators 45:33 true they say here we have the destruction of vegetation. 45:36 Come on, do God's judgment 45:40 concern grass and trees? 45:46 When you go to the Old Testament, 45:48 trees and grass are frequently symbols for God's people. 45:54 I can give you so many texts. 45:56 By the way, you'll continue study for yourself. 45:59 You go to the commentary, 46:00 you'll find there many, many, many text to support it. 46:04 We just read here in Isaiah, this chapter 44 46:08 and you'll see that God clearly 46:11 describes His people as grass and trees. 46:15 So this hail and fire mixed with blood 46:18 will destroy the trees and green grass. 46:21 Symbolize God's judgment against apostate believers 46:26 who have joined the ranks 46:27 of the opponents, of the opponents of God. 46:29 So please allow me, at this point, 46:33 I have to read another text that comes actually from Jesus 46:37 which is very, very significantly. 46:39 In Luke Chapter 23, 46:41 Jesus talks about judgment against Jerusalem, 46:44 unfaithful Jerusalem. 46:46 Remember when Jesus was taken there 46:49 to the place of crucifixion, 46:51 there is some women they're standing and crying. 46:55 And Jesus told them, "Don't cry because of me. 46:59 Cry about what will happen to you and to this city." 47:03 And now comes the statement, Luke 23:31 47:07 "For if they do these things when the tree is green, 47:13 what will happen when it is dry?" 47:18 Actually Jesus refers to Himself as the green tree. 47:23 When they treat this green tree in such way, 47:26 how will they treat the tree that is dry? 47:30 He refers to the Jewish people 47:32 who evidently did not have 47:34 any life in themselves, spiritual life. 47:37 Because they rejected God, they rejected the Messiah. 47:41 And if you read the text that follows, 47:43 you can see clearly that actually Jesus predicted here 47:48 the judgment that will come very soon upon Jerusalem 47:51 that it didn't happened in AD 70 47:54 when Romans they came 47:56 and actually destroyed Jerusalem. 47:59 So actually these words of Jesus 48:01 together with all those different 48:02 Old Testament background 48:04 is telling us, they're telling us, 48:06 what actually the first trumpet is about. 48:10 Actually, the judgment of God 48:12 always begins from the household of God. 48:18 The green tree and the green grass 48:22 stand as the symbol for God's people. 48:24 So in our best understanding-- 48:27 we have here actually the judgment of God 48:30 upon the leaders of the Jewish nations. 48:33 The events that took place in AD 70 48:38 with the destruction of Jerusalem. 48:39 Please, let me clarify it. 48:42 Yes, the first judgment heralds-- 48:46 the first trumpet heralds 48:47 the judgment up on those of God's people 48:50 who were involved in crucifixion of Christ 48:55 and the persecution of the early church. 48:59 But we have to keep in mind, 49:01 many Jews, actually they accepted Christ. 49:05 So please, we aren't talking about the people 49:07 and to reject them and to invent strange doctrines 49:11 about the punishment that came upon them. 49:13 We're not talking here simply about Jewish people. 49:16 We're talking about the Jewish leaders. 49:19 And the minority of those leaders who rejected Christ, 49:22 they became the enemies of the early church. 49:26 And evidently there were judgments 49:29 that came naturally upon them. 49:32 And the first judge-- 49:34 trumpet actually describes death judgment 49:38 that came upon the Jewish leaders 49:41 because of their attitude towards Christ, 49:43 rejection of Christ. 49:46 And how to say, antagonistic attitude toward early church, 49:53 because they're mainly responsible 49:55 for the persecution of the early church. 49:57 Just as in the Old Testament, 49:59 God used hail and fire as His judgment 50:03 against the enemies of Israel. 50:05 So now the sounding of the first trumpet 50:09 actually heralds the judgment upon those who crucified Christ. 50:13 And actually, who were responsible 50:15 for the persecution of those early Christians 50:17 and the early church. 50:19 But now we're going there to the second trumpet. 50:23 And let us read there in verse 8. 50:27 "The second angel sounded 50:29 and something like a great mountain 50:31 burning with fire was thrown into the sea. 50:34 And a third of the sea became blood 50:38 and a third of the creatures 50:40 which were in the sea had life died 50:43 and a third of the ships were destroyed." 50:48 Boy, now what is this? We saw about the first trumpet. 50:52 I told you that we're dealing 50:54 with very difficult section of the Book of Revelation. 50:57 But when we have difficult-- difficult text, 51:00 what are we supposed to do? Go to the Old Testament. 51:03 So let's go to the Old Testament. 51:05 What is here the key? 51:07 The key is the burning mountain with fire 51:10 that was thrown into the sea. 51:12 Can you keep this in mind? 51:13 Let's go back to Jeremiah 51:22. 51:17 Let's go the Old Testament. Jeremiah 51:22. 51:22 And Jeremiah talks about Babylon. 51:25 So we're dealing with the prophecy against Babylon 51:28 who is the enemy of God's people. 51:30 And we read there, "'Behold, I am against you. 51:33 O destroying mountain.'" 51:36 How does Jeremiah refer to Babylon? 51:40 "'Destroying mountain who destroys the whole earth,' 51:44 declares the Lord. 51:45 I will stretch out my hand against you 51:48 and roll you down from the crags, 51:50 I will make you a burned out mountain." 51:53 Do you see this concept of burned mountain 51:55 where it is taken from? 51:56 It's taken from the Old Testament. 51:58 But then we go to the end of chapter 51, 52:02 Jeremiah 51 and we read verses 63 and 64. 52:09 We read there. 52:10 It's about the same prophecy 52:12 against the same world power, against the Babylon. 52:16 "As soon as you finish reading this scroll," 52:18 God said to Jeremiah, "you will tie a stone to it 52:22 and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. And say. 52:26 'Just so shall Babylon sink down 52:29 and not rise again because of the calamity 52:32 that I am going to bring upon on her, 52:35 and they will become exhausted.' 52:38 "Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."' 52:42 You see in the Old Testament, who is the burning mountain. 52:46 And who will be taken and thrown into the deep water, 52:49 sink there and will not rise again. 52:52 It's actually ancient Babylon. 52:56 So actually this Old Testament prophecy 52:59 provides for us the clue 53:03 on the meaning of this second trumpet. 53:07 It helps us to unlock the symbolism 53:10 of this vision with reference to this burning mountain 53:14 that we have in the second trumpet. 53:17 In the time of John in the first century, 53:20 the Christians, they called Rome, Babylon. 53:25 By the way, if you go to 1 Peter 5:13, 53:30 you will see that Peter who was at that time in Rome, 53:33 he sends greetings to Christians from Babylon. 53:37 Okay. We have to understand it. 53:40 Just as ancient Babylon was responsible 53:43 for the persecution of God's people Israel, 53:46 so Rome is now responsible 53:51 for the persecution of the early church. 53:57 As judgment came up with ancient Babylon, 54:01 so now the judgment is announced against Rome. 54:07 Okay, looks something here that this burning mountain, 54:12 which is evidently Rome in the Roman Empire. 54:15 It says it will be cast into the sea. 54:17 Is actually the sea that will destroy this burning mountain? 54:22 I'd like to invite you to go with me to Isaiah 57:20. 54:28 This is just one of numerous Old Testament texts 54:32 that give us the meaning of the sea. 54:35 It says, "But the wicked are like the tossing sea, 54:40 for it cannot be quiet. 54:42 And its waters toss up refuse and mud." 54:46 By the way if you go to the Book of Revelation, 54:49 you will find out that the prostitute Babylon 54:51 in Revelation 17 sits on many waters, 54:56 which is actually reference to Babylon. 54:58 But in verse 15, those many waters, 55:03 okay, are referred to as many nations, 55:06 peoples and tongues. 55:08 So you can see in the Bible, the roaring sea, stormy sea, 55:14 it's always symbol for the wicked 55:16 who never have peace. They're always rebellious. 55:20 They always fight against God and His people. 55:24 So now we have here a clue for what is going on. 55:28 We are talking about the many nations 55:30 that will turn against Rome 55:33 and finally bring Rome to destruction. 55:37 But there is something else, it says 55:39 that what happens here even one third of the ship 55:43 of this mountain will be destroyed. 55:46 In the Book of Ezekiel-- by the way, 55:48 we read in chapter 27 verses 29 and 32. 55:54 It says, "All who handle," it's about Babylon. 55:58 "The sailors and all the pilots of the sea 56:01 will come down from their ships. 56:03 They will stand on the land, and they will make their voice 56:07 heard over you and will cry bitterly. 56:10 They will cast dust on their heads 56:12 and will wallow in ashes. 56:14 Moreover, in their wailing, 56:16 they will take up a lamentation for you and lament over you. 56:19 "Who is like Tyre, like her 56:22 who is silent in the midst of the sea?" 56:24 You can see how actually the Book of Revelation 56:27 uses this Old Testament language. 56:30 So friends in the conclusion, 56:32 what do we have in the first two trumpets? 56:35 I'd like to mention something that trumpets, 56:39 they always run in pairs. 56:43 The first two trumpets are God's judgments against whom? 56:48 The two powers, the two nations that crucified Christ, 56:54 and that were responsible 56:56 for the persecution of the early church. 56:59 So the first and the second trumpets. 57:01 They talk about God's judgment 57:03 against the leaders of the Jewish nations, 57:06 not the Jewish people. 57:08 The leaders of the Jewish nations 57:10 and also God's judgment against Rome 57:12 that took place in the fifth century. 57:14 So what we have here is 57:17 that the answer of God's people are heard. 57:21 God is coming in judgment. 57:23 And God does everything in order to vindicate, 57:26 to vindicate His people 57:28 and to bring judgment on the enemies. 57:31 Yes, we have a powerful God. |
Revised 2014-12-17