Eschatology : Lecture-5

THE
REVELATION
OF
JESUS
CHRIST
PART IV
CHAPTERS 8 - 11

JOHN’S VISION
REVELATION CHAPTER 8 to
11

SEVENTH SEAL:
PRELUDE TO THE
SEVEN TRUMPETS
• 8 When He opened
the seventh seal,
there was silence in
heaven for about
half an hour.

HALF AN HOUR SILENCE IN HEAVEN
• As soon as each of the first six seals was opened, John either "saw" something or
"heard" something, or both.
• When the seventh seal was opened, he saw nothing and heard nothing for
about half an hour .
• The silence is total. It is said to be in heaven.
• Is it so that the prayers of all the saints can be heard (Beasley-Murray 1974:150)?
• The prayers of all the saints are not mentioned until the half hour is over, and
when they are mentioned they are not "heard" but offered up as incense.

REVELATION 8:1
• 2 And I saw the
seven angels who
stand before God,
and to them were
given seven
trumpets.

THEY ALWAYS STAND BEFORE GOD.
• These seven angelic trumpeters are elect and loyal servants of God with a high
rank position corresponding with their trust.
• They stand, permanently, in the presence of God Almighty; these are special
angels, they are of Heaven’s elite.
• In eastern courts the most favored courtiers had the right to enter the king’s
presence at all times; these angels are angels of the presence of God.
• to them were given seven trumpets
The trumpets were given to the angels by divine permission.
• The judgments which come forth once they are blown are initiated by God.
• These are the next set of seven judgments in the series of seals, trumpets, and
bowls

REVELATION
8:3-5
• 3 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. 4 And the smoke of
the
incense, with the prayers of the
saints, ascended before God from
the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel
took the censer, filled it with fire
from the altar, and threw it to the
earth. And there were noises,
thunderings, lightnings, and an
earthquake.

THE PRAYERS OF ALL THE SAINTS
• An angel with a golden censer stood at the altar.
• The priest of the Old Testament used censers to carry hot coals from the brazen
altar from outside the tabernacle to the altar of incense inside the tabernacle.
• The censer of the New Testament is the prayer of the saint.
• Prayer is like the smoke of incense ascending to God.
• The angel first offered these coals with incense before God. After the prayer rises
into the presence of God, judgment plunges to earth.
• God brings judgment in answer to prayer.
• In this case, prayer brings judgment to earth.

• Once the smoke arises mixed with the aroma of the incense and the prayers of all
the saints.
• The angel threw the coals of fire that were in the censer taken from the altar
to earth.
• The result: noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
• The altar is the place of sacrifice, where the blood of the saints is. Where the
souls are asking God “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and
avenge our blood on those who dwell on the
earth?”• God has responded to the prayers of His saints and judgement is to start.
• And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an
earthquake.

REVELATION
8:6
•6 So the seven
angels who had the
seven trumpets
prepared
themselves to
sound.

THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS ARE DIVIDED
INTO TWO GROUPS
• The effect of the first four trumpets targets the natural systems (Rev. 8:7-12). Earth,
also
These
trees, grass, sea, rivers and a third of the sun, moon and stars are
affected. The effect of the first four is connected and interdependent.
first four blasts have only an indirect effect on mankind.
•The voice of an Angel flying in heaven separates these two sections.
• The effect of the last three trumpets affect mankind directly (Rev. 9:1; 9:13; 11:15).
• The fifth and sixth have men as their special objects,

FIRST TRUMPET
VEGETATION STRUCK
•7 The first angel
sounded: And hail
and fire followed,
mingled with blood,
and they were
thrown
to the earth. And a
third of the trees
were
burned up, and all
green grass was
burned up.

• Hailstorms; This will be a hailstorm that will blanket and devastate an area larger
than the entire North and South American continents (28%). What a fearful storm
that will be. This will be the first stroke of God’s punishment, a thunderstorm, or
series of thunderstorms
• Fire; Fire generally speaks of judgment. In Pentecost, Jesus baptized believers with
the Holy Spirit and fire and they joined the church. Those who rejected God would
eventually be baptized with fire Mat. 13:41-42. At this moment, those living on
get their first taste of God’s judging fire which ultimately culminates in the Lake of
Fire Rev. 19:20
• Mingled with blood; Remember the plagues of Egypt? The blood mingled with the
hail and the fire causes the green grass and trees to burn generating huge plumes
of smoke. Joel 2:30

• Thrown to the earth; This is the first judgment targeted to destroy the life of natural
systems on the planet.
• Those who reject God, worship the creature rather than the Creator. (Rom. Rom. 1:25). At
this time, God will destroy this idol of the earth dwellers.
• There is a passionate concern to save endangered species. For many, protecting the
environment has become far more than a concern for health and safety; it has become an
issue of idolatry, as they worship “Mother Nature” by trying to protect and perpetuate the
earth
• Mankind has failed to recognize and honor God as Creator, choosing instead to make a
god out of the earth. But the environmental, evolutionary pantheism that devalues man,
elevates animals and plants, and ignores the Creator will be severely judged.
•“Mother nature”; “Earth Day”; “Environment entities”; have proliferate in the last
decades, deviating million of dollars to the support of these causes.

• a third; In each of the trumpet judgments which result in death, a third of the
population receiving the judgment perishes. A third of the trees is burned up
third of the earth is burned up Rev. 8:7
• Trees were burned up. Including fruit-bearing trees contributing to conditions of
famine.
• all green grass; Stalks of grain in their early, grass-like stages , this judgment
brings not just environmental destruction, but destroy grain production which
aggravates the conditions of famine.
• These are literal judgements; not symbolism and interpretation is valid here.

SECOND TRUMPET:
THE SEAS STRUCK
•8 Then the second
angel sounded:
And something like a
great mountain
burning
with fire was thrown
into the sea, and a
third
of the sea became
blood. 9 And a third of
the living creatures in
the sea died, and a
third of the ships were
destroyed.

• Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. It
could be a meteor, or something supernatural thrown by an angel.
•A third of the sea becomes blood.
•A third of the sea creatures and ships are destroyed.
•A literal judgment is in view because the result affects living creatures and
ships.• God created the sea to be a blessing to mankind, to provide food, oxygen and
water from the rainstorms on the land that is originally gathered up by from the
oceans.
•People have repaid God’s gracious provision with ingratitude and idolatry,
revering the sea as the supposed source of their remotest evolutionary ancestors.
As He devastated the land environment, the true God judges the sea.

THIRD TRUMPET: THE
WATERS STRUCK
• 10 Then the third angel
sounded: And a great
star
fell from heaven,
burning
like a torch, and it fell
on a
third of the rivers and
on
the springs of water. 11
The
name of the star is
Wormwood. A third of
the
waters became

• God describes idolatry as “a root bearing bitterness of wormwood” Deu. 29:17).
• Idolatry is a prevalent sin of the earth dwellers during this time of judgment
• So God judges their bitterness of wormwood by giving them wormwood to drink.
• Wormwood also describes the fruit of unrighteousness, which will be a prevalent
characteristic of the Tribulation period
•A third of the rivers is polluted.
•A third of the water become wormwood.
•Many People died, because of the bitter
waters.

FOURTH TRUMPET:
THE HEAVENS
STRUCK
•12 Then the fourth
angel sounded: And a
third of the sun was
struck, a third of the
moon, and a third of
the stars, so that a
third of them were
darkened. A third of
the day did not shine,
and likewise the
night.

A THIRD OF THE SUNLIGHT, MOONLIGHT,
AND STARLIGHT IS AFFECTED
• Darkened; The sun became “black as sackcloth” as a result of the sixth seal judgment Rev.
6:12.
• During the plagues of Egypt God brought complete darkness during the day on the
Egyptians side Ex. 10:21-23 but only a partial darkening is described here.
• The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars at this juncture it could be due to cloud
cover—either by smoke or other physical disturbances
• A third of the day did not shine; Here, the implication is an eclipse or other supernatural
phenomena where all light from the sun, moon, and stars is blocked for one-third of the
time.
• However it occurs, it will be dramatic and unmistakable in its unnatural origin. “How the
fractional darkening of the heavenly bodies can produce a reduced duration of daylight,
moonlight,

REVELATION
8:13
•13 And I looked, and I heard an
angel flying through the midst of heaven,
saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe,
woe to the inhabitants of the earth,
because of the remaining blasts of the
trumpet of the three angels who are
about to sound!”

• An angel flying through the midst of heaven;
• The midst of heaven can describe the atmospheric heavens where birds fly.
• Woe, woe, woe;
The angel announces that the judgments associated with the sounding of the final
three trumpets are especially severe.
• Inhabitants of the earth;
Inhabitants, the ones presently dwelling upon the earth. These are the earth
dwellers who will experience the remaining severe judgments to come. These are
the ones who steadfastly refuse God’s mercy throughout the period of severe
judgments, but continue to harden their hearts and blaspheme God.

FIFTH TRUMPET:
THE LOCUSTS FROM THE BOTTOMLESS
PIT• 9 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to
the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he
opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the
smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened
because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came
upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the
earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of
the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do
not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given
authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their
torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In
those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to
die, and death will flee from them.

A STAR FALLEN FROM
HEAVEN TO THE
EARTH.• To this fallen star was given the key of the bottomless pit.
• to him was given. God gave him the authority to open the pit.
• The horror which this fallen star is about to unleash is entirely subject to the
sovereign permission of God.
• the key of the bottomless pit. The shaft of the abyss had been locked so that
whatever or whoever was there could not escape. Now the star can unlock it and
set the occupants free. Luke 8:30-31; Jude 1:6-7
• Later, an angel will be given the same key with which to lock Satan within the same
compartment for the duration of the Millennial Kingdom Rev. 20:1-2
• The devil blinds the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, and
promoting ignorance and error.
•

FIFTH TRUMPET
• 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their
heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the
faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like
lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the
sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses
running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings
in
their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as
king
over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is
Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
• 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these
things.

ON OPENING THE
BOTTOMLESS PIT, A• Out of this smoke came a swarm of
locusts, the devil's agents, who use great, GREAT SMOKE AROSE.cruelty.
•The trees and the grass, the true
believers, should be untouched.
•The locusts had no power to hurt those
who had the seal of God.
•The power is limited to a short season;
In such events the faithful share the
common calamity, but from the
pestilence of error they would be safe.
•We see from Scripture, that such errors
were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co
11:19.

SIXTH TRUMPET:
THE ANGELS FROM THE
EUPHRATES• 13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four
horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth
angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at
the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been
prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to
kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen
was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw
the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of
fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses
were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke,
and brimstone.

“RELEASE THE FOUR ANGELS WHO
ARE BOUND AT THE GREAT RIVER
EUPHRATES.”• Four angels are loosed from their place of restraint at the great river
Euphrates.
• The first invasion seemed to come from the pit of hell, but this one is from
"outside," from beyond the eastern borders of the Roman Empire.
• The angels were ready for this very hour and day and month and year. Four
angels are in charge of these demonic cavalry.
• Two hundred million here are ready to kill one third of mankind.
• Horses and riders are described together as one terrible creature. They are not
human but demonic, and their job is to carry out the commission of the four
angels from the Euphrates to kill a third of mankind

SIXTH TRUMPET
• 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and
the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For
their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like
serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
• 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not
repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship
demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can
neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their
murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

THREE DISTINCT
PLAGUES.• These horses had tails like snakes with similar power to injure.
• Out of their mouths came fire,smoke and sulfur,
• The first four trumpets brought "fire" on the earth.
• the fifth, "smoke from the Abyss" (9:2),
• the sixth adds sulfur to the conflagration that is going on.
• And a third of mankind is killed Rev. 9:15, Rev. 9:18
• None of the judgments described up to now have succeeded in bringing about
repentance or any change of heart in an evil world.
• The surviving inhabitants of the earth, have their hearts hardened and they will
not repent.
• They continue with their vices: worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver,
bronze, stone and wood, idols that cannot see or hear or walk; also murders, their
magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts (v. 21).

THE MIGHTY ANGEL WITH THE LITTLE BOOK
• 10 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed
with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun,
and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand.
And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and
cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven
thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered
their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven
saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and
do not write them.”

THIS MIGHTY ANGEL HAS
AN AURA OF DIVINITY
• This angel does represent God, or the power of God, in a way others don’t.
• He is a divine agent acting on behalf of God and the Lamb. The mighty angel
here, like the one in 5:2, is introduced in connection with a scroll.
• When the angel shouted, seven thunders spoke (v. 3).
• John is about to write down their messages when the heavenly voice stops him:
Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down .
• There are things in the book of revelation that cannot be known yet.
• Paul says about the things that he saw, that there are things that he is not allowed
to say.
• Mysteries that will be revealed at God’s right time.

• 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up
his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who
created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things
that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should
be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh
angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be
finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

• He stands astride land and sea as one who is sovereign over both.
• God's judgment fell on the land and the sea in the first two trumpets.
• The mighty angel, swears that there will be no more delay (v. 6).
• He swears by him who lives for ever and ever.
• In his oath there is an elaborate reference to God's sovereignty as creator over the
sky and earth and sea and everything in them (v. 6).
• This comes as a reminder of the first four trumpets, with their demonstrations of
God's power over each of these spheres of the created order (see 8:7-12).

JOHN EATS THE LITTLE BOOK
• 8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said,
“Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who
stands on the sea and on the earth.”
• 9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”
• And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter,
but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
• 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was
as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach
became bitter. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about
many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

THE ANGEL SAID: “TAKE IT AN EAT
IT”• It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.
• We must know Ezekiel's story in order to understand what is going on. Ezekiel too
was told to eat a scroll and "then go and speak to the house of Israel" (Ezek. 3:1).
• When he ate it, "it tasted as sweet as honey" (Ezek. 3:3), suggesting that Ezekiel's
message would be sweet to him, though bitter to his hearers.
• John's experience is more complex. Nothing is said of what is written on the scroll,
but the message is sweet as honey in John's mouth and sour in his stomach (v. 10).
• Even though John have the sweet privilege of hearing and delivering God's "good
news", this prophecies will inevitably bring him sorrow and suffering.

THE TWO WITNESSES
• 11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood,
saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who
worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and
do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will
tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give
power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two
hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two
olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the
earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their
mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them,
he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so
that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power
over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all
plagues, as often as they desire.

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL
• You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.
• Prophesying is revealing the heart of God. When John is writing the book of
revelation, he is prophesying.
• He was given a reed, then he is given a prophetic action to perform. The
prophetic action consists of measuring the temple of God, the altar and the
worshipers there.
• Apparently John is being told here to measure the heavenly temple or
sanctuary, not the earthly one.
• The outer court, said to be "excluded" and not measured, is a place on earth--
or
perhaps the earth itself.

AND I WILL GIVE
POWER TO MY TWO
WITNESSES.• This is God's voice speaking through John, as John fulfills his commission to
prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings
• Who are John's "two witnesses"? The context suggests that in some way the
testimony of the two witnesses corresponds to John's own.
• By referring to them as the two olive trees and the two lampstands, he recalls a
vision of Zechariah (Zech 4:2-3),
• Olive trees (with their oil) and lampstands (with their light) are appropriate images
for the Spirit of God, and John has already used lampstands as a metaphor for the
seven congregations to which he writes.
• The witnesses, therefore, should be understood as vehicles of the Holy Spirit,
representing Christian prophecy or the church in its prophetic ministry to the
world, whether in John's time or ours.

THE WITNESSES KILLED
• 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the
bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill
them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations
will
see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead
bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will
rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another,
because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the
earth.

• The defeat and shame of the two witnesses is portrayed in some detail in verses 8-
10.
• Their bodies lie in public view, unburied. The period of their shame, three and a
half days, ironically recalls their three-and-a-half-year period of invincibility.
• The witnesses lie in the main street or public square of the great city, which is
figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified

THE WITNESSES RESURRECTED
• 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered
them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw
them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up
here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell.
In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were
afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
• 14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

THE RESCUE OF THE TWO WITNESSES
• The breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet.
• Their resurrection is not from the grave, like Jesus' resurrection, because their
bodies lie unburied. Their vindication is as public as their shame, for terror struck
those who saw them, and they are taken up to heaven while their enemies
looked on.
• Accompanying this visible resurrection is a severe earthquake destroying a tenth
of the city and killing seven thousand people, with the result that the survivors
were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
• The expression gave glory to the God of heaven implies that the end of the story
is repentance.

SEVENTH TRUMPET:
THE KINGDOM PROCLAIMED
• 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in
heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and
ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their
thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
• With this event, the greatest moment in all history has arrived. At His glorious final
Return, Christ replaces all human powers and laws with His own.
• All the governments of men are smashed and replaced by God’s government.
Fairness, justice and peace are restored to a sick and broken planet!

• 17 saying:
• “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You
have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were
angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that
they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the
saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Dr. Pothana
bhaktapothana@gmail.com
+91-8309511427

Eschatology : Lecture-5

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