Revelation 8

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Read Revelation 8

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

The Trumpets

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like 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.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky 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 turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, 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 turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Go Deeper

This short passage wraps up John’s vision of the Seven Seals and begins his vision of Seven Trumpets proclaiming the day of the Lord (some say tribulation). Revelation 8 describes a sacrificial lamb (Jesus) opening the Seventh Seal to reveal the first four of seven trumpets (judgments) to an agrarian audience. Each trumpet heralds partial judgment with plague symbolism, proclaiming Yahweh’s superiority over worldly deities while preserving (passing over) a remnant of chosen people.

Revelation 8:1-5 unveils awe-inspiring throne room preparations for impending judgments. Worship stops for half an hour (a time) of silence while an angel offers incense (prayers of the saints) on an altar before the throne and fills his censer with righteous fire from the altar.  Righteous judgment is hurled on the earth in horrifying earthquakes, lightning, and thunder.

In verse 6, seven angels (messengers to the seven churches) announce Yahweh’s judgment with authoritative instruments, a common practice before regal pronouncements, to begin retelling (recapitulating) the preceding six Seals. The first trumpet precedes hail, fire, and blood, which burns one-third of the earth, trees, and grass. Like the seventh Egyptian plague of hail (Exodus 9:13-35), the first judgment demonstrates Yahweh’s superiority over the Egyptian sky goddess.

Upon hearing the second trumpet, John sees (v. 7-8) something like a mountain (a pagan place of worship) thrown into the sea (an ancient trope for chaos), wiping out one-third of commerce (fish and ships in a sea of blood), demonstrating God’s superiority over a pantheon of popular sea gods. He then hears a third trumpet and sees a great star (fallen heavenly being) named Wormwood (a bitter/poisonous plant), contaminating inland waters similar to the first Egyptian plague (Exodus 7:14-24) that demonstrated Yahweh’s superiority over their fertility god (Osiris). A fourth trumpet precedes John’s vision of one-third of the sun, stars, and moon going dark, like Egypt’s chaotic ninth plague (Exodus 10:21-29), demonstrating Yahweh’s power over their sun god (Ra).

In each trumpet, the author hyperlinks cosmic events to familiar Old Testament events using ancient symbols rich with meaning to original audiences. Rather than predicting an end-time sequence of events, John’s prophetic judgments retell God’s righteous concern with the earthly assimilation of popular culture and pagan deities, then and now. Revelation 8 reaffirms Yahweh’s priority to “have no other God before me” (Exodus 20:3).

Questions

  1. What idols are common in our culture?
  2. What misplaced priorities (idols) does the modern church struggle with today?
  3. What idols have you struggled with in your story? What would it look like for you to rid those idols from your life?

A Quote

In his Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela reminds us, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” In Revelation 8, Jesus speaks to people he has purchased–His hearts–through their hearts

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4 thoughts on “Revelation 8”

  1. Ella Snodgrass

    As John writes of mysterious events to come, tucked away in v4 is something we can understand, our prayers matter to God. “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” What a distinct privilege we have to take everything to God in prayer, knowing he hears. We have an audience with the God of the universe who holds all things in his hands. Alfred Lloyd Tennyson pegged prayer this way “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” I think John would agree.

  2. Prayer
    Talking to God about life. All things that pertain to life and godliness given to Him is incense to His nostrils. He will/is pleased by this incense. Child like faith. Until a child has been scolded or scorned for asking any kind of question, they will come to you as the parent. That is how we are to be with God, simple, nothing is a wrong question. Look it up in His word and study to show yourself approved about those questions. Listen to/for His voice. His voice is low, kind, gentle, considerate, peaceful, loving.
    There is trouble coming. We need to make sure we are speaking Jesus to all.

    God thank You for Your sweet, gentle voice and my listening ear to hear. God thank You for how seeing You in the birth of my new granddaughter is so enlightening. WOW, I stand amazed in Your majesty of birth, life and even death. God thank You for how grandeur You are, and as I read these passages, You remind me to love, show, speak about Your Son , so that none will perish but so that they all have the oppurtiunity for everlastin life in Jesus name amen
    WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. I know the excitement and anticipation that I have before a Game 7 in sports play-offs. Waiting on the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8 kind of feels the same way . . . a big build up, excitement, anxiety, a big battle ahead, not knowing what the outcome will be, but hoping for my team to win!

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