Revelation 8:1

And I Beheld”

Revelation 8:1 says, “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour”

In the previous verses of Revelation we are told of the praising and rejoicing to God-ward that goes on in heaven. Here were are told there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. The judgment of God is a serious thing perhaps this is the reason for the silence. No one should take the judgment of God lightly.

Revelation 8:2-6 says, “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given utno him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”

The time period of the great tribulation is time of judgment but it is also a great time of answered prayers. God values our prayers. Some people go all their lives praying for something and not seeing an answer to that prayer. But yet God hears and God has a timing on when and how he answers prayers. We know that not one prayer ever prayed to God will go unanswered we know because the Bible says so. Here in these verses it mentions the prayers of all saints.

The other truth that this passage teaches is just how much the work of God in this world is closely connected to the prayers of the saints. Of course this work includes the judgment of God during the great tribulation.

The next several verses describe more of the judgment of God upon the world. God gave all that is good and green on the earth and God in His judgment can take it away.

Revelation 8:7-12“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And he second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood: And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters: And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”

How great and terrible these judgments will be. Undoubted some of what is described here is great and terrible natural disasters which will befall the earth during the time of the great tribulation. Remember these judgments are closely associated with the prayers of all saints. For those living on the earth during this time what a terrible time it will be. Hopefully they will repent of their sins and turn to Jesus before death takes them and the final judgment of God, hell, becomes their everlasting destiny.

Revelation 8:13, “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” If men would repent of their sins there would be no need for more judgment. But they do not repent. And so the judgments continue.

Revelaton 9:1-2, “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.”

During the great tribulation the wrath of the devil will be unleashed like never before. God uses the evil for judgment on men and that is exactly what the devil’s wrath will be used for. The devil comes not but for to kill steal and destroy and that is exactly what will happen.

Revelation 9:3-6 says, “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” This passage could be describing biological warefare or it could simply be demons unleashed from the bottomless pit sent to torment men. Man will seek death and not be able to find it because God does not want them to die God wants them to repent of their sins to Jesus.

Revelation 9:7-12 says, “And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns of like gold. And there faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue us Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.”

This passage is possibly describing armored military vehicles of some kind. We know that there will be great war upon the earth during the time of the great tribulation. This passage makes it very clear evil forces will be let loose upon the earth as never before. Perhaps it is God’s sense of irony. Men prefer evil so give them evil.

There is always a way to escape the judgment of God. All it takes is to turn from your sins to Jesus Christ. You can pray to Jesus right now to save you from your sins and He will.

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