Beloved radio, friends, in the precious and the worthy name of the Lord Jesus we greet you. We continue our solemn, outlined study of the book of the Revelation, for we have approached that portion of the book which speaks of judgment, which is to be poured out upon the whole world. Our lesson number five comes before us today, considering chapter seven and chapter eight. We have in this parenthetical section the revelation of a seal company and also the visitation of the greater judgments that are yet to be poured out upon the world greater than that which we have seen. But it is necessary to note there is a parenthesis between the sixth and the seventh seals as well as another between the sixth and the seventh trumpets and you have the same relatives of the sixth and seventh vials. But before the seventh seal is opened, God draws aside the veil to reveal that a work of grace will still continue upon the earth, even in those days of fearful judgment. And first of all, we have in the first eight verses, which we particularly speak of briefly, we have the sealing of the people of Israel, which tell of a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of the tribes of Israel. twelve thousand from each tribe now this this this company of twelve thousand is distinctly separate from the company the great company at the end of the chapter which refers to the Gentiles but no matter what false interpretation may be proper than sometimes it is it is evident from the context of this Christian of the company of people here is plainly a Jewish one The number one hundred and forty-four thousand is not necessarily the precise figure, but it is a perfect symbolic representation that God has or will appropriate for himself a certain number of Israel to be in the millennial kingdom of his great sons. And this twelve thousand from each tribe speaks of the separation of those in Israel who will be his dear godly remnant. But in chapter seven, verse nine through seventeen, we find the result of the testimony of that godly remnant in the world. For God's grace will not be limited to the narrow confines of even Judaism. For the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom during that period of the Great Tribulation will be used for the conversion of many Gentiles too. The beloved apostles' eyes are open to see a vast multitude of people from every nationality and race who find salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ. From this great multitude a song, yea, great songs of victory swell, into a mighty crescendo. They ascribe salvation to God and to the land, for the Almighty God will be their deliverer from earth's persecutions and heaven's judgments. and they readily acknowledge his saving grace. And all will prostrate themselves before his throne as you read the sevenfold description of praise. Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. Now as you read this chapter seven, you find John beholding with awe. This inspiring theme, which an elder explains, is the redeemed multitude coming out of the Great Tribulation. Those sin will be rampant and the manner of sin will be revealed. There will be those who find salvation having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And in the day of their glory their suffering will be over. Hunger and thirst will never be known again. The scorching rays of the sun will never touch them. For the Lamb will lead them to the fountains of water of life, and under his shepherding hand the promises of a material and an earthly character will be fulfilled, as he leads them into the glory of his future reign. Our great then is the grace of God in the midst of that time which is yet to come, a time which is described by the Lord Jesus in Matthew twenty-four, twenty-one when he said, Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world at this time, no, nor ever shall be. This is the parenthetical section of God's mercy, which will reveal that during those judgments, yet its saving grace will be known. Now as we come to the opening of chapter eight, we have the seventh seal and the seven angels revealed, for immediately upon opening the seventh seal, There is silence in heaven lasting for the space of half an hour. John beholds the seven angels standing before God. They have seven trumpets given to them. The silence unquestionably could refer to that calm preceding the storm of judgment, which is yet to break upon the world in greater intensity. It is worthy of notice that each successive seal and trumpet and vile judgment increase in intensity as the revelation unfolds. First of all, you have in verses three to five the vision of the angel priest, for before the trumpet sound, before the message of impending wrath, comes there appears at the altar another angel with a golden censer. He carries that golden censer for the purpose of taking fire. From the brazen altar to the golden altar with incense, The angel assumes the character of a high priest. To the prayers of the saints he adds his own efficacious authority to their supplications unto God before the throne. We can only think of one person being this. The Lord Jesus Christ, who was the high priest of his people, officiates before the throne of God in heaven. For it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that even the believer today has any access to the throne of God abounds. In that coming day of judgment the prayers of the saints for vengeance will be answered by the Lord Jesus Christ. Fire from the altar comes, the instrument becomes the instrument of judgment. He falls in out upon the earth. Immediately it is followed by thunders, voices, lightning and an earthquake. Expressive symbols of coming catastrophe. Note the first trumpet judgment in verse seven. You have in the book of Exodus the seventh plague upon Egypt. It took the form of thunder, hail and fire. The first trumpet sounds, and a similar judgment of hail and fire mingled with blood is inflicted upon the earth. Hail is a type of merciless, devastating judgment. Fire the reminder of the fierceness and the consuming wrath of God. Blood is apparently suggestive of the death, many deaths, and if applied to the spiritual realm, It implies the cessation of spiritual life and complete apostasy from God upon the earth. But the extensiveness of the vengeance, note carefully, it covers a third of the whole race, from princess to beggars, whether they, whether the fraction is intended to be taken literally or not. The widespread character of the judgment is apparent. The second trumpet judgment follows. A burning mountain is cast into the sea, resulting blood and death and destruction. In typology, a mountain is usually representative of a kingdom, some established power, and the sea is expressive of the restless nations of the earth. Is it not probable the downfall of some mighty nation and kingdom is depicted in the events following the blast of the second trumpet? Verses ten and eleven, the third trumpet judgment, a great burning star falls from heaven upon a third of the waters. It communicates poison, causing death and making the waters bitter. The star which usually represented with some powerful ruler or dignitary. The possibility of some apostate leader in a future day who will be an instrument of wrath through the hands of the Almighty. by his evil influence and probable corrupt teaching, poisoning the morals, the principles, and the motives of men over a great sphere, and the result will be spiritual death of countless numbers. But let us not fail to realize that though the precise details have not been furnished by the Holy Spirit, yet in a future day when these events are fulfilled, God's people will be in a position to discern very clearly What they mean, the fourth trumpet judgment sounds, which is the last one, and one of the most terrible plagues in Egypt occurred, which was the plague of darkness long ago. But at the sound of the fourth trumpet, a third of the sun, the moon, the stars are rubbed of their light. To be in darkness or deprived of any part of light is a trial not fully appreciated by those who never have experienced it. The sun is figurative of supreme authority, the moon and the stars of lesser authorities. One scholar would suggest that if there may be a mighty political convulsion in the world in which all authority is subverted from the rules of the empire to the petty magistrate of the town, it is the success of atheistic anarchy and communism. Is it not true that in the past certain ideologies have aimed at the abolishing of divine authority and the destruction of all law and order, and the events that follow the four trumpets show how successful such attempts will be in the future days? Beloved, can I say, can I but humbly and plainly suggest Do you not find even today rebellion against authority? I defy you to find it missing from the highest authority in the land to even authority in the home. My beloved, the spirit of rebellion against authority is filling the world. How terrible it is yet to be when it consummates When all rule and order and authority will be destroyed, for the effect upon a world already sorely stricken, it can scarcely be imagined. Now, beloved, again we speak very bluntly. We're taking these outlines very quickly, we know. But we have one motive to remind you, this book of the revelation is a description of judgment. It is a book of divine judgment. And may I bluntly say, let me quote the words of the psalmist in chapter nine of the psalm, and verse seventeen, when the psalmist said, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. My beloved, there's a lot of material that God has to deal with, wicked, and nations who are forgetting God. My beloved, unsafe friend, come to the Savior rather than go to hell. Father, bless thy word, not only to the instruction of thy people, the saints, but to the salvation of sinners in Jesus' name and for his glory, we would pray it. Amen.