The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 8:1-2,
"When he [the Lamb - Jesus Christ] 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."
As I read of the acts of God that come on the earth at the end of the age, I can't help but notice that they are measured, defined, organized (in a way), proportional and progressive. Rather than a big boom or explosive conflagration, angels are dispatched with orderly assignments and specific deeds are carried out.
It begins with a scroll, a scroll which Jesus Christ is found to be the only one in heaven worthy to break its seven seals. The seven are opened:
1st seal: a white horse with rider bent on conquest.
2nd seal: a fiery red horse with a rider that takes peace from the earth and makes people kill each other.
3rd seal: a black horse with a rider holding scales, a harbinger of severe famine.
4th seal: a pale horse with a rider called death with power over a quarter of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.
5th seal: the souls of dead saints calling for their blood to be avenged.
6th seal: a great earthquake, solar eclipse, red moon, stars "falling", with the heavens receded, mountains and islands moved from their places.
7th seal: this brings seven angels with seven trumpets:
1st angel with trumpet: hail and fire mixed with blood. A third of everything burned up.
2nd angel with trumpet: an object like a mountain thrown into the sea causing it to turn to blood, a third of sea life destroyed, a third of the ships.
3rd angel with trumpet: a blazing star hurled to earth poisoning a third of the water supply.
4th angel with trumpet: a third of all light was struck.
5th angel with trumpet: a star falls to the earth and opens "the Abyss" which results in a plague of locusts that sting like scorpions.
6th angel with trumpet: four angels are released to destroy a third of mankind with a hundred million mounted troops.
7th angel with trumpet: This glorious scene is provided us:
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
'The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.'
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.'
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,an earthquake and a severe hailstorm." Revelation 11:15-19.
See what I mean by "measured, defined, organized (in a way), proportional and progressive."? I think this tells us something about the nature of our God. He could have just blown the whole thing up with a nuclear weapon! Instead, we read this...
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"When he [the Lamb - Jesus Christ] 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."
As I read of the acts of God that come on the earth at the end of the age, I can't help but notice that they are measured, defined, organized (in a way), proportional and progressive. Rather than a big boom or explosive conflagration, angels are dispatched with orderly assignments and specific deeds are carried out.
It begins with a scroll, a scroll which Jesus Christ is found to be the only one in heaven worthy to break its seven seals. The seven are opened:
1st seal: a white horse with rider bent on conquest.
2nd seal: a fiery red horse with a rider that takes peace from the earth and makes people kill each other.
3rd seal: a black horse with a rider holding scales, a harbinger of severe famine.
4th seal: a pale horse with a rider called death with power over a quarter of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.
5th seal: the souls of dead saints calling for their blood to be avenged.
6th seal: a great earthquake, solar eclipse, red moon, stars "falling", with the heavens receded, mountains and islands moved from their places.
7th seal: this brings seven angels with seven trumpets:
1st angel with trumpet: hail and fire mixed with blood. A third of everything burned up.
2nd angel with trumpet: an object like a mountain thrown into the sea causing it to turn to blood, a third of sea life destroyed, a third of the ships.
3rd angel with trumpet: a blazing star hurled to earth poisoning a third of the water supply.
4th angel with trumpet: a third of all light was struck.
5th angel with trumpet: a star falls to the earth and opens "the Abyss" which results in a plague of locusts that sting like scorpions.
6th angel with trumpet: four angels are released to destroy a third of mankind with a hundred million mounted troops.
7th angel with trumpet: This glorious scene is provided us:
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
'The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.'
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.'
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,an earthquake and a severe hailstorm." Revelation 11:15-19.
See what I mean by "measured, defined, organized (in a way), proportional and progressive."? I think this tells us something about the nature of our God. He could have just blown the whole thing up with a nuclear weapon! Instead, we read this...
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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