Last week we looked at the first 5 verses of Revelation 8 – the remainder of the chapter is sobering, to say the least. As the appointed angels begin to sound the trumpets associated with the next judgments, conditions on the earth become incomprehensibly horrific. The following chart summarizes the content of verses 6-12.

Some commentators look at these trumpet judgments as allegorical of political and spiritual developments during the tribulation rather than literal ecological events. While it is almost impossible to wrap my mind around what this will look like on the earth, I don’t see any reason why we should assume these are not literal occurrences. God has shown Himself throughout the Scriptures to be One who can rain deadly hail down upon the earth, turn water to blood, darken the sun, and make water toxic or sweet.

Other references in Scripture to these days also support a literal understanding of the passage:

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Joel 2:30

See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

Isaiah 13:9-10

Jesus also spoke of things which seem to parallel these trumpet judgments:

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

Luke 21:25

As if these happenings on the earth were not foreboding and terrifying enough, the next development gives me chills.

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!”

Revelation 8:13

The phrase “those who dwell on the earth” is used often in Revelation, referring to those who have hardened their hearts, refused to repent, and rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ (6:10, 11:10, 13:8, 13:12, 13:14, 17:2, 17:8). To these individuals this angel gives warning – three trumpets, three great woes, remain.

We serve a God who is most certainly patient, loving, merciful, and gracious.

But sin must be punished. If we reject Jesus Christ – the only one who could take the full measure of our punishment for sin upon Himself and pay the penalty we owe – we will find ourselves in the fearsome grip of the holy wrath of God against sin.

Woe to those who harden their hearts and refuse to receive Him. You still have time, my friends… although, I don’t know how much.

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”

Hebrews 3:7-8a

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Last week we spent some time considering Revelation chapter 8 and the lessons it holds for us regarding the potent force of prayer. Today I wanted to share with you a bit of a tangential post. :) It’s not exactly part of our Revelation series, but it relates well to that discussion.

In my personal devotion time I’ve been reading through the book of Daniel. It has been years since I really studied this book and I forgot how much I love it! Daniel is one of those rare individuals that I would truly consider a hero of the faith – this man is a faithful follower of God, even when thrown into a den of lions or put into a position of great power under multiple kings (a situation that would probably destroy most of us much faster than facing hungry lions!)

Yesterday and today I’ve been reading Daniel chapter 9. The chapter opens for us with Daniel studying “the books” – the portion of Scripture that was written down at the time. He’s not just casually reading, he is studying, and God reveals something important to him through the text.

I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. (9:2)

Daniel is diligently studying the text. He believes that the Scriptures are literally true and expects that prophecy will come to pass. He realizes that the Scriptures indicate that Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years… and he also realizes that the time is almost up. His response?

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. (9:3-6)

Daniel falls before the Lord with humility and passion, entreating God for mercy on the basis of His character and promises – fully acknowledging that they deserved punishment.

“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Dan. 9:17-19)

Now, the kicker of this passage for me is what happens next. Talk about answered prayer!

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.  As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. (Dan. 9:20-23a)

Oh, that is so rich! I just keep coming back to these verses and turning them over in my mind. Questions I’m pondering:

• Do we study the Scriptures with this type of intensity and faith? As we continue on through the prophetic visions in Revelation, do we believe that these things will actually happen? I know that there are many Christians who would say that I go a little too far in my literal interpretation of Scripture – that’s fine with me. I’m not going to be dogmatic about things that aren’t clear… but so, so many things ARE clear. Like Daniel, I want to read the Bible with eyes of faith, expecting God’s Word to be fulfilled exactly as He said it would be!

• If I really believe these things will happen, what will be my response? How should it change my prayer life? How should I intercede on behalf of so many who have fallen away from truth or rejected it altogether? Notice when Daniel realizes where they are on the prophetic timeline that he doesn’t immediately head out to the street corner to yell at people to repent or arrogantly flaunt his Biblical knowledge. He humbles himself, repents personally, and prays with intensity on behalf of God’s people.

• Do I expect God to answer my prayers? I love the wording of Verse 23 in the ESV – “At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” Have I built the kind of relationship with God where I am praying so in tune with His will (and I could only be that in tune with His will if I know His Word this well!) that I expect Him to respond to my prayers with this type of answer?

I pray that as we continue on through this Revelation study that this will not be an academic or mental exercise for you or for me. If God’s Word says these things are so… do we believe it? And if so, what will we do? How will we pray? How might God respond?

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On Tuesday we looked at Revelation 8:1, when silence fell in heaven in anticipation of the judgments to come. After this half hour of stunned quiet, the next portion of God’s plan begins to unfold.

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 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 the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, 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.

Revelation 8:2-5

As the stage is set for the trumpet judgments to come, we find this interesting scene of an angel hurling incense from a censer to the earth below, triggering thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. What is going on here?

The Bible equates incense going up before the Lord with the prayers of the saints.

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 141:2

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8

Prayers of the saints – prayers for God’s judgment to come and finally triumph over all the evil and injustice prevalent on the earth below – are strengthened with “much incense” provided by God Himself. Millions of prayers that echo Jesus’ words of “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” are joined in common purpose with the will of God – He has heard, His will will be done, and He will act.

Let me tell you something in all honesty – I don’t understand prayer. I really don’t. I can give you no eloquent explanations about how our requests intersect with the will and sovereignty of God Almighty. I don’t understand why, how, and when He listens to us. But I know this: He tells us to pray, He tells us He will hear us, and in some amazing way that I cannot comprehend, our prayers make a difference.

The prayers of “all the saints” are gathered up in these verses and join with God’s own plan.

What a potent force is prayer! The saints go into their bedrooms, close the doors, kneel down, and pray. They spread out before God their petitions, and God hears. The prayers are placed in the scales of judgment. In some mysterious way not explained to us, prayer changes things. This is true in every age… For prayer never reaches God in the clumsy, inept, feeble way it leaves our lips. So then, there was silence in heaven for half of hour (of heaven’s time) while God graciously takes into consideration the prayers of His own. (Phillips 128)

Do we take prayer as seriously as we should? The Bible describes prayer in terms of warfare, and these verses in Revelation remind us that our prayers are heard and do carry a great weight – and yet, we yawningly pray before bedtime and recite trite prayers before our meals.

What a potent force is prayer! I find myself together with the disciples asking, “Lord, teach me to pray.” To really pray… to pray like it matters, like it impacts eternity.

The Relevant Conference starts tomorrow – some of my favorite online friends will all be gathered in one place, and I so wish that I was going to be there!

But, my girls Teri Lynne and Sandra aren’t leaving me out in the cold…

“Flat Kristi” is going to Relevant!!

Hee hee… thanks, friends, for making my day! :)