Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

The Book of Revelation tells about John’s vision of heaven, where multitudes worship God. Where seven seals on a scroll and six trumpet blasts release disasters on earth. Very confusing and mysterious. 

Now, in chapter 11, we’re waiting for the seventh trumpet blast to traumatize earth with, you guessed it, more catastrophes. 

But instead of sounding a trumpet, one in heaven gives John a measuring stick and tells him to measure the temple. Reminds us of Ezekiel’s vision, which included dozens of measurements of the temple he saw. How many measurements should we expect from John’s vision? Surprisingly, none. 

Instead, John changes the subject. He says the Gentiles will trample the holy city for three-and-a-half years, like the Babylonians trampled Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s time. 

In John’s vision, God acts on behalf of the holy city, appointing two witnesses who prophesy in the temple for three-and-a-half years. They traumatize everyone by stopping rain, turning water to blood, and causing plagues. Rather like Moses calling down plagues on Egypt.  

But the prophets in Revelation don’t lead God’s people to a promised land like Moses did. Instead, a beast emerges from the Abyss and kills the prophets. The people of earth celebrate because they are freed from the prophets’ irritating preaching and destructive plagues.  

But suddenly, as the people party, the breath of God enters the corpses. The prophets come to life and ascend to heaven in a cloud, just like Jesus went to heaven when he left the earth. 

Next, an earthquake kills seven thousand people in the city, ending their celebrations.

And, finally, the sound we’ve been waiting for. The blast of the seventh trumpet. 

Instead of looking at earth to see what disasters the trumpet releases, John looks to heaven were many worship God saying:
      The kingdom of this world
        has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah,
        and he will reign forever. 

The 24 elders also worship God saying,
      The nations raged,
        but the time of your wrath has come,
        and the time for judging the dead.
        The time for rewarding your servants,
        and for destroying those who destroy the earth (Rev 11:18-19). 

Finally John’s vision looks away from heaven to see what is happening on earth. The seventh trumpet is delivering lightning, thunder, rumbling, earthquake, and hail. 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, Revelation locates the power center of the world and its affairs not in the World Economic Forum, nor the EU, the UN, Beijing, Washington, or Moscow, but in the throne room of heaven, where a lamb shares your throne and watches over his flock on earth. 

We wait for the day when you reveal yourself, when the kingdom of this world becomes your kingdom, when your Messiah will judge all of history and destroy those who destroy the earth. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Revelation chapters 6 to 9 told us about 7 seals and 6 trumpet blasts that released chaos and violence and destruction on planet earth. 

As we come to Revelation 10, we expect more bad news when the 7th trumpet blows. Not so. Instead, we get a break in the action. 

A mighty angel comes from heaven, plants one foot in the sea and one on the land, roars like a lion, and releases seven thunders. 

Seven thunders? Sounds ominous! Is this a third round of seven disasters? But just as John is preparing to write down the thunderous messages, a voice from heaven says, “Don’t write. Keep the thunder messages secret.” 

Then the angel standing on land and sea says, “When trumpet #7 sounds, God will begin bringing history to a conclusion.” Sounds promising. Perhaps at last Revelation will tell us about the end of the end of the world, when destruction will be destroyed and peace will reign.  

But no. The angel doesn’t tell John about the last trumpet blast and the end of history. Instead he takes a detour, giving John a little scroll. “Eat this,” the angel says. “It’ll taste like honey, but it will turn your stomach sour.” 

John eats it and as his digestion goes sour, then the voice from heaven says, “Go and prophecy again about people, nations, languages, and kings.” 

Hmmm. This looks like more sour messages for earth, more news of war and destruction. No peace on this horizon. We’ll have to wait for the next chapter.

Let’s pray. 

Our father, we present to you the troubled state of our world, which Revelation says will go from bad to worse until you intervene at the end of history. 

How long, O Lord, how long? In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel ate a sweet scroll but prophesied doom. Now in Revelation, the prophet John repeats the process. 

We too eat your word, and find it hopeful, lifegiving, and sweet. But it is also a hard word that criticizes our consumerism, exposes the moral decay of our civilization, and calls us to be witnesses to a world that does not want to hear. 

O Lord, give us grace and courage to receive and proclaim your word. Help us live faithfully in our time, a time full of disasters like Revelation describes. Help us believe that you are in charge, overseeing our lives, our world, and our history.

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Revelation 6, the lamb opened seals on a scroll releasing violence and chaos on earth. 

Next, Revelation 7 paused the action while the lamb’s servants on earth received God’s mark on their foreheads. 

And now, in Revelation 8, the interlude ends, as the lamb opens the final seal on the scroll. 

But it’s not a simple finale, because this seal releases 7 angels, each with a trumpet. They’re not auditioning for a symphony. Nope! These trumpets summon war and violence. Another set of seven troubles for earth.  

But before the seven trumpets blow, a lone angel holds a bowl of burning incense before the throne of heaven, and offers incense mixed with human prayer. Then the angel replaces the incense with fire from an altar and hurls hot coals to earth, causing thunder, lightning, and earthquakes.

Now the first trumpet sounds, throwing hail and fire and blood on earth. The fire consumes a third of the land. 

When the second trumpet sounds, a blazing meteorite smashes into the sea, destroying a third of the sea creatures and a third of the ships. 

Still another trumpet blast, and a great star crashes to earth. A third of the rivers and springs become bitter, undrinkable. 

The fourth angel’s trumpet darkens a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. 

Then, a pause. Relief at last? Nope. An eagle sails across the sky calling, “Trouble, trouble, trouble”, preparing us for three more blasts of trouble that accompany the last three trumpets.

The fifth trumpet opens the abyss, home of the dead. The angel of the abyss, whose name is Destruction, leads a huge army of battle-hardened warriors.

The sixth trumpet releases four angels who command an army of 200 million horsemen, on a mission to kill a third of the humans on earth.  

John thinks these troubles should cause people on earth to repent and worship God. 

Doesn’t happen. The survivors of the troubles continue their idol worship, murder, magic arts, sexual immorality, and theft. 

Which leaves us waiting for the eagle’s third trouble when the seventh trumpet blows.

Let’s pray. 

Our father, The Troubles in Northern Ireland were 30 years of civil conflict and strife.   But the troubles in Revelation, announced by an eagle and delivered by angels, dwarf the struggle of nations.

The disasters heaven delivers are monstrous, on the scale of nuclear war, climate-changing meteorites, irreversible pollution, and mass extinction. 

O Lord, who can stand in the day of your wrath? 

We pray, as Jesus taught, “Save us from the time of trial. Deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Revelation 6, the lamb opens six seals on a mystery scroll, releasing violence and chaos on earth. Will Revelation 7 tell us what happens under the seventh seal? 

No. Revelation 7 provides a break from the barrage of bad news. Four angels stand at the four corners of the earth, preparing to release judgment. But, good news! A fifth angel says, “Wait! First, we need to put a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants.”  

So 12,000 people from each tribe of Israel are sealed, 144,000 in all. 

Then John looks at the throne again. A new group has joined the winged creatures, elders, and angels–a multitude of humans–way too many to count. Dressed in white robes, they hold palm branches while praising God and the lamb. It’s reminiscent of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, with people spreading coats and palm branches before him.

An elder asks John, “Where did all these people come from?” 

John replies, “You probably know. I don’t.” 

So the elder says,
    “They came out of great tribulation;
      they have washed their robes
      and made them white in the blood of the lamb.” 

What in the world does John’s vision mean? 

Are only 144,000 going to be saved? Not likely that few, because the narrative mentions countless multitudes around the throne. 

And who are those who survived the great tribulation? Perhaps it’s a metaphor for all Christians through all the ages, those who were faithful during the troubles of earth. 

Revelation 7 ends with a wonderful vision of God caring for the saints who have joined the throng in heaven. Let’s pray that vision for ourselves. 

Lord, may we join the throng of white-robed humans at your throne. 
Shelter us with your presence.
Feed us and quench our thirst. 
May the sun’s heat not scorch us. 
May the lamb be our shepherd forever. 
May he lead us to springs of living water. 
And may you, O God, wipe away every tear from our eyes. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Revelation 5, God’s mystery scroll was sealed. Then, as 100 million angels worshiped, a lamb on the throne took the scroll. In Revelation 6, the lamb opens six of the scroll’s seven seals.  

The first seal released a conqueror on a white horse to kill his way through the earth. 

The second seal released a red war-horse and warrior to incite violence and war on earth. 

The third seal released a black horse with a rider who caused famine. 

The fourth seal released Death on a pale horse, delivering war, famine, plague, and wild beasts to a quarter of the earth. 

These are the four horsemen of the apocalypse, a vivid picture on their white, red, black, and pale horses, conquering, killing, creating havoc on earth. As some have commented, they deliver just another average day in the sad history of the world.

But why does the lamb act like a lion, releasing violence and chaos? Surely earth has enough already! 

The fifth seal hints at an answer. Christian martyrs under an altar, pray that God will avenge their deaths by judging earth’s inhabitants. They are told to wait a while until the full number of Christians and martyrs have come. 

Then the lamb opens the sixth seal. The sun turns black and the moon blood red. Stars fall. Mountains and islands shake. Kings and followers hide in caves and pray to the mountains, “Fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the lamb.” 

Wow. God and his lamb are busy punishing the whole world for harming and killing the lamb’s people. And seal number 7 hasn’t even been opened yet. That’s for next time. 

Here are two comments on these events in John’s vision.

First, his picture of an angry lamb releasing violence and chaos is just plain disturbing. I pray for a quick and peaceful resolution to earth’s problems, but maybe God has other plans. 

Another thought. I think the crux of John’s message is that the lamb is in charge. Though the lamb’s people are weak and persecuted, God is on their side, and God is against their enemies. In his time and his way, God will act on our behalf. 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, John paints a disturbing picture of the Lamb releasing four violent warriors and shaking the earth and the heavens. Today’s news is equally disturbing. Russia invades Ukraine. Israel’s war against Hamas delivers famine and death. The Rapid Support Forces kill and plunder their way through Sudan. The the Houthis attack ships in the Red Sea.

We turn to you, God, to the sure ground of faith. You reign over heaven and you are in charge of events on earth. The lamb who shares your throne passes judgment on history. He hears our weak prayers. He unseals your judgment on your enemies and ours. 

O father, help us to be people of faith in a violent and destructive world. 

Amen

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube