E09: The Trumpets Sound (Revelation 8:6–11)

The sounding of the trumpets brings warning and judgment, alongside the powerful witness of God’s people. This section reveals both urgency of witness and a call to endure.

Transcript

Michael Berry: In this session, as we start out, I want to introduce a term into our study that is common in the Bible and heavily used by John in Revelation. It's hard for us to pick up on. We don't necessarily think in these terms in general. ⁓ We don't think in this pattern, really, ⁓ but it's the term recapitulation. Now, what does recapitulation mean? Let me give you the nerdy official ⁓ definition first. It's a literary and theological technique in which the same events or truths are retold from different angles, often with increasing intensity or new perspective. So you may say, you mean repetition. No, it isn't repetition for repetition's sake. progressing repetition, bringing a new perspective. I think that's the point. That's probably the easier way to say it. It's a progressing repetition, bringing a new perspective. ⁓ This is actually used in music more regularly than it is in literature or the things that we're used to. But musically, it's one of those songs where the chorus stays the same, but the words shift. The song, So Will I, or 100 Billion Times by Hillsong. That's one. ⁓ Or Letter to Me by Brad Paisley for our country fans out there. ⁓ Or I Go Back by Kenny Chesney, another country song. ⁓ I just watched a movie on Netflix this past weekend where the end of the world was coming. A ⁓ nuclear strike was happening and it gets to the point this rocket is launched and it gets to the point of hitting Chicago and the nuclear war is about to start and the decision is needing to be made. Will we retaliate or is this just an accident? And it gets to that point of impact and then it starts over. ⁓ goes through the same story from a different perspective, from somebody else's perspective. Then it gets to that point of impact again, and then it starts over. And it never actually gets, the movie never actually gets to the impact. The point is what's the story running through? What's the different perspectives running through? And so in Revelation, the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls, are all looking at our physical and spiritual reality from a different perspective to highlight something different and deeper about our current world. And so we see this elsewhere in the Bible. Daniel's visions throughout his book are in large part recapitulations. The Red Sea crossing in Exodus 14 is retold in poetic form in Exodus 15. Portions of Samuel and Kings is... 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, I should say, is told again in 1 and 2 Chronicles. Genesis 1 and 2 tell the creation narrative over again. Have you ever noticed in chapter 1 verse 27, God creates man? And then in chapter 2 verse 7, God creates man again? You're like, what's going on here? Even the gospels themselves are larger versions of recapitulation. So when Jesus does this in Revelation, he is saying to John, okay, I want you to look at things from this perspective. You got it? Okay, great. Now, let's go over here, and I want you to see it from this point of view. So in the seals, Jesus shows that the tragic story of humanity being corrupted by sin is played out throughout history. What will the trumpets reveal? Well, they will release really fresh hell that is reminiscent of the Exodus plagues or the effects of the sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts against Jerusalem in Ezekiel 14. And when you go back to those stories, back to Exodus, back to Ezekiel 14, what is God trying to do? He's trying to get the attention of the Israelites. He's trying to get the attention of the Egyptians, mainly Pharaoh. with mighty acts in order to bring them to repentance. That is the purpose of those stories. And here in Revelation in the trumpets, that's going to be the point. And I'm going to emphasize this. I'm going to jump forward ⁓ in this in this section of seven. I'm going to jump forward to chapter nine, verse 20 through 21. and locate this. This is going to be the central, this is going to be the driving factor. And it says this, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of their works, of their hands, or give up worshipping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries. or of their sexual immorality or their thefts. So the focus of the trumpets is going to be repentance. God, in response to His people's prayers, is going to be seeking repentance. Therefore, the trumpets are blown. And we want that to be in your mind before the other trumpets because 9, chapter 9, verse 20 through 21 is the destination. And this is one of the most tricky sections in the entire book. It's going to sound pretty wild as we go through it, but that's not the point. The point is the destination, repentance. And so one last reminder before we jump in, you are going to naturally ask yourself the question, ⁓ when, when, when is this gonna take place? Remember, that's not the question we need to be asking. The question we need to be asking is what principle does this reveal? That's the point of apocalyptic literature. We have to practice getting the first question out of our mind and placing the second question in it. So, with that being said, let's jump in. Chapter 8 verse 6. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became Wormwood, and Many people died from the water because it had been made bitter. The fourth angel blew his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck and a third of the moon, a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened and a third of the day might be kept from shining and likewise a third of the night. And so here we want to focus on the effects of these trumpets, not specifically what they are. We want to focus on the effect and the target here. And so the effects of the four trumpets are the earth, the trees, and the grass being burned up. We see in the second trumpet, the sea becomes blood and the sea creatures die, ⁓ ships are destroyed. The fourth or the third trumpet, the water becomes bitter. And as a side effect, people die, but that's not the target. The target is water. The target is creation. And in the fourth trumpet, the sun, moon, and stars are darkened. What do these things sound like? Earth, trees, vegetation, sea creatures, water, sun, moon, stars. This is mirroring creation in Genesis 1. And so what we are seeing with these first four trumpets is a cosmic decreation, an undoing of what God had created. And some see this as a retelling of the creation story and the effects of sin on creation. And they postulate that because Sin doesn't just affect people. It has infected all of creation. Therefore, ⁓ all of creation must be judged. Because sin, I picture it like glitter and sawdust. When my daughter opens anything that has glitter on it, glitter is immediately all over my house, everywhere. ⁓ Same when I cut a two by four in my garage. The first cut, Sawdust it coats everything and sin is just like that Therefore all creation must be judged We're starting to see that this isn't just about what sin produces in mankind like the seals instead. There is something deeper another layer being peeled away to expose the root problem and here this judgment is is partial, it's measured, it's restricted. Notice because all of them affect just a third. But it affects creation specifically. Remember, how should we define judgment? It's not God causing something to happen, but allowing the natural consequences of sin to run its course. And sometimes I wonder, how would this world be different? if God didn't hold its destructive forces back. I mean, even thinking back to the seals, how would ⁓ people be different if God acting as an agent of good didn't influence us? And so let's think together. If each of these specific parts of creation are affected this significantly, what would happen to humanity's way of life? It'd come to a ⁓ screeching halt. As I'm sitting here recording this, we just had snow two weekends ago. It was like six to eight inches and it shut down everything. Of course, that's here in Arkansas. Of course, you go to Colorado or somewhere that gets a lot of snow. Eight inches isn't going to stop. But but you get 18 inches of snow. That's going to stop everything. And it just reminds us how limited and how fragile we really are. And so these trumpets are meant to awaken, not to annihilate. Awaken to what? Repentance. So what we're seeing here is an interruption to the ordered way of living people enjoy in order to bring about repentance. That is the key to the first four and the rest of these trumpets. God is seeking repentance. And repentance, I think it's probably good to define that. Repentance is more than just saying, I'm sorry. You know, God, I messed up. I shouldn't do that. I'm really sorry. That's not what repentance is. Repentance is a radical turning from a former way of living. The Greek word literally is an about face, an about face. You're turning from one thing and turning towards another. And in the idea of repentance, you're turning from disunion with God. That's what sin creates. Sin creates disunion with God, a breaking from God. You're turning from that and you're turning towards union with God. And so, Oh, that's the idea of repentance as we move forward and we march on. Verse 13 announces the other trumpets are coming and it's about to get worse. so verse 13, when I looked and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, whoa, whoa, whoa, to those who dwell on the earth at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow. and these next trumpets will have a similar effect as the first four. target is going to shift and is going to shift from creation to humanity. chapter 9 verse 1, and the fifth angel blew his trumpet and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. Who is the fallen star? What is the fallen star? Well, it kind of reminds us from Jesus teaching about Satan in Luke where he says, saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. And so it could be Satan. It could just be wormwood from the third trumpet. It could just be another random star. I don't think that's the point. The point is it is given this notice. It's given the key. God is still in control. And what is God seeking? Repentance. You're to get tired of me saying that. I just have to keep that at the forefront of our mind. Verse two. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace. and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth, and they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days, people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. And so here in this fifth seal, hell is literally unleashed here. And it's captured in the symbolic form of locusts. And who were the locusts allowed to torture? They were allowed to torture those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. That's kind of bringing back in chapter 7 and the 144,000 sealed who are the church. So he has allowed evil to come upon the earth and when evil comes upon the earth, it turns and it attacks its own. And it attacks for five months. That's a natural life cycle of the locust. don't think that's just pulling it out of nowhere. Everything's just, ⁓ that's the natural life cycle of a locust. And once again, the effect here is limited in five months, just like the four trumpets are limited to just a third of the earth. And so verse seven goes on and it says, in appearance, the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, their faces like human faces, their hair like women's hair and their teeth like lion's teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. And the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon. In Greek, he is called Apollyon. You'll notice at least my Bible has a footnote there and if you go down into the footnote it says Abaddon means destruction, Apollyon means destroyer. that is that's going to be big. So note that footnote as Jesus is describing these locusts. And I think up until this trumpet, the people that John was writing to were probably pretty confused like us. But unlike us, when it gets to the fifth trumpet, I think it locks in the meaning of this section. for them. In the Old Testament, locusts were used as God's agents of judgment, both literally and in a non-literal sense. So Exodus 10, it was one of the 10 plagues. ⁓ In Deuteronomy 28, locusts are mentioned as part of the curses if Israel will not ⁓ follow God all the ways of His commandments. In Psalm 78 and Psalm 106, they're mentioned. In Amos 7, They are noted and then second Chronicle 7 Verse 13 through 14 it says this and I think this is really illuminating for us It says when I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command the locust to devour the land or send pestilence among my people if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways and then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." Locusts, all throughout Scripture, is a symbol of judgment that should lead to repentance. So here, I think they're starting to pick up the understanding. Well then, why describe the locusts in such detail? Well, it is because these descriptions take them and us to a greater understanding that's found in the book of Joel. So I would imagine ⁓ if you're anything like me, have rarely, if ever read the book of Joel, I know I don't think I had actually. Well, I take that back. I did way back in college. I read Joel when I was reading through the Bible. I had no idea what I was reading, right? But I didn't study it until getting into Revelation. And so to capture kind of what Joel is all about, he pretty much, he opens and it just, he just starts hammering. I mean, the first verse is just the word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel. And then he just launches in and he opens with a scene of overwhelming destruction. And he opens with the scene of a a plague of locusts. And we have locusts in our mind, but then it kind of shifts and it kind of also sounds like an army. Because chapter one looks like a horde of locusts, chapter two is a recapitulation, it looks like an army of men, and there's some language that crosses over into both. But whatever it is meant is meant as a ⁓ judgment of God against a rebellious people. In this case, Israel itself in their rebelliousness. And so what I'm going to do is read parts of Joel 1 and Joel 2, and I think you're going to understand. It's going to light up like a Christmas tree just how similar this is to the trumpets. You know, at this point, ⁓ I think it might make sense for you to go back into your Bible and read along with me. ⁓ Find Joel 1 and 2 ⁓ and just kind of follow along with me as I read this. We're going to read, I mean, it's a lot of Scripture here. And so ⁓ if you're just listening, you may not pick up on it. ⁓ So, well, I mean, I'm a visual learner, so. Maybe that's just for me. Maybe you're fine with listening and hearing, but I'm going to read through a lot of this here. So this is Joel chapter one, starting in verse two. Hear this, you elders. Give ear all inhabitants of the land. Has such a thing happened in your days or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children of it. and let your children tell their children and let their children to another generation. What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten. And what the hopping locust left, the, circle this word if you're in Joel with me, the destroying locust has eaten. What was the footnote in Revelation? Abedon is the Hebrew form and it means destruction. Apollyon is the Greek form and it is a destroyer. And so here we have a destroying locust finishing everything off. Verse five, awake you drunkards and weep and wail all you drinkers of wine because of the sweet wine for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation, hold up, I thought this was locusts. Now it's a nation. nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number. Its teeth are like lion's teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness. And for the next five verses, he describes destruction on crops, and then he calls Israel to repent. We're going to pick up in verse 13, and we're going to read these words. Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests. Wail, O ministers of the altar, go in past the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and to the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord repentance. Verse 15, alas for the day. For the day of the Lord is near and destruction from the Almighty it comes. And for the next five chapters, not chapters, verses, more destruction is described. And this is when we get into chapter two. And this is where it really starts to lock in. Chapter two, verse one starts out, blow a trumpet in Zion. Do you see the parallel? Blow a trumpet in Zion. Sound an alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming. It is near a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. That sounds like the fifth trumpet that's blown, right? Like blackness, there is spread upon the mountains of great and powerful people. Their like has never been before. And so he's comparing these to the This is the locust ⁓ language here. The great and powerful people, their like has never been seen before. He's taking the locust imagery from chapter one and putting it in with chapter two. Nor will be again after them through all the years of all generations. Fire devours before them. That sounds like an army. Locusts don't start fires. And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them. And that brings to mind the first four trumpets, right? And creation, but behind them, a desolate wilderness and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses and like war horses they run. We just read that in the fifth trumpet. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of mountains like the crackling of a fire of flame devouring the stubble like a powerful army drawn up for battle. Before them peoples are in anguish and all faces grow pale like warriors they charge like soldiers they scale the wall they march each on his way they do not swerve from their paths they do not jostle one another each marches in his path They burst through the weapons and are not halted. They leap upon the city. They run upon the walls. They climb up into the houses. They enter through the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. That's the first few trumpets there. And the Lord utters his voice before his army. For his camp is exceedingly great. He who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome. Who can endure it? That sounds like the sixth seal, doesn't it? Verse 12, and this at the top of your, at the top of your, right before verse 12, it likely says something to the effect. Mine says, return to the Lord or a call to repentance. And that's what we're going to see for the rest of chapter two, starting in verse 12. Yet even now declares the Lord, return to me with all of your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning and rend your hearts and not your garments. I don't care about your outward shows of repentance. I want your heart. He says, return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him. A grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, consecrate the nation, assemble the elders, gather the children, even nursing infants. Bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber between the vestibule and the altar. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? Verse 18, my Bible says the Lord had pity. That's the topic. That's the title at the top of verse 18. It says, Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and he had pity on his people. The Lord answered and said to his people, Behold, I am sending to you grain and wine and oil. Those are good gifts they didn't deserve. And you will be satisfied, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. I will remove the northerner far from you and drive him to a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea and his rear guard into the western sea. The stench and foul smell of him will rise." That's actually going to come up in the sixth trumpet coming up that we're going to read. For he has done great things and look at what God does for them. Verse 25, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer and the cutter. my great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dwelt. You shall eat and plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions, even on the male and the female servants. In those days I will pour out my spirit, and I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes, and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. with the trumpets, Jesus is calling us back to Joel. He is saying, that time, that time is right now, church. That time is right now, world. This is like Joel, and God is calling a rebellious people to repentance. And what we have to notice from Joel is that God uses two strategies. The first strategy he used was disaster. Whether a natural disaster, the locusts or an invading army, whatever it is, he used disaster. But then the second strategy he used was kindness and grace. It says he gives oil, he gives wine, he gives wheat. He's gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. that actually leads the people to repentance. What I want to ask you is, which one is at work right now in our day and age? Well, I'm guessing verse 28 sounded familiar to you. And it should, because it's what Peter quotes in his sermon on the day of Pentecost. He stands up, of course, this is in Jerusalem, and it's the first sermon that's preached after Jesus raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. And the apostles have the tongues of fire. come on them so the spirit is filling them. And Peter stands up and he preaches the sermon. And in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, he quotes Joel and he says this, and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions even on the male and the female servants. In those days I will pour out my spirit and I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Then do you know what Peter says in his sermon? He says, men of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, A man attested to you by God with mighty works, with wonders, and with signs. He is the fulfillment of the covenant of David, and God has made him Lord and Christ. Peter is saying that the day of the Lord Joel was speaking of is right now because the signs and the wonders that we have seen, that we've been looking for, were done by Jesus. Don't look any further. The day of the Lord is now and the pouring out of the Spirit of God has come. That is what you are seeing today. And so why does Jesus go into such a great description of the locusts? It's to remind us of Joel who preached that even when the locusts come, God's grace wins and he will restore those who repent and come back home. So I think in our day and age we get so tied up when we come to Revelation. What are these locusts? Is it a prophetic reference to attack helicopters? Or is this a literal swarm of locusts that will come up on the earth and torture just non-believers for five months? Or is this an image of the demons of hell let loose to do their worst on the world? I'm not sure that's the point. point is the day of the Lord has come and his kindness and his grace is here and the time for repentance is now. And we're just in the fifth trumpet, folks. The totality of the image from the fifth trumpet is not yet completely formed. It takes the sixth trumpet to complete the picture. Remember, in Joel, we were asking if locusts were actual locusts or an invading army because chapter one looks like locusts, chapter two looks like an invading army. Likewise, the fifth trumpet describes crazy locusts. The sixth trumpet... depicts more of an invading army. And when you put these together, you have the entire picture from Joel. And so we get into verse 13. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. So the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month and the year, they were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice 10,000 times 10,000 or myriads on myriads. And I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision. And those who rode them, they wore breastplates, the color of fire and sapphire and of sulfur. the heads of the horses were like lion's heads and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues, a third of mankind was killed by the fire and the smoke and the sulfur coming out of their mouths. for the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound." So if we back up to verse 14, we're talking about the angel who had the trumpet. said, release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. The Euphrates ⁓ was the boundary between Rome and their, you could say, arch-nemesis, ⁓ Parthia. ⁓ Rome could never actually defeat the Parthian Empire. And the dividing line between the two nations was the Euphrates. Well, this trumpet allows the Euphrates to be dried up and humans to be killed by the invading army. And so we're seeing escalation and we're seeing the urgency on repentance. And we have this herd and saw motif. He's depicting an invading army from Joel 1 and 2. And if you can remember, this is being written to a church in a cultural and a historical setting. So the army that he is depicting here actually looks a whole lot like the Parthian army. And the Parthian army was famous. They had developed the skill of their archers from horseback ⁓ turning in their saddle and shooting their bow and arrow from the saddle behind them. It was called the Parthian Shot and they would rush into battle. Then they would turn and ride away from the battle with the enemy in pursuit and then they'd pull back their bow over the back of their horse and ⁓ shoot. And that really does sound like like the verse 19 where it says the power of the horses in their mouths and in their tails for their tails are like serpents with heads and by means of them they wound. So the trumpet here, the sixth trumpet releases this army. And so if I were to summarize the point here, the fifth and sixth trumpet releases an army. It honestly reminds us of the four horsemen from the seals. This also looks like the Parthian soldiers released to do their worst. And that grounds this trumpet in historical context that remind us that men and armies are not just the effects of sin, but can be used to accomplish God's purpose. And again, what is his purpose? Repentance. And that's where we land in verse 20. And our verses that we read at the very beginning of this section come back up and land this plane for us. Because the question is, did all this destruction and torment and miraculous signs work? Verse 20, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshipping demons or idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. No, it didn't work. And that's not a surprise. Did it work in the Old Testament with the Egyptians and the 10 plagues? No. Did it work with the Canaanites when Jericho's walls fell down? No, it didn't. The Philistines with David and Goliath? No. With the Israelites and all they saw and experienced, all these miraculous signs, did it work? No. Did it change the Jewish leader's hearts when Jesus was curing leprosy and raising people from the dead? No. So what is going to get the world to repent? Well, just like in Joel, the Israelites never actually repent at the locusts or the invading army judgment. Yet when God brings his grace, his kindness, his mercy and love through his presence, that brings about repentance. Revelations trumpets are going to show the same thing. Remember Romans chapter two verse four says, do you not know that it is his kindness that is meant to lead you to repentance? So that is what we're going to look for. And that's what we're going to see in the intermission, the interlude of the trumpets from the sixth trumpet to the seventh. And just like the seals, we have that break. And just like the seals, this break illuminates the entire point of the trumpets. And just like in the intermission of the seals, we're going to see the picture of the church. And so I'm gonna summarize chapter 10. because it's really just a transitory chapter to get to ⁓ to the 11th. And so what we see in chapter 10, we see an angel standing on land and the sea with a scroll. Maybe it's the same scroll that the Lamb just opened, but regardless, John is told when the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery of God will be revealed. And John is told to take and eat the scroll and it is bitter in his stomach and it's sweet in his mouth. It's just like the command that God has for Ezekiel as well back in his book. And he's told, John is told to prophesy again. And then chapter 11 comes on the scene and he is given a measuring rod and told to measure the temple of God in heaven. Now, remember, the temple is now the people of God who have God's spirit within them. That 1 Peter passage where he talks about we are being built together as a temple. Maybe that's actually 1 Corinthians. Paul speaks that. Paul writes that. And so what John is doing here, he is measuring a people. and he's told to set them apart. And so this is an image of protection of God's people. And then chapter 11 introduces two witnesses. And before we jump in, we need to remember where we've been. So a little recap session here. God is responding to his people's prayers in chapter eight. He's aiming for repentance from a rebellious people and six trumpets have sounded and there has still been no repentance. But just like in Joel, we will be looking for God's presence and his grace. And that introduces us to the two witnesses in verse three. He says, and I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days. That number is big. 1,260 days is equal to 42 months. 42 months is equal to three and a half years. Three and a half years is half of seven. And so there's this half fulfillment of completeness. ⁓ And so I'm not going to get into that number too much right now, but that will be significant later as we go throughout Revelation. And so these two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth and that's a picture of mourning and it's a posture of prophets. So we need to get that idea of prophets in our mind to tell us where this is heaven. So we need to get that idea of prophets in our mind to tell us where this is headed. Verse four, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. Now this is the main clue to who these witnesses are. Two olive trees and two lampstands. Of course, the lampstands kind of links back to ⁓ Jesus walking among his lampstands. And so kind of right off the bat, we're kind of starting to think of the church from chapter one. ⁓ But then when we look into the two olive trees, this is a reference to the book of Zechariah, and in particular, Zechariah chapter four. And Zechariah chapter four, or the whole book of Zechariah, I should say, is written during the rebuilding of the temple. And this is after the Israelites have been taken into exile by the Babylonians, King Nebuchadnezzar. ⁓ The Babylonians are overthrown by the Persians, and the Persians actually functioned off of ⁓ goodwill towards their subjects. And so the Persian king sends the Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. He paid for it. He subsidized it and he also had them rebuild their city as well. so the Israelites are rebuilding their temple, rebuilding their city, and Zechariah has a vision. And in this vision, he sees two olive trees. And these two olive trees are providing oil to the one lampstand in the temple. And these two olive trees are shown to God's agents of restoration after the exile to rebuild his temple. And these two agents, these two olive trees turn out to be Zerubbabel, who is the prince, he's the grandson of the last king before the exile, and Joshua, the high priest. King and priest, royalty and priesthood. Well, we've already talked about that being linked to the church, right? And so these two olive trees are charged with sourcing the light that the lamp gives off. They are bringing, they are fueling the light. And so if you really think about that, what is our job as the church? It's to give light, is to bring the light to the world. That sounds like Jesus. It sounds like the church. 1 Peter, he says, now a kingdom and priests, you are now a kingdom and priests. Then we jump into verse 5. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouths and consumes their foes. If anyone harmed them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky so that no rain may fall. during the days that they're prophesying, and they have the power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they desire. And actually, if you think back to the Old Testament, who has the power to shut up the sky and no rain to fall? Elijah did. And Elijah was a prophet, right? And who had the power to turn the water to blood? Well, Moses. And Moses, throughout all of Israelite history, he signifies, he stands as the law. And so here we have these two actions that sounds like something that prophets control and sounds like something that the law, the person who wrote the law, And that really brings to mind for me the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus is up on the mountain and Peter, James, and John are with him. And all of a sudden Elijah and Moses are there. And then they come together into one as Jesus. And it is this beautiful image of Jesus as the law, Jesus as the prophets, the fulfillment of both. And if you can remember, Matthew 5, 17 says, Do not think, this is Jesus speaking, do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I've not come to abolish them. I've come to fulfill them. And so here in verse five and six, it sounds like Jesus, doesn't it? We keep going, verse seven. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from bottomless pit will make war on them. And there's that word again, conquer them. That sounds like the fifth seal, doesn't it? and it will kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. Now, that sounds like Jerusalem. Now, it's symbolically Sodom and Egypt, but it's pretty clear that that's Jerusalem. And so this sounds like Jesus, but it's not exactly like Jesus. Verse nine and ten. For three and a half days, some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents because these two prophets who had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. And so even here we can see that evil can win battles. Evil did win the battle when it hung Jesus on the cross or when it kills the people of God. And it celebrates when it does. But it can't win the war. Verse 11. But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them and they stood up on their feet and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies watched them." Well, that sounds like the resurrection and the ascension. So at the very least, these two witnesses are symbolically Jesus. I think we could agree on that. But this looks like Jesus, but it's not the exact story. And so what looks like Jesus and acts like Jesus and talks like Jesus, but isn't quite Jesus? Well, it's the church, the body of Christ. The lampstand surrounding Jesus on his throne in chapters one, two, and three, the lampstands giving off the light of his message. So at the very least, this is Jesus, but I think it's more than that. I think this is the picture of the Church as the Kingdom and priests, as lampstands and olive trees, acting like their Savior and illuminating the message of God even to death. But regardless which image this is, if it's not both, do you know what both carry with them? The presence of God on earth, declaring His gospel of grace. The exact thing that Joel preaches. that will cause actual repentance. And look at what happens in verse 13. And at that hour, there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. What would have to happen for people to give glory to God? The one thing that God has been after for six trumpets, repentance. It's not the plagues that come upon the earth. It is not the destruction to creation or torment from demons or invading armies that bring repentance. It is the self-sacrifice of Jesus and His church walking in His footsteps that declare the presence and the gospel of grace. These trumpets teach us that God's strategy of calling the world to repentance is when you and I give up our lives for the sake of the kingdom. When we pick up our crosses and carry them daily. When we love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. When the church of Jesus acts like Jesus, then the Spirit of God moves and changes hearts. Friends, the way we live our lives matter, for it carries the mission and the message of God." And this ushers in the seventh trumpet, which brings us to the end. The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is soon to come. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was. Notice what's missing. Not who is to come. We're at the end of the world and we're here. We're in chapter 11 here at the end of the world again. But he says, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for the rewarding of your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. Lord Lord Prayer is for boldness. our prayers for your spirit in your life to shine through us. That is your path. That is your chosen direction to exercise your message. It's through us. And so let us walk, God, let us walk humbly. Let us walk with intentionality. Let us walk with a clear focus on Jesus and give us clarity. how we can share your message with those around us. Because as the Trumpets show, it is our lives, it is our testimony that you have chosen to speak to the people of our And so we pray for boldness, we pray for self-sacrifice, and we pray to be your hands and your feet. in our world and in the world around us. It's in Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.