Silence in Heaven (The 7th Seal/Golden Censer/Trumpets) | Revelation 8:1-13 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Precious church, we are now returning to the book of Revelation. So I gladly invite you to turn with me in your bibles to Revelation chapter eight. And as you make your way there, I wanna remind you where we are in our study. The Spirit of God through the Apostle John reveals to us that the Lord has reserved his last days judgments, organized in a series, three to be exact, each consisting of seven events. Three series of judgments, each consisting of seven acts.

The first series of judgments, the first set is known as the seal judgments, seals on a scroll. We've been exploring that the past few weeks. Following that, we will see the seven trumpets. And finally, we will consider the seven bowls of God's wrath. And these acts of wrath are not only sequential.

They don't just follow one another, but they intensify as they go on. They become more devastating and something for us to consider in a deeper way as we will see. And all of these judgments will culminate, will climax at the bodily return of the lord Jesus Christ. That is what all of this is leading to. Now Revelation chapter eight is a pivotal moment.

It marks a transition in God's punitive program. Because what we are about to witness is the Lord Jesus Christ breaking the seventh and final seal of the scroll, and that breaking will set into motion the seven trumpets. In other words, where we are now is at the closing of the first set of judgments, and we are entering into the beginning of the second series. And so we're going to look at this in a more careful way as we read Revelation eight verse one down to verse five. When the lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel, and the angel took the sensor and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Please pray with me.

Lord, we need your help to know your mind, and we ask with absolute reverence and joy that you would be our teacher now and that you would open our eyes to perceive your majesty, your wisdom, your understanding that we would know how you are sovereign over all things. You are in control over history. You're in control over our lives and where this world is going. May everything that we hear infuse joy and hope and trust in you. May this draw each of us closer to Jesus Christ.

We ask these things in his name. Amen and amen. I'm sure you would agree that as we study the book of Revelation, we have been granted many glimpses into heaven, and that's only gonna continue as we study this book. But I believe that what we have here is the most unique vision of heaven so far. Because every time we have seen what takes place in the throne room of God in this book, it is filled with what?

Adoration, praise, joy, choruses, worship, even physical expressions of reverence. But something strange happens at the breaking of the final seal, the scroll. Verse one tells us that the moment that happens, silence falls. There is this holy hush in heaven. Silence is not often associated with heaven, but it's found here.

And you might not think half an hour is very long, but if I were to ask all of you now, let's all be quiet for the next thirty minutes, that would feel like an eternity probably. How much more so for a place with an atmosphere that is normally filled with perfect worship? Silence for thirty minutes. But why? Why?

Why is this the response of this celestial crowd at the breaking of the seventh seal? Now, there's no exact explanation, so you have to be careful because people tend to speculate. But I think the answer is obvious. This is the reaction of absolute awe and anticipation from a people who are deeply aware of the weight of the judgment that is about to begin. And that is nothing new.

The Old Testament more than once often depicts God's judgment accompanied with the silence of the people. I'll give you one just as a reference and you don't have to turn there. In Isaiah 41 verse one, the Lord says, listen to me, all coastlands, all you islands, all you countries, listen to me. And at the end of the verse, he says, let us together draw near for judgment. You find it in the Psalms.

You find it in other prophetic books. And this is something for us to consider. I'm sure we are all now anticipating what's going to follow, the silence. And before we do that, I think there's something here that we can learn. Even in verse one, this thirty minutes of silence has something to teach us.

Because you see, this silent awe is not merely a helpless reaction to God's impending judgment. It's a response to God himself. In other words, there is this theme of silence in the bible that shows us that we can all grow into an awareness of God that can move us and impact us in a very deep way. The prophet Habakkuk teaches us that. Now I'm gonna ask you to go to that book.

And if you can't find it, we'll wait a little bit longer. It's there. Habakkuk chapter two. I want you to see what this prophet says in verse 18. There is an understanding that you and I can have of God that is so rich, so real that it can move us in a very deep way.

Habakkuk chapter two, look at verse 18 with me. The Lord says in verse 18, what profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it? A metal image, a teacher of lies, for its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, awake to a silent stone, arise. Can this teach?

Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. Verse 20. But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. The essence of this passage is the following.

You are worshiping lifeless, breathless, mute idols. Let me recommend something else instead. Why don't you turn your devotion to the living and exalted God and be silent before him? Do you see how silence is mentioned in the context of worship? These idols have nothing to offer you.

Instead, why don't you turn your gaze to the true God, and in doing so, allowing your understanding of his glory to take your breath away. God can take your breath away. Do you wanna know how you can grow in your wonder? Do you wanna know how your awe of God can enhance and enlarge? Verse 20 tells us.

It comes through knowledge of God. What does he say in verse 20? Look again. But the Lord is in his holy temple. What's happening here?

Before the call to silence, the Holy Spirit makes a statement of fact about who God is. He's in his temple. He is high and lifted up. He is sovereign. Now be silent before him.

I can tell you with absolute honesty that there have been many times in my own preparation for Fridays or for Sundays, even in my own reading for my own soul, where I've discovered, uncovered something in the word of God, and it so exhilarated me that I actually have to stop and sit with it before I continue. That's happened on many occasions. It's almost like, what do I do with this? And you just let it marinate in your heart. And that's all I really wanna drive into our hearts from this.

There is a knowledge of God's character. There is an understanding of his ways that can truly grip our hearts, grab a hold of our souls. And as Habakkuk shows, that can be such a profound thing that it loosens idolatry. It loosens you from the grip of cheap things, cheap substitutes. Perhaps some of you who are listening here in this very room, you're you're here out of habit.

This is just routine. But if you're actually honest, you would have to admit that you are more enamored with created things, maybe even things that you've created more than the one who has created you. I have to tell you something. I say this in love. You only have one hope to be rescued from such a state.

It is to glance. It is to behold God in his word long enough until you begin to taste, until you begin to see. And that experience then will deliver you from idolatry. This is the primary way. The only way that the the clutch of all these other things in your life that you know that you know are inferior to God is to become more captivated with God himself.

You have all these idols and and God almost mocks it. They don't talk. You made them. And you're bowing before them. You're begging it to speak to you, to fulfill you, to satisfy you, to give you identity and purpose.

Why don't you consider the one who made you instead of things that you've made? It's a wonderful thing to consider. You and I can even come to the place where God takes our breath away. Now, when we come back to Revelation, there's something else this silence in heaven teaches us. And it's only when you look at the following verses will we see that there is some light shed on it.

Look at the setting of Revelation eight, the verses that we read at the opening of this message. I want us to see it again in verse two. Look at Revelation eight verse two. John says, then I saw saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. So there are these angels that have been assigned.

They stand. They're the angels standing before the presence of God. People tend to debate who these angels are, what their role is. Clearly, they have been waiting for this moment to be given these seven trumpets ready to blow, but then something else happens in verse three. And another angel another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer it, Underline this, with the prayers of all the saints, all the saints on the golden altar before the throne.

And this is where we wanna focus now in verse four. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Do you see what's in focus here? An angel enters the scene and gathers the prayer of God's people in a censer. Some of you with certain faith backgrounds would remember what a sensor looks like.

So here's this dangling sensor, and the prayers of God's people are symbolized with incense, and the angel now brings it before God and that incense is arising before him. This is interesting. This is the only activity you can say that is taking place while all of heaven is silent. And this is the case that I wanna make. This silence in heaven has been orchestrated for the prayers of God's people to be given special attention.

Think about it. It's not that the Lord needs physical silence to hear and interpret the cries of his people, But this is a powerful illustration to demonstrate the honor that God gives to our petitions. It's as though the silence sets the stage for God to put the spotlight and to give his full attention to the prayers of all of God's people. Imagine that. Heaven goes silent when God's people pray.

Now please don't misunderstand me. This is not saying that every time we pray there is this halt in heaven. This is an illustration of a deeper truth. This is a unique time in history but it still conveys something so profound. The Lord is never too busy and heaven is never too noisy to hear us.

Do you remember what David said in Psalm 18 verse six? This is a wonderful reference. In my distress in Psalm 18, oh, he says in verse six, in my distress I call upon the Lord. I called upon the Lord. To my God, I cried for help.

From his temple, he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. You see how specific this is? David doesn't just say, my cry made it to heaven. My cry arrived to the throne. He says it actually came to God's ears.

This is astounding. And this is to solidify that God delights in our prayers. You remember at the conference I said at the last session, whenever you call the Lord, he never leaves you on voice mail. And that's true here. We're we're reinforcing that reality.

And just as incense is a pleasant thing to the human senses, when you pray, you, yes, you, when we pray on Wednesday nights, it actually brings delight to the Lord. Or else, why would he use this kind of image to represent our prayers? Incense. It's a perfume. It's an aroma.

When you pray, do you believe that about your prayers? You have to. Let me give you a little discipleship point. One of the things that has helped me over the years to try to reel my thoughts in in that place of solitude before the Lord is that I tend to pause when I'm fighting distraction. And I meditate on this truth.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of David, the God of Daniel, the God of Peter, the God of Paul is the same God who hears me in this moment. I actually rehearse that. This God of this book promised me that when I turn my gaze to him, whether it's in a whisper or a list of needs, he gives me his total attention. Imagine that. He's not distracted.

He's not waiting for you to jump through hoops. The moment you and your heart or with your lips speak to him, you have his total and complete awareness. That's what David is saying here. My cry reached his ears. It passed through all the cherubim and all the seraphim.

Passed through all the crowds and all the multitudes. All the stratospheres, all the atmospheres, it's come to God in heaven. And it's no different for you and I. And I hope that truth encourages you. It helps you to believe that prayer is a precious thing.

Be earnest in it. Now, there's something else to realize that as much as that is true for God's people, the prayers here are unique. They're unique because of verse five of Revelation eight. Let's look at them again. These verses, verse five specifically.

Then the angel took the censure and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. And there are peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. So the silence in heaven now is shattered. It's broken. Broken by what?

The sound of really terrifying elements. And what set into motion these thunderings and these flashes of lightning were what? The prayers. The prayers that were acknowledged by God and were answered by God. So this angel who brings these prayers now responds by not just leaving them before God, but launching them toward the earth.

So these prayers, yes, they are of all the saints according to verse three, but they are specific requests. Requests that deal with the book of Revelation, the themes of Revelation, the realities of Revelation. These prayers include the defeat of Satan, the end of wickedness, God's justice being unleashed, and the return of Christ. In other words, every time somebody had prayed, thy kingdom come, throughout the ages is now being answered here. God's kingdom is about to come and it's preceded by severe judgment.

That's amazing. One day God's kingdom is going to come. And we do pray that through the church there will be elements and manifestations of his kingdom, but there is a moment in history where Jesus Christ of Nazareth will return and bring the full realization of his kingdom. And you and I as his people should want that. Should want that.

I know you wanna go on your vacation. I know. I know. Your vacation will be a lot better in the millennial reign. I promise I know we have all these dreams and aspirations, but listen, one mark that a person is really filled with the spirit is that they echo the spirit's cry at the end of Revelation.

Come Lord Jesus. You know that the spirit of God is really working in you when you long for that. Come Lord, I wanna see you face to face. I wanna see you glorified. I'm tired of living in a world that blasphemes you.

Come establish, show yourself, receive your crowns, receive the adoration that is not mingled with failure, disappointments. Change us so that we can be perfected in your presence and enjoy you forever. That's a spirit filled Christian among other things. So these prayers now are being launched upon the earth. And originally, I was gonna end it here, maybe elaborate more on these verses, but we're gonna end this chapter.

We're gonna complete this chapter today. What's gonna happen now in the remaining verses is that the first four of the seven trumpets are gonna be blown. I wanna read and I I'm asking you to pay attention with me from verse six down to verse 13 to see what's gonna happen with these trumpets. Are we ready? Verse six.

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 green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet in something like a great mountain. Notice, like a great mountain.

Not a great mountain. Like a great mountain. Burning with fire was thrown into the sea. And a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the 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. And 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, and 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. Then I looked and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead. Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth at the blast of the other trumpets. The three angels are about to blow.

This is without a doubt, ecological mayhem and environmental disaster like the world has never known. It's like the plagues of Egypt. Did your mind go there at all? It's like the plagues of Egypt all over again, but this time, nations are being impacted, not just one. Now instead of us going to every single one of these trumpets and investigating them separately, I I want to make three general comments about them as a whole.

Because I'm aware that just reading this, one might be thinking how okay. This is accurate. This is specific. This is very detailed, but how does it apply to my life? How does this section of scripture contribute to my spiritual growth?

How does it help me in my worship? And I wanna help answer that. So if you are a note taker, this is a good place to take these notes. Three thoughts about this section of scripture. Here's number one.

This passage strengthens the futurist interpretation of the book of Revelation. Hopefully, you remember that at the opening of this series in Revelation, I presented to us the four major views of how this book is interpreted. Let's go over them quickly. The first one is the group that would say, what you have here in Revelation is a chronological unfolding of all of human history, And the church is in focus. And so these are symbols representing specific historical events, empires, movements, and figures across the centuries.

And there are there are respected saints of the past who hold this view. Where they say no, Revelation is more about history broadly speaking and major events that may have impacted church directly or indirectly. The second are those who see Revelation mostly fulfilled in the past. And they would say, what you find in Revelation is the events of the Jewish people being sacked by the Roman Empire, climaxing at seventy AD when the temple was destroyed. And so they would say this is all apocalyptic imagery speaking of the same thing.

The people of Israel being destroyed and exiled because of the rejection of the Messiah. And so this is what is known as the preterist view. That word in its root meaning means the past. And I don't want to confuse you, but I think it's worth mentioning this, that under the preterist view, you have two. I know there's a lot.

There's more than this? Yes. You have the partial predators. They'll say most of Revelation has been already achieved. What hasn't been?

What you find most likely in chapter 19, the actual physical return of Christ. The resurrection of our bodies, and the establishment of the new heaven and the new earth. That's the partial Preterist. That's the most common among the Preterist. Then you got the full Preterist.

The full Preterist say, everything in Revelation has been completed. Even that part where you see Jesus coming from the sky, yeah, that's all been done. The second coming already happened. We're we're we're in the final phase. That's heresy.

That is heresy. What are you talking about? But they're there. They're there. I've met some.

Then you have another popular view. It's called the idealist view. The idealist don't see anything predictive about the book of Revelation. Nothing here is pointing to something that's going to happen in the future. In fact, what you have here is a very creative and allegorical display of the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

This is a very growing popular notion. So all these things are just really pictures and poetic imagery and really dramatic snapshots of what's already been happening since the beginning of time. And it's meant to this is the the reason why people hold to this view. It's meant to encourage the original readers that, we win in the end. And though there is this cosmic struggle, this spiritual battle, you and I will be triumphant because of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, there is the futurist view. And what does the futurist view hold to? Well, it says, and it takes a more literal approach to the book of Revelation. It honors the plain reading of the text. It's very hesitant to stretch and to allegorize and to spiritualize these passages.

It honors grammatical rules. It looks at the context. It doesn't dismiss the possibility of symbolism and pictures, but it also understands that after chapter four, you have a roadmap for the last days. We hold to that view. That's what we teach.

Now you may hold to a different view, you're welcome here, but that's what you're gonna hear from the pulpit. And remember that my main point, the the number one point out of the three of this section of scripture, this is a very helpful portion to solidify and to back up the futurist interpretation. Why? How do you spiritualize what we just read? Any volunteers?

Not now, please. Don't say anything. But how? Let me give you because I wanted to know. I'm curious.

How do people make sense of this? Well, let me give you a couple of examples. Look back at verse seven. You see how it says here at the last part, a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the grass was burned up. So those who might have a more idealist view of this, remember, this is just a picture of the ongoing struggle between good and evil would say, well, the grass represents people.

And the trees speak of leaders. And they'll go to examples in Daniel and Judges maybe where there are parables that depict leaders as trees. Right? Remember, Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, that tree being chopped down. And some of the Psalms that speaks about men being like grass that wither away and they'll say, yeah, that's what's happening here.

You have people and leaders who are being targeted. And they'll go on to even say here that this is just speaking about an upheaval of the nations and people are just, you know, growing in distress and chaos and Okay. What else? Well, you come down and you see remember this mountain in verse eight, something like a great mountain? Well, they'll say again, mountains in the bible speak of kings and kingdoms.

And so this is not speaking about a literal massive rock that's crashing into the world. This is speaking about a fall of an empire perhaps. And the sea speaks of the world, people. Again, so it's gonna crash into the world, and this is gonna be a restlessness of the nations because of the fall of this great figure. Okay.

What else? Well, do you remember here where it speaks about rivers in verse 10? That there will be a great star that falls from heaven blazing like a torch and it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of water. This is an actual interpretation and some that people hold to. Rivers speak of people moving in the same direction like a river.

Whole peoples who are caught up in one single idea, one philosophy. And the star speaks about this important individual who's going to fall and it's gonna cause not real death like what we see here. It's actually call cause moral death because his influence is no more. He's proven to be false or deceptive. So you're doing origami.

You're really massaging these verses. And my immediate response is just that, it bet it betrays the plain reading of the text. Why would someone interpret the plagues in Egypt as actual literal and then come to this and say, no, no, it's not? Why aren't the plagues in Egypt allegorical? Why don't those things speak of a spiritual message?

More than that, if one dismisses the literal understanding of these passages then they have to be prepared to reject the way Christ explained them as literal. Here are two references. Luke 21 verse 11. Do you remember what Jesus said in his teaching of the last days? Let me remind you in Luke 21 verse 11.

There will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences, and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. That wasn't clear enough. He continues in verse 25 of the same chapter. Luke 21 verse 25. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and on the earth distress of nations and perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves.

People fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Is this is this not clear? Is it not obvious? Is it not plain? This is Jesus teaching about the last days.

Doesn't what we just read in Revelation eight line up with what Jesus said? You have to say yes. Unless Jesus also is being allegorical. That's what some who hold to the other views would have to say. He's not actually talking about the sun and terrors.

He's speaking about the shakings of rulers and governments. Again, I think and I am safe to say that that that really betrays the plain reading. So remember this section in order to reinforce our framework of revelation. This is not yet happened. These are speaking about real calamities that await to happen in the tribulation period.

Number two, these destructive events are sobering reminder of the transient nature of our world. So it's future, no doubt, but it teaches us something powerful today. Did you notice the details here? Right? It was a rapid succession.

The first four trumpets are already blown. And not only that, look how precise this is. A third of these different facets of our planet are going to be impacted. Why? To demonstrate to that generation that these disasters are not coincidental, they're not random, they're divinely directed.

It would persuade those who refuse to suppress the truth. There is something paranormal about this. This is not just random things. This has to come from a being. And that's why this precision is important.

It conveys that message. But listen, That's for that generation. What does it have to say for us now? It tells us just how fickle the resources and the stability of this world is. Does it not?

The globe, we travel across the land, we save up to settle on. All the goods and the experiences that this world tries to sell us, it can all vanish in a moment, and one day it will. Did you know something? Did you know that becoming increasingly convinced of the temporary nature of the physical world is absolutely essential to your holiness and godliness. I didn't make that up.

Peter said it when he taught about the last days. When he talked about these heavenly bodies burning and this world being consumed one day, he said in second Peter three eleven, since all these things are thus to be dissolved. He's talking about the world. What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness? In other words, my conviction that although I can give thanks to Lord for my house and my car and my experiences and all these other things.

I have to understand that they're gonna dissolve one day. And that understand, that filter is necessary for you and I to live holy and godly. I'm reading a book by John Flavel just for me, and it's a book called Keeping the Heart, How to Maintain Your Love for God. And what I tend to do when I read a new book is I have my phone out, and I have my notepad, and I'll write down quotes that stand out to me so that I can revisit them later. Here is one that stood out to me while I was reading it on one of the trains on our trip.

Outward gains are ordinarily attended by inward losses. Outward gains are ordinarily attended by inward losses. How true is that? Very few people including Christians have the spiritual fortitude and discipline to grow in prosperity and be spiritually healthy at the same time. Very few.

It's possible, of course it is. David had it. Abraham had it. It's there. But it's a very powerful temptation.

And one of the ways in which you can loosen that grip is by understanding it's all gonna expire one day. This is gonna expire. This is gonna expire. It's all gonna go. It's all gonna go.

How true is that for the rich young ruler? You remember him. I was meditating on his response to Jesus' invitation to do what? Sell everything you have, give to the poor, you'll have treasure in heaven, come and follow me. Do you remember how he responded?

Mark has a unique perspective. He says in Mark ten twenty two, disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. I thought more possessions was make was supposed to make you happy. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sad, despondent. Why?

Because he had great possessions. How was he supposed to get happy? It was by obeying Christ. If he really wanted to be happy, he would have obeyed what Christ asked of him. Now, what Christ asked of him is not universal.

To be Christianism, you have to sell everything you have and give to the poor. It was an idol in his life. But it's still a wonderful principle because your flesh, if you let it go, and this world that constantly feeds it will say the more you have, the happier you'll be. The newer it is, the better you're gonna feel. No.

No. No. The more you obey, the happier you'll be. The more you understand that the one who made me, died for me, wants to know me. Knowing him, loving him, and serving him is the key to my joy.

And this is a wonderful reminder of how in just a few moments, this world will indeed dissolve. Number three, even an escalating end times judgment, repentance is made possible. Why one third? One third of rivers, one third of the water, one third of the land. Why?

Why not just everything at once? Why not just clean everything up? Because God is providing a window still for mercy. And though that window is closing more and more as we continue in this book, you cannot deny the redemptive goal in even these terrifying manifestations. You know how I know that God has the desire of winning those even in these displays of wrath?

Because we read the first four trumpets in the next chapter, which we'll look at next week, there'll be the fifth and the sixth trumpet. And notice what John says by the spirit about those who remained and how they responded to God. This is our last text. Look at Revelation nine and look at verse 20. Revelation nine twenty, this is after the fifth and the sixth trumpet.

And notice what it said, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Didn't we talk about that in Habakkuk? Verse 21, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. After God was so surgically precise in manifesting his holiness by taking out a third of so much of this world, the people still refuse to acknowledge him as the living God. Can you imagine that's how much sin can have a grip on people's hearts?

That while the world around them is falling apart, they will go with it to their grave. So why is God really shaking this world in this way? Yes. He is ready to return. His kingdom is about to come.

But just before that, he though he is, yes, terrifying this generation. He's doing so to save them. Because you know what's more terrible than what we just read? Hell. Eternal hell.

That's what will follow this. That's what's gonna follow all of this. And so if there is temporary discomfort and tragedy, so be it as long as your soul is saved. So if there's one thing among many that you can take from what we just read, is that God loves. God loves in this?

Yes. After thousands of years, after so much has happened up to this point and people still don't get it, he still leaves a chance. Maybe you're in this place today and you still haven't given your life to Christ. You're healthy, you're a sound in mind, and you might be even prospering in life, and you found yourself in this room. Understand, make no mistake, God is being gracious to you, and he's giving you another chance to give your life to Jesus.

Do you question if you're really saved? I'm not talking about the believers here who are really saved and they doubt their salvation. I'm asking those who have no history with God, no profession of faith, no love for Christ, no appetite for the word, no pursuit of holiness, that's who I'm speaking to. Do you believe what you just heard? And if you don't, do you question your unbelief?

But if something's been happening in your heart in this past fifty minutes, I wanna let you know that that is a special touch from God who is poking you and is trying to get your attention. He does it in many ways. And the age that we're living in now is the age of grace where God has allowed the church to be his voice, the gospel to go across the lands, and that's gonna happen here too. But what we have now, as crazy as this world is, is nothing in comparison to what's gonna come. And the Lord wants to save you.

He wants to forgive you of all your sin. He wants to fill you with his Holy Spirit. He wants to redeem you unto himself. He wants you to spend eternity with him and more than that, he wants to walk with you in this life. He wants to fellowship with you.

Will you reject such an offer? Will you deny the great price that has been paid for your soul? Oh, I beckon you. If you really don't know Christ, that you would understand his great love for you and that today you would surrender completely. Today you would recognize that this book is no ordinary book.

You would understand that the author of this book one day, two thousand years ago, came into this world, took on flesh, and he absorbed God's wrath on your behalf. But he didn't remain on that cross and he didn't stay in that tomb. He conquered death, and he rose, and he ascended. We find him here, the lamb who's breaking the seal, this lamb who is in charge of history. And the same sacrifice, the same savior wants to rule your heart.

You are a terrible god unto yourself. You are a terrible master. Abandon the driver's seat of your soul. Let the one who made you and died for you sit there, and you will know the life that you were created to have. That's my prayer for you.

Let's pray. Father, there's no doubt that there are so many other things that we could have combed through in these verses, but we trust in your wonderful providence that what we have learned together sufficed for this time. And we pray, Lord, that every person here in their faith and trust in you would grow. And we pray that the same seed would save. Lord, take each of us to that place where from time to time you take our breath away.

Open our eyes to who you are so that we can arrive there and enjoy your beauty and glory in your word, in creation, in your acts, in in the testimonies of answered prayer. And, Lord, even now, we believe that you in heaven hear us. Every word and not just these words but the motives behind them, you see it all. We trust that you're the living God and we wanna give you glory. Be glorified in our singing and our response to this, more importantly in our obedience to these truths.

And we do indeed say, come, Lord Jesus, rule and reign, receive your due. We long for it. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Can we stand?