LISTEN! Revelation 8 Complete Jewish Bible 8 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven shofars.
The Seven Trumpets
You weren’t expecting it…
never-the-less, the sound of the coming Wrath of the LORD is come!
OR
You listened to those who predicted it, yet the Wrath of the LORD was not revealed.
So since it’s been millennia and the END has not come, it will not …
or so you thought.
Apocalypse of the END
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
Mark 13:33 – Caution of the Messiah Jesus to followers
For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
Gospel of Mark 13:19 NKJV
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY..
Looking for the coming of the Kingdom of all Righteousness?
Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand, And it will come as destruction from Shaddai.
Joel 1:15 Masoretic text, Hebrew Names Version
Like the Prophets before, Jesus also warned that it will come;
but do not hope for it as a solution to your own woes.
Almighty God is so HOLYand separated from the earth, even above the heavens as we observe — that mankind can hardly visualize John’s revelation through Jesus Christ, the risen Lamb of God and also the Lion of Judah!
Jesus, Son of Man and Son of the Father had warned disciples of those who would make false claims after His Sacrifice for sins on the Cross. Yet John, the Apostles and many more disciples had witnessed the truth of His resurrection and obeyed the Lord’s instructions to faithfulness until He will come again.
22 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect..
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
Apocalypse + The Risen Jesus Reveals The End
We have introduced the mystery of Revelation and the Apocalypse the Lord reveals through John. Today John takes us UP into the scene of Heaven before the Throne of GOD!
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”
But no one in heaven, on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it…
..behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
.. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Revelation 5:13b NASB
scene ii – at the Throne
Man, born of dust in the image of Almighty God
and given the spirit of life from Him,
cannot comprehend that from which creation is separated.
And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
I’m not invoking a phrase of cursing here, rather I call on the saints who hold fast to Jesus Christ to continue in faith. This is no new calling out in times of difficulty or anticipated times of trouble. We anticipate tribulation in the world.
Solomon may have come up with this calming wisdom for some new year [about 2900 years ago]:
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. – Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT
We begin this new year of expectant change by those with troubling temperaments leading us into the unknown. Certainly Rome ruled with a harsh hand. When the Messiah Jesus knew that His drama of suffering was imminent, the Lord offered true hope to His followers.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away…
Jesus is not speaking to non-believers here, but to those followers, saints of the church. In fact, our Lord adds a vaguely familiar motive for these troubles ahead.
“… Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
The world sees and overlooks routine persecution in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and in the slums of our rich cities. (Nothing new under the sun.)
[ctt title=”The world remotely headlines the very sufferings, persecution, expulsion and genocide of many who refuse to bow down to idol false gods and violent dead prophets.” tweet=”We pray for persecuted Christians, Jews and Muslims of the wrong sect in places controlled by hopeless men.” coverup=”2IbK7″]
Tribulation Defined
South Sudan Nov. 2015
Oxford defines tribulation (usually tribulations) as: 1 A cause of great trouble or suffering or 1.1 A state of great trouble or suffering.
A look into the Greek root of Jesus’ word used here is more revealing.
Photos of war and refugees define our present pressing in of evil. Distant news reveals affliction all too well, therefore the world’s loss of hope leads us to believe we cannot have peace – ever.
Think about it: Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, offends those who deny God and perpetrate evil.
[ctt title=”Followers of causes opposed to the LORD most often claim false gods, false traditions and false men offering false hope.” tweet=”GOD offends the godless!” coverup=”IbtST”]
Life’s evils do and will again repeat themselves.
“But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
– John 16:4”
Tribulations define a pressing in of sin by a fallen world opposed to God.
When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. – Deuteronomy 4:20
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. – Matthew 24:9
Yes, Jesus, the incarnate Messiah of the LORD God, is hated by all nations, because the world hates the LORD. Tribulations for Christians and others will continue in the 21st century, as in the 20th and the first centuries. History of the church reveals the truth of Jesus’ warnings to followers. We do not have to look far to see those who refuse the Holy Spirit of the LORD God.
… they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city… they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples.
… encouraging them to continue in the faith,
and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
The Pressing In
As we anticipate the inevitable tribulation of this upcoming year, Christians would do well to heed the cheery advice of our Lord. Jesus has overcome the world and its troubles; therefore in Him we can have peace in our hearts.
We have Gospel good news! God came to man in His own Perfect Image as a living perfect sacrifice for our sins. After Jesus returned to God the Father He sent the Holy Spirit of God to be with those who love the LORD.
8 And when he [the Helper] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Christians and non-christians alike experience sin pressing in. Judgment, therefore, awaits every living soul and each deceased failed body of mortal flesh.
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy…
… but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
29 His disciples said… “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus answered them..
[And the Lord answers us as we anticipate with some trepidation of the year to come.]
“Do you now believe?
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered…
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation,
that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
Beloved believer, cheer up; for Christ our saving hope from tribulation, from death and from judgment returns for those who love the Lord – for the chosen ones, saints for all time, this year and forever.
“… Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
