December 8, 2022

God Isn't Fair . . . and That's a Good Thing.

Revelation 8–9

Hugh Lyndon Stephenson
Thursday's Devo

December 8, 2022

Thursday's Devo

December 8, 2022

Central Truth

God isn't fair . . . and that's a good thing.

Key Verse | Revelation 9:20-21

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, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 8–9

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

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. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, 1 8:5 Or voices, or sounds flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Seven Trumpets

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, 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 the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 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. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. 2 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

12 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.

13 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 blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

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. 3 9:1 Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11 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. 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.

In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' 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. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. 4 9:11 Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer

12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire 5 9:17 Greek hyacinth and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 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.

20 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, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes

[1] 8:5 Or voices, or sounds
[2] 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it
[3] 9:1 Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11
[4] 9:11 Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer
[5] 9:17 Greek hyacinth

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Dive Deeper | Revelation 8–9

We are either born again or dead in our sin. GOOD NEWS! God created us, loves us, wants us to know Him, and has a plan and purpose for us. One day, evil will be dealt with for eternity, and all believers will be with Him.  

Welcome to Revelation 8 & 9!

There is so much in this complicated passage, so I want to offer some ideas that might help you read and more easily understand. 

Strong recommendation: Use a good study Bible! 

Revelation explains how God will deal with evil once and for all. As such, it reflects the standard questions of world-view analysis:

1. How did we get here?

2. What happened?

3. What is the resolution?

4. How does it wind up?

The entire book conveys the sovereignty and supremacy of God. Note the repeated events that can only be understood as supernatural in origin. 

Sometimes God uses images, metaphors, and similes when figurative language will be the best way to convey parts of His message. Make sure to use the study Bible notes as an aid to understanding the literal versus the symbolic.  

A key theme is mercy. Note how the judgments, while progressive, always allow for mercy. The purpose is to allow time for repentance—time people don't deserve (2 Peter 3:9). Eventually, time will run out. Until then, God gives us chance after chance.  

Pay attention to the effect of prayers! Not box-checking. Prayers being heard have an impact on events.

Is God fair? Absolutely not. The very definition of mercy is NOT getting what we deserve. See Psalm 103:1, 8; 73:17; 32:7, 10. See also “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

Look for places where evil is restrained. Since Genesis 3:15 God has restrained what Satan can do. Look for places in Revelation where evil is restrained. Then compare those instances to what happens when the restraints slowly come off as the book progresses.  

When He chooses, God will use evil to fight evil. Look for examples of Satan's circular firing squad. 

For extra credit and to enhance your understanding of Revelation, refer to the books of Daniel and Zechariah and study the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Discussion Questions

1. Watch the Bible Project video on Revelation. What takeaways would you add? How about after reading the Got Questions summary of Revelation?

2. What's behind the use of the number 7? How does that relate to the use of seals and trumpets? Follow the hyperlinks to better answer this question!

3. How would you link the Olivet Discourse and Zechariah to this passage and to Revelation as a whole?

4. If you want to dive deeper into Revelation, check out this study guide or listen to this series of messages (scroll down to the first item listed for Tommy Nelson's complete sermon notes; then the succeeding messages begin his series on Revelation—note that he starts with an understanding the book of Daniel, a important thought for all who wish to study Revelation!).