This is divine mercy.

Secondly:  God sends judgments upon people when their wicked acts take them beyond redeeming love.  It is important to understand that there is a point of No return where divine mercy is no longer available.  It can be called the point of no return, the unpardonable sin or the close of probation (mercy). A person, city, nation and even earth itself can commit the unpardonable sin!  When this point is reached, destruction follows.

Consider this interesting verse from Revelation 16:5,6: “Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: ‘You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.’”

The context of this verse is found during the seven last plagues that are yet future. In this text, an angel has just poured out one of the seven last plagues upon earth.  More will be said about these horrible plagues later; but for now, it is important to notice that the angels, impartial observers of human conduct, declare God to be true and righteous for having punished humans in this manner! “Here is divine justice,” the third angel exclaims. We ask, “How can this be?” The balance between divine mercy and divine justice is divine love.

This is a hard thing to understand at times.  How can God be all-merciful, all forgiving, and yet be able to execute punishment?

Review the reasons for judgments

Judgments are not pleasurable acts to God.  The Bible calls them, “His strange work.”  See Isaiah 28:21 Why then does He send them?  God sends punishments upon people or nations for a least two reasons:

First:  He tries to bring evildoers to repentance through warnings.  But if the warnings go unheeded, He sends destruction to sober evildoers.  If they defiantly refuse to turn from their evil, a point is finally reached where mercy is no longer meaningful.  In fact, extended mercy only allows evil, violence and suffering to needlessly continue.

Some argue that God of the Old Testament is not the same God described in the New Testament.  This is not true!  Jesus is always the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow (See Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 1:10-12). He is longsuffering, yet, as in the eviction of Satan and his angels from heaven, (Ezekiel 28:14-17, Revelation 12:7-9) Jesus has clearly demonstrated that even in heaven there is a point of where mercy becomes meaningless and justice must prevail.

As said earlier, Satan would have us misunderstand God’s love.  He would have us picture God as either a vengeful tyrant that zaps those who disagree with Him or a God that does not concern Himself with our sins.  Either concept is wrong.  The first concept is the foundation of the doctrine of an eternally burning hell.  The second concept is the basis for amoral and decadent behavior.  Those who understand that they will meet their Maker and have to give account for their deeds are careful with their actions!

Secondly:  God sends judgments upon earth to get man’s attention.  People forget God.  They forget He owns the universe.  We can forget that God means exactly what He says.  Satan leads the world to distort or magnify God’s patience incorrectly.  His long-suffering is taken for granted and sinners become bold in their acts of sin (see Ecclesiastes 8:11 and Zephaniah 1:12).  We may forget or even deny that judgments and justice eventually come, but the Bible record is not obscure on this matter. The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jericho, and the people who lived before the Flood prove that God rises up when sin reaches an intolerable level.

The tribulation begins with opening of the fourth seal.

Revelation clearly predicts and describes the coming events that comprise the great tribulation.  Jesus spoke to his disciples about the magnitude of these judgments at the end of the world.  He said, “For there shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21 The time of trouble grows with intensity too.  When the seven last plagues occur, it is tribulation beyond our comprehension.  Daniel says, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.”  Daniel 12:1

Revelation clearly predicts and describes the coming events that comprise the great tribulation.  We are not left to guess what the trouble is or why it comes.  As you can now understand, global trouble begins with the opening of the fourth seal.

The seven trumpets

Revelation does not leave us in darkness wondering how the final events occur!  The total destruction caused under the fourth seal amounts to a total of fourteen events.  These events are described as seven trumpets (or seven first plagues) and seven last plagues.  Each plague has a special meaning.

The seven seals reveal who Jesus really is. The seven trumpets awaken the world to its need of Jesus and the everlasting gospel tells how to receive Jesus and avoid the mark of the beast!

A time of wrath

Before we look at the contents of the seven trumpets, we need to understand that the time period following the opening of the fourth seal until the arrival of Jesus in the sixth seal is appropriately called, “a time of wrath.”  Remember Gabriel’s visit with Daniel?  Review what Gabriel said, “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.”  Daniel 8:19 On a later visit with Daniel, Gabriel told Daniel that Satan would appear in person upon the earth!  He said, “The king (Satan) will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.”  Daniel 11:36

The time of wrath is mentioned twice in Daniel’s vision and John saw it too!  Compare Daniel’s verses above with Revelation’s 15:1 John says, “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues – last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.”  In other words, God’s wrath is completed or fulfilled during the seven last plagues!

Study the chart and notice that the trumpets mark a time period of redemptive judgments because mercy is mixed with them. This underscores the purpose of the trumpets to awaken and arose people to the sinfulness of their course, and to prepare them for the close of mercy.

Back to the sanctuary and the Day of Atonement

The time period of the seven trumpets marks the judgment of the living.  We have studied the importance of the Day of Atonement in the wilderness.  The Day of Atonement was the most important day in the Jewish year for the 10^th day of the 7^th month marked the close of Israel’s judgment for that year.

To warn the Jews of the final and most important day of the year, the Feast of Trumpets began nine days earlier – on the first day of the seventh month (See Leviticus 23:24). Each day, according to the Talmud, trumpets sounded throughout the camp announcing the closing of mercy.  On the tenth day, the actual Day of Atonement, the trumpets blasted throughout the land (see Leviticus 25:9) to signify that probation had ended.

The close of judgment was not a surprise in the wilderness and neither will it be a surprise to those living upon earth. In fact, Jesus is desirous that the close of probation come upon earth with ample warning so that all necessary preparations can be made by any desiring eternal life!

A clarion call

The Bible uses the trumpet as a symbol of warning or announcement. Notice the following references:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand,” Joel 2:1

“I appointed watchman over you and said ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.” Jeremiah 6:17,19

“If anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head.”  Ezekiel 33:4

When Jesus returns, He will use the trumpet to announce His appearing! “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed.” I Corinthians 15:52

Since ancient times, the trumpet has not only been an instrument of music, it has been a means of communication.  For example, generals in battle directed their armies with trumpets.  The trumpet was ideal because its penetrating sound could rise above the din of war or pierce the dark of night.  Night watchman was required to sound the trumpet if the enemy approached. Specific tunes were used to indicate assignment and signals. The apostle Paul says: “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, which will get ready for battle?” (I Corinthians 14:8)

So it will be. The sounding of the seven trumpets will be a clarion call. The seven trumpets of Revelation are symbols of warning or announcement. Their purpose is to awaken the world with the fact that Jesus is about ready to appear. Their message is “Get ready! Get ready! Get ready!” Since the trumpet is the loudest of all musical instruments and the number seven is usually considered to be a full or comprehensive number, these trumpets have global application.  After all, God wants to awaken and arouse all the people of Earth that Jesus is coming back to Earth to gather up those whose names are written in the book of life!

What takes place as each trumpet sounds?

1.      Hail and fire mixed with blood. A third of the earth, trees, and green grass are burned up.
Revelation 8:7

2.      A third of the sea is turned to blood, a third of the sea creature’s die, and a third of the ships are destroyed.
Revelation 8:8,9

3.      A third of the rivers and the springs of waters turn bitter, and many people die from the waters. The name of the plague is “Wormwood” or bitterness.
Revelation 8:10,11

4.      One third of the sun, moon and stars are struck, and they turn dark. A third of the day will be without light, also a third of the night.
Revelation 8:12

5.      The angel king of the bottomless pit is let out. He brings a terrible affliction for five months upon those who rebel against God. The torment is so bad that, “men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.”
See Revelation 9:1-12

6.      Satan conducts a great war to conquer the world. Four angels at the great river Euphrates are released to kill a third of mankind.  The number of troops will be myriads.  These angels had been kept ready for this very hour, day, month and year! 
Revelation 9: 13-19

7.      Jesus concludes His special work in the heavenly sanctuary. There is an earthquake, lighting, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great hailstorm. 
Revelation 11:15-19

The fourth seal opens and the first trumpet sounds

Jesus opens the fourth seal and initiates the great tribulation upon the world by sounding the trumpets.  These warnings plagues fall in response to our unrestrained evil and hardness of heart. “Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us?  What wrong have we done?  What sin have we committed against the lord our God? ‘(Your) houses are full of deceit; (you) have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek.  (Your) evil deeds have no limit.”  Jeremiah 16:10; 5:27,28

Thus the opening of the fourth seal will attract the attention of everyone on earth that God’s wrath has broken upon earth.  These trumpets plagues are not man-made rather; these will be rightly called, “Acts of God” and will be correctly recognized as such.  As in the days of Pharaoh, God says the world will know, “I am the Lord that do these things.” See Exodus 7:5

Summary

From the Bible we have seen that Jesus has sent judgments upon the world in times past. Judgments from heaven come with warning.  Jesus uses the judgments to awaken and arose people with the sinfulness of their course. His judgments can be redemptive or punitive. They can be a means of salvation or a means of destruction.

The opening of the fourth seal marks the beginning of the tribulation that is coming upon the earth.  At the close of mercy, an even greater tribulation comes upon the earth in the form of seven last plagues.  Daniel 12:1

Our next lesson will closely investigate each of the seven trumpets.  The effects will be worldwide.  The awakening will be unlike anything ever seen on earth.  The people of earth will be awakened to hear a very sobering message!

Quiz

1. What is the strongest evidence that the fourth seal hasn’t opened yet?

2. Give an example of corporate punishment.

3. Name three of the seven religious systems of the world.

4. Can works save man? Can assuming he is saved save man?

5. Why is Jesus going to send seven trumpets?

Memory Verse: Micah 6:8 “O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Notes:

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