Living With Repentance (Revelation 8:1-9:21)

 Sermon for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC:

Living With Repentance (Revelation 8:1-9:21)

 

On the breaking of the seventh seal, seven trumpets are sounded
which lead to destructions designed to bring about repentance 

A man woke up in the morning deeply repentant after a bitter fight with his wife the previous night. He noticed with dismay the crate of beer bottles that had caused the fight.
He took it outside and started smashing the empty bottles one by one onto the wall.
He smashed the first bottle swearing, "you are the reason I fight with my wife".
He smashed the second bottle, "you are the reason I don't love my children".
He smashed the third bottle, "you are the reason I don't have a decent job".
When he took the fourth bottle, he realized that the bottle was still sealed and was full. He hesitated for only a moment and said "It’s OK. I know you had nothing to do with it." “We’ll talk later.”

 

Today we continue our study of Revelation. The topic is repentance, to make a change in thinking and behavior. Jesus, the Lamb that was slain and yet lives, broke the seals on the scroll in God’s right hand. Today the seventh and final seal is broken. This launches more destruction.

 

With the seventh and final seal broken, seven angels blow seven trumpets bringing more destruction. Commentators vary on how to read Revelation’s visions of divine wrath. Some think of the 7 trumpets to be an echo, a literary repeat of what occurred with the seven seals. For instance, on the fourth trumpet the heavens are once again affected. 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars is struck. How can that be, since the stars fell to the earth and the sky vanished in the breaking of the 6^th seal? This vision paints a picture of God’s action to bring humanity to repentance, to free creation from the grip of evil. As creator God can do with His creation as He so chooses. Humanity is helpless to defend against such power.

 

I recently watched the new Fantastic Four movie. A world ending cosmic being threatens the earth, but they were able to save it. But in John’s vision, humanity has no power against the wrath of God. Or do they?

 

Even with the prophesied terrible Day of Wrath, there is something humanity can do. Repent. Turn away from sin and turn toward God in joyful obedience. The prophet Joel prophesied doom for Israel, but urged them to repent.

 

Yet even now, says the Lord,
    return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
    and relenting from punishment.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent
    and leave a blessing behind him (Joel 2:12-14a)

 

Much of what is in John’s vision has been prophesied before in the Old Testament. In fact, much of what happens with the 7 trumpets is an echo of several Old Testament stories, like the plagues of Egypt, the fall of Jericho and the prophecies of Joel.

 

There is only one other place in the Bible where seven trumpets are mentioned. That is the story of the Fall of Jericho in the book of Joshua.

Jericho is the first fortified city Israel conquers. God instructs them to do so in a very unusual way. They are to march around the city, for 7 days, blowing trumpets. On the 7^th day, they marched around the city 7 times. The priests blew seven trumpets. The multitude of Israel shouted with all their might and the walls of Jericho fell to the ground.

 

 

In John’s heavenly vision, the angels blow their seven trumpets. The wall between the earth and heaven is breached. And so begins the conquest of the old order, our sin corrupted, fallen world. Epic storytelling, right? Where’s the popcorn?

 

Trumpets have a long history in Israel. They were used to rally troops to assemble for battle. Trumpets were used to call Israel to worship. At every new moon, trumpets announced a sabbath day of rest and feasting. Trumpets sounded to announce the coronation of the new king in Jerusalem. There is even a Feast of Trumpets that starts Israel’s fall season of high holy days.

 

On the first day of the seventh month on the Hebrew religious calendar, Moses commanded a sabbath rest and the blowing of trumpets. This year, the Feast of Trumpets began at sunset last Monday, September 22^nd. The trumpets announce a ten day period of spiritual preparation for Israel’s highest holy day, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when the nation’s sins are forgiven. The trumpet sounding is a call to repentance.

 

Rosh Hashanah coincides with the Feast of Trumpets marking the beginning of the civil calendar. Five days after The Day of Atonement is The Festival of Booths, or Sukkot, celebrating the end of the summer harvest of fruit. Sukkot also celebrates the gift of the Law at Sinai. Living in tents or lean-tos during the festival, repentant Jewish families read the entirety of Torah. Freshly forgiven, they begin the new year reading the covenant law of God by which they are committed to live.

 

The blowing of the seven trumpets, in John’s vision, is a call to repentance, a call to conquest, and the announcement of a new king. With each blow of the trumpet a different part of earth is affected in the conquest of the old order. When the 7^th seal is broken, heaven experiences ½ hour of silence. Zephaniah 1:7 says, “Be silent before the sovereign Lord, for the Day of the Lord is near…”

 

Before the first trumpet blows, an angel takes fire from the altar of sacrifice in heaven and takes incense from the golden altar of incense that lifts the prayers of the saints before God upon the throne.

The angel fills a hot censer with the incense and throws the smoking censer down to earth. The action seems violent, but it is symbolic of God answering the prayers of the saints. Remember when the 5^th seal was broken, John saw a vision of martyrs under the sacrificial altar in heaven. They asked the Lord, “How long before you avenge our deaths upon the earth?” The censer filled with the prayers of the Church is cast down to earth with lightning and thunder and the earth shakes. It is God’s answer to their cries for justice and deliverance from the evils of this world. The thrown censer is a cleansing fire, a fire that brings holiness, justice, and righteousness to the earth.

 

The blowing of the 7 trumpets can be understood as God undoing his creation. The trumpets follow a similar pattern as the days of creation in Genesis 1. The 1^st trumpet brings destruction to the land and plant life, which were created on day 3. The sea and sea creatures are attacked next, which were made on day 5. The sun, moon and stars are attacked with the 4^th trumpet, which were made on the 4^th day. Humans were the last to be created on the 6^th day of creation. Humanity is attacked with  the 5^th and 6^th trumpets.

 

1^st Trumpet – earth, grass and trees burn. The hail and fire and blood ought to remind us of the plagues of Egypt. The 7^th plague of Egypt was hail and fire. The hail killed people and livestock and decimated crops and orchards. In similar fashion, the first trumpet brings doom destroying 1/3 of plant life. Why only 1/3? Mercy! God is leaving room for repentance.

 

2^nd Trumpet – attack on the sea. The 1/3 of sea became blood. We remember the first plague of Egypt was turning the Nile River to blood. 1/3 of sea creatures died and 1/3 of ships on the waters sank.

 

3^rd Trumpet – fresh water becomes poisonous. It’s the opposite of what happened in Exodus 15, when the Israelites came upon an oasis with bitter water that they could not drink. They complained of thirst. God showed Moses a branch to cast into the water and it became sweet. Christ Jesus is that righteous branch that turns the bitterness of life sweet. In this vision of the third trumpet, God is making 1/3 of drinking water bitter. Why only 1/3? Mercy. God is giving room for repentance.

 

4^th Trumpet – attack on the heavens. The sun, moon, and stars are darkened 1/3 of the day and night. This should remind us of the 9^th plague of darkness upon Egypt. But even then, Pharoah hardened his heart and would not set Israel free.

 

And eagle cries out “Woe!” three times above the earth, announcing the sad trouble coming from the 5^th, 6^th and 7^th trumpet sounding.

 

5^th Trumpet – the underworld is set loose. Smoke rose from the abyss, the bottomless pit, bringing unimaginable horrors. Out of the billowing smoke, come bizarre locusts commanded to torment humanity for 5 months. They are commanded by Abaddon, the Destroyer, the King of the Abyss. He’s like the Angel of Death who commands legions of demonic locusts. They have golden crowns on their human-like heads. The crowns imply the authority they have from God to torment the earth. They bear the face of a man, implying cunning. They have long hair like a woman. The Greek Spartans were fierce warriors known for long hair. Sampson, the strong man who served as judge for Israel, had his strength in his long hair. I think the long hair points to strength and warrior like power. They have the teeth of a lion, a ferocious sight, giving them the ability to bite and tear flesh. They wore iron breastplates, making them unstoppable. And they had scorpion-like tails to inflict pain. 

During this plague God makes a distinction between the unrepentant and those marked with God’s seal. God made such a distinction during the plague of darkness in Egypt. Egyptians suffered terrible darkness, while the Hebrews lived in light. (Exodus 10:23) God’s people are protected.

 

Some have tried to draw connections with military aircraft in the vision of these bizarre locust, stating that John had no context for what he was being shown. But that’s us reading ourselves into the vision. The vision is meant to remind us of the plagues of the Exodus, when God defeated the gods of Egypt, Pharaoh, and his charioteers. In Revelation, God is up against the powers of evil, sending plagues upon the earth to break evil’s hold on the world.  

The 6^th trumpet seal releases a vast army, 200 million strong. Their horses breathe fire, smoke and sulfur bring burning destruction. The tails of horses are poisonous snakes. 1/3 of humanity are killed by this horrendous army. The imagery is inspired by Joel’s prophecy. (Joel 2)

 

But even after all this, the people do not repent. They continue in idolatrous lives, seeking the pleasures of the flesh, immoral behavior, communing with demons, practicing sorcery and magic, and committing thievery. Just as Pharaoh's heart remained hard, so do the hearts of the people of this fallen world. Evil will not let go so easily.

 

Nevertheless, the seventh trumpet will soon blow, and victory will be announced, “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever. Amen!

 

The seventh trumpet announces the new king, Jesus Christ, and a new beginning of a new era when evil is utterly vanquished, never to return. Jews, and Messianic Hebrews who believe Jesus is the Messiah, believe that Messiah will come during Rosh Hashanah at the blowing of the trumpets.

 

Whenever Christ returns, we are called to be ready at all times by continuing to be faithful. The trumpet calls us to repentance, to turn away from the sinful charms of this world and turn in obedience toward your coming King.

 

May our hearts long for the day and let us work to speed its coming by continuing to witness to the gospel, bringing hope, compassionate care, and righteous acts of justice.