1 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,280 I wonder how much you value silence. 2 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:21,440 For some, the idea of quietness in your homes is bliss, 3 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:24,800 while for others it is frightening. 4 00:00:25,610 --> 00:00:30,090 There are people who always have to have a TV or radio on, and 5 00:00:30,090 --> 00:00:33,570 then there are those who simply turn everything off and have 6 00:00:33,570 --> 00:00:34,970 no noise whatsoever. 7 00:00:35,530 --> 00:00:39,130 There are those of us who need some sort of noise, be it music or 8 00:00:39,130 --> 00:00:44,010 the radio or some other sound to help us fall asleep, while others 9 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:46,970 can't sleep if there's any noise whatsoever. 10 00:00:47,930 --> 00:00:51,730 And when it comes to valuing silence, we will each view it in 11 00:00:51,730 --> 00:00:56,680 different ways, with some of us loving it and others fearing it. 12 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:03,840 And as I've been thinking about what Revelation 8 says about 13 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,960 the silence in heaven, for 30 minutes or for about half an hour, 14 00:01:08,999 --> 00:01:13,640 I couldn't get out of my head a song that I remember it was written 15 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,720 a long time before I was born, but it must have had a bit of a resurgence 16 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,240 in the late 90s, because then I remembered it. 17 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:28,520 In 1964, Simon and Garfunkel released their song Sound of Silence. 18 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,840 Now, it's a song with a haunting melody and focuses on the 19 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:40,040 alienation, failed communication and the spiritual emptiness 20 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,120 in modern society. 21 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:45,400 And that's from 1964. 22 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:46,920 So think back. 23 00:01:47,730 --> 00:01:52,650 Think back to the 60s and to the 70s and to the cultural, or the 24 00:01:52,650 --> 00:01:55,650 supposed cultural revolution that there was. 25 00:01:56,770 --> 00:02:00,290 Well, what was the anthem of that cultural revolution? 26 00:02:01,650 --> 00:02:08,410 It was the sound of silence, where society thought it was charting 27 00:02:08,410 --> 00:02:09,250 its own path. 28 00:02:09,250 --> 00:02:13,930 It was doing away with what it saw as the shackles of institutionalized 29 00:02:13,930 --> 00:02:19,540 religion and as society embraced its brave new world. 30 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:23,780 It was a silent world because there was greater alienation. 31 00:02:24,820 --> 00:02:28,700 People simply weren't talking to each other and there was a spiritual 32 00:02:28,700 --> 00:02:29,140 emptiness. 33 00:02:31,060 --> 00:02:35,700 Fast forward 50 years and is it any different? 34 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:44,830 This song was number one in America, Japan and South Africa, 35 00:02:45,710 --> 00:02:51,630 countries all facing some sort of standing on the brink of a change 36 00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:53,390 and shift in society. 37 00:02:53,710 --> 00:02:56,190 In the UK it only managed to reach number 13. 38 00:02:56,270 --> 00:02:59,550 So I don't know if that says anything about us here, but it was 39 00:02:59,550 --> 00:03:02,270 a sombre look at society then. 40 00:03:02,270 --> 00:03:06,030 And it is a commentary on the digital age that we live now. 41 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:12,040 Because can't we too be like the culture of the 60s and 70s to 42 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,600 get lost in our own thoughts, to not engage with those around us 43 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,800 and simply get sucked into a six inch screen in our hand that 44 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,400 all we have to do is look at it because it moves on itself for 45 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:25,720 us. 46 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,240 We don't even quite literally have to lift a finger. 47 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,360 Now, whenever you think of that, and I would encourage you to 48 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,560 look at those words of that song, the sound of Silence, because 49 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,400 it really is very telling of the silence society feels and how 50 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,880 damaging that silence is. 51 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:52,440 But how different is that from walking into a concert hall that 52 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,560 maybe seats a couple of thousand people and, you know, the 53 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,760 chitter chatter, and maybe you hear the orchestra tuning up, be 54 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,560 it a pantomime or be it a concert or be it something else. 55 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,820 You get that sense of expectation. 56 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:11,740 But there's an even greater moment, probably only 10 or 20 seconds, 57 00:04:11,740 --> 00:04:13,140 where there is complete silence. 58 00:04:13,860 --> 00:04:19,340 The orchestra falls silent, the lights go dim, and as the audience, 59 00:04:19,340 --> 00:04:23,820 you have anticipation of the curtain being pulled back so that 60 00:04:23,820 --> 00:04:28,180 whatever you have come to see can begin, that you may enjoy it 61 00:04:30,180 --> 00:04:32,660 and you're with others who will enjoy it too. 62 00:04:34,670 --> 00:04:39,230 See, silence can be something that's full of fear, but silence 63 00:04:39,230 --> 00:04:42,990 can be a wonderful anticipation of what's to come. 64 00:04:43,790 --> 00:04:48,030 And as we begin chapter eight of Revelation, we see in heaven once 65 00:04:48,030 --> 00:04:52,030 again as a curtain is pulled back, and that curtain is pulled 66 00:04:52,030 --> 00:04:57,110 back further for us to see a scene of silence as the seventh seal 67 00:04:57,110 --> 00:04:57,950 is opened. 68 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,800 Now, the seven seals were introduced to us in chapter six, 69 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,680 with six of them being opened in that chapter. 70 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,400 And by way of reminder, here's a table that I showed a few weeks 71 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,800 ago that helps us see what these seals are. 72 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,800 Seal one was a white horse that spoke of war and Dominion. 73 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,440 Seal 2 was a red horse talking of strife. 74 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,560 Seal 3 was a black horse of famine. 75 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,040 Seal 4, a pale horse of rampant death. 76 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:26,480 So that was the catastrophe or the tribulation that was going to 77 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:27,600 come on the earth. 78 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,640 Seal five was the souls of the martyrs where we hear their cry for 79 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,760 justice and their call for patience. 80 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,040 And that's what we're going to see again in chapter eight in these 81 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:38,480 verses. 82 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,800 Then seal six was the final earthquake where the present creation 83 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:44,000 comes to an end. 84 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,640 And so what these seals did as they were opened, they give us an 85 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,200 insight into what these last days are. 86 00:05:52,350 --> 00:05:55,830 Because in these last days since Jesus, we have seen war and 87 00:05:55,830 --> 00:05:58,270 dominion as empires have risen and fallen. 88 00:05:58,590 --> 00:06:02,750 We have seen strife, we've seen conflict, we've seen famine, 89 00:06:03,150 --> 00:06:05,310 and we've seen rampant death. 90 00:06:07,550 --> 00:06:11,470 And is there a cry from the souls of the martyrs? 91 00:06:12,270 --> 00:06:15,190 Well, there's certainly a cry from the persecuted church that is 92 00:06:15,190 --> 00:06:17,300 facing martyrdom because of their faith. 93 00:06:18,010 --> 00:06:20,890 A cry for justice of how long, O Lord. 94 00:06:21,690 --> 00:06:26,690 That is a cry that echoes today in the real voices from the 95 00:06:26,690 --> 00:06:31,930 real lives of God's people who are suffering for their faith and 96 00:06:31,930 --> 00:06:32,650 what will become. 97 00:06:33,369 --> 00:06:37,890 Well, the present creation comes to an end to usher in the new 98 00:06:37,890 --> 00:06:42,490 heaven and the new earth that indeed God's people, as we saw last 99 00:06:42,490 --> 00:06:46,750 week, who are sealed by the name of Christ, will enter in and 100 00:06:46,750 --> 00:06:47,550 know joy. 101 00:06:47,790 --> 00:06:51,670 And chapter seven was that interruption in the opening of these 102 00:06:51,670 --> 00:06:52,110 seals. 103 00:06:53,150 --> 00:06:57,510 We ended with Seal 6 and that earthquake and that judgment of the 104 00:06:57,510 --> 00:06:57,870 Lord. 105 00:06:57,870 --> 00:07:00,910 And then there was a pause so that we could see what did the judgment 106 00:07:00,910 --> 00:07:01,630 usher in. 107 00:07:01,630 --> 00:07:06,510 And it ushered us into the throne room of God with 144,000 there 108 00:07:06,750 --> 00:07:10,710 from all nations, tribes and tongues, bringing together the church 109 00:07:10,710 --> 00:07:13,710 of the Old Testament and the church in the New Testament, while 110 00:07:13,710 --> 00:07:17,690 presenting a number of infinite value of 10 by 10, 10 by 111 00:07:17,690 --> 00:07:18,010 10. 112 00:07:18,970 --> 00:07:22,490 And verse nine of chapter seven confirmed that this indeed 113 00:07:22,490 --> 00:07:26,530 was a great multitude, not 144,000 literally, because we're 114 00:07:26,530 --> 00:07:29,130 then told that it was a multitude that no one could count, 115 00:07:29,290 --> 00:07:30,770 so there's no number on it. 116 00:07:30,770 --> 00:07:34,210 And after this, says John, I looked and behold a great multitude 117 00:07:34,210 --> 00:07:38,330 that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and 118 00:07:38,330 --> 00:07:41,530 peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before 119 00:07:41,530 --> 00:07:46,300 the Lamb, clothed in white robes with with palm branches in 120 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:47,300 their hands. 121 00:07:48,260 --> 00:07:52,300 And so from our perspective, it appears that heaven is filled 122 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:56,180 with the redeemed, those who have the mark of Christ on them. 123 00:07:56,820 --> 00:08:00,020 And as chapter seven concluded, we heard the praise of 124 00:08:00,020 --> 00:08:03,460 heaven and the joy of being in the presence of God. 125 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:12,050 But John looks now and he sees the seventh seal opened by the Lamb. 126 00:08:12,530 --> 00:08:16,450 And he describes it like this in verse one of chapter eight. 127 00:08:17,170 --> 00:08:22,770 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in 128 00:08:22,770 --> 00:08:26,850 heaven for about half an hour. 129 00:08:27,810 --> 00:08:33,170 As the Lamb opens the last seal, there is immediate silence 130 00:08:33,250 --> 00:08:33,970 in heaven. 131 00:08:34,050 --> 00:08:37,690 And our human minds perhaps can't comprehend how this praise 132 00:08:37,690 --> 00:08:40,730 that we've seen in chapter seven of all nations, tribes and 133 00:08:40,730 --> 00:08:43,050 tongues could instantly becomes silent. 134 00:08:43,770 --> 00:08:44,490 Yet it does. 135 00:08:44,490 --> 00:08:48,330 And so we have to ask ourselves, what is this silence for? 136 00:08:49,130 --> 00:08:54,050 Well, in the Old Testament, we see silence before God acts in judgment. 137 00:08:54,050 --> 00:08:57,890 For example, In Habakkuk chapter 2, in verse 20, the minor 138 00:08:57,890 --> 00:09:00,890 prophet as the people are being judged for their worship of 139 00:09:00,890 --> 00:09:04,770 false idols, the Lord says through his prophet, but the Lord 140 00:09:04,770 --> 00:09:06,010 in his holy temple. 141 00:09:06,490 --> 00:09:08,330 But the Lord is in his holy temple. 142 00:09:08,330 --> 00:09:12,730 Let all the earth keep silent before him as they await his judgment 143 00:09:12,730 --> 00:09:14,890 on them for their false worship. 144 00:09:14,970 --> 00:09:18,530 And in Zephaniah, another Minor Prophet, chapter 1, verse 7, 145 00:09:18,530 --> 00:09:21,930 Zephaniah warns the people that the day of the Lord is near, 146 00:09:21,930 --> 00:09:23,210 and that is a day of judgment. 147 00:09:23,210 --> 00:09:26,690 As he says, be silent before the Lord God, for the day of the 148 00:09:26,690 --> 00:09:27,690 Lord is near. 149 00:09:27,850 --> 00:09:32,170 The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. 150 00:09:33,050 --> 00:09:36,860 The only way that a sacrifice and consecration of guests can happen 151 00:09:36,860 --> 00:09:38,100 is by judgment. 152 00:09:39,060 --> 00:09:43,740 And so in the Old Testament, again, nothing new in revelation, 153 00:09:43,740 --> 00:09:46,780 we look back in scripture for what God has already told us. 154 00:09:46,780 --> 00:09:50,220 So how we understand the importance of this silence is there 155 00:09:50,220 --> 00:09:52,020 is judgment about to happen. 156 00:09:52,820 --> 00:09:56,540 And American commentators have described this silence to the kind 157 00:09:56,540 --> 00:10:01,500 of eerie silence that is felt in the natural world before a tornado 158 00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:02,580 suddenly strikes. 159 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,320 And I was trying to think of something that's similar to us, and 160 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,280 I haven't really got a good one for you. 161 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,040 So that's why I use the idea of a tornado. 162 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,480 But it might be for us. 163 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,320 And I've experienced this here in Anna Long. 164 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,200 And it was once or twice during COVID and it's been once or 165 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:23,360 twice since, where we just have an unusual moment where, as 166 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:28,120 the evening falls, there is silence as we stand outside, no wind, 167 00:10:29,150 --> 00:10:33,310 no sound of traffic, no bird song, no noise. 168 00:10:34,990 --> 00:10:38,790 We might think that that's a nice feeling, but that's not how 169 00:10:38,790 --> 00:10:40,270 the natural world should work. 170 00:10:41,870 --> 00:10:45,350 And so it becomes a moment that we don't know what's about to 171 00:10:45,350 --> 00:10:46,030 happen next. 172 00:10:46,430 --> 00:10:48,070 And we do wonder what is going to happen. 173 00:10:48,070 --> 00:10:50,910 And we wonder if it's for our good or for our ill, just as our 174 00:10:50,910 --> 00:10:53,710 American brothers and sisters would wait for a tornado to come, 175 00:10:53,790 --> 00:10:56,820 not knowing what disaster it will bring. 176 00:10:57,860 --> 00:11:03,220 And this silence, John tells us, goes on for about half an hour. 177 00:11:03,780 --> 00:11:07,500 Now, whether this is a literal half hour, as some believe, or a 178 00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:10,500 symbolic period of time, the meaning is the same. 179 00:11:11,140 --> 00:11:15,500 Think back to Revelation, chapter 6 and verses 9 to 11, where 180 00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:19,540 the martyrs were crying out when the fifth seal was opened. 181 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:24,580 They cried out with a loud voice, o sovereign Lord, holy and 182 00:11:24,580 --> 00:11:31,190 true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those 183 00:11:31,190 --> 00:11:33,030 who dwell on the earth? 184 00:11:34,550 --> 00:11:38,150 Their prayer was opened or was answered in the opening of the sixth 185 00:11:38,150 --> 00:11:41,830 seal, as judgment was brought upon the earth. 186 00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:46,390 Now, with the seven sealed open, the silence in heaven and the 187 00:11:46,390 --> 00:11:49,950 seven trumpets that we're about to hear, this is all a pause 188 00:11:49,950 --> 00:11:52,950 that allows for the character of God to be seen. 189 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:58,760 So in this silence, all attention is on God and who he is. 190 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,520 Because we know throughout Scripture that the Lord is gracious 191 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:03,720 and merciful. 192 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,180 Passages such as Psalm 103. 193 00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:09,160 8 Tell us the Lord is merciful and gracious. 194 00:12:09,319 --> 00:12:10,120 What is he? 195 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,200 He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 196 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,760 And so as the cry, as we'll see in a moment, as the cry of the 197 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,850 martyrs continues to go up before the Lord, well, he's slow 198 00:12:21,850 --> 00:12:22,530 to anger. 199 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:25,650 He's slow to bring that judgment. 200 00:12:26,050 --> 00:12:29,730 So that indeed the prayers of the martyrs will be Heard and answered. 201 00:12:30,770 --> 00:12:34,810 And so this half hour is to focus us on who the nature of what 202 00:12:34,810 --> 00:12:36,130 the nature of God is. 203 00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:40,770 The Lord is merciful and he's gracious. 204 00:12:41,810 --> 00:12:43,130 He's slow to anger. 205 00:12:43,130 --> 00:12:44,690 And why is he slow to anger? 206 00:12:44,770 --> 00:12:50,540 So that he may demonstrate his abundance of steadfast love. 207 00:12:52,540 --> 00:12:58,740 And we see this demonstrated as the Lord waits for about half 208 00:12:58,740 --> 00:13:04,780 an hour, as he waits to hear and to answer the prayers of the 209 00:13:04,780 --> 00:13:05,340 saints. 210 00:13:07,260 --> 00:13:10,540 But this is also a liturgical moment. 211 00:13:11,420 --> 00:13:15,460 And a liturgical moment is where the people come together in 212 00:13:15,460 --> 00:13:21,160 worship and of God, because we now see this as unfolding as the 213 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:22,440 silence comes to an end. 214 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:27,040 So this silence is about preparation of the gathered multitude 215 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:27,720 in heaven. 216 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:33,240 In verse two, John sees seven angels standing in God's presence. 217 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,320 Now, seven angels are mentioned quite often in Revelation. 218 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,560 And as God's servants, they execute his will. 219 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:42,680 So what God says they, they will do. 220 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:44,840 And we've already seen that. 221 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,280 Remember last week we saw the four angels holding back the winds 222 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,400 of judgment on the earth, again, buying time that God is slow 223 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,680 to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 224 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,760 So now these angels are given seven trumpets. 225 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,720 And when these trumpets are blown, the trumpets of judgment will 226 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:07,240 be inflicted on the earth. 227 00:14:07,810 --> 00:14:08,890 And we'll come to look at that. 228 00:14:08,890 --> 00:14:10,610 But that's not where we are this evening. 229 00:14:10,850 --> 00:14:14,610 And the blowing of trumpets is often a call to war and judgment 230 00:14:14,610 --> 00:14:15,570 in the Old Testament. 231 00:14:15,810 --> 00:14:20,370 And here the trumpets signify God's judgment, just as the trumpets 232 00:14:20,370 --> 00:14:24,570 blown at Jericho herald the fall of that great city in Joshua 233 00:14:24,570 --> 00:14:24,930 6. 234 00:14:26,130 --> 00:14:30,770 And so there's expectation building, there's silence in anticipation. 235 00:14:33,180 --> 00:14:36,780 The people, the multitude knowing what trumpets signify, see 236 00:14:36,780 --> 00:14:39,180 them being given to these seven angels. 237 00:14:39,820 --> 00:14:42,140 And now the scene is set. 238 00:14:43,420 --> 00:14:48,100 But there's one more act of worship to be undertaken by the great 239 00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:50,060 multitude in heaven. 240 00:14:51,740 --> 00:14:55,460 And so in verses three and four, we read of that moment as heaven 241 00:14:55,460 --> 00:14:57,180 gets ready for the worship of God. 242 00:14:57,820 --> 00:15:00,940 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden 243 00:15:00,940 --> 00:15:01,500 censer. 244 00:15:02,140 --> 00:15:05,780 And he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all 245 00:15:05,780 --> 00:15:09,100 the saints on the golden altar before the throne. 246 00:15:09,740 --> 00:15:13,580 And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose 247 00:15:13,580 --> 00:15:17,020 before God from the hand of the angel. 248 00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:25,500 What we see in these two verses is rich imagery of the tabernacle 249 00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:27,740 and of the temple. 250 00:15:29,060 --> 00:15:35,020 What we're seeing here are the instruments and the practice of how 251 00:15:35,020 --> 00:15:37,540 God told his people to worship. 252 00:15:39,060 --> 00:15:40,660 And they are now before him. 253 00:15:41,940 --> 00:15:46,580 And so this image of tabernacle and temple in Jerusalem 254 00:15:47,220 --> 00:15:51,020 tells us that the people would gather there to be led in worship 255 00:15:51,020 --> 00:15:52,180 by the high Priest. 256 00:15:52,180 --> 00:15:54,460 And who now is their true high priest? 257 00:15:54,460 --> 00:15:55,950 Well, it is the risen Lord Jesus. 258 00:15:56,820 --> 00:16:00,060 And so the angel that now appears before John plays a role 259 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:02,900 in bringing the prayers of the saints before God. 260 00:16:02,900 --> 00:16:07,780 As part of this act of worship, the altar of incense was 261 00:16:07,780 --> 00:16:08,980 in the holy place. 262 00:16:09,140 --> 00:16:12,300 In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, on the day 263 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:16,740 of atonement, a censer of incense was brought inside the veil, 264 00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:24,390 and the incense cloud covered the mercy seat so that judgment would 265 00:16:24,390 --> 00:16:24,990 be avoided. 266 00:16:26,270 --> 00:16:32,310 And from what he sees, John tells us that the incense here is 267 00:16:32,310 --> 00:16:36,550 offered with the prayers of the saints on the altar before God's 268 00:16:36,550 --> 00:16:36,910 throne. 269 00:16:37,630 --> 00:16:40,190 I don't know if you've ever smelt incense. 270 00:16:41,390 --> 00:16:45,470 We don't use it that much, but our noses are pretty good. 271 00:16:45,470 --> 00:16:49,070 For most of us, we can smell things and pick up things that are 272 00:16:49,070 --> 00:16:50,150 unusual to us. 273 00:16:50,870 --> 00:16:54,150 And so maybe it's a perfume that you smell. 274 00:16:55,110 --> 00:16:58,390 And sometimes, hopefully, most of the time, a perfume that we smell 275 00:16:58,390 --> 00:16:59,350 will be pleasing. 276 00:17:00,630 --> 00:17:03,430 And whenever we look at incense in the Old Testament, that's 277 00:17:03,430 --> 00:17:07,750 what incense was to be before the Lord, just as the smell of the 278 00:17:07,750 --> 00:17:10,230 sacrifices were to be pleasing before the Lord. 279 00:17:10,550 --> 00:17:17,789 A sweet aroma that would be received by God and would be a blessing 280 00:17:17,789 --> 00:17:20,869 to him as a demonstration of the hearts of his people. 281 00:17:22,229 --> 00:17:26,949 And so here we have incense going up in this liturgical moment 282 00:17:26,949 --> 00:17:28,949 of worship in heaven. 283 00:17:30,149 --> 00:17:36,069 And this smell, this incense, are the prayers of the saints. 284 00:17:36,709 --> 00:17:39,669 And verse five tells us what the angel does. 285 00:17:40,469 --> 00:17:45,340 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the 286 00:17:45,340 --> 00:17:48,380 altar and threw it on the earth. 287 00:17:48,620 --> 00:17:53,260 And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, 288 00:17:53,260 --> 00:17:54,540 and an earthquake. 289 00:17:54,860 --> 00:17:58,980 And so, in response to the prayers of believers, the angel takes 290 00:17:58,980 --> 00:18:03,780 the censer from the altar of incense, fills it with fire from 291 00:18:03,780 --> 00:18:07,660 the altar, and he throws those coals on the earth. 292 00:18:08,150 --> 00:18:10,430 And the imagery given to us here is. 293 00:18:10,430 --> 00:18:11,470 It's apocalyptic. 294 00:18:11,470 --> 00:18:12,470 It's end times. 295 00:18:13,830 --> 00:18:18,630 And so the fire that the angel flings represents God's judgment 296 00:18:18,950 --> 00:18:19,910 of the wicked. 297 00:18:19,990 --> 00:18:23,910 And we see similar judgment scenes in Ezekiel, where the man 298 00:18:23,910 --> 00:18:29,470 in linen is instructed in Ezekiel 10:2, go in among the whirling 299 00:18:29,470 --> 00:18:31,190 wheels underneath the cherubim. 300 00:18:31,270 --> 00:18:35,230 Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim and 301 00:18:35,230 --> 00:18:37,180 scatter them up over the city. 302 00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:42,300 See here too, in Revelation, the judgments poured out in the trumpets 303 00:18:42,300 --> 00:18:45,180 represent answers to the prayers of the saints. 304 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:49,580 Their prayer for how long is now being answered. 305 00:18:50,620 --> 00:18:52,780 Their prayers for God's kingdom to come. 306 00:18:53,980 --> 00:18:57,540 They've been urgently praying that they would be taken from whatever 307 00:18:57,540 --> 00:18:59,980 persecution they were facing. 308 00:19:01,100 --> 00:19:03,940 Their prayers that indeed his kingdom would come and his will be 309 00:19:03,940 --> 00:19:04,220 done. 310 00:19:04,930 --> 00:19:07,770 And so the coming judgments as a result of the prayers of the saints 311 00:19:07,770 --> 00:19:10,730 are previewed with a massive thunderstorm and earthquake. 312 00:19:10,730 --> 00:19:14,210 And in Revelation again, a thunderstorm or earthquake regularly 313 00:19:14,210 --> 00:19:18,650 signals that the final judgment is coming and shows that 314 00:19:18,650 --> 00:19:21,650 the judgment comes from God's throne. 315 00:19:22,850 --> 00:19:24,530 So, five verses only. 316 00:19:25,250 --> 00:19:30,980 Yet they are setting what is an apocalyptic scene for the seven 317 00:19:30,980 --> 00:19:35,820 trumpets to be sounded and judgments coming on the earth. 318 00:19:38,220 --> 00:19:42,860 And what we're seeing here, though seeing not just the anticipation, 319 00:19:43,420 --> 00:19:47,220 but what it means for us today, is that in the anticipations 320 00:19:47,220 --> 00:19:51,100 of the silence, we see the steadfast grace and mercy of God 321 00:19:51,820 --> 00:19:55,740 as we see that the prayers of the saints are heard and answered. 322 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:01,040 And so it must beg of us the question, as the saints today, how 323 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,560 do we pray before God? 324 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,640 If this is the image that's given to us in heaven of the prayers 325 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,560 of the saints, well then how do we pray? 326 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,160 The commentator Richard D. Phillips says this about our prayer. 327 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,560 Christians are encouraged in the Bible to pray for our own needs 328 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,320 and for those of friends and neighbors. 329 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,700 And of course that's rightly so, but the priority of our prayer 330 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:28,100 lives should be given to the spread of the Gospel, the preservation 331 00:20:28,100 --> 00:20:32,140 and strength of the church, the ministry of God's Word, and the 332 00:20:32,140 --> 00:20:35,820 thwarting of godless and wicked powers in the world. 333 00:20:36,780 --> 00:20:39,580 So according to Revelation, these are the prayers that matter 334 00:20:39,580 --> 00:20:43,580 the most, the prayers that God will answer with power from heaven 335 00:20:43,660 --> 00:20:47,260 at the time of his choosing, and the prayers that we should be 336 00:20:47,260 --> 00:20:50,250 most privileged to offer in in Christ's name. 337 00:20:51,210 --> 00:20:55,210 You see, I think we get the praying for ourselves and the praying 338 00:20:55,210 --> 00:20:55,690 for others. 339 00:20:56,170 --> 00:20:57,530 I think we're very good at that. 340 00:20:57,530 --> 00:21:01,210 And there's certainly nothing to say that we should stop doing 341 00:21:01,210 --> 00:21:04,810 that because we bring our cares and our concerns onto the Lord. 342 00:21:05,610 --> 00:21:08,250 But the question is, what are we leaving out from our prayer lives? 343 00:21:10,410 --> 00:21:15,900 You see, the prayers of the saints were not for what we would 344 00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:18,100 pray, as we know in our day to day lives. 345 00:21:18,100 --> 00:21:21,540 And for others, they were praying with boldness. 346 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,700 They were praying for the word of God to go forth. 347 00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:28,740 But they were also praying for the thwarting of godless and wicked 348 00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:30,580 powers in the world. 349 00:21:32,420 --> 00:21:37,060 It may often seem though, as we pray, that our prayers are not 350 00:21:37,060 --> 00:21:41,780 being answered, that they're offered in some way in vain. 351 00:21:43,070 --> 00:21:46,790 But these verses that we read here in Revelation assure us that 352 00:21:46,790 --> 00:21:48,670 God hears the prayers of the saints. 353 00:21:48,670 --> 00:21:51,710 And all through history, God's people have prayed for his kingdom 354 00:21:51,710 --> 00:21:53,550 to come and his will be done. 355 00:21:54,110 --> 00:21:57,710 Every prayer for the coming kingdom will certainly be answered. 356 00:21:58,190 --> 00:22:02,270 The prayers for justice voiced by martyrs are not ignored. 357 00:22:02,750 --> 00:22:04,390 Justice will be released. 358 00:22:04,390 --> 00:22:07,870 The new creation will arrive, and the wicked will be judged. 359 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,800 Our prayers make a difference. 360 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,440 They are one of the means that God has ordained to accomplish his 361 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:16,000 purposes. 362 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:21,440 And so we must not lose heart or ever think our prayers for goodness 363 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,200 to prevail are ignored. 364 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:24,080 They are not. 365 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,680 Instead, we must continue to pray to our wise and our sovereign 366 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:30,160 God. 367 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,800 Our prayers will be answered at just the right time. 368 00:22:35,030 --> 00:22:35,150 Time. 369 00:22:35,150 --> 00:22:39,430 And John, in presenting these five verses to us, already knew this. 370 00:22:40,390 --> 00:22:43,430 Because before his vision in Revelation, he says to us in First 371 00:22:43,430 --> 00:22:49,590 John 5, 14, 15, this is the confidence that we have toward him, 372 00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:53,350 that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 373 00:22:54,230 --> 00:22:58,510 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that 374 00:22:58,510 --> 00:23:01,840 we have the requests that we have asked Him. 375 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:07,440 John is simply seeing what he already knows and what he has already 376 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,120 written in his letters. 377 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:11,560 And this is our reminder. 378 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,680 In fact, it's more than a reminder. 379 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,760 It's a call to prayer. 380 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,760 It's a call to pray, yes, for the situations we face in life and 381 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,840 praying for and on behalf of others who need the Lord. 382 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:29,030 And that demonstrates our utter need of him, that there are 383 00:23:29,030 --> 00:23:32,350 things in our lives that we cannot answer or fix ourselves. 384 00:23:33,390 --> 00:23:37,950 But we must also pray as Richard Phillips guides us, but as 385 00:23:37,950 --> 00:23:41,670 Scripture guides us, as we see in Revelation the prayers of the 386 00:23:41,670 --> 00:23:46,950 saints and the martyrs of the spread of the Gospel for the preservation 387 00:23:46,950 --> 00:23:51,830 and strength of the Church, the ministry of God's Word, and the 388 00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:54,270 thwarting of Godless and wicked powers in the world. 389 00:23:54,270 --> 00:23:57,630 Let me remind you what I said this morning about the burden on 390 00:23:57,630 --> 00:23:58,150 my heart. 391 00:23:58,630 --> 00:24:02,150 Because these words that Richard Phillips has said is the 392 00:24:02,150 --> 00:24:02,950 burden of my heart. 393 00:24:02,950 --> 00:24:07,150 That indeed the Church would be kept, that we would not slip and 394 00:24:07,150 --> 00:24:11,910 fall away into sin or have dullness of heart towards the Lord. 395 00:24:12,790 --> 00:24:16,390 Because when that happens, then Satan makes shipwreck of our 396 00:24:16,390 --> 00:24:16,790 faith. 397 00:24:17,910 --> 00:24:22,310 This is truly a battle of forces of a spiritual nature. 398 00:24:22,770 --> 00:24:27,250 And we need to realize that, for the devil is at work, but he 399 00:24:27,250 --> 00:24:28,450 will not succeed. 400 00:24:30,370 --> 00:24:31,650 And so we must trust. 401 00:24:32,770 --> 00:24:35,610 And even if it does not seem that our prayers are being answered, 402 00:24:35,610 --> 00:24:37,330 we continue to trust. 403 00:24:38,450 --> 00:24:41,570 For this passage assures us that the Lord hears. 404 00:24:43,970 --> 00:24:48,450 So Revelation 8 is about the silence in heaven. 405 00:24:51,490 --> 00:24:54,450 The silence in heaven is much like silence on earth. 406 00:24:54,930 --> 00:24:59,730 We will either enjoy it or we will fear it. 407 00:25:00,850 --> 00:25:04,010 To enjoy it means that we understand that God is slow to anger 408 00:25:04,010 --> 00:25:07,490 and abounding in steadfast love so that we can come to him in 409 00:25:07,490 --> 00:25:09,810 prayer with all that we need. 410 00:25:10,610 --> 00:25:15,730 And so I invite you this week to pray for these things. 411 00:25:16,930 --> 00:25:21,050 I invite you to join us in prayer whenever we gather, be it 412 00:25:21,050 --> 00:25:24,770 on a Sunday morning or a Sunday evening upstairs in the Cunningham 413 00:25:24,770 --> 00:25:28,530 Room, or at midweek, on a Wednesday evening when midweek meets, 414 00:25:28,610 --> 00:25:31,690 or on those two Tuesday mornings in the month when we do 415 00:25:31,690 --> 00:25:35,650 pray for the advancement of God's word, where we do pray for 416 00:25:35,650 --> 00:25:36,410 gospel work. 417 00:25:36,410 --> 00:25:41,530 I invite you to make the time to come and pray, because those prayers 418 00:25:41,530 --> 00:25:44,660 will be heard and they will be answered. 419 00:25:45,220 --> 00:25:49,740 That's what it means to enjoy the silence as we wait with eager 420 00:25:49,740 --> 00:25:55,780 expectation of the day when God will answer the prayers fully 421 00:25:55,780 --> 00:25:59,940 of the saints in bringing about his judgment on the wicked 422 00:26:00,740 --> 00:26:04,260 and redeeming his own who are sealed with the mark of Christ. 423 00:26:06,180 --> 00:26:12,990 But to fear the silence means that we receive the judgment that 424 00:26:12,990 --> 00:26:13,630 we deserve. 425 00:26:13,630 --> 00:26:16,910 It's not eager anticipation or expectation. 426 00:26:17,950 --> 00:26:20,990 It's dreaded fear in those moments of silence. 427 00:26:22,030 --> 00:26:25,230 Because it means that if we do not know Christ when those seven 428 00:26:25,230 --> 00:26:29,550 trumpets will sound, we will receive the judgment we deserve. 429 00:26:29,870 --> 00:26:34,670 Our only opportunity, our only hope for salvation is to lean into 430 00:26:34,670 --> 00:26:39,550 the steadfast love of God and know our salvation in the Lamb, the 431 00:26:39,550 --> 00:26:44,950 risen Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was slain for us, who was 432 00:26:45,110 --> 00:26:47,590 and who is and who is to come. 433 00:26:48,950 --> 00:26:53,030 You see, when we look at the great throne room of heaven and we 434 00:26:53,030 --> 00:26:59,030 see God on His throne, we look to the Lamb and we are assured of 435 00:26:59,030 --> 00:27:04,530 that great hope, that great hope of salvation, that great hope 436 00:27:04,530 --> 00:27:08,170 of knowing him as Savior and Lord of all. 437 00:27:09,130 --> 00:27:13,650 And so there is a way to drive out that fear that the silence may 438 00:27:13,650 --> 00:27:13,930 bring. 439 00:27:14,730 --> 00:27:18,010 And it is, look to Christ and to him alone. 440 00:27:19,370 --> 00:27:21,450 So look onto Jesus. 441 00:27:22,650 --> 00:27:27,170 Take joy in him as the One whose name we confidently come in 442 00:27:27,170 --> 00:27:30,330 prayer, knowing that our prayers will be heard and they will 443 00:27:30,330 --> 00:27:35,250 be answered, and the redeemed of God will be forever with him. 444 00:27:35,970 --> 00:27:36,770 Let's pray. 445 00:27:37,970 --> 00:27:41,810 Our Father God, thank you for what we learn in your word. 446 00:27:42,290 --> 00:27:45,970 Thank you for what it shows us of what you have for us. 447 00:27:46,530 --> 00:27:50,370 Thank you that you're the God who is slow to chide and swift to 448 00:27:50,370 --> 00:27:50,770 bless. 449 00:27:51,490 --> 00:27:54,850 Thank you that you're the God of steadfast love, who is slow to 450 00:27:54,850 --> 00:27:55,200 anger. 451 00:27:56,230 --> 00:27:59,630 And so may we have confidence in this tonight, not to prolong any 452 00:27:59,630 --> 00:28:04,110 sense of waiting to come to you, but rather, Father, tonight 453 00:28:04,110 --> 00:28:08,150 to be assured of that salvation, knowing that that salvation 454 00:28:08,150 --> 00:28:12,910 keeps us for all eternity so we will not fear the blast of the 455 00:28:12,910 --> 00:28:14,070 trumpets of judgment. 456 00:28:14,630 --> 00:28:17,990 We will stand firm in Christ, knowing that we are his. 457 00:28:18,710 --> 00:28:25,300 So may we respond well in glorious hope this night of who we 458 00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:26,260 are in Christ. 459 00:28:26,900 --> 00:28:27,860 Forever his. 460 00:28:28,580 --> 00:28:31,540 And we ask it in Jesus name, Amen.