Revelation 8-11: Woe, woe, woe!

We read Revelation 8 through 11 and sit with the weight of the seventh seal, the trumpet judgments, and the strange mercy of God limiting what evil can do. We end by remembering the central reality Revelation keeps shouting through the noise: Jesus is on the throne and God is completing his plan. 

• why Revelation calls for awe instead of fear 
• the seventh seal and silence in heaven 
• prayers of the saints rising with incense before God 
• the first four trumpets striking land sea fresh water and the sky 
• the eagle’s warning and the three coming woes 
• the locusts from the abyss and the name Abaddon or Apollyon 
• the sixth trumpet and humanity’s refusal to repent 
• the mighty angel the little scroll and the sweet-bitter word 
• measuring the temple and the mission of the two witnesses 
• the witnesses’ death public celebration resurrection and ascent 
• the seventh trumpet and the proclamation of Christ’s reign 
• worship in heaven and God’s promise to judge and restore 

At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you’re there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. 

If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.

Transcript

Reading Revelation Without Fear

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, welcome back to the Out Loud Bible Project Podcast. This is Mike. We're reading through the book of Revelation, often considered to be a confusing book. It's understandable, it's a book of prophecy. Many of these things that the book talks about have not happened yet. And frankly, they're so obscured in metaphor and illustrations and imagery that it's it's tough to even know what it's talking about to know what to look for. As a result, a lot of people just kind of throw up their hands and say, I don't know, I don't I don't understand. I I can't read that. I don't think that's an appropriate response. As we read when we first started the book, there's a blessing for those who read it out loud. So there's that, here we are, and there's a blessing for those who listen to it and obey and do what it says. And even throughout and at the end of the book, it encourages listeners to try to figure out what these things mean. There's a blessing in wrestling with this as well. An appropriate response to this book is not fear. It's not being afraid of what we're reading here, especially as those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We don't need to fear what happens here and what's described in this book. I think a good response is just that of awe, just like, ooh, man, I that is too big for me to understand. And we lean in, we lean in and let God reveal what he wants to reveal through this book of revelation. That's what it's about. Last time we read about the seals of this scroll that the Lamb, who is Jesus, is opening, and as he opens each seal, there are actions that are initiated in heaven and have impact on the earth, often a devastating impact. And today we're going to read about the seventh seal being opened and what happens beyond that. So here's in the New English Translation, Revelation chapter 8 through 11. Now when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven

The Seventh Seal And Holy Silence

SPEAKER_00 2:00

for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that's before the throne. The smoke coming from the incense, along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Now the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that

Trumpets One Through Four Strike

SPEAKER_00 2:52

a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed. Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky, and it landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. Now the name of the star is wormwood, so a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned. Then 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 them were darkened, and there was no light for a third of the day, and for a third of the night likewise. And I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead, proclaiming with a loud voice, Whoa, woe, woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them. Well then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft

The First Woe And The Locusts

SPEAKER_00 4:20

of the abyss. He opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft, and then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death, but they will not be able to find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men's faces. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abadon, and in Greek Apollyon. The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things. Well then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that's before God, saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet,

The Sixth Trumpet And No Repentance

SPEAKER_00 6:13

set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year, were set free to kill a third of humanity. The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million. I heard their number. Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision. Their riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths, for the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes having heads that inflict injuries. The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so that they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, idols that can't see or hear or walk about. Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing. Then I saw a powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun,

The Mighty Angel And Little Scroll

SPEAKER_00 7:47

and his legs were like pillars of fire. And he held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, and then he shouted in a loud voice, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up what the seven thunders spoke, and do not write it down. Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what's in it, and the sea and what's in it, there will be no more delay. But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, just as he has proclaimed to his servants the prophets. Well then the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak to me again. Go and take the open scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and I asked him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, Take the scroll and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth. So I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it, and it did taste as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach became bitter. Then they told me, You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. And then a measuring rod, like a staff, was given to me, and I was told, Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there,

The Temple Measured And Two Witnesses

SPEAKER_00 9:42

but do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple. Leave it out, because it's been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, dressed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed in this way. These two have the power to close up the sky so that it doesn't rain during the time they're prophesying. They have the power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. When they've completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their corpses will lie in the street of the great city that's symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where the Lord was also crucified. For three and a half days those from every people, tribe, nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized those who were watching them, and then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Come up here. So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them. Just then a major earthquake took place, and a tenth of the city collapsed, seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has come and gone. The third is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign

The Seventh Trumpet And The Kingdom

SPEAKER_00 12:04

forever and ever. Then the twenty four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshipped God with these words We give you thanks, Lord God, the all powerful, the one who is and who was, because you've taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, the reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth. Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of His covenant was visible within his temple, and there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. Here's another thing we need to remember as we read the Book of Revelation. Jesus is on the throne. God is on the throne with all of this.

Jesus On The Throne Amid Chaos

SPEAKER_00 13:21

This plan that we read about as it unfolds in Revelation is signed, sealed, and not quite yet delivered. Everything is unfolding exactly how God planned it, when he planned it, and for the purposes that he intended from the beginning. He is currently, and he will continue, as we read in Revelation, to reverse all of the work of Satan and sin and death and evil and darkness, and restore the earth to what he intended to create in the first place. Except now with all of the people who have used their free will to choose to love and follow and obey him. It's humbling to feel like such a significant part of the story in the sense that Jesus died for us, and this whole plan that has spanned thousands and thousands of years is all for God to bring people like you and me into a dwelling place with him for eternity. And yet we are so insignificant, such a small, insignificant piece of this whole plan, we can't help but just say, Wow, I and let God be God. What can we do but say, like the angels say, praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Thanks for joining me here as we read the book of Revelation. I'd like to encourage you to reach out either through the send a message link in the episode description of this podcast or through our website, outloudbible.com.

Reach Out And Share Your Questions

SPEAKER_00 15:02

You can contact us there. I'd love to hear from you about how Outloud Bible Project has increased your knowledge of the Bible and understanding of God and your relationship with Him. Or if you have any ideas for the next season of the podcast, what you'd like to see more of, or questions that you have regarding the Bible, I'd love to hear from you as well. Please reach out. I'd love to hear from you as we get ready to start a new phase of the podcast after we finish this book of Revelation. Thanks for joining me here today, and I'll see you next time.