Reading
SAA Notes
The seventh seal is silence. God waits for something – the prayers of the saints. Prayer is the signal for the trumpets – as on the Day of Atonement or the Feast of Tabernacles. The trumpets unleash God’s salvation – which is also His judgment, as in Egypt of the Exodus!
SJA Notes
* Dear Heavenly Father, please equip us for today through Your word written on our hearts.
“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, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
Here at the end of things, where the seven seals are opened and the seven trumpets are blown – These are events of great importance!
We are reminded of other events in God’s word.
In Exodus 20 we read of the delivery of God’s law – His WORD, there is thunder and lightning, there is the sound of a trumpet!
In Job the late-comer to the argument Elihu points us to this importance in chapter 37,
“After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.”
Elihu knew the deep and profound gravity of God’s word, even as he argued wrongly against Job.
In Matthew 27 Jesus cries out with a loud voice and yields up His Spirit. What followed this momentous event?
“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and rocks were split.”
Our God is almighty and He is sovereign.
As C.S. Lewis wrote Mr Beaver saying of Aslan,
“Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Our God is KING.
He is to be FEARED with a holy and reverent fear.
And H will return one day; seals will be opened and trumpets will be sounded.
Our God is not to be trifled with.
* Father God Above,
Thank You for Jesus, who saves us from Your wrath, righteous and true as it is.
Thank You for Your grace, that You give to us eternal life, which we do not deserve.
Thank You for Your mercy, that You do not give us the just punishment for our sin, a punishment we absolutely deserve.
Thank You Lord!
Amen.