We are already up to Revelation chapter 8 and just to bring you up to speed before we
get into the chapter itself, just a reminder of what's taking place as we've been going
through specifically from Revelation chapter 6 which is the beginning of Jesus Christ unlocking
the seals of the seven seals of the book that he had before him.
And what we saw in Revelation chapter 6 during the first four seals, we saw what was called
the beginning of sorrows and this is a time of great distress, great problems upon the
earth, there's great warfare, there's many deaths and that's the beginning of sorrows
and we had a look that that's a period of 42 months which is three and a half years.
And then at the midst of the week, in the middle of the seven year period to come, we
have the abomination of desolation, we have the beginning of great tribulation and we
saw when Christ unlocked the fifth seal, we saw that the believers, the saints of God
were being killed for the name of Christ and that great tribulation is a period of
time when the saints are going through the greatest tribulation that's ever existed.
And then we saw at the sixth seal, the sun and moon had darkened and the stars fall from
heaven and of course we saw that that is the time of the rapture, that is when Jesus Christ
comes in the clouds and gathers his believers together to be with him in the clouds and
those that remain on the earth say the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be
able to stand?
And so what we saw there was the first three and a half years, the beginning of sorrows,
the great tribulation begins at the midpoint and what I showed you last week is that the
great tribulation is a period of a maximum of 75 days or less, okay?
Then we still have the majority of the three and a half years to go which is God pouring
out his wrath and it's what we see here in Revelation chapter 8 when the angels start
to blow the trumpets, we see the first four trumpets in Revelation chapter 8.
But what I wanted to show you, just following the order, the order that God has given us
in his word, okay?
Three and a half years, great tribulation, then the rapture, okay?
Then God starts pouring out his wrath and what is separating the great tribulation from
God's wrath?
The sun and moon being darkened and the rapture, saints being caught up with Jesus Christ in
the clouds.
That is a separation.
Tribulation is not the wrath of God, the wrath of God is not the great tribulation.
These are separated by the celestial darkening event of the sun and moon.
And what we saw in Revelation chapter 7, after that takes place, we saw a great multitude
appear in heaven praising God and the question gets asked, hey, from where did they come
from?
And the answer is, this great multitude of every nation, of every tribe, of every tongue,
they came out of great tribulation, okay?
And we saw that God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and I showed you how that
connects to 1 Corinthians 15, which is the second most famous passage on the rapture,
confirming that what we saw in Revelation chapter 7 is the rapture, okay?
And then what I showed you as well is when we look at Matthew 24, again in Matthew 24
we see great tribulation and then the rapture.
The process is always the same in the book of Revelation, great tribulation, then the
rapture.
Matthew 24, great tribulation, then the rapture.
And then we also looked at Daniel chapter 12, okay?
And Daniel chapter 12 begins with great tribulation and then what?
And then the rapture.
And we saw how in Revelation chapter 12 that Paul uses the same language, he ties in what's
in Revelation, sorry, in Daniel chapter 12, he ties in what's in Daniel chapter 12 with
the most famous rapture passage, which is 1 Corinthians chapter 4, which is about those
that are asleep in Christ Jesus and they'll be awake in that asleep and we saw that parallel.
So again, great tribulation, then the rapture.
Great tribulation, then the rapture.
And they're tied in with the most famous verse on the rapture and the second most famous
verse of the rapture.
I don't know how anybody else does not see that, okay?
And if you're still confused about that, there are still some handouts on that table with
just Bible verses, not my opinion, just Bible verses, okay?
If you still need to, if you got confused over last week's sermon, take that home, study
that, because it is very clear, it is very consistent in God's Word.
If you just follow the chronology that God has given us, it's straightforward, okay?
And what we believe in this church, okay, that might not be the belief of every single
individual person here, but what's my belief in the majority of this church is that we
believe in a post-tribulation, pre-wrath rapture.
So we get raptured after the tribulation, but we get raptured before God starts pouring
out his wrath.
And what we approach in Revelation chapter 8 is the wrath of God, meaning believers,
those of us, if we're going to go through that period, we're already raptured with Jesus
Christ, we are not appointed to the wrath of God, okay?
Now I've given you that explanation as a sign, we're still going to be looking at other things
as an introduction before we get into the meat of Revelation chapter 8.
But if you look at Revelation chapter 8, look at verse number 7.
Let's look at the first trumpet that is sounded by the angel.
It says here, the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with
blood.
Now, that's pretty strange, right?
We've seen a hail, in fact, we had a hail storm just last week, if you were living in
millennia up there in the insulin, okay?
Obviously we know what fire is.
But what about fire mingled with blood?
You know, fire mingled with blood, falling from heaven onto the earth.
That's a bit strange, wouldn't you say?
Like that's not a very common thing that you would see, okay?
Now just looking at that, I just want to show you another passage.
I want to show you many verses that are just really amazing.
If you come with me to Acts chapter 2, come with me to Acts chapter 2 and verse number
19, Acts chapter 2 and verse number 19, Acts chapter 2 and verse number 19.
Please turn there, I want you to see it in your Bibles.
Acts chapter 2 verse number 19, Acts chapter 2 verse number 19 says, and I will show wonders
in heaven above, the idea of wonders is again miracles, things that are supernatural, things
that you don't commonly see, okay?
And I will show the wonders in heaven above, look, and signs in the earth beneath, blood
and fire.
Isn't that a bit weird?
It's not weird because God's word is consistent, okay?
We saw fire mingle with blood, well here we have the blood and fire and vapour and smoke
because of the fire, look at verse number 20, the sun shall be turned into darkness
and the moon into blood.
Hey, that's the celestial dark thing that we saw in Revelation chapter 6, look at this.
And when does this take place?
Before that great and notable day of the Lord come and it shall come to pass that whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So what comes before the great and notable day of the Lord?
What's before the day of the Lord?
The sun and the moon are darkened.
What takes place in that same day?
Fire mingled with blood, okay?
I'm just trying to show you the chronology, okay?
So what is the day of the Lord?
Well the day of the Lord is after the sun and moon are darkened, okay?
So can we say the day of the Lord was before the sun and moon were darkened?
No.
Okay?
No.
And that's the other difference that you need to understand.
Great tribulation is not God's wrath, okay?
Great tribulation is not the day of the Lord.
The day of the Lord is God's wrath and I'm going to show that to you in a moment, okay?
Come with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, again this is just pre-work, a bit of an introduction
so as we get to Revelation chapter 8 we better understand, we understand it better, okay?
1 Thessalonians chapter 5, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 1, let's talk about
the day of the Lord a little bit here.
The Bible is full of the reference of the day of the Lord, okay?
Old Testament, New Testament, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse number 1.
The day of the Lord is after the sun and moon are darkened, okay?
And we saw in the book of Revelation the sun and moon are darkened at the sixth seal.
So this is after the sixth seal in the book of Revelation.
And in Matthew 24 we have the sun and moon being darkened as well so obviously the day
of the Lord takes place after that event.
Now in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse number 1 it says,
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Of what times and seasons is he referring to?
Well if we saw, we won't turn there right now, but in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, again
the most famous rapture passage, he ends talking about us being caught up together in the clouds
of Jesus Christ, then he speaks about the times and seasons that this is going to take
place.
Look at verse number 2.
So is the day of the Lord the time and the season of the rapture?
Yes.
Okay?
What I'm trying to show you is that this is the same day of the rapture, but it's after
the sun and moon are darkened.
Let's continue there.
Is the day of the Lord as a thief in the night to us?
It's not a thief in the night to us as believers because it says in verse number 3,
For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.
Okay?
Again, when they, this is a third party, when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, okay?
Not upon us, upon them, the unsaved, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not
escape.
Okay?
But look at verse number 4.
But ye, brethren, now we're talking about believers.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief.
So to us, it's not going to be like a thief in the night.
And you have many pastors say the rapture is going to be like a thief in the night.
No, to believers, it's not like a thief in the night.
It's to them, it's to they, it's to those that are not saved.
Because in verse number 5, it says, But ye are all the children of light, and the children
of the day.
We are not of the night, nor of darkness.
So if we're not of the night, how can Jesus come and be a thief in the night, when we're
not in the night?
We're of the day, okay?
We're not going to experience the thief in the night as it were.
That is a reference of the day of the Lord to unbelievers.
What I'm trying to show you here is that this day, I believe this day is a normal day, like
a, think of it like a 24 hour period, okay?
In that 24 hour period, the sun and moon are going to go dark, we're going to be raptured
with the Lord.
On the same day, this is the day of the Lord, he's going to begin pouring out his wrath,
sudden destruction.
They weren't expecting that to come upon the wicked of the world.
And this commences with the blowing of the trumpets, and then in the second part of the
book of Revelation, the pouring out of the vials, proving that the first seven seals,
the seals themselves are not the wrath of God, okay?
It's not the wrath of God, the wrath of God begins on the day of the Lord, remember?
This is the, sorry I had to go again, the day of the wrath is come, and who shall be
able to stand?
Okay, what we saw in Revelation chapter 6.
Now let me just show you a passage, come with me to Zephaniah in the Old Testament.
Zephaniah is the fourth last book of the Old Testament, Zephaniah chapter 1 please, the
fourth last book in the Old Testament, Zephaniah chapter 1 verse number 14, so I'm just trying
to show you how the Bible uses the day of the Lord, alright?
What I'm trying to show you here as well is the day of the Lord is the day of God's wrath,
what I'm trying to prove here is the consistency of the Bible, like the Bible is so consistent
that I don't need to defend it, like it speaks for itself, okay?
In Zephaniah chapter 1 verse number 14,
Zephaniah chapter 1 verse number 14,
Zephaniah chapter 14, the great day of the Lord is near, it is near, it hasteth greatly,
even the voice of the day of the Lord, the mighty man shall cry there bitterly, okay?
So we saw that all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, okay?
They're going to weep and wail during that day.
Look at verse number 15, that day, what day?
The day of the Lord, that day is a day of wrath.
So again, confirmed, this is the day that God begins to pour out his wrath on the wicked world,
a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities
and against the high towers and I will bring distress upon men and they shall walk like blind
men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust
and their flesh as the dung.
Look at verse number 18, neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them,
look at this, in the day of the Lord's wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of
his jealousy and he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
So the day of the Lord is what? The day of God's wrath, all right?
The day of the Lord is a day of fire, devoured by fire in his jealousy.
We saw the fire mingle with the blood.
You're going to see fire coming up many times in these references.
Now I'm just trying to prove to you there it's just the day of the Lord's in the New Testament,
it's in the Old Testament, it's the day of God's wrath, okay?
It's the same day that we're raptured, okay?
It's a day that the sun and moon are darkened but we get raptured,
we're in the multitude in heaven praising God but those that remain on the earth,
they're going to face the wrath of God, okay?
Again, we are not appointed to wrath, okay?
Now let's talk about another day in the Bible.
Come with me to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse number 1,
and by another day it's the same day, okay?
By saying another day it's the same day which is called the day of Christ, okay?
In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse number 1,
2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse number 1.
Now someone might say, well pastor, you're getting this confused.
One's called the day of the Lord, the other one's called the day of Christ.
Is Christ not the Lord?
The Lord is Jesus Christ, all right?
But anyway, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse number 1.
2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse number 1.
Now we beseech you brethren, look at this, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and by our gathering together unto him.
Now just that first verse, wouldn't everyone just say that's the rapture?
It's very clear.
Being gathered together, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, being gathered together with him.
Yeah, that's the rapture, okay?
Now look at verse number 2, that ye be not soon shaken in mind or troubled.
So what could shake your mind or trouble your mind?
And in what way could this happen?
It says here, be troubled neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us.
He goes, look, these things could trouble you, okay?
We don't want you to be troubled, we don't want you to be shaken in your mind.
You might hear it by spirit, you might hear this by a word,
someone might speak it to you, someone might preach this to you, or there might be a letter.
As from us, meaning it's not from them.
Someone has written a letter to a church and said, hey, I'm Paul and here's a message for you, okay?
And Paul is saying, look, don't let people trouble you or what's it saying?
To trouble you or to shaken you in your mind.
If you receive this teaching, if you receive this message, what is that message?
As that the day of Christ is at hand.
The day of Christ is what?
We saw in verse number one, the rapture, the gathering together with believers.
He goes, don't let anyone shake you, okay?
Spirit, word, or letter from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
What does something mean, if you said something's at hand, what do you say?
It's about to happen.
It's imminent.
It can happen at any moment.
He says, look, don't let anyone shake your mind.
Don't let anyone tell you that the day of Christ can happen at any moment.
Don't let anyone tell you that the day of Christ or the rapture can happen at any moment.
It's imminent.
It can be before the service even.
It could be within the next five seconds.
It says, don't be shaken by that.
Don't be troubled by that.
What's amazing is that the majority of Baptist churches teach exactly that.
Jesus could come back before the end of this service and the coronation is Amen, Amen.
And Paul says, look, don't be deceived.
Don't be troubled.
Don't let this shake you.
You know why?
It doesn't match the scriptures whatsoever.
Look at verse number three.
Let no man deceive you by any means.
Oh, but pastor, he went to Bible college.
Oh, but pastor, here's the prophecy expert.
Pastor, you've only been pastor in six years.
This guy's been pastor in 25 years.
Look, don't be deceived by any means.
Whatever excuse you might have for that day shall not come.
What day?
The day of Christ, the day of the rapture.
Okay.
That day shall not come except there be, they come a falling away first.
And that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition.
The son of perdition means damnation.
The son of damnation.
That's what I'm at the antichrist.
So I'm at the beast of revelation.
He goes, look, the day of the rapture will not come until there's a great falling away
and the man of sin is revealed, the antichrist.
Am I twisting the scriptures there?
Was that what it just plainly says?
Okay, well, what does it mean for the antichrist to appear?
Well, look at verse number four.
He tells us who opposeth and exalts of himself above all that is called God,
all that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God.
So what does it mean when the man of sin is revealed?
It's when he shows himself to be God.
He pretends to be God.
When does that take place?
Everybody, no matter what you believe in the timing of the rapture,
they all believe, everybody believes, I believe that it's at the midpoint of the seven years.
So the rapture is not going to happen until the antichrist or the beast is revealed,
calling himself to be God at the midpoint of the revelation,
which is the beginning of the great, the midpoint of the seven years,
which is the beginning of great tribulation.
The Bible is consistent and any other view, oh no, we're going to avoid that.
Don't be deceived by any means.
Pastor, what are you saying that all other Baptist churches are deceived?
Well, no, I'll tell you now, because I have conversations.
There are more Baptist churches that believe in a pre-trib rapture than pastors.
You have pastors, IFB pastors in Australia, that their position is pre-trib,
but the pastor behind the pulpit knows it's post-trib.
I know because I've spoken to them, why don't they just say what they believe?
Because they're going to be rejected.
Their friends are going to reject them.
They're worried about what's going to happen to their church.
They're worried what's going to happen to their finances.
It's true.
It just is, you know?
And I personally believe that these pastors should just preach the truth
and just show what the scriptures clearly state without bringing in the prophecy expert.
Without, let's watch this documentary.
Let's read these books.
Just show what the Bible says.
And I reckon your church congregation is just going to honor you.
They're going to say, well, pastor, we hope it's pre-trib, but hey,
they're going to appreciate your honesty.
They're going to say, look, this is a man of God who's willing to,
you know, just teach us what God's word says regardless of the consequences.
Look, you can do your own research.
You don't have to believe me.
Do your own research.
It doesn't take much.
It really doesn't take much.
As a young man, I did this research.
The pre-trib rapture doctrine only came into existence in the early 1800s.
And it wasn't, it was rejected by the majority of churches.
Rejected.
It wasn't accepted until the Schofield Reference Bible in the early 1900s.
And then the Schofield Reference Bible was given to all the Bible colleges
and pretty much every person that's graduated from Bible college from that day forward believes
in a pre-trib rapture, not because they read it in the scriptures.
It's because they read the notes of Schofield, whose mentor was taught by John Nelson Darby,
who came up with the doctrine in the early 1800s.
And the Baptists, because Baptists are stubborn people,
they were like the last group of Christians that got on board with the pre-tribulation rapture.
Why is it amongst many independent fundamental Baptist churches?
It's because it's around that same time in the early 1900s when the first independent
Baptist churches started to pull away from the mainline Baptist denominations, okay.
And so it's all around that same time when the pre-trib rapture became very popular,
it's around the same time that the independent Baptists started to form a movement.
And so naturally that doctrine is going to come along because there was the prominent
famous doctrine at the time and really this is a doctrine amongst Baptists that
has only been preached since the last hundred years.
Like it's a new doctrine.
Look, if you don't believe me, do your own research, it doesn't take long.
It doesn't take long and you'll figure it out, okay.
It's all coming from the same chain, John Nelson Darby and his dispensational pre-tribulation
position, all right.
Now, we saw the day of Christ, okay.
And we know it's the same day as the day of the Lord, but let's come with me now to
another passage, come with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
And while you're turning to 1 Corinthians chapter 1,
I'm going to read to you from Philippians chapter 1 verse 6.
Philippians 1, 6 says,
Being confident of this very thing, that he which have begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
And again, everyone agrees the day of Jesus Christ is a rapture.
God's going to keep working on us because we have a sinful nature,
but when the day of Jesus Christ comes, we're going to be resurrected,
we're going to have new bodies, perfect bodies about sin
and so the work doesn't need to continue, the work is done at that point in time, all right.
Again, I'm just going to show you the day of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Bible.
You're there in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 7, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 7,
it says so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
again waiting for the coming, waiting for the rapture,
who shall also confirm you until the end, that ye may be blameless, look at this,
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What I'm trying to show you there is the day of the Lord,
or the day of the Lord, our Lord, the day of the Lord is that same day as the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord. Amen.
I think you're in 1 Corinthians, coming into 2 Corinthians now,
coming to 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 14, 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 14,
now I'm just trying to show you other passages where the day of the Lord and day of Christ
are pretty much just combined, intermingled, why? It's the same day, okay.
2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 14, as also ye have acknowledged us in part
that we are your rejoicing even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus, okay,
in the day of the Lord Jesus, the day of Christ, the day of Jesus is the day of the Lord, okay.
Again, what I'm trying to show you is that a day, obviously the first thing,
when you think of a day, your first thought is a 24 hour period, right?
What I'm trying to say to you is within a 24 hour period, I'm not saying exactly 24 hours,
it could be 8 hours, but within a 24 hour period, okay, you have the sixth seal which is opened,
the sun and moon are darkened, Christ appears in the clouds, his believers are raptured with him,
so shall we ever be with the Lord, we're in heaven praising him, he's wiping away our tears
and then the trumpets are given to the angels, they begin to sound and God begins to pour out
his wrath, all of this is within a day, okay, it's the same day that this all takes place.
Now, come with me to another passage, Luke chapter 17, come with me to Luke chapter 17,
Luke chapter 17 and verse number 26, Luke chapter 17 and verse number 26.
So, the way God uses the language day of the Lord, when he speaks of the day of the Lord,
it's primarily like a negative connotation, it's primarily God destroying the earth and
his wrath and his anger, when he speaks of the day of Christ, it primarily points us
to the rapture, to the resurrection, okay, it's got a positive connotation, the day of Jesus
Christ, but it's the same day, it's just the way you look at it, you know, as believers,
we look at it as a day of Christ, the day of Jesus, because we're going to be with Jesus,
but the world looks at it as the day of the Lord, the day of God's wrath,
but it's the same day, all right. Now, Luke 17, verse number 26, we're going to look at the
teaching of Christ here about the end times, Luke 17 26 and you guys, I'm sure you all know
these references, Christ says, as it was in the days of Noah, that's Noah, so shall it also be
in the days of the Son of Man, they did eat and drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, what he's saying is, they're just going about their daily life, until the day
that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all,
so the same day that Noah walks into the ark, God destroys the world with a flood, the same
day Noah walks into the ark and is protected, the same day God pulls out his wrath on the earth,
okay, and so Jesus is like in that day, like the day to come on the day of the rapture,
they were Lord, day of Jesus Christ, then he continues in verse number 28, likewise also,
likewise in the same manner, okay, also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank,
they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, again people going about their daily life,
but the same day, again very clear, the same day that Lot went out of Sodom,
it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all, even thus shall it be
in the day when the Son of Man is revealed, just as in the same way, the same way, the same day,
like Noah walked into the ark, the flood came, Lot was taken out of Sodom by the angels,
God rained down fire, the same day, okay, and what I'm trying to show you is the consistency
of the Bible, everything that was seen from the sixth seal to the beginning of God pouring out
his wrath through the first trumpet is the same day, okay, now with all of that as an introduction,
let's finally get into Revelation chapter 8, Revelation chapter 8 and verse number 1,
Revelation chapter 8 and verse number 1, look if any of what I've just like said, if that's
confused anybody, please ask me after the service, you know, there's a lot to take in, but it's
really not that complicated, like honestly, once you understand the chronology, once you understand
how God just says it, lays it out and the consistency, once you can put aside your
preconceived thoughts and ideas and the things you've been hearing for the last 20 years, okay,
it's not that complicated, it's a book of revelation, it's been revealed, it's open,
God's not hiding anything from us, okay, Revelation chapter 8 verse number 1,
now we've not yet opened the seventh seal, okay, the sixth seal was opened,
the cinnamon had darkened, now we get the seventh seal opened in Revelation chapter 8 verse number 1,
and when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour,
all right, so we see that there's time in heaven, the seventh seal gets opened and everyone just
goes quiet, because previously we saw that they were praising God, you know, we were singing in
praises, you know, the elders, the seraphims, you know, the multitude in heaven just praising God,
you know, it would have been loud, tremendous, wonderful, and then Christ comes, opens the
seventh seal and everyone just goes, just dead silent for half an hour, okay, seal the same day,
okay, half an hour, now this is what I would refer to as the calm before the storm,
right, before there's like a massive storm, isn't it like calm and quiet and you see these
clouds just gathering, you go, man, sooner or later that storm's going to hit us,
but it's all calm before, it's all quiet, this is what's happening, it's like, oh God's about to
pour out his wrath, you know, so everything goes quiet, okay, now he hasn't begun pouring out his
wrath just yet, okay, the seventh seal is not God's wrath, but something happens here, okay,
what is the purpose of the seventh seal being opened, it says in verse number two,
and I saw the seven angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets,
the trumpets are the wrath of God, okay, now again follow that chronology,
verse number one and verse number two, let me ask you a question, do the angels get the trumpets
before the seventh seal or after the seventh seal is opened, I'm going to ask one of the kids,
Haven, what do you reckon, are the trumpets given after the seventh seal is opened or before the
seventh seal is opened, given after, okay, I asked the kid, okay, because kids have no biases,
they just, that's what it says, that's what I believe, okay, but people have a problem with this,
like believers have a massive problem with this, okay, and again remember they wanted to move,
they, this chapter belongs over here, this chapter belongs over there, you know why they have a
problem with this, they know God's about to pour out his wrath, all right, but they believe, many
people believe that Matthew 24, when the sun and moon is darkened and Christ comes in the clouds,
they believe that's revelation 19 at the end of the seven years when Christ comes on a white horse,
so when Christ comes on a white horse we know we all agree that Christ begins his millennial reign,
well they want Christ to begin his millennial reign, okay, but what we see is no Christ is
going to pour out his wrath because the sun and moon darkened are not, it doesn't take place at
the end of seven years, it takes place 75 days or less after the midpoints of the seven years,
so there's still wrath to come, okay, the day of the Lord has begun,
and so I mean just last week someone was saying to me that they believe the seventh seal ends with
the seventh trumpet, so the first trumpet, second trumpet, third trumpet has all been blown before
the seventh seal, well no because the seventh seal is the introduction of the angels giving
their seven trumpets, just again following God's chronology, why would someone say that,
like why would someone end up going no, no, no, no, the trumpets have already been blown
before they get the trumpets, because they're trying to argue from their bias,
they're trying to argue from their interpretation, they're trying to argue from their favourite
preacher or their favourite book or their favourite position on the end times,
just go to God's word, it's so straightforward, you don't need the prophecy expert, you just need
God's word, the Holy Spirit living in you, okay, a spirit-filled preacher is good, but more
important you go home and learn it yourself, it's laid out for us, the book of Revelation,
it's an order, okay, the seventh seal is opened, what happens, the seven angels get the seven
trumpets, okay, how old are you, if you can't figure that out, look I reckon you're either
as smart as a 12 year old or smarter and if you can't figure that out, like just reading those
two verses, you're holding on to biases, you're holding to preconceived ideas, okay, all right,
now, oh yeah, so not only are the seven trumpets given to them, drop them to verse number six
quickly, it says and the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound,
so have they blown the trumpet yet, no, they're preparing to blow it, okay, verse number seven,
the first angel sounded, okay, seven seals, now God pours out his wrath,
now it all starts to happen, but before we get, you know, go to verse number seven,
let's go back to verse number three where we're up to, it says and another angel came and stood
at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer
it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne of God, so an
angel comes with a censer, it's just this, you know, this device that you can't, the smoke blows
out of it and then you get incense and you put that in the censer, okay, and then it says here
verse number four and the smoke of the incense, so the smoke that's coming out of that which came
with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand, so this is, we get
half an hour of silence, then this takes place, the censer, the smoke, okay, with the prayers of the
saints, so the smoke is descriptive, you know, like a illustration of the prayers of the saints going
to God, why would the prayers of saints be going to God at this point just shortly before he pours
out his wrath? Well just a reminder, come back with me to Revelation chapter six and verse number nine,
Revelation chapter six and verse number nine, looking at the great tribulation period,
in Revelation 6 line it says, and when he had opened the fifth seal, okay, before the sun and moon
darkened during great tribulation, I saw under the altar, remember the altar, the fire is coming from
the altar, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the
testament which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying, how long oh Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? So what kind of prayers
are coming from under the altar? Lord how long before you avenge us? Verse number 11,
and white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest
yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as
they were should be fulfilled. So the prayers coming from this incense, this fire and before
the altar are the prayers of Lord, how long? We've been persecuted, we've been put to death
and so Christ, the Lord God is receiving all these prayers, you know, well now's the time,
right? He's receiving the prayers, now I'm going to answer your prayers,
now I'm going to avenge your blood. You say well that's just for those that were living during
that period. Come with me to another passage now, if you can come with me to 2 Thessalonians,
2 Thessalonians chapter 1 please, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1,
2 Thessalonians chapter 1 please.
Now what I should have done is just read a few more verses in Revelation, so just keep your
finger there in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and come back with me to Revelation 8, let's just read two
more verses before we get there. Verse number 5, it says and the angel took the censer and filled
it with fire of the altar. Okay so the fire comes from the altar and what does he do? We know the
prayers of saints are coming with the smoke but now he takes that fire and he casts it, it says
and casts it into the earth, so fire starts falling from heaven onto the earth and there
were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake and the seven angels which had the
seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. So just before they start blowing the trumpets,
God sends this fire from the altar okay, signifying the prayers of the saints coming
through the smoke and this fire starts its descent upon the earth. Now back to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 1, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse number 1, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse number 1,
it says Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at verse number 3, who were bound to thank God always for you brethren as it is meet because
that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you toward each other are
bounder, actually verse number 4 is what I want to read, it says so that we ourselves glory in you
in the churches of God for your patience and faith look at this in all your persecutions
and tribulations that ye endure. Paul is saying look I give thanks to God, you remain faithful,
you're at peace with God even though you're facing persecutions and tribulations.
Look at verse number 5, which is a manifest of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer. Are they suffering as believers? These
people aren't going through great tribulation of the end times but they're still going through
tribulation. Believers if you're going to stand for Christ you're going to face persecution,
you're going to face tribulation and what's the natural response of a believer when they're going
through great hardship? Don't we turn to God and we pray to him, say Lord deliver us, how long oh
Lord before you avenge our blood or whatever it is right? Well let's keep going there, verse number 6
seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense, another way of saying that is to avenge
tribulation to them that trouble you, God says you these people have troubled you well I'm going
to pay them back for what they've done to you. Look at verse number 7, and to you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
We had a look at last week how Reston spoke about the rapture, well you can see here again resting
with us is when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, again the rapture,
the day of Christ, the day of the Lord, when the Lord begins to pour out his wrath.
Look at verse number 8, so the same day when the Lord is revealed from heaven, verse number 8 says
inflaming fire was fire cast onto the earth, inflaming fire look taking vengeance on them that
know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. So God's going to take vengeance
on those that have not believed the gospel, those that are not saved, that day is going to come to
them like a thief in the night and God's going to recompense the trouble, the tribulation that
they've given us as believers on that day. What I'm trying to show you there brethren is that it's
not just the saints that were beheaded or killed during great tribulation, even the prayers of the
saints in the Thessalonian, the day of Paul, the Thessalonian church, any church that prays to God
in the midst of tribulation and persecution, that is all prayers that God's going to answer
on the day of Jesus Christ and so the angel, the censor, don't just read over that, the smoke is
going to God, all the prayers and God's like you know what now it's time for me to take vengeance,
now it's time for me to pour out my wrath on the wicked world.
Coming into another passage, second Peter chapter three, second Peter chapter three,
well I want to show you all these references to fire, the fire from the altar,
inflaming fire taking vengeance, fire mingled with blood, we saw that before as well,
second Peter chapter three verse number nine.
I love the consistency of the bible, I love it, second Peter chapter three verse number nine,
the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but his long suffering
to us would not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance but the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, let's stop there for a moment, a thief in the
night to whom? To the unsaved okay, again the day of the Lord in which the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works
that they're in shall be burned up, God's saying the day of the Lord is going to a time of great
heat, there's going to be a melting of the elements, it's all going to be burnt up,
verse number 11, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness,
looking for and hasting for the coming of the day of the Lord wherein the heavens being on fire
shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, but we're saying here we have
to be looking for that day, Lord I can't wait for you to take your vengeance, for you to pour out
your fire on this earth, you go but my property is going to be all burnt up, my Ferrari is going
to be burnt up, I mean I'm glad I'm getting raptured with God but what about all the
possessions I have on the earth, but that's why we've got verse number 13, nevertheless we
according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwell of righteousness,
he's saying don't worry about God destroying the earth, don't worry about God pouring out his wrath,
don't worry about your house being burnt down okay because we ought to be looking for the new
heavens and new earth, that's where our heart ought to be, I'm not upon these earthly possessions.
All right back to Revelation 8 please, Revelation 8 and verse number 7,
so I'm just showing the day of the Lord fire, you can't wrath, anger, vengeance okay,
but not for God's people, for the wicked that remain on the earth okay, Revelation 8 verse
number 7, the first angel sounded and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood
and they were cast upon the earth and the third part of the trees was burnt up
and all green grass was burnt up and just let the fire of the Lord, that fire coming from the altar
but here also the first angel sound in his trumpet and again what's taking place now, supernatural
events okay, what we saw in the tribulation and beginning of sorrows, that's all just normal
everyday things but it's just all amped up, now supernatural events are all taking place okay,
like we know again we know hail, we experience hail but hail and fire mingled with blood and
there's blood falling from heaven as well, right this is just obviously really overwhelming and
because of this fire, a third part of the trees were burnt up, a third part of the trees
you know, yeah a third of the old trees on the earth just destroyed and it says that all green
grass is burnt up, all grass okay, I mean think about the, I mean we all have grass on our
properties don't we, if you live in Australia, I mean this fire is going to burn the entire earth
if all green grass is burnt up, now let me show you something else here, let's fast forward to
the fifth trumpet in Revelation chapter 9 okay, this is where people get kind of like, oh what's
happening you know, Revelation chapter 9 verse number 3, Revelation chapter 9 verse 3, so before
we read this, if all green grass is burnt up, does any grass remain if it's all burnt up, no it's all
burnt up okay, but you get to Revelation chapter 9 verse number 3, and they came out of the smoke
locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power
and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,
that's the fifth trumpet, on the first trumpet all grass is burnt up, so you might say well hold on
pastor what's going on, why is there grass then again at the fifth trumpet, and the answer is
because grass grows back all right, like I've poisoned grass myself in my backyard and it's
good for a while, it stays dead for a while but eventually it all starts to spring up again okay,
what I'm trying to show you is that the wrath of God is the next three and a half years,
we have a long time to go, in fact if you keep going it says in verse number four,
Revelation 9 4, should not hurt the grass of the earth, yeah yeah sorry, neither any green thing,
neither any tree, but only those men which have not the seal of God in the foreheads,
look at verse number five, and to them was given they should not kill them,
but they should be tormented five months okay, so what I'm trying to show you here is that the
fifth trumpet, the judgment of God, God's wrath or the fifth trumpet alone lasts how long, five
months, so God's wrath is the next three and a half years okay, now we are going to last week's
sermon just very quickly, we saw that the second half of the three and a half years, the second
half of the seven years, I could also yeah, the second half of seven years was 1290 days
according to the book of Daniel okay, and we saw that the great tribulation is 75 days or less,
so if you take 1290 and subtract 75 days just as a maximum okay, you're left with 1215 days
left or 40 and a half months where God is pouring out his wrath okay, so 40 and a half months left
for God to pour out his wrath, which is why one sound of the trumpet, the fifth sound is a period
of five months, which is why again grass grows back okay, so I want you to just understand
there's no contradiction in the bible, it's just what happens in life okay, grass can be burnt up,
it all starts to grow back you know, especially within 40 and a half months you're going to have
grass growing back on the earth, all right come back with me to Revelation chapter 8,
Revelation chapter 8 and verse number 8 okay, now we look at the second angel, the second trumpet
and the second angel sounded and as it were a great mountain burning with fire,
this fire just keeps coming up with these first three trumpets okay, but a great mountain burning
with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood, so a third of the
oceans, a third of the sea becomes blood, like the water, the salt water is now blood, again
supernatural events, you say what is this mountain burning with fire, my first thought is just it's
just a large asteroid, like that's what I think a large meteorite that passes through the earth's
atmosphere and then you know, as it passes through it catches fires you know, it looks like
it's, it is literally on fire as it's passing through, it's a large one, it's a great mountain,
falls on the sea but again you can't explain all these things just by natural consequences
because if a meteorite, asteroid, whatever falls on the earth, the sea's not going to turn to blood
is it, like this is supernatural okay and so obviously if a third of the oceans or the seas
turn to blood then it's going to have some major effects on the earth and that's why it says in
verse number nine and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life
died, I mean that makes sense, I mean I don't know how a fish would survive in blood, I mean
he won't survive and so anything that's in the sea, it was in water in a moment, now it's now
it's covered in blood all right, it dies and it says and the third part of the ships were destroyed
so wherever those ships are on you know on the sea, if that sea turns to blood those ships are
destroyed, now I don't know how well a ship would float on a notion of blood, I don't know, I mean
blood's thicker than water so I would think it should float okay but you know when it speaks of
them being destroyed, this would you know if this is a large meteorite obviously there's the
force of the blast that's going to wipe out the ships and then you think about the tsunamis, the
large waves, imagine some large wave, you're not a ship on the ocean, this large wave just starts
to cover, it's all blood right and so you know these ships just don't survive essentially a
third of the ships on the on the sea don't survive because of this large object that fell from heaven,
let's go to verse number 10, so we've done the first two trumpets again all supernatural okay
supernatural things, verse number 10 and the third angel sounded and there fell a great star from
heaven, so to me it's just another meteorite but this one's a bit different, burning as it were a
lamp so it's passing through the earth atmosphere and it fell upon the third part of the rivers
and upon the fountains of waters, now when we think of the sea and the oceans we know it's all
kind of connected but when we think of rivers on the earth it's all it's all over the place like
there's many rivers in Australia, many rivers in America, a river in Australia is not linked to a
river in America for example okay, so the way I see this taking place if it's hitting a third part
of the rivers is that as this meteorite or whatever you want to call it is passing through the atmosphere
it's probably breaking up in pieces okay and all the pieces wherever they land on the rivers
obviously directed by the power of God okay they fall on these rivers and these rivers
it says in verse number 11 about this this meteorite or the star from heaven it says and
the name of the star is called wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood
and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter okay so the waters get corrupted
but the fallen of this meteorite whatever it is okay and if you drank of that water
it's poisonous it's toxic it'll kill you okay so again something supernatural is taking place here
now what I want you to notice in verse number 10 it says and there fell a great star from heaven
okay now I'm not trying to have a go at you if you're a flat earther okay but I've had different
conversations with flat earthers and one argument they'll say is well see if you believe a star out
there is a giant gas gas ball and if a star literally fell on the earth then the earth would
be destroyed so that idea of stars is not true okay but here's the thing and you know NASA's got
this great conspiracy this same flat earth had told me there's no such thing as planets
and he also got upset with me when I called the sun a star okay now forget NASA for a moment okay
let's say NASA's conspiracy government agency whatever trying to defile our minds whatever
okay we don't trust NASA okay if you just looked up a definition a dictionary definition for the
word star you know what the definition is just a luminous celestial body that's all it means
a luminous celestial body nothing about gas nothing about difference between the sun and
stars nothing like that okay just a luminous celestial body okay planets somebody have a
hard time on planets they're not real they're just stars okay planets if you look at the
etymology of the word the word planet just means wandering star planet by its definition is a star
but it's a wandering star we call it planets differentiate with the other stars that follow
the same course but wandering stars have a different orbit they move differently why is that
because you can trace this you can pinpoint these wandering stars these planets because they orbit
the sun they've got a different way of traveling and so that's why they're called wandering stars
because they don't follow the same course as the other stars that you see but even a planet
is a star as far as just say a casual definition because when you look at a planet it looks like a
celestial luminous object regardless of what it's made of just okay and even today if we were to see
a comet passing through the atmosphere okay at night you'd see this trail you'd see this luminous
light you call that a shooting star all right and the same but you know flat earth believe
was saying it was getting angry with me that was calling the sun a star but god calls the sun the
day star in the bible jesus christ is called the morning star in the bible oh that's venus
yes venus does appear it's the first star to appear in the day it's the last star to appear
to disappear at night but if you're going to use a star to describe jesus christ you're going to use
venus that barely anyone can see or you're going to use the star of the day which which god calls
the day star what i'm trying to show you guys is that this star falling from earth is not proof of
flat earth or anything like that it could very well be a meteorite an asteroid a shooting star
okay there's nothing wrong with the bible whatsoever it's just that when people are
trying to force their positions and instead of just okay let's just go with how god describes
things let's no no let we need to go contrary to nasa who's trying to defile our minds and therefore
it's a flat earth because uh a gas giant gas star cannot fall on the earth okay a shooting star can
a meteorite can okay it's a luminous beam as it's passing through the atmosphere
that is the very definition of a star and so what we see this star is called wormwood
because it's given the name of a herb or a plant uh there's a classification of plants on the on
the earth done as wormwood and they're very bitter they can be used for medicinal purposes
but they're also highly toxic it depends on what variation you use okay and so i mean things that
are mildly toxic aren't that bad for you might be good for you even okay but if something is
excessively toxic it can cause death okay and there is something about this object that falls
on the earth that falls on the rivers that causes all the rivers to become bitter okay toxic
poisonous that if you to drink of this water you ought to perish you die okay your body can't handle
it you say well then people shouldn't just they want they won't drink anything look it's falling
on a third is that what it said a third part of all the fountains of the rivers
you can only survive without water for about three days and that's it we you know at some point
someone's gonna have to drink this water you know just in order to survive but by drinking it they're
going to die they're going to perish again something supernatural okay now let's keep going
there verse number 12 and the fourth angel sounded and the third part of the sun was
smitten and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars so a third of the sun
a third of the moon and for the stars are smitten in what way they smitten it says so as the third
part of them was darkened and the day now this is the definition i believe and the day shone
not for a third part of it so let's say you know we we have a 24-hour period right and generally
speaking depends on the seasons depends on obviously the the the tilt of the earth and
the seasons but generally speaking we've got 12 hours of daytime 12 hours of nighttime right
okay so if it says that and the day shone not for a third part of it so what would be a third part
of 12 what's what's what's 12 divided by three four okay so four hours during the day it's
complete darkness so we get eight hours of daylight then the next four hours complete
darkness then we get the 12 hours of night all right but again it says there at the end of 12
and the night likewise because at night especially on a full moon it's pretty bright out there i don't
know if you've you know if you've walked out and not just your full moon like you can pretty much
see everything okay and so the stars and the moon provide lights at night but what if the moon turns
off and the stars turn on for four hours a third part as well again pitch blackness pitch darkness
right you won't be able to see even your hand in front of your face and that's another four hours
of that okay so what we get at this point in time or not we but those that are on the earth
if it's morning they'll get eight hours next four hours pitch darkness then they'll get night time
12 hours of the sun and the stars shining the next four hours pitch darkness okay i mean
that's enough to just scare the living daylights out of anybody right even if you're part of the
two-thirds that has not been affected by the bitter waters that's not been affected by the
seas turning into blood at some point man i'm losing eight hours a day it's just complete
darkness think about the fear think of the torment that people would have think of the the looting
you know people might break into houses and and it's all complete darkness you know we can get
away with all kinds of nasty things and i don't even know if lights are going to be working during
this time you've got earthquakes taking place you've got blood you know water turns into blood i
don't know if like just your everyday services are going to be running you know the way we're
used to today and so again this is a a miracle that's taking place but the sun still works it
just switches off for four hours the moon still works and the stars still work but they switch off
for four hours okay let's continue that verse number 13 and i beheld and heard an angel flying
through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice whoa whoa whoa to the inhabitants of the
earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound if you
thought the first four blows of the trumpet are horrible things and they are the angel says whoa
whoa means trouble and distress he goes it's going to be even worse when the next three
angels blow their trumpets so brethren what we see here in revelation chapter eight is the
blowing of the first four trumpets i didn't give you the title for the sermon but the title is what
is it the title for the sermon this morning is the first four trumpets the first four trumpets
and i just thank god that we're not here for his wrath we're not appointed to god's wrath we're
going to be raptured we're going to be with jesus christ in the clouds we're going to be in heaven
rejoicing but how sad for those that remain on the earth those that will be affected by god's
wrath what we saw in second thessalonians oh sorry first thessalonians are those that did not obey
the gospel okay those that did not believe in the lord jesus christ look if you i don't know when
this is going to take place i don't know it could be in a lifetime i'm not going to tell you it is
okay how important is it is for us to give people the gospel how important is it right i mean yeah
hell is a horrible thing we understand that but what about hell on earth the elements burning
with heat blood water turning to blood ships being destroyed pitch darkness all grass being
burnt up a foot of the trees being burnt up and think of the panic the stress the sadness the
sorrow the wailing of people on the earth when god begins to pour out his wrath
very such an important thing that we give our loved ones our friends the opportunity to at
least hear the gospel the opportunity to at least be saved to avoid the wrath of god either on the
earth or his wrath in hell all right brethren title was the first four trumpets let's pray