1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
4. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
5. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
6. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8. The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
9. a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--
11. the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12. The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13. As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
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Reflection |
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Prayers Rise Up (8:1–5)
Prayer is a discipline that can be difficult to maintain. Many people feel like their words simply fall from their mouths and hit the floor. But if we were able to see into the spiritual realm, we would realize that our prayers soar into heaven and are a pleasing fragrance to the Lord, just as the smoke of incense rises and produces a sweet fragrance to the nose. This reveals that God not only listens to our prayers, but delights in them, enjoying the pleasing aroma of our faith and trust.
Salvation Is Here (8:6–13)
God is love. God is gracious. God is good. And God is also just. Because He is just, He will one day bring judgment upon those who are guilty of wrongdoing. If God allowed actions driven by greed, power, and lust to go unpunished, we would be angry at this injustice. The problem of evil becomes more evident when we simply look into our own hearts. We, too, can be driven by greed, power, and lust rather than by love and worship. We all deserve the judgments in these verses because we have all fallen. But because God is loving, gracious, and good, He provides us with a way out. He desires to forgive us, redeem us, and save us from our sins. This is the Gospel. Judgment is coming, but salvation is here today.
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Application |
- Pray today with full confidence, knowing that God delights in your prayers. He hears your prayers, and He will respond to them according to His wisdom and His perfect timing.
- God is on a mission to save and redeem, and He desires to use us to share the message of Jesus with others. Judgment day is coming, but the Gospel is offered to all today. Share the Good News!
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A Letter to
God |
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Father, as I pray right now, I am humbled to know that You hear my prayer and that You even take delight in it. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for saving me. Please use me to share the Gospel with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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