From a pastoral perspective, I think the easiest portions of Scripture for me to preach through are the New Testament epistles. Those passages include a lot of direct language that's highly practical in nature. They basically say, "Here's what to believe and what to do. Now, live it out."

Revelation isn't that kind of book, and for that reason, many pastors choose not to preach on it during Sunday morning services. I suspect that if they choose to teach through its content, they probably elect to reserve it for mid-week Bible studies and other similar contexts.

Admittedly, the portion of Revelation that we're looking at today (Revelation 9:1-11), is a challenging passage to wrap our minds around. It includes futuristic and apocalyptic language, some of which might leave us scratching our heads a little.

But even as we examine this passage that speaks of future things, please also allow it to remind us that God is patient, purposeful, and just. It also reminds us that rebellion against Him has real consequences, and that this season of divine patience that we're currently living in the midst of will not last forever. A reckoning is coming.

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There’s a noticeable shift when we move from Revelation 8:1–5 into Revelation 8:6–13. The silence in heaven has passed. The prayers of the saints have risen before God. The censer has been hurled to the earth. And now, the angels prepare to sound their trumpets.

John writes, “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them” (Revelation 8:6, ESV). John's choice of the word “prepared” tells us something important. What follows isn’t random chaos or uncontrolled destruction. It’s measured, intentional, and purposeful judgment from a holy God who has already shown incredible patience.

I believe these trumpet judgments occur during the future Tribulation. The church has already been removed at the rapture, and God is now dealing directly with a rebellious world and, ultimately, restoring Israel. This passage doesn’t describe symbolic struggles inside the human heart or vague cycles of history. It describes real judgments that will one day fall on a real world that has persistently rejected God’s truth.

And yet, even here, the gospel still shines.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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Some moments carry so much weight that words can’t do them justice. We’ve all experienced times like that. A diagnosis changes everything. A phone call stops you in your tracks. A moment arrives when conversation fades, and silence takes over, not because nothing matters, but because everything does.

Revelation 8 opens with one of those moments.

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1).

The emphasis on silence in this verse gets my attention. Heaven has been filled with worship, singing, thunder, and praise. Suddenly, it goes still. This isn’t awkward silence. It isn’t confusion. It’s reverence. It’s anticipation. Something decisive is about to happen.

This silence marks a turning point during the future Tribulation period. The seal judgments have unfolded, and the seventh seal now introduces the trumpet judgments. God’s righteous judgment on a rebellious world is about to intensify. Yet even here, the focus doesn’t drift away from Jesus. The silence comes when the Lamb opens the seal.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith. You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.