13.12 | For This Moment
Revelation 8:6-9:21
‘Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.’
Revelation 8:6
Virtually all of the controversies about Revelation come down to one thing:
Which things are past, which are present, and which are future?
Revelation 1-3 is widely understood to now be history past. Revelation 20:7-22:21 is accept as future. But what about everything in the middle?
We have some clues to help us. Because the middle section of Revelation is carefully organized around three sets of ‘seven’: Seven seals that are opened, seven trumpets that are blown, and seven bowls that are poured out upon the earth.
The simplistic reading of these is to assume that these follow in a linear pattern, with each event of each seven following on from another.1
And yet, these ‘sevens’ seem to be woven together more artistically, more intrinsically. Themes repeat, and the End of the Ages comes more than once. The trumpets and the bowls are separated by an intermission that seems to then dart unapologetically backwards into the story of Jesus’ birth. The trumpets seem to come out of the seals, as if there is deeper truth held within the contents of that opening scroll than we’d yet seen. These cycles of seven seem to be giving us not a linear history, but three different layers of insight into this final stage of history in which we walk.
Why does this matter?
It matters, because Jesus gave us Revelation for a specific reason:
To navigate this moment.
To navigate these challenges you walk through. To navigate these questions. To navigate these pains and these obstacles and these days of great chaos. He didn’t give us Revelation so each successive generation could point to their own particular events of chaos as the singular fulfilment of Revelation prophecies. Rather, the imagery used is deep biblical imagery that gives form and perspective into these chaotic years between the Ascension and Return of Jesus. They speak of every war and every famine and every disaster and every Empire. They speak of a world groaning for the Return of its King.
Look at the themes we see today as these trumpets are blown, for they gather up biblical memory to plant courage into our hearts.
The events recall to us the plagues of Egypt, that battered that nation with the consequences of opposing the only true God of wisdom and peace. They recall to us that, as Pharaoh didn’t repent, so neither will much of the world see the catastrophic outcome of humanity’s efforts at self-rule and turn. They recall to us the reality of demonic warfare, with an enemy cast from heaven and yet being granted a last and limited period of destruction against a humanity that still welcomes the serpent to the Garden. And they recall to us the seven trumpets of Jericho—trumpets blown by seven priests on the seventh day, before the walls of the enemies of God fell. They recall to us a biblical history that tells us that earth and hell have rebelled before, and will continue to do so in this moment to the tune of chaos and disorder and suffering.
Do these images give you fear? Take heart. Jesus saw every rattling and raging of history that was to come, and told us that it was coming. The chaos of the world is no surprise to Him. He showed us so that we could turn our memories back to Egypt and Jericho and recall that this God brings victory out of what looks like impossible defeat. He showed us so that we could hear His surety into the instability of history, that we would endlessly recall that our truest stability is not found in the stability of our circumstances, but the stability of the rightful King.
For the trumpets are blowing, my friends, and the walls will fall.
Which means that certainly and truly, the King of endless peace will, certainly, soon return.
Reflect:
When we hear of catastrophic events in the world, it often leaves us feeling like God has no control.
Let the predictions of Revelation settle into your heart. If these things were predicted, so too is their imminent end. Offer Him your fears, and invite His Spirit to build steadiness in your soul. For we are not confident because of circumstances, but simply, always, eternally, because of Him.
Pray:
Father,
I look and I see
Chaos;
I see turmoil and disaster,
Corruption and fear,
Poverty and pandemic and crisis and chaos.
I see no Empire or leader with the strength or vision to lead us to
Peace.
I see all this, Father,
And I can feel
Fear.
Loving Father,
Would you plant into my soul today
Courage,
Steadfastness,
Perspective,
And peace,
That in such days as these,
I would know the surety of my Lord,
The stability of His victory
And the certainty of His coming reign.
For to this I look,
And in Him alone do I stand with
Peace.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
Obadiah | Proverbs 30:10-17
This is usually called a Historicist reading, or a Futurist reading