The Hour of God’s Final Judgment
Sermon Title: The Hour of God’s Final Judgment
Sermon Text: Revelation 8:1-5
Sermon Purpose: To call the hearer to stand and bow in awe of the mercy and judgment of God.
Sermon Proposition: There are 4 preparatory aspects of the hour of God’s final judgment.
I. The hour of silence in God’s final judgment. V.1
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'
Amos 5:13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.
Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."
Zechariah 2:13 "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!"
Psalm 76:8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
II. The hour of shock in God’s final judgment. V.2
A. The 1st trumpet a third of the earth will be burned up. 8:7
B. The 2nd trumpet a third of the sea became blood. 8:8
C. The 3rd trumpet a third of the rivers and spring waters destroyed. 8:10
D. The 4th trumpet a third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck. 8:12
E. The 5th trumpet demons were released out of hell to torment humanity. 9:1-6
F. The 6th trumpet demons killed a third of mankind. 9:13-15
G. The 7th trumpet unleashes seven bowls judgment that are more severe than the trumpets.
George Ladd makes a statement that we must always remember about the judgment of God:
“The wrath of God is not merely judicial; it also embodies a merciful purpose. It is designed to drive men to their knees by harsh experiences while the time for decision remains, before it is too late. This is hinted at in several passages.
After the sixth trumpet, we read, ‘The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshipping demons and idols’ (9:20) . . . When men are confronted by the . . . wrath of God in judgment, they should be humbled in repentance and turn from their wickedness to worship the God of heaven.
The same note resounds in connection with the bowls of wrath. After the fifth bowl, we read that men ‘cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores and did not repent of their deeds’ (16:10). If it were possible to drive men to repentance, the plagues of the trumpets and bowls would do so” (The Revelation of John. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1972, p.124).
William Barclay gives three purposes for the blowing of a trumpet that are worthy of our note:
“It can sound the alarm. It can waken from sleep or warn of danger. And God is always sounding His warnings in the ears of men.
It can be the fanfare which announces the arrival of royalty. It is a fitting symbol to express the invasion of time by the King of eternity.
It can be the summons to battle. And God is always summoning His people to take sides in the strife of truth with falsehood, and to become soldiers of the King of kings” (The Revelation of John, Vol. 2, p.52).
III. The hour of supplications in God’s final judgment. V.3-4
A. The altar is a heavenly counterpart to the altars of incense in the temple, which also was made with gold. (Exodus 30:3 "And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.) It is the same golden incense altar seen by Isaiah in his vision (Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.) and by (Ezekiel 10:2 Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, "Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And he went in as I watched.). The altar of incense was the earthly counterpart to this heavenly incense altar.
B. In the Old Testament era, the priests would twice daily (morning and evening) take hot, firery coals from the brazen altar where sacrifices were offered and transported them into the Holy place to the incense altar. They then ignited the incense, which rose toward heaven emblematic of the prayers of the Saints.
Luke 1:8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
IV. The hour shattering in God’s final judgment. V.5
The censer filled with the fire of the altar, usually linked with the prayers of the saints, becomes a symbol of divine wrath. The angel’s act of throwing the censer filled with fire to the earth, reveals God’s judgment will come in direct response to the prayers of the Saints. (Rev 9:20-21; 16:9, 11)
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
All who have rebelled against Jesus Christ and persecuted His people will suffer the wrathful judgment of God.
Acts 17:31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."