I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus was exiled by the Roman Empire to the island of Patmos because of the Word of God the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the spirit and the resurrected Christ, the First and the Last, the Living One, the one who holds the keys to death and Hades, appeared to me in a vision. As the last living apostle on earth, he commissioned me to write down what I saw and send it to the seven churches. And then he began to reveal to me: things that had happened in the past, things that were happening in the present, and things that would happen in the future.
The Seals and the Trumpets
After I recorded Christ’s messages for each of the seven churches, he somehow transported me to heaven where I saw the angels in all of their glory. They were bowing down before him and worshipping him in majesty saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
I saw in the right hand of him who sat upon the throne a scroll sealed with seven seals. I wept because there was no one in heaven or on earth who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. But then a mighty angel said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. He is able to break the seals and open the scroll.” When I turned, I expected to see to see a ferocious lion, but instead, I saw a gentle Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. I knew that this was Jesus, the Lamb of God who died to take away the sins of the world.
I watched as the Lamb took the scroll from the angel’s hand and began to open the seals. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, I saw seven angels standing before God with seven trumpets. The opening of the seals and the blowing of the trumpets inaugurated the great tribulation period that began at Jesus’ ascension and will continue until his second coming. God is pouring out his wrath upon portions of the earth through conquest, civil war, famine, demonic activity, and death. These judgments are meant to punish unbelievers for persecuting God’s people and to lead them to repentance. They are warning judgments, precursors to the final judgment that will take place when Jesus returns. This heavenly vision explained for me the things that have been taking place on earth and will continue to happen until Jesus returns.
God showed me all of these things and I have written them down as he has commanded me. I hope that all of you will read what I have recorded and take the words to heart. If you are an unbeliever, I urge you to repent from your sin and to put your trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul! This is the only way to survive the final judgment when Christ returns! If you are already a believer, I encourage you to continue to persevere through the trials, tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings of this life. Hold on to your faith as we wait for Jesus to make all things new!
The Mighty Angel and the Seven Thunders (1-4)
All of this happened before the seventh trumpet sounded. While I awaited the final trumpet, I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven to earth. It was an extraordinary sight—he was the most massive and majestic angel I had ever seen. As he descended from the sky, he was robed in a large white cloud which reminded me of God’s presence in the days when Israel was wandering in the wilderness. There was a rainbow hovering above his head, which reminded me of God’s mercy in the days of Noah. His face shined brighter than the son which reminded me of God’s glory when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. His legs were like fiery pillars which reminded me of God’s guidance and protection in the days when he led the Israelites out of Egypt.
As I watched him plant his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land it brought to mind the ancient statue of Colossus that used to tower over the Greek island of Rhodes. Although this wonder of the world had been destroyed long before my day, I had heard stories about it. This angelic colossus was not some dead statue; it was a living picture of God’s dominion and sovereignty over his whole creation.
When his feet touched down, he opened his mouth wide and gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion which meant that he was about to say something very important. Then I heard the voice of seven thunders from heaven speaking to me. What did he say, you might ask? Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out, as they say! For just as I was about to put my pen to parchment and write down what I heard, I heard God’s voice say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
So, I picked up my pen and paused to think about everything that I had just seen and heard. As I watched the mighty and magnificent angel descend from the sky and stand as a sentinel over the earth, an incredible sense of comfort and assurance came over me. I was indeed reminded that God’s presence is always with me and that his mercy, guidance, and protection are always before me. God is sovereign over the heavens and the earth and everything in the earth. He is in control of everything!
When he told me to seal up what the thunders have said instead of writing them, I have to admit, I was confused. But as I thought about it, I realized that even though God has chosen to reveal many things about himself and his plan for the world, he doesn’t reveal everything. Many human beings think they know everything, but they don’t! Every once in a while, we all need to be reminded that only God knows all things!
No More Delay (5-7)
As I stood there looking at the angel, I noticed that the angel was holding a scroll in his hand. Although it looked smaller than before, I could see that it was the same scroll that the Lamb had opened. As he held the scroll out to me in his left hand, he raised his right hand to heaven and took this oath: “I swear by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it.” And then he said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants and prophets.”
When the angel gave this oath and declared that there will be no more delay, I knew what he meant. The last days that were predicted by Daniel and the other prophets is now here. When Jesus came back to life and ascended into heaven, he inaugurated the last days here on earth. We are living in the last days right now!
How long will the last days last? I do not know—times and dates are not for us to know, but I tell you this: When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the mystery of God will be revealed and it will be the end of the world as we know it!
Do you recognize the seriousness of the issue? We are living in the last days right now! Jesus could return at any time and bring the world to an end? Are you ready?
The Bittersweet Bible (8-11)
After the angel said this, I heard God’s voice from heaven again. He told me, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the angel’s hand.” With fear and trembling, I stepped forward and asked the angel to give me the little scroll. When he placed it in my hand, he said, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” At first, I wondered if I heard him right. Why in the world would he want me to eat the scroll? I agreed with him that it would turn my stomach sour, but I had my doubts about it tasting sweet like honey.
I was perplexed by his command until I remembered that God had commanded the prophet Ezekiel to do something very similar to this many years earlier. God had commanded Ezekiel to eat a scroll which symbolized God’s Word. And then he told him to go and preach to his people Israel. God’s Word was sweet, but because Israel refused to listen, it was bitter. Their hearts were hardened and obstinate to God’s Word.
That is when I realized that God was recommissioning me to continue prophesying about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. He wanted me to continue to write down these visions of the last days, but he was warning me that it would be bittersweet.
Well, the angel was right, as soon as I put the scroll in my mouth, it immediately melted and tasted like warm honey, but a few minutes later it began to turn my stomach.
That is the way it has always been with God’s Word—his message of salvation is sweet but his message of judgment is bitter. Those who embrace God’s good news find it sweet to the soul, but those who reject it find it bitter to their hard hearts. For those who preach God’s Word and find people who listen and take heed, the experience is sweet, but those who preach God’s Word and find people who do not listen, the experience is bitter. Honestly, this is one of the reasons why so many preachers don’t last long—it can be a very bitter experience.
So, let me ask you—do you find God’s Word sweet or bitter? Is your heart soft or hard to the things of God? Will you be a recipient of his salvation or his judgment?
Now that you have heard my prophecy, let me pray for you!