How long until…(Neh 10-13; Revelation 8)

“How long O Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide you face from me?” (Psalm 13)
We know what this feels like don’t we? How long must I suffer this painful disease? How long must I suffer with anxiety / depression? How long will this war go on? How long must I see my child suffer? How long until no more babies are lost? How long until there are no tensions in my family? How long until God shows his glory and puts to shame those who mock him?

In Revelation 8 we get to see that every prayer of every Christians is heard and answered. Remember the book of Revelation is written to encourage Christians to keep going even when things are really tough. And what an encouragement to know, among all the pain you experience, that if you belong to Jesus, you can be totally confident that Almighty God hears your prayers.
In Revelation 8:3-4 we see a wonderful picture of the prayers of Christians rising to Almighty God, and of His response. It’s a bit of a strange response (7 trumpets). But if you’ve ever prayed for someone to get better, or for justice, or for God’s kingdom to come, then in some way the 7 trumpets are part of the answer.

Now you might be thinking, I’ve never prayed for hail and fire, or for the sea to become blood! I’ve never prayed for water to become bitter, or for darkness! But all of these things are part of God’s judgment on a world that is in rebellion against him. And unless God judges the world there will be no ultimate healing, no ultimate justice and no coming of His kingdom. God is going to have to get rid of all the sin that has so damaged, wounded and destroyed His people and the planet.

These 6 trumpets are the start of God doing that, and so they are part of his answer to our prayers for things to be made right. That helps with the “how long” question. You can know that suffering for God’s people will not continue forever. God is going to put things right! When? Well, just as with the seven seals, the time period is the time between Jesus’ ascension and His return. This is the time we’re living in. It’s a bit like when you’re watching sport on the TV and you get an action replay from a different angle, the 7 trumpets show us a different angle.

Here focus on God’s answering His people’s prayers and protecting them. God is wanting to reassure his suffering people that just as he rescued his people out of the suffering of Egypt, he will ultimately rescue his people again.

Remember how God heard his people’s groans in Egypt and knew their suffering, so he sent plagues on Egypt, plagues of hail, water turning to blood, darkness, locusts. It’s similar here in Revelation 8, God has heard his people’s groans, especially the groans of the martyrs—(6:10) and he is judging the earth. Again, it’s picture language, first 4 trumpets show that every realm of life is affected by our rebellion against God. The earth, the sea, the rivers and the skies. The world is groaning because of our sin. Don’t you see that as you look at the world today? Every time we see a wildfire or a flood, a volcano or and earthquake, it’s a reminder that the world is under God’s judgment. But graciously it’s limited, it’s a third, not everything. As we see such terrible suffering, it should make us hate sin all the more and to hate all the pain that it causes. It should also make us so thankful that Jesus has dealt with our sin.

Before the last 3 trumpets are blown, three woes are announced. It’s a warning that the worst is to come. The woe is directed at those who dwell on the earth (8:13), that’s John’s way of talking about those who live only for this world. Those who are not concerned about God and His purposes. If you’re someone living for yourself and what you can get out of life with little or no thought of God and His ways, then this is warning for you. But as we will see tomorrow, God’s people are protected from this final judgment (9:4).

As things make you ask the “how long” question today, remember that the Lord hears your prayers and He is in the process of answering. Amen, come Lord Jesus.