Thru the Bible

Steve Schwetz: Every now and then, you'll hear a natural calamity like a flood or a famine described as being of biblical proportion. It's so devastating or vast that there's no comparison other than what goes beyond natural explanation. Welcome to Thru the Bible, I'm Steve Schwetz, your host and fellow traveler here on the Bible Bus. In our continuing study in the book of Revelation, we'll witness divine judgments like that. Clearly, only God could orchestrate them, and it's just the beginning. The worst is yet to come.

Today, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, our teacher, walks us through Revelation chapter 8. So as you find your place on the Bible Bus and turn to Revelation, I want to read you a letter that we received recently from Mark in North Carolina.

"Thanks so much for your updates on how God is using Thru the Bible around the world to spread the gospel. How hungry the people of far-off lands are for Him. In places I thought were hopeless to receive Jesus, He is the bread of life. What a privilege it is to be a part of this ministry in prayer and with a couple of gallons of gas each month for the Bible Bus.

Thank you as well for your pointed, concise, and lovely prayers that open our studies presented by that great man of God, J. Vernon McGee. They so often seem like you fashioned them just for me. I like as well how you replay Dr. McGee's introductions that precede our travel through the scriptures. Most recently, his comments on the covenants and judgments of God in the lead-up to the studies in Zechariah that I'm tuned into right now. Though Dr. McGee left us some time ago, his messages are so timely today. That's because the word of God is alive forever and sharper than any two-edged sword. I never imagined that Zechariah could minister to me so deeply. Dr. McGee's insights, born of his dedication to studying the word of God, knit the Old and New Testaments more and more firmly together. The result is that I trust more in God's ultimate plan, which comforts me in these crazy times. Thanks so much."

Well, Mark, thanks for those comments and encouragement. And they're a great setup to another one of those introductory comments from Dr. McGee that you like to hear. This time, he's got a challenge for us. Let's listen.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Friends, out yonder today where the radio is going, there are people hungry for the word of God. We are going to many of them. We have two problems. One problem is that we want to continue to go and it is expensive, but when you begin to measure it by other Christian works and methods, it's very cheap. But we need help to continue to go. And then we'd like to extend and go into other areas and reach more people. And the only way that we can do that is to appeal to you today.

Steve Schwetz: Dr. McGee would be glad to know faithful Thru the Bible listeners continue to hear his call to take the whole word to the whole world. If you'd like to join us in prayer, we'd love to have you on our world prayer team. You can get our app or you can go to ttb.org and sign up to start receiving our daily email with our prayer destination and prompts for how to pray for the people there. It's really simple, but it's also very impactful. And of course, if God's leading you to provide a tank of gas or maybe a new set of tires to keep the Bible Bus rolling in more than 250 languages around the world, just call us. 1-800-65-BIBLE or click on give in our app or at ttb.org. Now, as we turn our hearts to our study, let's pray.

Father, thank you for allowing us to be a part of what You're doing in our generation. We ask that You would bless Your word as it goes out to thirsty hearts around the world. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now, here's our study of Revelation 8 on Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Now we come to the eighth chapter of the book of Revelation. And in the eighth chapter, we have the opening of the seventh seal, and the opening of the seventh seal introduces the seven angels blowing seven trumpets. And four of the trumpets are in this chapter here, and we see that after we've had the parenthetical matter that we had in the seventh chapter of the sealing of two companies, now we have the opening of the seals resumed again. Only the seventh seal remains to be opened.

Now this, as we have called your attention to before, is the outline or the pattern that John puts down for us so we cannot be led astray. He will move like this. There will be a series of sevens. In fact, four are coming up that relate to the great tribulation period. And he will give six of whatever the series might be, then he will have a parenthetical matter that contributes to the understanding of that particular series. And then he comes to the opening of the seventh, whatever it is—a seal or the blowing of a trumpet—and that in itself will introduce the next series of sevens, which means that they are interrelated, that they are tied together, they belong actually to the same period.

And so we have now the opening of the seventh seal that introduces the seven angels with the seven trumpets. And this sets the pattern for the remainder of the book of Revelation. Before the seventh of any series is introduced, a subsidiary subject is introduced to provide more light on the particular series. Now I repeat that because I think it's important for us to see. And there's no reason now to get bogged down and there's no reason to be sensational at this point. To begin with, when we got to chapter four, we said everything from here on is future. The things that shall be after these things, John says.

Now we are in that section. Now if we're living in the things that are present, which is the church age, then these things do not concern us in the sense that a great many people say, "Oh, it frightens me to study the book of Revelation." Well, friends, if you're afraid now of these series that are coming up, and I'll admit beginning with the riding of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, these are terrible, terrific judgments that are coming on this earth. And frankly, they are so tremendous that they boggle the mind just to read about them. But we at least can know where we are.

This is something that will take place after the church. And if you're a child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and promised to be delivered to Him when the church goes out of the world before the great tribulation period. That's what's called the blessed hope of the church. Now these seven trumpets will bring us to the full intensity of the great tribulation. The seven seals bring judgments which are the natural results of the activities of sinful man apart from God. The sixth seal brings the judgment of nature, and the seven trumpets reveal that God is judging directly and supernaturally a rebellious race.

Now the first four series of sevens can be explained this way, and I'd like to mention this because these next four—in fact, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, then we'll have seven personalities, and then seven vials or bowls of wrath—all of these concern the same period, but from just a little different angle. In the seven seals, you have judgment which is the result of man's willful activity. And I think this new movement that is abroad today which glorifies sex, to engage in sex orgies, this is the thing that of course characterized the pagan religions of the past. It was especially true in places like Ephesus and Corinth. Sex there was a religion.

And that's what many of these new groups that are arising today, it's just old paganism coming back, indulging in sex and calling it religion. This is, to my judgment, a very dangerous thing and it is satanic. Well, this is the period in which all of that will really abound, you see. But the judgment of God will be coming upon man, sinful man, because of this. We had the riding of the white horse, a false peace, when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them. And then the red horse of war. Who makes war? Man makes war.

How does war come? Because it's in the heart of man. If you took all the guns away from all the people and there were no arms or no atom bombs or anything like that, a great many people think if we can get rid of all of that, then we're going to have peace on the earth. My friend, war is in the heart of man and you'd have to change the heart of man before you can get rid of war. Very frank with you, I've got more confidence in a real born-again Christian who has a gun than an unsaved man who does not have a gun. Because if he can't get a gun, I tell you he'll claw you to death. He'll choke, he'll do anything.

We see today a great deal of that being manifested. Now in the seven trumpets we are coming to now, you have the judgment which is the direct activity of God. And when we get to the seven personalities, we have the judgment which is the result of Satan's fight against God. Satan will be brought out in the open at that time. And then in the seven bowls of wrath, we have the final judgment of the great tribulation which is the direct activity of God because of man's and Satan's rebellion, and God will judge both by the way.

Now we are coming to a section in which we'll find symbols used. But let's remember that a symbol is a symbol of a fact. You can't dissolve it into thin air because it's a symbol. And we're going to find here that there's a strange and strong similarity between the plagues of Egypt in Moses' day and the trumpet judgments. And I think that it's quite reasonable and logical to conclude that if the plagues in Moses' day were literal, then the plagues that are coming in the great tribulation are going to be literal, and the symbols that are used are symbols of the reality of what's coming. In other words, plain language would not make it clear to our minds how terrible and tragic the great tribulation is.

In other words, it beggars description. And so as it were, God exhausts language and brings in symbols. But when you say symbols, don't try to dissolve it away. It's well to keep in mind that this book here is a revelation of Jesus Christ. And we see Him now in a new role of judge. And these judgments here, the symbols that are used, they're not hazy and shadowy symbols which can be dissipated into thin air by some specious system of hermeneutics. When symbols are used and they are used in this book, the key is supplied. Scripture will furnish the explanation, and don't draw on your imagination.

You don't need to. Revelation is the last book in the Bible because a knowledge, a working knowledge of 65 books precedes it and it's the basic requirement for an understanding of its vivid language. I today get a little irritated to see somebody get saved or a new Christian and they immediately start a class in the book of Revelation and start teaching Revelation. Why don't you go back and start with Genesis? If you want to begin at the beginning, that's where you should go. Or take some other book. Don't take Revelation to begin with. Remember, we've been now almost five years going through the Bible. Now I believe that gives us the right to teach the book of Revelation and I wouldn't want it otherwise.

And it was Peter that says knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Now you don't interpret Revelation by itself, there are 65 books back of it and the symbols are going to be given to us, but they're not going to be dissolved into thin air. You're not going to wipe them out. You can't just wipe them out, you can't just wash it away. The symbol stands for an awful reality and we need to recognize that. Now we have here the opening of the seventh seal, and that introduces the seven trumpets. That's the way that this entire book is built.

The structure of the book, if it's followed, will prevent you from going off into fanaticism and sensationalism. And it certainly as a Christian ought to keep you from saying, "Oh, the book of Revelation, it's so frightful, it terrifies me." It ought not to terrify you. It ought actually to be a comfort to you. I thank God that this world that's running wild today and actually it looks like that it's filled with madmen, the way that mankind has so blundered and gotten this world in a mess today. I thank God He's going to judge it, friends, and He's going to judge it right when He moves in. And He's going to move in.

I'm thankful for that, that's very comforting today to recognize that. And that makes me very comfortable. Now this cult that's come up today, that's not my business to get on here and denounce everything else. My business is just to give out the word and that's what I'm going to do. He's going to straighten it out someday. I wouldn't have that job for anything in the world. I'm glad it's His job. He's going to straighten this world out and He's going to move in in judgment. Now maybe you don't like that, the fact that He's going to judge. That the gentle Jesus—and we've already seen the wrath of the Lamb, it was terrifying to those on earth—and my friend, when you talk about the gentle Jesus, you better get acquainted with Him.

He died for you, He loves you, He wants to save you, but if you won't have Him, I tell you there is waiting ahead of you a terrifying judgment. Now somebody says, "Oh, you're trying to frighten people." Well, I'd like to scare you into heaven if I could, I'll be honest with you, but I know you're too sophisticated today for that and there are too many cynics today. But my beloved, judgment is coming on this earth. And I say Hallelujah, I'm glad it's coming because I'm glad God's not going to let it go on like it is now. It's gone on long enough.

Now I want to at least get my foot in the door here. I want to read the first verse of the eighth chapter. "And whenever he opened the seventh seal, there came to pass silence in heaven of about a half hour." Now I read that from my translation, which I don't recommend, but I've given you the literal of what John wrote. Now there is silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. Many years ago now, when I was considered a young people's speaker—I've long since passed that stage—I was at a young people's conference here in Southern California and there were three or four hundred young people there.

And I was out on the grounds of the camp and I saw coming toward me a group of girls, and in the middle of them there was a boy, and it looked like they were going to take him apart. They were making a great deal of noise about it too, and I couldn't tell what it was, and finally they came up to me and they wanted me to hear what this fellow had to say. And he said to me, he said, "Dr. McGee, did you know that there're not going to be any women in heaven?" And I said, "No, I didn't know that. I said, do you have scripture for it?" And he said, "Yes, scripture for it." He says it says there's going to be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, and he says if any women are there they couldn't be any silence for that long.

Well now, may I say to you, I think the young man was rather, you know, probably a little prejudiced, but he sure was surrounded with a bunch of girls and they were attempting to correct him on that particular interpretation. And I frankly agree with the girls that that's not the meaning here at all, it doesn't mean that there're not going to be any women in heaven. Now as we open this passage, and may I say that I opened it on that very light note, probably I did wrong. Because here is a passage that has to do with great solemnity and great seriousness.

The Lord Jesus Christ is still in command. He opens the seventh seal and there is introduced a fanfare of seven trumpets. He directs the action now from heaven. He's in charge. And what's taking place He is directing. We need to keep that before us through the entire book. Don't lose sight of the fact that Revelation presents Him in His glory as the judge of all the earth. You see, it may deceive you to just have it presented to you that He's the gentle Jesus that went about doing good, and He did. But you see, the one who's the Lamb, we're going to have the wrath of the Lamb someday.

But the Lamb is the one that as John says, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." And the world is not lost actually because they're sinners, they're lost because they've rejected Jesus because He died for you. And I don't care even if you go into a lost eternity and you haven't accepted Christ, He died for you, friend. And you just made it of no avail. You made what He did at the cross a ridiculous, a senseless sort of thing, and you've trodden underfoot the blood of Christ when you take that kind of attitude and position toward Him.

And so this is a very solemn scene. He orders a halt on all fronts, heaven, hell, and earth. Nothing can move without His permission. He'd already ordered the cessation of natural forces on the earth when He ordered the sealing and saving of two definite groups. Now for a brief moment, there is a lull in judgment activity. There is a heavenly hush. Godey defined it like this, and I'm quoting him, "This silence is a pause of action." I like that. "This silence is a pause of action. It is the lull before the storm."

Why the strange silence? Well, His patience is not exhausted. When the sixth seal was opened and nature responded with a mighty convulsion, brave men weakened for a moment. Christ gave them opportunity to repent. But like Pharaoh of old, when the heat was taken off, his willful heart returned to its original intention. So many men will go back to their blasphemous conduct when there's a calm. They probably will even rebuke themselves for showing a yellow streak. After all, it was only nature reacting, wasn't God after all, and everything can be explained by natural causes. That's what they'll say.

This, my friend, is the lull before the storm. As someone has said, "The steps of God from mercy to judgment are always slow, reluctant, and measured." That's end of the quotation. God is reluctant to judge, for He is slow to anger. And judgment is His strange work. Isaiah says in Isaiah 28:21, "For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His strange act."

What is that? What is strange about God? That He judges, friends. The God of love judging His creatures. And He says that He hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. This silence marks the transition from grace to judgment. He's waiting, waiting. And by the way, He's waiting for you if you haven't come to Him, and you can come. He's a gracious savior today. May God richly bless you, my beloved.

Steve Schwetz: Even in the middle of the tribulation, God still waits for sinners to repent. He doesn't want anyone to perish, but He says to you right now today, today is the day to turn to Him. And if you haven't done that yet, please don't wait. Read or hear more from Dr. McGee about God's gift of salvation by clicking on "How Can I Know God" in our app or at ttb.org. These lessons traveling through Revelation have been intense and thoughtful. If you'd like to listen again or go deeper into this study, let me recommend a couple of resources.

First, dive into Dr. McGee's notes and outlines for Revelation before or after the study. They're available for download in our app or our free digital book, Briefing the Bible, as well. We also have that in paperback version. We'd love to send it to you when you call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now, another way that you can go deeper is to get our Bible companion for Revelation. These are new. It's also available for free download or if you prefer a printed copy, we have those as well and we offer them for purchase. Either way, you're going to find all of our resources for Revelation and all of our other Bible companions over at ttb.org.

And don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter. Each month you'll get more great teaching from Dr. McGee as well as tips on how to apply what we're learning and great news about how God is answering our prayers to take His whole word to His whole world. It's a great little resource. To receive yours, just call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE or sign up in our app or at ttb.org.

And when you're in touch, be sure to tell us why you show up every day with the word open, asking God to speak to you, to teach you, to encourage you. What keeps you coming back every day? You can send your note to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. You can also email biblebus@ttb.org, you can leave a note through our app, or call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE and leave a voicemail. The Bible Bus will come round your corner again next time for more in Revelation 8 with the blowing of the seven trumpets. I'm Steve Schwetz and I'll be here saving a seat just for you.

Music: Thru the Bible exists to take God's whole word to the whole world, and we invite you to stand with us with your faithful prayer and financial support. Where will God's word go today? [Instrumental]