Thru the Bible

Guest (Male): How will the end time events unfold? What do you think the trumpet will sound like when Jesus calls his children to meet him in the clouds? What will the signal be that marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation? Will it sound like a bomb exploding or like a war breaking out? In this study on Thru the Bible, our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, takes us through Revelation chapter 8, where he'll explain the sound signaling the beginning of the Great Tribulation. It's not with an explosion or a trumpet or a roar, but with this: silence.

Thirty minutes of ominous silence. In that stillness before the storm, the fullness of God's wrath will pour out on the earth. It will be the beginning of the end of the earth. That's what we've got ahead of us in this lesson as the Bible Bus continues through the book of Revelation. Speaking of the Bible Bus, how long have you been on this journey through the scriptures with us? This April, we're going to kick off another five-year journey on the Bible Bus. Isn't that amazing?

Our 12th journey through the whole Word of God begins then. Do you want to be a part of that celebration? You can. Just write and share your story. Tell us why you continue to hop aboard the Bible Bus and study God's Word with us. Is it because it gives you hope, because it points you to Jesus, because it comforts you or challenges you? Send your letter 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 in the feedback section of our app or call 1-800-65-BIBLE to leave a voicemail. Then be sure to listen as we'll try and share as many of these responses as we can. I know Dr. McGee would have loved to hear all of your answers. His vision years ago to faithfully provide daily studies through the whole Word of God still lives on today. He knew that as people received God's Word, God would use them to generously provide for others to hear.

Or as Dr. McGee described, faithfully provide gas money for the Bible Bus or new tires from time to time. Before we come to our study, let's listen as Dr. McGee talks about our commitment to trust God to provide for the needs of the ministry.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: It has never been our plan or purpose from the very beginning to use high-pressure methods. We do not send out junk mail. Everyone that's on our mailing list got there because they asked to be put there, or else someone asked for them. We today believe that if you are not able to support the program and you want our notes and outlines, that God will raise up somebody down the street or over in the next town to send in enough for you and for them also.

We believe that the real test is the support that comes from any area. We will not continue on a program if we do not get a reasonable amount of support. We always give every station a fair opportunity to see if it's going to pay for itself. That, by the way, is all that we ask. We do from time to time appeal to you to support our foreign broadcast. After all, we cannot ask them—that is, the Chinese or the people of India or the people of South America or the people in Russia—to support our program.

We believe that there are enough folk in this country that are interested in getting out the Word over iron curtains, under bamboo curtains, and through the curtains of indifference and sin today to support our program. We just let you know this and trust you'll understand that we do need your support, though we will not violate our rule by using high-pressure methods.

Guest (Male): Since Dr. McGee first spoke those words decades ago now, some of these curtains have opened, and the Word of God goes into these regions by radio as well as internet, apps, listening devices, and even satellite TV. But the urgent need is for God's people to pray. Pray for effectiveness, for opportunities, for victory over challenges. We need you. Will you pray with us?

You can find out more about Thru the Bible and join our World Prayer Team at ttb.org or by calling 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now let's pray. Father, thank you for hearing us when we do pray. Fulfill your will in us and through us, and we ask for your grace to cover the earth and that many will choose to trust and to know your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Friends, we began last time in chapter 8 with the blowing of the seven trumpets. We didn't get to blow any trumpet before we got off the air, but we're going to blow a couple of them today, I'm sure. What we have here is the opening of the seventh seal. The last seal also opened up the next series of seven. Each one will just slide into the next series the same way, which ties them all together. They are just bound up in one bundle.

We're covering the period that's known as the Great Tribulation period. Our Lord labeled it that, and John has already told us this is the Great Tribulation period. I hope that there's no one that wants to argue about that, because both the Lord Jesus and John have labeled this the Great Tribulation period. Now, the seals opened up. They seemed to me to just be a broad sweep of the entire period. But when you come to the trumpets, you're coming to that intense part of the Great Tribulation which we'll see a little later on, labeled the last three and a half years of it.

We saw last time that there was silence in heaven of about half an hour. It is awesome. It is something that is very solemn and something in one sense to some would certainly be terrifying, because judgment is getting ready to come upon the earth. This is right before the storm of the judgment that's coming on the earth during that particular period, and this is the lull before the storm. If you are from the Midwest—and those of you that are listening in the Midwest will understand the illustration I'm going to use now—when I was a boy, my dad always, everywhere we moved, he built a storm cellar.

I spent half of my boyhood during the spring and early summer sleeping in a storm cellar, because we think today that they have so many storms in that area. It seemed to me like we had quite a few when I was a boy. Late one evening, my dad and I were standing in the storm cellar door, and he was watching this storm come up. He saw that it was not going to hit our little town in southern Oklahoma. It hit one just about 10 miles away. But before that storm hit, we could see the funnel as it let down near that little town.

There was a certain stillness. The wind had been blowing, the rain had been coming down, and there was a great deal of thunder and lightning. But all of a sudden, all of that stopped. For a few moments, there was a deathlike silence. Then where we were living, though 10 miles away, the wind—not a funnel-shaped hurricane or a tornado, but just a straight wind—I've never seen it blow like it did. It's all my dad could do to get that storm cellar door down, and I helped hold on to the chain with him.

It broke with all of its fury. That's the way that the Great Tribulation will break upon this earth. It's presented to us in this way with the trumpets. Beginning with verse 2 and going through the 11th chapter, we have the blowing of the seven trumpets. We have first of all here, from verse 2 through 6, the angel at the altar with the censer of incense. I want to read now my translation. I'll be reading from here on largely from my translation. That's the reason I want you to follow in the Bible, your authorized version.

You will see I haven't made any change in the meaning at all, but I have tried to clarify the meaning in many places. Let me read verse 2 of the eighth chapter of Revelation: "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and there was given to them seven war trumpets," or just seven trumpets. These seven angels are introduced as a special group. I believe Gabriel is in that group, because we're told that he stood before God. That's what he told Zacharias when he announced the birth of John the Baptist.

He says, "I'm Gabriel that stands before God." He apparently is one of them here. The seraphim back in Isaiah, they're before the throne of God also. But these seven angels are seemingly a different order than the seraphim. The reason is their mission and service is altogether different. Seven trumpets have a special meaning for Israel, and I don't want you to miss this. I consider this all-important. Here is where it's essential to have a knowledge of the Old Testament.

Here it is in the book of Numbers. In the book of Numbers, you will find that Moses was given by God instructions for the making of two silver trumpets. Two was the number of witness. The Lord said on several occasions that in the mouth of two witnesses. These two trumpets were used on the wilderness march in a twofold manner. They were used first for the calling of the assembly. Then when the children of Israel started out on the wilderness march, they were used to get them moving.

We will see that in just a moment. Let me read to you Numbers 10:2: "Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps." When Israel entered the land, the trumpets were used in a twofold purpose again, but not the same purposes. Let me read this. I'm reading now Numbers 10, verse 9, and then verse 10: "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God." They were used in another way. In the fourth verse of the 10th chapter of Numbers, we're told that when a single trumpet was blown on the wilderness march, it meant that the princes were to assemble themselves together.

Verse 4: "And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee." Will you notice that this trumpet here is, to my judgment, that which corresponds to the last trump that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter. This was the bringing together of a certain group out of Israel that were to come together. This is the trump that is mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52, when he says, "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Unfortunately, there are some that assume today that the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15 is the seventh trumpet of Revelation. There's no relation at all. When Paul mentions him in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Actually, you have here the voice of the Lord Jesus, his shout. The voice of the archangel means his voice is like that of an archangel.

The trump of God is still his voice. His voice will sound like a trumpet. That's scriptural fact. That's in Revelation 1:10. We saw that. John says that he heard a voice like the sound of a trumpet, and he turned to see. Who did he see? The glorified Christ. The glorified Christ is going to call his own out. I think that when Paul speaks of the last trump here, "The trumpet shall sound, the dead shall be raised," that's the call of the Lord Jesus.

It is the last call that he makes to the church. It is called therefore the last trump. The type of it is this calling out of the children of Israel, the princes. One trumpet is blown. It has no relation to the movement of the children of Israel on the wilderness march. Here is something that is especially significant, and will you note it: The trumpet sounded an alarm which moved Israel on the wilderness march. An alarm was sounded to move each division.

In other words, the tribes were divided into four groups of three tribes each on the four sides of the tabernacle. There were three separate families of Levi that carried the different articles of furniture of the tabernacle: Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. Four and three makes seven. There was a blowing of the trumpet to move Israel out. When the first trumpet was blown, the ark moved out, and the Kohathites were carrying it. Then the tribe of Judah moves out and the two tribes under the banner of Judah.

Then so on until they get them all on the march. You see, everything was done orderly in that camp. Every man knew his place, every man stayed in his station, and there was no disorder in the camp of Israel whatsoever. That's the reason Paul says, "Let everything be done decently and in order in the church." I wish the church was as orderly as Israel was on the wilderness march. It took seven trumpets to move them out. There is a positive benefit of these trumpets.

The seven trumpets of Revelation will have the positive effect of moving Israel into the land. I believe that it will take these seven trumpets here to get all of Israel back into that land. That's another reason I don't believe the present return is a fulfillment of prophecy at all. This will be fulfilled in the Great Tribulation period, blowing of the seven trumpets as they were on the wilderness march. After the seventh trumpet, Israel is identified for us in chapter 12 as the special object of God's protection.

What we have here that's essential is an understanding of the trumpets, and it will prevent us from identifying the last trump of the church with the seventh trumpet of Revelation. The trumpets of Israel were used at the Battle of Jericho. So the walls of this world's opposition to God will crumble and fall during the Great Tribulation. When the Lord Jesus comes, he will put down the last vestige of rebellion against him and against God and establish his kingdom here upon this earth.

This is a book, friends, of triumph and of victory for our God. At the end, it has the Hallelujah Chorus. Maybe you and I can sing it when we get there. Now I come to verse 3, and let me read: "And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."

Now, this another angel, I believe I can say positively that it's not Christ. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer in the position of his intercessor for the church. We saw that in the fourth and fifth chapters, that he moved out from that, and there's given to him the seven-sealed book. Everything that happens from there on in Revelation, he's in charge of it. He's not moving as one of the actors down on earth's stage.

He's in heaven with the church, you see, at this particular time. He is not the intercessor. He is now in the place of judgment, and he holds the book of the seven seals. He's just opened the seven seals, and he directs all the activities from the throne. This angel is, as is stated here, just another angel. I don't think the Lord Jesus would be identified as that. It is true back in the Old Testament, the pre-incarnate Christ appeared as an angel.

I don't think he'll ever appear again as an angel. He will be as he is in the glorified body. We're going to see him as he is someday. The golden altar is the place where prayer is offered. He's not in the place of intercession before the golden altar. He's now upon the throne. Incense is likened unto prayer and is a type of prayer. We don't guess at that, because back in Psalm 141:2, David said, "Let my prayer be set before thee as incense."

Incense speaks of the value of Christ's name and work in prayer. He says, "If ye ask in my name," and that's his injunction. There is today a habit that many are falling into, many of those who really believe the Word of God. They end their prayer by just saying "Amen." Someone said it's redundant to say that, because in your heart you are praying in Jesus' name. Fine. I think it means more than just putting on the tag end "in Jesus' name."

But I want to say this: if you're making a prayer in Jesus' name, and especially a public prayer, be sure and say it's in Jesus' name. That's very important, I believe. Here, they are offering incense and the sweet-smelling incense. You and I are not heard for our much speaking or our flowery prayer. We are heard when it's made in Jesus' name. The incense was given to this angel. That's interesting.

Christ didn't need anything given to him when he prayed. The prayers of saints which were offered under the fifth seal are now being answered because of the person and the sacrifice of Christ down here. Now will you note verse 4: "And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand." Now prayer is going to be answered because of Christ. Now will you notice: "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth," he throws it upon the earth, "and there were thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake."

The high priest took a censer with him as he carried the blood into the holy of holies. Here the ritual is reversed, because out of heaven, the censer is hurled upon the earth. In other words, the prayers ascended as incense. Now we have the answer coming down. They have prayed, "Oh, God, avenge us," these tribulation saints. The earth, having rejected the death of Christ for the judgment of their sins, must now bear the judgment upon their own sins.

The Great Tribulation is going to get underway. There are thunders. That denotes the approach of a coming storm of God's judgment. Voices reveal that this is the intelligent direction of God and not the purposeless working of natural forces, that God is in charge. The lightnings follow the thunder. This is a reversal of the natural order. We see the lightning before we hear the thunder due to the fact that light waves move faster than sound waves.

The earthquake here is the earth's response to the severe pressure which is going to be placed upon it during the judgment of the Great Tribulation period. I didn't even get to blow the first trumpet here today, because this is such an important section that we've been through and we've spent this time because it is important. But I hope I get to blow the trumpet next time, that is, we'll let the angel blow the trumpet. So until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.

Guest (Male): Wow, that was intense. We'll discover more about the end time events this week as the Bible Bus keeps moving through Revelation. If you missed any of these studies, or maybe you want to listen again, you will find them in our app at ttb.org. Another great way to catch up or to share Thru the Bible with a friend is to download our free Bible Companion for Revelation.

If you want to start maybe a small group Bible study, we offer a discount on 10-packs of our printed companion. It's such a great tool. Again, you can find us at 1-800-65-BIBLE or at ttb.org. You can also send an email to biblebus@ttb.org or write to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. Or in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1.

In our next study, we'll hear the sound of that first trumpet and the beginning of God's direct judgment on the earth. So jump on the Bible Bus as it comes round your corner. I'm Steve Shwetz, and I'll save you a seat. Our story on the Bible Bus today is just one step in a five-year journey through the entire Word of God. Come along for the ride, and you'll study both the Old Testament and New Testament, discovering God's great redemption story. Is this your story, too?