The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

At the end of chapter 11 we come to the sounding of the seventh trumpet and it is a scene of great hope. As the second woe to those who refuse to acknowledge God and who persecute and kill his witnesses passes we are drawn once again into the throne room of heaven, where the twenty-four elders are bowing down to worship God. Their song is a familiar one, but needs to change. They range in chapter one that the Lord Almighty is the one who was and is and is to come. But the future is now here! His kingdom has come and he will rule forever.

But the seventh trumpet is also the third woe, for once again those who reject the gospel call will face the wrath of God they will be judged for their wickedness and rejection of his love. The ones who persecuted and killed the witnesses of God will be destroyed and those who responded to his goodness and love will be rewarded.

This is a passage of great hope to God's peoples. In it he tells us that history won’t last forever; evil won’t triumph. Good will triumph, and God and Christ will reign forever. This is our joy and our response should be as people to live it now as we eagerly await the return of Christ, yet proclaiming the truth the gospel to the unrepentant so that they will respond while there is yet time.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/4QWHuz6k0uI.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

Chapter 11 is one of the most questioned passages in Revelation. People want to know who the two witnesses are so that they can plot end times prophecy. Our look in the first 14 verses may challenge that idea that the witnesses are two literal people. Rather, as Jesus charged his disciples in Acts 1:8, the church is the witness of God in this present age.

But the chapter begins with a measuring rod and John is commanded to measure the temple of God. The purpose of this is to assure God's people that he will keep them because he knows them. No amount of persecution from the world (or the Beast - mentioned in chapter 11 for the first time) will ever kill the church. But the world will try and when it sees the church failing, the world will cheer.

However, this is not the end. The people of God will be resurrected from the grave, just a Christ was, and will enter eternity in heaven. This is a picture of the church triumphant after her years of being militant against the attacks of the devil and his agent, the Beast. Those not brought into the kingdom of God because of their sin will be punished for all eternity.

Our response is not to identify the witnesses but to know their purpose and, more importantly, look to the one who sent them and keeps them to the end. We are to trust in the Lord and know his keeping until the day he brings his people home.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/WuriU7RGZrQ.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

After a short interlude at the end of chapter 8, chapter 9 opens with the full force of the first woe that is brought on humanity who do not have the seal of the risen Lord Jesus on them. A plague of locusts, reminiscent of the plague that fell on Egypt, it presented as coming from the bottomless pit. They fly through the smoke and flame of the pit to bring havoc on a third of the earth. But their power is limited. They can only torment humanity but not kill them. But these locusts are not ordinary locusts. Their image is one that is different, but what is noticeable is that their power to inflict harm is in their tail, described as being like the tail of a scorpion.

The sixth trumpet sounds in verse 13 and the second woe begins. The image presented to us by John is of the enemies of God's people coming from the east across the River Euphrates. This is not to be understood as a physical place as God brings his judgement of death on a third of humanity, but digs into he history of Israel to remind them of the horrors that did come from the east by way of punishment from God for their unfaithfulness.

Revelation 9 warns us the severe judgments we will face if we rejection the salvation and lordship of Christ. God continues to display his grace while there is still time to trust in the Saviour and know the assurance of an eternal home in heaven.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/0viFUDh4Kf0.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

After a short interlude at the end of chapter 8, chapter 9 opens with the full force of the first woe that is brought on humanity who do not have the seal of the risen Lord Jesus on them. A plague of locusts, reminiscent of the plague that fell on Egypt, it presented as coming from the bottomless pit. They fly through the smoke and flame of the pit to bring havoc on a third of the earth. But their power is limited. They can only torment humanity but not kill them. But these locusts are not ordinary locusts. Their image is one that is different, but what is noticeable is that their power to inflict harm is in their tail, described as being like the tail of a scorpion.

The sixth trumpet sounds in verse 13 and the second woe begins. The image presented to us by John is of the enemies of God's people coming from the east across the River Euphrates. This is not to be understood as a physical place as God brings his judgement of death on a third of humanity, but digs into he history of Israel to remind them of the horrors that did come from the east by way of punishment from God for their unfaithfulness.

Revelation 9 warns us the severe judgments we will face if we rejection the salvation and lordship of Christ. God continues to display his grace while there is still time to trust in the Saviour and know the assurance of an eternal home in heaven.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/SNLYg0BBDtY.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

As much as there is nothing new in Revelation by way of what Scripture has already told us, so the book itself repeats its message and we see this here with the introduction of the seven trumpets. The seven seals have told us of what God will do in these end times. The opening of a seal doesn't create much noise, but the blast of a trumpet will get us all to sit up and pay attention!

The sound of a trumpet cannot be ignored and so the message of Revelation 8 is not to be ignored. The Lord's judgments are coming on the earth and all humanity outside of Christ will be judged for their rejection of the Saviour. But there is hope because there is still time! These judgments on the earth occur in the time between Christ's ascension and his return. So while there is yet time we are to trust in the Saviour so that we will pass through the judgement and be assured of home in heaven.

Paul's assurance for us in Romans 5:9 is to be headed that we have a Saviour who will willing to save to the utmost:

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/yrVeUOq812E.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

As we leave chapter 7 and the great multitude before the throne the scene shifts to a moment of silence in heaven. John guesses that it was for about half an hour. This silence tells us that God is merciful and good and is giving time for the saints to continue in prayer to him and these prayers are then presented to him in an act of worship.

John also sees seven trumpets given to seven angels. This is to get us ready for judgement that will fall on the earth as a response to the prayers of God's people and he will answer the question 'how long?'

The silence in heaven is much like silence on earth—we will either enjoy it or fear it. To enjoy it means we understand that God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love so we can come to him in prayer with all that we need. To fear the silence means we receive the judgement we deserve for our sins as the seven trumpets will sound. Our only opportunity for salvation is to lean into the steadfast love of God and know our salvation in the Lamb, the one who was slain for us.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/R8jVaGtk7yE.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

Having looked at the first of the six seals in chapter 6 we now come to a pause in chapter 7. The curtain is pulled back even further as we see the nations gathered before the throne, demonstrating the worldwide reach of the gospel. As people from all nations, tribes and tongues gather we hear the praise of heaven giving God all blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might.

This is an picture of our true glorious hope where the full complement of the redeemed, those sealed with the mark of Christ, are brought through the judgement to the throne of God and know his presence and security forever. And before God's people in heaven stands the Lamb who was slain-His blood shed as a punishment for sin that redeems the elect.

Our hope today can only be in Jesus Christ so that what we seen in chapter 7 of Revelation is our reality on that day when we pass from death to eternal life.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/_D3HS-jjVxQ.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

Moving into chapter 6 of Revelation we see the Lamb holding the scroll and opening its seals. There are seven in total, but this chapter only shows us six of them as they are opened. There are images here that our time and distance from John receiving this revelation don't help us see at first their meaning.

The first four seals shows us four horses and horsemen coming out, telling us what the world will endure in the last days. The last days are the period between Christ's ascension and his return. The fifth seal is the cry of the martyrs, assuring us that this period of suffering won't last for ever. As the sixth seal is opened we see that judgement is coming on the earth and those who do not know salvation in Jesus will fear this moment.

As we look at this passage today we must ask ourselves if we will have confidence on the day of judgement to stand before the risen Lord Jesus. This confidence isn't of our own making but comes only through salvation in Christ. Revelation 6 is a reality check for us of the times in which we live and it is a challenge that we know for sure we are saved in Christ and in him alone.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/8nX8l0PbKRw.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

In chapter 4 of Revelation we were introduced tot he on seated on the throne. In chapter 5 we see that in the right hand of the Lord Almighty is a scroll, written on front and back, and sealed with seven seals. We will learn more of the seven seals in chapter 6. For chapter 5 we are introduced to the one who has the authority to open the seals and reveal to us God's plans for judgement and salvation that were established before the foundations of the world, not set in motion by Christ's death and resurrection.

The Lamb is worshiped, just as the Lord Almighty is worshiped, by the heavenly host. But the Lamb looks as one that is alive but as all the markings of one that was slain. Here John is looking upon the risen Lord Jesus with scars on his head and the prints of nails in his hands and feet.

John sees Jesus as we will see him. Our sight of Jesus will be our approach to him. We will either approach him as our Saviour or as our judge. To approach him as judge means he will be a fair judge and he will administer the punishment our sins deserve. To know that we will approach him as Saviour means we have great hope now that will be our reality in eternity.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/kIiilXrh28Y.

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home.

As we move into chapter 4 of Revelation our perspective is taken from the churches on the earth to the throne room of heaven. John is invited to come through the open door and see the risen Lord Jesus seated on his throne. For the suffering church of John's day they need to know that in and through their tribulation Jesus is the one who will keep them to the end.

In the throne room John also sees 24 other thrones, making us consider that the elders sitting on these thrones represent the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles, thus representing the totality of redeemed humanity from both the old and new covenant communities of faith.

But what is the central message of this chapter is the worship of Jesus by those in heaven. He is the one that the universe revolves around because he is the one of majesty, beauty, wealth and power. It is he who invites us to come and see and to find rest in him and the salvation of our souls. He is not to be ignored. He is the one who has made us possible to be in heaven through the forgiveness of our sins, only achieved because of his death and resurrection. Revelation 4 forces us to consider this reality of Jesus so that we may look upon his majesty and not be afraid.

Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series.

A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/iMumpnwbq10.