God's attributes operate in perfect harmony. He never exercises one attribute at the expense of the other. But in our limited mind, we often fail to comprehend the intrinsic unity of God's attributes. We tend to separate elements of God' character in our thinking. We sometimes even see conflict or confusion among various attributes or actions of God. How do we reconcile God's violent wrath against sin with His tender love for sinners? How do we see His mercy even in His judgment? Most important, how do we response to the devastating judgment awaiting mankind, described in Revelation.
After the progressive opening of the first six seals in chapter six and the interlude about God's people in chapter seven. John sees the worthy Lamb opens the seventh seal, the final one at the beginning of chapter 8. Very unusual, there is "silence in heaven for about half an hour." Keeping in mind that the praise in heaven is unceasing, what is the significance of this surprising silence? The songs of praise offered by heaven's choirs silenced by God Himself in deference to the prayers of the suffering saints on earth. This is how God showing His concern for His persecuted people and their prayers for His justice. God even paused the worship service to Himself to take care His precious people and their prayers. He definitely does not have to do so. He is the God Almighty and He knows the prayers. But He choose to be this way. How great is our God's love to His beloved ones. How much does He care about the prayers offered by His saints?
As the fifth seal was opened in chapter 6, the souls of the martyrs cried out from under the altar, " How long, Sovereign Lord, until you...avenge our blood?" God told them to "wait a little longer" at that time. Now we see "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand." After the prayers rising before God, "the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurld it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumbings, flashes of lighting and an earthquake." The prayers of God's people contribute to the judgment God initiates in this chapter. The connection between the saints prayers and God's judgment is clearly seen. God's sovereign plan mysteriously incorporates the rightful prayers of His people. Our prayers for justice do not reflect a morbid desire for God to strike people down, but for the justice and mercy perfectly united within God's character to prevail. We trust God's perfect balance of compassion to await repentance and wisdom to exact judgment at His time.
If we trust God's character, we should pray for the triumph of God's justice. To do so is neither vengeful or hateful. In Psalm, David prayed for God's justice many times. Sometimes we feel so uncomfortable to pray for God's justice, we told ourselves that we do not want to be judgmental, but the fact is that we do not trust He is the Judge, His own justice is the driving force behind His judgment. And we do not want to offense people to make us look bad. But God desires His people to pray for His holy justice and He will act in response to those prayers, not because He is controlled by our prayers, but because He choose to do it this way.
Here, as prayers go up to God, the silence in heaven shattered by thunder, rumbings, flashes of lighting and an earthquake which lead to the trumpet judgments.
Seven angels, each with a trumpet, prepare to sound the warning of imminent judgment. I can not help to think about the seven priests in Joshua's time who carried trumpets before the conquest of Jericho. And just as God strategically released 10 separate plagues in Egypt to move Egyptians' hearts, here He sets limits to each trumpet judgment, provides time after each judgment for anyone willing to come to repentance.
The force of the first four trumpet judgments is deadly. However, those judgments were directed on nature. The impact on people was secondary. First "a third of earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up." Then a great fiery mass "like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was throw into sea, a third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." The destruction continues to escalate. "A great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water". The name of the star was "Wormwood" known for its bitterness. Many people died because they drank the toxic bitter water. The following disaster strokes "a third of " sun, moon and stars. "A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night." God restraints His judgment, an act of kindness and mercy designed to call people to repentance. Now He pauses His judgment while He throws an eagle in midair. This eagle has keen sight, it sees death. It calls out in loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
God graciously sent a warning to us. Scripture is full of warnings, a loving provision of a loving God to direct us and protect us. God uses crisis or disaster to get our attention, calls us to repentance and spare us futher suffering.
God sent judgment to get our attention. Does He get it? Does He get it from you?
神的屬性在祂身上完美和諧地共存，祂用不著犧牲某個屬性來彰顯另一個屬性。但是，憑我們有限的思維能力，我們往往不能理解神所有屬性的內在合一，我們傾向於在我們的思維中將神的屬性分開來考慮，有時甚至覺得神的各種屬性或行為之間有矛盾或混亂。我們如何才能理解神對罪惡的烈怒與祂對罪人的溫柔慈愛呢？我們怎樣才能在祂的審判中看見祂的慈愛呢？最重要的是，我們該如何回應在啟示錄中描述的等待人類的毀滅性審判？
第六章描述的前六封印是逐漸開啟的，第七章暫停開啟封印，用來介紹神的子民。在第八章開始，約翰看見配得敬拜的羔羊打開了第七印，也是最後一印，此刻，非常不尋常的事發生了，“天上寂靜約有二刻。” 請記住，天上的讚美是沒停過的，這個驚人的寂靜的意義是什麽呢？神親自讓天堂合唱團的讚美之聲暫停一下，以示祂看重在地上曾受苦的聖徒的禱告。這是神表現出祂對受迫害的子民，以及他們為求神的公義所獻上禱告的關注。神甚至暫停了子民對祂的敬拜，去關注祂的寶貴子民和子民們的禱告。祂其實不必這樣做，祂是全能的神，早就聽見了禱告，但祂選擇這樣做。我們神對祂所愛的人存著多麽長闊高深的愛啊！祂多麽看重聖徒的禱告啊！
在第六章中打開了第五印時，殉道者的靈魂從祭壇下喊道：“聖潔真實的主啊！你不....給我們伸流血的冤，要到幾時呢？” 神那個時候告訴他們要“等一會兒”。現在，我們看到，“另有一位天使拿著金香爐，來站在祭壇旁邊。有許多香賜給他，要和眾聖徒的祈禱一同獻在寶座前的金壇上。那香的煙和眾聖徒的祈禱，從天使的手中一同升到神麵前。” 受苦聖徒的禱告達到神麵前之後，“天使拿著香爐，盛滿了壇上的火，倒在地上，隨有雷轟，大聲，閃電，地震。” 這裏讓我們看到，聖徒的禱告和神的審判內容息息相關，聖徒的禱告與神的審判之間的關係清晰可見。神的主權與計劃，奇妙地融入了祂子民的公義訴求。我們祈求正義得伸張，並不表示我們心裏有不正當的欲望，想要神擊打別人，而是盼望神的公義和慈愛得勝。我們相信，神以祂的慈憐等候人悔改，神以祂的智慧擇時施行審判。
如果我們相信神的性情品格，我們應該祈求神的公義得以彰顯，這不是複仇，也不是懷恨。在詩篇中，大衛就多次祈求神的公義彰顯。有時，我們感到為神的公義彰顯禱告不舒服，自己告訴自己，我們不想論斷，但實際上，我們是不信任神是公正的審判官，神自己的公義是他的審判背後的驅動力。而我們不想因為主張正義，在別人眼裏成異類。但神希望祂的子民祈求祂的聖潔公義，祂將回應這些禱告。神不會被我們的禱告控製，祂選擇垂聽我們的禱告。
在這裏，當禱告上升到神麵前時，天堂的寂靜就被雷轟，大聲，閃電和地震打破了，也拉開了號災的序幕。
七位天使，每位都拿著一隻號筒，準備為即將來臨的懲罰示警，我不禁聯想到約書亞時代，征服耶利哥之前攜帶號筒的七位祭司。神向埃及降災時，由輕至重，有序地先後降下了十個災難，以期打動法老的心。同樣地，在這裏，祂對每個號筒之災設定了限製，而且在每個號災之後留出時間，等待願意悔改的人悔改。
頭四個號筒之災的審判是致命的，然而，這些審判是直接對著大自然的，對人的影響是間接的。首先，“地的三分之一和樹的三分之一被燒了，一切的青草也被燒了。” 接著，一團巨大的火焰“仿佛火燒著大山扔在海中。海的三分之一變成血，海中的活物死了三分之一，船隻也壞了三分之一。” 災難持續升級，“有燒著的大星好像火把從天上落下來，落在江河的三分之一和眾水的泉源上。這星名叫‘茵陳’。眾水的三分之一變為茵陳，因水變苦，就死了許多人。” 接下來的災難是擊打“三分之一”的日頭，月亮和星辰，以致“白晝的三分之一沒有光，黑夜也是這樣。” 此後，神出於祂的恩典與憐憫，暫時克製祂的審判，旨在呼籲人們悔改。在神暫停審判時，祂向空中拋了一隻鷹。這隻鷹有敏銳的視力，它能看見死亡。它大聲地喊叫說，“三位天使要吹那其餘的號，你們住在地上的民，禍哉！禍哉！禍哉！”
神出於恩典給我們發預警，整本聖經都在給我們發預警，這都是慈愛的神給我們的預備，要引導和保護我們。神用危機和災難使我們覺醒，為叫我們悔改，得以避開更大更可怕的災難。神用降下的審判來得到我們的覺醒，祂得到了嗎？祂得到我和你的覺醒了嗎？
