January-February - The Gospel Magazine

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The Gospel Magazine
Testament order. In chapter 3: l 6 he says, "Then they that feared the Lord spake
often one to another: ond the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of
remembrance wos written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that
thought upon His name". Could the book be the New Testament, written for us
to read and pray over and the silence in heaven be that period which separated
the Old and New Testaments in which there was no vision? In verse 3 we have a
glimpse of this as the angel takes the golden censer. Much incense (prayer) is
added to the imperfect prayers of the saints and the whole ascends to God. The
censer is then discarded. Prayer is ended. No more intercession, the warnings are
about to be proclaimed.
This vision majors on the wicked, who have no interest in the coming of our
Lord. Indeed they despised and rejected Him.
We now have seven trumpets sounding. The first four predict physical hurt on
the earth and the last three spiritual anguish.
At verse 7 the first angel sounded and great destruction comes upon the
LAND. We again remind ourselves that this is speaking of the last days and so
prophesies of calamities which will come on the earth during that period which
includes our day. One third of the trees are affected, that is, only part of the
earth. We can see this clearly in our own time by recalling Dutch elm disease and
acid rain on the trees of Scandinavia. The great hurricane destroyed l5 million
trees in 1987 in the U.K. alone. In other parts of the world there have been
similar catastrophes.
The second angel sounds at verse 8, and we see calamity at SEA. Remember
Psalm 46:2, "Though the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea". Again
one third is affected, illustrating the contained manner of the disaster. There
have been disasters at sea in our time and down the ages. As this article is being
written the effect of oil spillage off the Shetland Isles is being assessed. These
are all warnings to the wicked, so they are without excuse. God's warning is to
be seen all around but they will not listen. What a mercy if He has shown
compassion on us to open our eyes to these things, and caused us to run to
Christ our Hiding Place.
The third trumpet illustrates disasters affecting INLAND WATERWAYS
AND WATER SOURCES. Wormwood or bitterness is put into them so that
people died. This too is a high priority subject today, with pollution and other
environmental issues. Another warning to the world who would rather look
the other way.
At verse 12 the fourth trumpet sounds and the"third part of the SOLAR
SYSTEM is affected. Adverse conditions in the universe have been and are still '
seen today. Meteorites, global warming, shooting stars, all serve to warn the
world that this is not a permanent place.
These visions should be a great comfort to the believer. "And when these
things bbgin to come to pass, then look up, ond lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh." So said our Lord in Luke 2l:28.