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?
神的属性在祂身上完美和谐地共存，祂用不着牺牲某个属性来彰显另一个属性。但是，凭我们有限的思维能力，我们往往不能理解神所有属性的内在合一，我们倾向于在我们的思维中将神的属性分开来考虑，有时甚至觉得神的各种属性或行为之间有矛盾或混乱。我们如何才能理解神对罪恶的烈怒与祂对罪人的温柔慈爱呢？我们怎样才能在祂的审判中看见祂的慈爱呢？最重要的是，我们该如何回应在启示录中描述的等待人类的毁灭性审判？
第六章描述的前六封印是逐渐开启的，第七章暂停开启封印，用来介绍神的子民。在第八章开始，约翰看见配得敬拜的羔羊打开了第七印，也是最后一印，此刻，非常不寻常的事发生了，“天上寂静约有二刻。” 请记住，天上的赞美是没停过的，这个惊人的寂静的意义是什么呢？神亲自让天堂合唱团的赞美之声暂停一下，以示祂看重在地上曾受苦的圣徒的祷告。这是神表现出祂对受迫害的子民，以及他们为求神的公义所献上祷告的关注。神甚至暂停了子民对祂的敬拜，去关注祂的宝贵子民和子民们的祷告。祂其实不必这样做，祂是全能的神，早就听见了祷告，但祂选择这样做。我们神对祂所爱的人存着多么长阔高深的爱啊！祂多么看重圣徒的祷告啊！
在第六章中打开了第五印时，殉道者的灵魂从祭坛下喊道：“圣洁真实的主啊！你不....给我们伸流血的冤，要到几时呢？” 神那个时候告诉他们要“等一会儿”。现在，我们看到，“另有一位天使拿着金香炉，来站在祭坛旁边。有许多香赐给他，要和众圣徒的祈祷一同献在宝座前的金坛上。那香的烟和众圣徒的祈祷，从天使的手中一同升到神面前。” 受苦圣徒的祷告达到神面前之后，“天使拿着香炉，盛满了坛上的火，倒在地上，随有雷轰，大声，闪电，地震。” 这里让我们看到，圣徒的祷告和神的审判内容息息相关，圣徒的祷告与神的审判之间的关系清晰可见。神的主权与计划，奇妙地融入了祂子民的公义诉求。我们祈求正义得伸张，并不表示我们心里有不正当的欲望，想要神击打别人，而是盼望神的公义和慈爱得胜。我们相信，神以祂的慈怜等候人悔改，神以祂的智慧择时施行审判。
如果我们相信神的性情品格，我们应该祈求神的公义得以彰显，这不是复仇，也不是怀恨。在诗篇中，大卫就多次祈求神的公义彰显。有时，我们感到为神的公义彰显祷告不舒服，自己告诉自己，我们不想论断，但实际上，我们是不信任神是公正的审判官，神自己的公义是他的审判背后的驱动力。而我们不想因为主张正义，在别人眼里成异类。但神希望祂的子民祈求祂的圣洁公义，祂将回应这些祷告。神不会被我们的祷告控制，祂选择垂听我们的祷告。
在这里，当祷告上升到神面前时，天堂的寂静就被雷轰，大声，闪电和地震打破了，也拉开了号灾的序幕。
七位天使，每位都拿着一只号筒，准备为即将来临的惩罚示警，我不禁联想到约书亚时代，征服耶利哥之前携带号筒的七位祭司。神向埃及降灾时，由轻至重，有序地先后降下了十个灾难，以期打动法老的心。同样地，在这里，祂对每个号筒之灾设定了限制，而且在每个号灾之后留出时间，等待愿意悔改的人悔改。
头四个号筒之灾的审判是致命的，然而，这些审判是直接对着大自然的，对人的影响是间接的。首先，“地的三分之一和树的三分之一被烧了，一切的青草也被烧了。” 接着，一团巨大的火焰“仿佛火烧着大山扔在海中。海的三分之一变成血，海中的活物死了三分之一，船只也坏了三分之一。” 灾难持续升级，“有烧着的大星好像火把从天上落下来，落在江河的三分之一和众水的泉源上。这星名叫‘茵陈’。众水的三分之一变为茵陈，因水变苦，就死了许多人。” 接下来的灾难是击打“三分之一”的日头，月亮和星辰，以致“白昼的三分之一没有光，黑夜也是这样。” 此后，神出于祂的恩典与怜悯，暂时克制祂的审判，旨在呼吁人们悔改。在神暂停审判时，祂向空中抛了一只鹰。这只鹰有敏锐的视力，它能看见死亡。它大声地喊叫说，“三位天使要吹那其余的号，你们住在地上的民，祸哉！祸哉！祸哉！”
神出于恩典给我们发预警，整本圣经都在给我们发预警，这都是慈爱的神给我们的预备，要引导和保护我们。神用危机和灾难使我们觉醒，为叫我们悔改，得以避开更大更可怕的灾难。神用降下的审判来得到我们的觉醒，祂得到了吗？祂得到我和你的觉醒了吗？
