Category: Worship

Seven Trumpets

We’re heading into some intense chapters of Revelation in the next few posts, but don’t lose heart. Remember that this book is meant to encourage believers and reveal God’s perfect love and perfect justice.

John’s vision continues in Revelation 8:2-11:19 where he describes an angel approaching the golden altar and offering the prayers of the saints who have been slaughtered for their faith. The angel takes an incense burner filled with fire and hurls it to earth. This prompts seven angels to blow trumpets one at a time, beginning the next phase of God’s wrath by unleashing a recapitulation of several Egyptian plagues described in Exodus 7-12. Pastor Mason King explains the seven trumpets as a window into the mercy of God toward those who have yet to repent and believe in Jesus.

Judgement rains down with an increased impact and intensity on all three domains of creation: the heavens, the waters, and the earth. While the first four seal judgements from Revelation 6 affect one-quarter of the created domains, the first four trumpet judgements of Revelation 8 affect one-third. The Lord’s justice requires atonement for sins and avenging of martyred saints, but He demonstrates mercy by giving the unrepentant additional time to humble themselves and turn to Him before the final judgement.

With the first trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood burn up one third of the earth. As the second angel blows his trumpet, “something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea,” turning a third of the sea to blood, killing a third of the creatures, and destroying a third of the ships. (8:8b CSB) The third angel blows his trumpet and a great star called Wormwood falls from heaven onto one-third of fresh waters causing them to become bitter and deadly. You may recognize Wormwood as the name of the junior demon in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters who is tasked with corrupting and distracting his Christian “patient.” Perhaps bitter waters symbolize the pervasive spread of bitterness toward God among hard-hearted people on earth. Maybe this explains why “The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent.” (Revelation 9:20a, CSB)

The blowing of the fourth trumpet affects the heavenly realm, causing one-third of the sun, moon, and stars to darken and a third of day and night to be without light. This brings to mind the short and frigid days of a place like Alaska in the dead of winter. For anyone who craves natural light, this would be brutal.

Next, an eagle cries aloud “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound.” (Revelation 8:13b, CSB) What follows is an unsettling description: “The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. The key for the shaft to the abyss was given to him. He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth.” (Revelation 9:1-3a, CSB) Led by the destroying angel of the abyss, called Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek, the locusts represent demonic power and suffering being loosed on humanity.* They are held back from harming all vegetation but given permission to inflict pain on people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads. The Lord limits Apollyon’s power to five months and forbids him from killing anyone. Again, this is God’s mercy—preventing physical death so more people have time to repent and be saved from eternal separation from Him.

The sixth trumpet unleashes more destruction: “A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues—by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came from their mouths.” (Revelation 9:18, CSB) Sadly, “The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk.” (Revelation 9:20, CSB) Although believers are sealed and saved, we still need to heed God’s conviction of sin. We may not worship statues, but what about material things or wealth? Could greed be a form of worshiping gold and silver? Could our fixation on beautiful homes, cars, or possessions be a form of worshiping idols of wood, metal, and stone? We must be willing to let the Lord reveal sin and quick to confess and repent.

The list of practices the unrepentant refuse to relinquish continues: “And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:21, CSB) While it’s easy to point the finger in blame or judgement, where might we be actively disobeying God or passively accepting worldly practices and attitudes that lead to sin? Do we consider vulnerable people and children whose dignity is stolen while making inexpensive products we consume? Let’s stop and ask ourselves where we, as a followers of Jesus, might be complicit with collective sin. As God convicts us, let’s consider how we can stand up for those being exploited. (See below for some practical ideas.)

Revelation 10 and 11 pause from the trumpet judgements as John describes a mighty angel with a rainbow over his head giving him a little scroll to eat. The angel says, “Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” (Revelation 10:9b, CSB) Jen Wilkin asserts that God’s justice is both bitter and sweet. He does not delight in putting the wicked to death but must bring justice to the souls of faithful martyrs.

Next, John receives a rod to measure God’s temple interior and to count those who worship there. He’s instructed to exclude the outside courtyard because it will be “given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.” (Revelation 11:2b, CSB) During this same three-and-a-half-year period, two witnesses reminiscent of Moses and Elijah will continue to prophesy, to display supernatural abilities, and to bear testimony to God’s power. Like Christ, they’re killed by people who they offend but resurrect three days later. They ascend to heaven while a violent earthquake causes a tenth of the city to fall and seven thousand people to die. Those fortunate enough to survive give glory to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11 closes with the seventh trumpet blast and the twenty-four elders falling facedown before the throne of God in worship proclaiming, “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, but your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged and to give the reward to your servants the prophets, to the saints, and to those who fear your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:17-18, CSB) God’s temple in heaven opens and the ark of the covenant appears with lightning, thunder, earthquakes, and hail.

These chapters remind us that God is still sovereign, even as our culture rejects Him and moves further and further away from all that is right, good, and true. As His followers, let’s continue to pray that He will build His kingdom and dominion on earth through us. Let’s stand apart by actively repenting of sin and sharing our hope in Christ with others. Let’s pray that those who are bitter or unrepentant will experience God’s love through us and choose to follow Him now and into eternity.

Want to learn more about people being exploited and how you can fight for them?

Check out the incredible work being done to protect vulnerable people all over the world by International Justice Mission by clicking here.

Learn how New Day for Children is helping child survivors of human trafficking in the U.S. by clicking here.

Read Beneath the Seams, a social impact novel by Peyton Roberts, and learn about people being exploited to produce inexpensive “fast fashion.” Click here for more information.

*Pastor Mason King sermon “Seven Trumpets,” The Village Church, March 8, 2021

Jen Wilkin, Revelation: Eternal King, Everlasting Kingdom, Lifeway Press, 2024.

 Was this forwarded to you? You can receive new posts automatically in your inbox by going to www.marybethmccullum.com, entering your e-mail address and clicking “subscribe.”

The Heavenly Throne Room

Stepping over the border between Rome and Vatican City, I could see the bulk of the enormous Renaissance-era church across the square. Saint Peter’s Basilica holds 60,000 people at one time. Built over 120 years, its massive central dome designed by Michelangelo towers 448 feet above the floor. From the first moment I entered, I was awestruck by its size and grandeur. It made me feel small, but in the very best way. Arguably the most famous church on the planet, even this impressive structure falls short of the glories John describes in the throne room of heaven.

In Revelation 5 & 6, John’s vision gives us a glimpse of heavenly reality: “Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.” (Revelation 4:2-3, CSB) Seated around the throne, twenty-four elders continually cast their golden crowns before it in worship. Four creatures representing all living things on earth praise the Lord endlessly: “Day and night they never stop, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.’” They declare: “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:8b & 11, CSB italics added)

Despite  having many authors, the Bible always reinforces itself. So, it’s no coincidence that the words of worship spoken in the throne room sound similar to Paul’s commentary about Christ in Colossians: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17, CSB, italics added) 

John’s description of his vision continues: “Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it.” John weeps because there is no one worthy to open the scroll until one of the elders reassures him, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” John looks and sees “one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders.” (Revelation 5:1-3, 5b, 6b, CSB). 

Jen Wilkin contends that everything in Revelation is a recapitulation of something mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Rich with symbolism, the description of the one worthy to open the scroll recalls  Old Testament prophecies and symbolic events. Christ is the Lion of Judah, referencing Jacob’s prophetic blessing over his son, Judah in Genesis 49:8-14. He is the Root of David, referencing God’s promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. And He is the slaughtered lamb, referencing the Passover lamb whose blood protected the Israelite slaves in Egypt from the tenth plague in Exodus 11. In Revelation we see  “a picture of Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain who is also the Lion of judgment. Jesus is the only one worthy to judge the world (cf. John 5:22).”*  

Continuing to narrate his vision, John describes the twenty-four elders and four creatures falling down in worship before the Lamb singing, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”(Revelation 5:9b-10, CSB)

Here we find another connection to a different New Testament book–Peter brings further clarity to John’s vision as he describes followers of Christ: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10, CSB)

Revelation describes the kingdom of priests who will reign on the earth and 1 Peter explains that every person purchased by the blood of Christ is part of this royal priesthood. So, despite our sinful natures, we’re counted righteous because of the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf (1 Corinthians 1:30 & Romans 3:21-26). One day we will rule and reign with Christ in His glory. We’ll want to keep this incredible reality in the forefront of our minds as we read about events that will unfold in the next few chapters of Revelation.

Recently I attended a worship service while visiting family out of town. The space where we gathered was a simple, dark room filled with a couple hundred chairs facing a platform. It was a far cry from the grandeur of Saint Peter’s Basilica but the worship offered was pure and heartfelt. My voice caught as I realized we were joining the multitudes in heaven giving praise to our transcendent, glorious God: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!…Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:12b &13b, CSB) The Lord is our just Judge; may John’s vision compel us to express deep gratitude for His unmerited favor and never to lose reverent awe for Him as our sovereign Creator.

Jen Wilkin, Revelation: Eternal King, Everlasting Kingdom, Lifeway Press, 2024.

*gotquestions.org: “What Are the Seven Seals of Revelation?”

Was this forwarded to you? You can receive new posts automatically in your inbox by going to www.marybethmccullum.com, entering your e-mail address and clicking “subscribe.”

Preparing for Worship

They’d been trekking in the desert for three months after a terrifying flight from Egypt. Tired and dirty, they made camp at the foot of Mount Sinai and awaited instructions from their leader. The Israelites carried gold, silver, and fine fabric given to them by their captors, but no one would’ve guessed the riches they possessed looking at their chapped skin, matted hair, and dusty clothing. 

Despite the weariness of travel, Moses must have felt reassured arriving at Mount Sinai as he thought back to when he first met the Lord. God had spoken from the burning bush, calling Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and providing reassurance: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12, NIV) Now, they’d arrived at the mountain and were preparing for their first worship service before the Lord.

Moses climbed up and down the mountain several times receiving instructions from God to share with the Israelites. There were many tasks to complete before they would be ready to worship: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.’” (Exodus 19:10-11, NIV) For the next two days all of their efforts were focused on preparing for worship. Perhaps during the time spent washing their sweaty bodies and filthy clothes, the people pondered the majesty and holiness of their God.

We’ve come a long way from that today, haven’t we? I remember helping one of my sons pack clothes for a weekend event at his prospective college a few years ago. Looking at the information letter he’d received, I reminded him they’d encourage him to wear his “Sunday Best.” With a dramatic flourish of his hand, he gestured toward his tattered hoodie and jeans and said, “Done!” Clearly, I’d stopped fighting the battle of asking him to dress up for church.

Preparing for worship isn’t just about clothing though, is it? It’s about the state of our hearts. Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13 about a farmer sowing seeds in a field. Some seed falls on a hard path where it’s eaten by birds; other seed falls on rocky places where it springs up quickly but withers because it has no roots; other seed falls among thorns that choke out the plants as they grow. Lastly, some seed falls on good soil where it produces a bountiful crop. Jesus’ parable illustrates different situations that affect a person’s ability to receive the gospel. It’s also a reminder to prepare the soil in our lives as part of readying ourselves for worship. 

Many of us give little thought to the state of our hearts and minds as we come to worship. Sometimes we view it as a consumer experience; we expect to get something out of it but don’t consider what we’re bringing to it. Or we wedge it into a packed day and see it as just another event on our schedules. However, being intentional about preparing for worship will enable us to be joyful participants instead of passive spectators. Here are a few ideas:

Prepare your heart. Confess any sins that are hindering your connection to God and that will prevent you from engaging whole-heartedly in worshiping Him. Don’t be like the Israelites the Lord chastised: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29:13, NIV) Follow David’s example and invite the Lord to speak to you: “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11, NIV) Or personalize Paul’s prayer in Ephesians: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19, NIV)

Prepare your mind. If you know what Bible passage will be covered in that week’s sermon, read it in advance. You’ll absorb so much more if you’re already familiar with the text. If you don’t know the content of the sermon, choose a psalm to read that will set your mind on the Lord and help you to be open and teachable: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18, NIV) Ask the Lord to purify your mind so that you can receive godly wisdom: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21, NIV)

Prepare your body. Be well-rested so that you can participate fully in worship. The Israelites prepared through cleansing their bodies and washing their clothes. Tending to our appearance isn’t about impressing anyone else at church, but about showing reverence to the Lord. When we do that, it signals to our minds that we’re getting ready for something special: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV)

Prepare your relationships. We can’t worship God sincerely while treating others poorly. Consider if there’s anyone you’ve hurt and pursue reconciliation with them: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24, NIV) Also, consider if there’s anyone you need to forgive: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV)

Prepare continually. Spend time with the Lord in prayer and Bible reading throughout the week. Let God speak to you in silence and solitude. Cultivate your relationship with Him consistently and you’ll find times of corporate worship to be even more meaningful and encouraging: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15, NIV) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV) “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:18, NIV)

Let “Here I Am to Worship” inspire you to maintain a focus on worshipping God throughout the week. Click here to watch.

Inspired by God of Freedom by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway Press 2022, Week 2.

Was this forwarded to you? Click here to submit your e-mail and subscribe. You’ll receive future posts automatically in your inbox.

Sunshine and Shadows

In one day, Job lost his ten children, numerous servants, and all the livestock he owned, obliterating his family and livelihood. Consumed by grief, he tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground to worship God saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21, NIV)

Scripture tells us, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:22, NIV)

While Job’s grief was still fresh “Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” (Job 2:7-10, NIV)

What strikes me most isn’t the tragedy of Job’s losses, but his response to them. In his grief, he worshiped the Lord and accepted the harsh turn of events. Does this surprise you like it does me? Praising God through difficult times feels foreign to us. Maybe it’s because our culture seems obsessed with comfort and ease and labels anything that’s hard or painful as bad or wrong. 

Even among Christians, there is a sense that God is good… as long as He does things the way we want. We thank Him when He answers prayers according to our desires and question Him when He implements a different plan. We’ve developed a quiet sense of entitlement, believing we have a right to certain things. We think we deserve a smooth path devoid of obstacles and are injured and indignant when God allows hardship instead. We take the good things in our lives for granted instead of seeing them as blessings. And we question whether God really is good or loving when something hard happens that disrupts what we consider “normal.” We rarely embrace that life is a balance of sunshine and shadows. Instead, we become doubtful, cynical, or self-pitying when dark clouds obscure our bright skies.

Sometimes we forget that the Lord deserves praise regardless of our circumstances. We focus on what He does or doesn’t do instead of who He is. I remember being struck by this realization many years ago when I witnessed parallel tragedies with opposite outcomes. In the span of two years, two little girls I loved faced dire situations: one was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the other almost drowned. Both spent time in the hospital ICU with grim diagnoses. One ended up losing her life; the other made a full recovery. Both came from families of faith who had prayed for miracles and trusted God to do what was best.

I don’t know why the Lord chose to heal one while allowing the other to die. It remains a mystery why one family got to resume their “normal” life, while the other was altered forever. Despite the opposite outcomes, both families accepted the pain God had allowed and grew deeper in their relationships with Him. Their trust in the Lord was inspiring and had a ripple effect on everyone who knew them, and many who didn’t.

These incidents gave me a fuller understanding of the Psalmist who says: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2, NIV ‘84) As followers of Jesus, we understand that salvation and security lie outside the realm of circumstances. Whether earthly events turn out well or not, our true hope has an eternal perspective because death cannot separate us from God. 

There is a temptation to spend so much time questioning the Lord in hard times that we miss the opportunity to trust Him and let Him comfort us.  We wrestle with doubt and ask, “Why is God letting this happen?” Meanwhile, we overlook the places where He is showing up; where He is giving us tangible answers. Being consumed by self-pity also causes us to miss the ways He wants to teach and refine us through painful times. Additionally, it means we bypass chances to show others His goodness. In God’s economy, pain shouldn’t be wasted like this.

We can’t forget that no matter what hardships we encounter in this life, God wins in the end.  The Psalmist states it so clearly: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands… On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:3-4,6-8, NIV ‘84) Ultimate hope doesn’t come from expecting God to turn circumstances in our favor; it comes from knowing His love is better than even life itself. Trusting His hand to hold us up and remembering that He walks with us through the darkness gives us the comfort we need. Because of His presence, we can find joy in the darkness– not a happy, smiling, giddy kind of joy, but a deep, peaceful assurance that He is in control and always has been.

Beloved author and preacher Oswald Chambers wrote: “We imagine we would be all right if a big crisis arose; but the big crisis will only reveal the stuff we are made of, it will not put anything into us… Crises always reveal character.” When we put our trust in God and walk with Him daily, when we seek His face, study His word, and obey Him in humble reliance, we will see Him molding and shaping our characters little by little.  At the same time, He will be revealing His character and His goodness to us. And when trouble comes, we’ll continue to trust Him and give Him the praise He deserves.

“Yes I Will” by Vertical Worship is a song of defiant praise during hardship. Let it fill you with renewed hope today.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Discovery House Publishers, 1935, 1963, Sept. 10 entry.