Seals And Trumpets and Bowls, Oh My! (Part One)

#4 in God Wins: The Message of Revelation || November 9, 2025 || Glynwood Baptist Church, Prattville Alabama || James Jackson, Pastor

Text: Revelation 6-12

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to Revelation 6.

Some of you may find this hard to believe, but back in the olden days—the 1970s—there was no streaming, no DVDs, and definitely no pause button.
VCRs existed, but they cost over a thousand dollars, so nobody you knew actually had one.

If you wanted to watch a favorite movie, you had to wait for one of the three channels on your TV to show it. Fortunately, there were a few you could count on every year.

One of them was The Wizard of Oz.

 I remember how much it scared me as a kid. I’d run and hide behind the couch when the flying monkeys showed up, only to find out my brother and sisters were already there.

And when Dorothy and her friends crept through the haunted forest, do you remember what they were chanting?
“Lions and tigers and bears—oh my!”

But here’s the thing: Dorothy couldn’t get home without walking through the scariest part of the journey.

That’s what Revelation 6–16 feels like.

It’s the part of the Bible most people would rather skip. Only instead of lions and tigers and bears, we’re facing seals and trumpets and bowls—oh my.

But just like Dorothy, we find that home is on the other side of the scary parts.

When we reach the other side of these chapters, John will show us our true home.

We’ll see that God’s judgment isn’t chaos—it’s justice.
The seals, trumpets, and bowls aren’t about destruction; they’re about redemption.

 They pave the way for a new heaven, a new earth, and a new you.

And when we get there, we’ll say what Dorothy said:
“There’s no place like home.”

So we are going to read Revelation 6:1-8 together— one of the scary parts— to begin our teaching time . Let’s stand to honor the reading of God’s Word.

[READ REVELATION 6:1-8]

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray.

[pray] Father, even in judgment, You are just. As we open Your Word, open our hearts. Help us to see Your control, even when the world feels out of control.

In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1.   The Seals: God’s Justice is Measured (Revelation 6-8)

Each time the Lamb breaks a seal, one of the four living creatures thunders a single word: “Come.”
The first four seals unleash what we’ve come to call the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The first rider appears on a white horse. He carries a bow, wears a crown, and goes out “conquering, and to conquer.”
Many see this rider as a counterfeit Christ—a spirit of deception that foreshadows what John elsewhere calls the spirit of the antichrist.

Then comes the rider on the red horse. He represents war.
He’s followed by the rider on the black horse, who carries a pair of scales—symbolizing famine and economic collapse.
Finally, there’s the rider on the pale horse. His name is Death, and verse 8 says a fourth of the earth’s population perishes.A few things to keep in mind as we look at this:
First, this has been the pattern of human history. A conqueror rises up, promising peace—but it’s a counterfeit peace because it isn’t grounded in the Prince of Peace. Then comes war. War brings famine. Famine brings disease and death.
So yes, Revelation points toward a final fulfillment, but it also describes a cycle that has repeated again and again throughout history.

Rather than looking for clues about the end of the world, look for evidence that God is still in control.

Heaven is perfectly ordered. The Lamb opens the seal; the creature cries “Come”; and the rider appears.

Even the forces of chaos move only at heaven’s command.
Every seal reminds us that nothing happens until heaven says so.

God’s justice isn’t chaotic—it’s choreographed. Measured. Precise. Purposeful.

And notice: these are all permitted judgments.

• Verse 2: “A crown was given to him.”
• Verse 4: It’s rider was permitted to take peace from the earth
• Verse 8: “Authority was given to them.”

Each rider acts only by permission. Nothing gallops free of God’s authority. Even when evil seems to run unchecked, God still holds the reins.

In verses 9–11, we see the martyrs under the altar crying out,

 “How long, O Lord, before You judge and avenge our blood?” And heaven’s answer is simple: “Rest a little longer.”

God’s justice is measured. The horsemen don’t ride until they are given the command. Everything they do is done with God’s permission. There is a limit to how many martyrs there will be, and that number is set by God almighty.

God’s judgment is sure, but God’s mercy delays it.

Then comes chapter 7—a pause between the sixth and seventh seals.
Four angels stand at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of judgment, waiting for the order to unleash the storm.
But the order doesn’t come—not yet.
First, God seals His servants—144,000 from the tribes of Israel. I believe this represents faithful Jewish believers—those from Israel who have placed their trust in Jesus as Messiah.

It’s God’s way of saying, Before the storm breaks loose, make sure My people are safe.

The world may be unraveling, but God will still preserve those who belong to Him.

I love what happens next: Let’s read Revelation 7:9–12: [READ]

So added to the 144,000 faithful Jews is a vast multitude from every tribe and tongue and nation—all worshiping God together.

Do you see the pattern?

• Every time judgment builds to a breaking point, heaven pauses for mercy.
• Before the wrath, there’s worship.
• Before destruction, there’s deliverance.
• Before the end, there’s evangelism.

When the seventh seal finally opens in chapter 8,  there’s silence. Half an hour of holy hush

All heaven holds its breath—not because God is uncertain, but because His justice is awesome. Before the trumpet sounds, there’s a reverent pause.

2. The Trumpets: God’s Justice Is Merciful (Revelation 8–11)

After the half hour of silence, seven angels are given seven trumpets. Then another angel appears with a golden censer,  and verse 3 says he is given “much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints.”

It’s easy to miss that line. Sometimes we wonder whether our prayers really make any difference to a sovereign God.
If He has already ordained all of history, why pray?

But turn back to the opening of the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9–11, where the martyred saints cry out:

“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

And they are told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants is complete.

 I believe the trumpet judgments are God’s response to the prayers of His people.

Before judgment begins, prayer rises.

Every act of judgment in Scripture follows the cries of God’s people—Exodus. The Book of Judges. And now Revelation.
Our prayers matter. We may not see immediate results, but heaven is always listening.

In Chapter 8:6-12, the trumpets begin to blow:

• The first angel sounds his trumpet. Hail and fire burn up a third of the earth.
• The second strikes the sea, turning a third of it to blood.
• The third poisons a third of the rivers.
• The fourth darkens a third of the sun, moon, and stars.

Each blast intensifies what the seals began. But what do you notice? Every judgment touches only a third of creation.

God’s justice here is partial, not total.

His warnings are merciful, not final.

Even in wrath, God remembers mercy.

When we reach chapter 9, the fifth trumpet unleashes demonic forces from the abyss. The imagery is terrifying—locusts with scorpion tails, riders with fire-breathing horses.
But even then, notice: they’re on a leash. Revelation 9:

English Standard Version Chapter 9

4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

And they weren’t to kill them, but to torment them for five months.

The lesson? God is still holding back. He still hasn’t given up. He still wants people to repent.

Which makes verse 20 one of the saddest lines in all Scripture:

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent.”

I want to ask you, what will it take for you to repent of the sin you are holding on to? Do you need to get lung cancer before you stop smoking? Does your wife have to catch you looking at porn before you stop looking at porn? Do you need to get audited before you stop fudging the numbers on your tax return?

I mean, we look at “the rest of mankind” in verse 20, and we ask, “Well, how could they be so hard hearted?” But take a look in the mirror. I am willing to bet that there are a lot of people in this room who aren’t going to let go of a particular sin until they are facing the consequences from that sin.

So understand that God’s judgment is measured and it is merciful. 2 Peter 3:9  says,

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

There is a reason the trumpet judgments only affect a third of creation. It is to give the other two-thirds a wake up call.

There are a lot of other things that happen in the next few chapters, but time won’t allow us to cover them all.

• In chapter 10, A mighty angel wrapped in a cloud appears, with a rainbow over his head and a little scroll in his hand.
• There are the two witnesses in Chapter 11.
• There’s the worship break when the seventh trumpet is sounded in 11:15-18. Look at it:

[Sing the Hallelujah Chorus] “The kingdoms of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

I put this verse up there in the King James Version for a reason. Nearly all modern translations are truer to the Greek– Now technically, the Greek says ‘the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.’ It’s singular — one kingdom, not many — and it uses the past tense as a way of saying the future is already certain.

But I can’t let go of the poetry of the King James: ‘The kingdoms [plural] of this world is become [present tense] the kingdom [singular] of our Lord.’ Because that’s exactly what’s happening — all the rival powers of the earth collapsing into one reign, and heaven announcing it as if it’s already done. God’s victory isn’t pending — it’s proclaimed.

And that’s why Revelation 12 is what many people interpret as the Christmas story from heaven’s point of view.

The chapter opens with a woman in labor. A dragon stands in front of her, ready to devour the child the moment its born. Verse 5 tells us who the child is:

⁵ She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations

As soon as He is born, the woman flees into the wilderness and the child is under God’s protection.

Does any of this sound familiar? The woman is Mary. The child is Jesus. The dragon is Herod, who tried to destroy Jesus as soon as He is born. And the wilderness is Egypt, where Mary and Joseph fled in order to hide Jesus from Herod.

Let’s look at the rest of Chapter 12:

Revelation 12:7–12 (ESV)

⁷ Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸ but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. ¹¹ And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. ¹² Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Revelation 12 gives us the Christmas story from heaven’s point of view.
A woman gives birth to a son who will rule the nations.
A dragon waits to devour Him, but he fails.
The child is caught up to God’s throne, and the dragon is cast down.

And then heaven breaks out in song:

“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of His Christ have come.”
(Revelation 12:10)

That’s the heartbeat of Revelation 6 through 12.
Evil is real. The war is raging.
But the outcome is not in doubt.
The accuser has been thrown down.
The saints have conquered by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

So let’s remember what we’ve seen so far:

• God’s justice is measured — the seals remind us that He sets the limits.
• God’s justice is merciful — the trumpets remind us that He calls for repentance.
• God’s justice is victorious — the dragon is defeated, and the Lamb reigns forever.

That’s what Revelation 12 wants you to see:
The battle is fierce, but the victory is finished.
The enemy is angry, but his time is short.
The blood of the Lamb is stronger than the lies of the serpent.

“Next week, we’ll see how the dragon fights back — through two beasts that rise from the sea and the earth — and how the Lamb still triumphs in the end.”

And that brings us to the question every one of us must answer:
When the final trumpet sounds, who do you belong to?

Because every person in this room bears one of two marks. Either your life is marked by rebellion, or you’ve been sealed by redemption. Either you stand condemned with the accuser, or you stand covered by the blood of the Lamb.

Friend, if you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior—if you’ve admired the Lamb but never surrendered to Him—today can be the day you are sealed as His own.
You don’t have to understand every symbol in Revelation to receive the salvation it proclaims.
You only have to know this:

The dragon has been defeated.
The Lamb has triumphed.
And the same blood that silenced Satan can save you.

As our musicians come, this is your time to respond.
If you need to give your life to Christ, come.
If you need to repent, come.
If you need to pray for someone still caught in the dragon’s grip, come.

Let’s pray together.

Father, thank You that Your justice is perfect,
Your mercy is patient,
and Your victory is certain.
Help us to trust You when the world feels out of control,
and to worship You as the Lamb who has overcome.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

(Pause, then invite response.)

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