Before we jump into our text I want to remind you of the following. First, the seal judgments have ended, and they ended with 30 minutes of silence in heaven. Secondly, the seven trumpet judgments have begun. Last week we observed the first four trumpet judgments. Each one of them affected creation in some way. With the first trumpet, vegetation was affected. With the second trumpet, the sea was affected. With the third trumpet fresh water was affected. With the fourth trumpet, the sun, the moon, and the stars were affected. Now we come to Revelation 8:13, which states, “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow.” I have 6 observations about this verse that I want you to notice.
Observation 1: The first observation I want you all to notice is the eagle that is flying over John’s head.
Verse 13 reads, “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead…” When I imagine this eagle flying over John’s head, I think of how birds of prey fly high in the sky, then circle before they pounce on and ambush their target from above. I want you to understand this eagle is significant. Why is this eagle significant? It’s significant because the eagle is a bird of prey, and its presence symbolizes the severity of what is to come, which I intend to show later.
Observation 2: The second observation I want you to make is what is not happening.
There is no judgment being poured out. There is no trumpet blast. Verse 13 indicates to us that there is a pause between trumpet judgments 4 and 5, hence the title of this sermon. Now, this pause is not like the pause we read about in Revelation 7. This pause is just long enough for this eagle to make his flight.
Observation 3: The third observation I want you all to notice is that this eagle is doing something highly unusual.
John says that he looked and “heard an eagle crying with a loud voice…” In other words, this eagle is talking. You may wonder how is that possible? How is this eagle speaking? Some speculate that in heaven man and beast will be able to communicate with one another. It’s even thought that before the fall of man in Genesis 3, man and animal could communicate, but when the serpent, being possessed by Satan, deceived Adam and Eve, the curse that God placed on creation severed that communication. But even if that is not the case, even if man and beast will not be able to communicate in heaven, we know nothing is impossible for God. If God wants an animal to speak intelligible words, it will. We know that was the case in Numbers 22, when Balaam’s donkey spoke up, because Balaam kept beating the donkey, not realizing his donkey was trying to keep him alive.
Observation 4: The fourth observation you all need to see is what this eagle is crying out.
According to verse 13, the eagle is crying out, “…woe, woe, woe…” So, if we are going to understand what this eagle is crying out, we must understand what the word ‘woe’ means. The word ‘woe’ is an expression, and it expresses three things: First, the word ‘woe’ expresses grief, affliction, trouble, adversity, disaster, catastrophe, misery, pain, and tragedy. Secondly, the word ‘woe’ expresses condemnation and reprimand. And lastly, the word ‘woe’ expresses a warning of impending doom or danger. So this eagle that John is seeing fly above him is heard crying out expressing grief, condemnation, and to warn of impending doom.
Observation 5: The fifth observation we need to make is that the eagle does not cry out “woe” one time, but three times.
Three times this eagle cries out expressing grief, expressing condemnation, and warning of impending doom. Why three times? Why not once?
According to verse 13, the reason for the three woes indicates the increase in intensification for the remaining three trumpets. Verse 13 says, “Woe, woe, woe…at the blast of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow.” So, for each of the three remaining trumpets, there is one woe. And as each of the three remaining trumpets are blown, the worse God’s wrath becomes.
By the way, this is why I believe God chose an eagle to announce these three woes, being that an eagle is a bird of prey. As you will see, man is the target for the next three trumpet judgments and many people will die as a result. In other words, there will be much food for vultures and birds of prey to eat when the next three trumpets are blown.
Observation 6: The last observation we must make is who this eagle is crying out too.
The eagle is crying out to those who remain on the earth. Verse 13 says, “…Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth….” What’s interesting about this is the word “dwell”. If you have a KJV Bible you will see the word “inhabitors”. The NIV translation uses the word “inhabitants”. They all mean the same. To many of us is may appear that the eagle is simply addressing those “who live on the earth” (NLT, CSB). But there is more to this word than meets the eye.
The original Greek word here is katoikeo. In English it translates to the words dwell or inhabit, but the implication of the Greek word means so much more than our English words do. It implies these are people who made Earth their permanent resident. It implies they made this world their home.
Now, you may hear that and think: isn’t earth our home? Isn’t this world the place we have settled down at? Isn’t this world our permanent residence? The key word is permanent, which means to exist in a place long-lasting or forever.
The answer to the question – “Isn’t this world our permanent residence?” – is no. This world is not our permanent residence; not if you are a follower of Christ. For the Christian, this world is a temporary place. For the Christian, this world is a layover until we reach our permanent home. Followers of Jesus are sojourners in this world, our citizenship is in heaven. The Bible says in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The world is just a waiting place for those who believe in Jesus. You may hear that and wonder what we are waiting for? The Rapture. We are waiting to go home to dwell in Christ in heaven.
What does this have to do with those “who dwell on earth” that this eagle is crying out “woe” to? The Christian sees this word as a place of temporary stay, but not those who are left behind after the rapture. Those who will be left behind will be those who love this world and see this world as their home, opposed to their home being in heaven with Jesus. These are materialistic-minded people. They are excessively concerned with physical comforts. They are excessively concerned with the accumulation of wealth. They are greedy. They are earthly-minded. They are sensual-minded; meaning, they loved this world and the things of this world like alcohol and porn and sex and wealth and possessions and fame and more, more than they loved Jesus. Therefore, they were left behind to be destroyed with the world they are so in love with.
Now, I think we need to be particularly mindful of this woe for two reasons. First, because we Americans are very materialistic minded people. We love our comfort, we love our wealth, and we love our possessions. Secondly, because Jesus said in Luke 8:14, that many would hear his word but eventually depart from him, because they are deceived by wealth and prosperity. So, I want to join this eagle by giving 5 warnings about being material-minded, with the hope you do not turn away from Jesus for riches, and to save you from the Tribulation.
Warning #1) While there is no problem with having money and possessions, there is a serious problem with loving money and possessions more than you love Jesus.
In Matt. 4:10, Jesus said, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” To love wealth and possessions more than loving Jesus is idolatry; and idolatry is the root of material-minded people, and it is the root to all sin. What is idolatry? What is an idol? Tim Keller says, “An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give.” John Piper says, “We make a god out of whatever we find most joy in.” John Calvin says, idolatry is “to worship the gift in place of the Giver.” Charles Spurgeon said, “If you love anything better than God, you are an idolater: anything you would not give up for God, is your idol: if there is anything that you seek with greater fervor than you seek the glory of God, that is your idol.” And I say, anything we delight in more than we delight in God and His only Son, Jesus Christ, is an idol. That is why these in Revelation 8:13 were left to endure 7 years of tribulation. They loved and delighted in this world, and all that this world has to offer, more than they loved the Father and Jesus.
Warning #2) While there is no problem with having money and possessions, to love the world and the things of the world more than God is to be absent of the love of God.
1 John 2:15 says, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” and when the love of the Father is not in us, according to 1 John 4:8, we do not know God. Again, that is why these were left behind, they were lovers of this world. They did not love God nor did they know God.
Warning #3) While there is no problem with having money and possessions, to love this world and the things of this world more than God, is to hate God.
James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” What does it mean to make friends with the world? It means to seek the pleasures of this world at the expense of obedience to God. That’s why these were left behind. Anyone who would rather enjoy the pleasures of this world than live a life of obedience to God, will not be raptured with the church.
Warning #4) While there is no problem with having money and possessions, whoever loves wealth will not be absent of other sins and will risk wandering away from the Christian faith.
1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Money, in itself, is not evil, but loving it is, because of what it leads to. People who love money will do whatever is necessary (lie, cheat, steal, use violence, murder and more) to have more of it.
Warning #5) While there is no problem with having money and possessions, to find satisfaction by them is meaningless and worthless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this is also vanity.” The reason it is worthless to attempt to satisfy ourselves with money is because it can never truly satisfy. You will work yourself to death to satisfy yourself with money and wealth and possessions. But in the end, you will always come up disappointed and dissatisfied.
Now, those are warnings against being materialistic-minded, in order to hopefully prevent you from making the same mistake these in Revelation 8:13 did. But how does one avoid being materialistic-minded in a world that compels one to be materialistic? I want to give 5 ways to avoid being someone who loves this world more than you love God.
Way #1) We can love God more than we love this world by understanding that wealth and possessions are not what defines us.
Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” You are not defined by what you own or how much money you make. What defines us is who made us – Jesus Christ. If you turn to Christ, you will find abundant life. Not in the form of money, but in the form of hope and peace and joy.
Way #2) We can love God more than this world by putting our hope in God, not in the uncertainty of wealth.
In 1 Timothy 6:17 Paul gave a charge to Timothy to give to the rich people of his day, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” Now, you may say I am not rich, let me just say if you have a dollar to your name and you own something, there will always be the temptation to put your hope in what you have more than God, who provides them. If you wish to avoid loving this world more than you love God, put your hope in God to care for you and provide for you only what He can give.
Way #3) We can love God more than this world by being content with what we have.
Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Contentment is to be satisfied and have an ease of mind with what you already possess. It’s when we think we need more money and more things to be happy, that we risk wandering away from the faith, as 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us. God’s promise to us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us, that means God is sufficient to supply everything we need to live. When we become materialistic we are saying to God by our actions, that He cannot take care of us the way we want to be taken care of. If we are to be lovers of God more than we are of this world, we must be people who trust God to meet all of our needs. (This does not mean we do not work)
Way #4) We can love God more than this world by choosing to serve God and not our money.
Jesus said in Matt. 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” To choose money is to hate and despise God, which will lead to hell. To choose God is to hate and despise money, which will lead to salvation! The choice is yours, but a choice you must make, because, as Jesus said, we cannot have it both ways. Also, neither can we be a disciple of Jesus, if we are disciples of our money, for Jesus said, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). So, I encourage you to renounce it all and follow Christ.
Way #5) We can love God more than this world by considering all our money and everything we possess as worthless compared to knowing Jesus.
Paul said in Philippians 3:7 & 8, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” Compared to knowing Jesus, all of our wealth and everything we own is worthless, its junk, its trash, its scrape and its dung. Knowing Jesus is far more valuable than anything this world could ever offer you. Let me say it this way: There is nothing more valuable in this world than knowing Jesus and having a real relationship with him. In fact, according to Matthew 13:45, Jesus is so precious and so valuable, he is worth selling everything you own, just to have a relationship with him.