"I was taught to Fear Jesus..." Mellencamp sang.

We move from the seven seals to the seven trumpets.

8:2-6
Whenever John is making a transition, he usually says,
"AND I SAW" It reminds me of a kid at toy store. "AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS' There is a mood of excitement and adrenaline to the reading. AND I SAW
8:2 "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and the seven trumpets were given to them" This is not a progression in the story. It is not modern linear thinking, but it is symphonic thinking. There are stories being told concurrently instead of consecutively. Only in writing it is hard to communicate that.

8:3-5 The prayers of the saints rise up from an Angel's hands along with the smoke from a censer. A censer is used in worship, pagan worship as well, as a holder of incense. In his hands he held this worship device. The interesting part of the story is this. There is this dialogue with creation. The prayers of the saints rise to God and the response back is fire, thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. These are not destructive elements to John, but they are symbolic tools to speak of the Holy.

The Awesomeness of God is terrifying. The prayers rise before God and there is a tremendous reply of terror from God. Terror in seeing something so Holy, not evil, so large, not hurtful, so extraordinary that we stop in our tracks to look, maybe it is so terrifying that we look away. I stood on the coastline of Oregon with huge waves hitting against the hard rocks. The waves were deafening and they exploded violently upon the rocks. I kept my distance, because I feared the power of the ocean. I stood before it, because I was captivated by the beauty. I imagine, I suspect that is what the terrifying fear of the Lord is like.

joy,
Guido