#6 - Silence in Heaven - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Prophecy

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Welcome to today's prophetic presentation. I'll begin by answering about three prayer three questions before we continue. Let us pray. Father in heaven, just as you have done since we began making these serial presentations, do it today by being with us and helping us to understand and allow the Holy Spirit to translate what we are learning into our practical experience. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. So, before I make the presentations, I have got three questions to answer. Uh the first one has to do with the question of the Adventist Church and the other churches. I've asked the communication team to draw a diagram for me. Uh it's that one. Uh I want to tell you something. We have theology and we have applied theology. So, uh theology is objective. It's not sympathetic. It's objective. Applied theology is sympathetic. In other words, uh if I have done pastoral theology, that's applied theology. Then I'll be sympathetic to the Adventist Church. So, that if the Adventist Church leadership, for example, is making mistakes, since I am part of that church, I will not say it is making mistake. But theology is not like that. Pure theology is objective and sympathetic. It tells you the truth. That is a diagram that illustrates the concept of the church. Those That's a circle. And those balls along the circle are religious organizations. Or the or denominations. Or churches. Using the modern Well, so let me say, probably one circle is Buddhism, another one is Islam, another one is Catholicism, another one is Adventism, another one is Holy Spirit raw, another one is what, another one is what. What we are saying is that every religious organization has the people of God. That's why that line passes in the middle. So those who are found inside the circle, but inside the small circle, but inside the circle, they are the people of God. It means that even in the Adventist church, we have people here who are who don't belong to God. You ask yourself whether you are the one. Are you seeing that? You cannot say that because somebody is a Muslim or a Buddhist, therefore he has perished. You create a dangerous theological question. They are Buddhists because God is the one who decided that they be born there, according to Acts chapter 17 from verse 24. 25, 26, 27. God is the one who said the Luos to be around the lake. The Kikuyus around the mountain. And what have you? So why should God, having decided that I be born in in Nepal where Buddhism is practiced and naturally I become a Buddhist and then he sends me to hell. God would be unfair. So in all religious organizations, those religions, there is some truth. Those who will be faithful to that truth, no matter how little it is, belong to God. If they die you will meet them in the kingdom. But if they leave there is the concept of present truth. We Adventist believe that God has given us all the truth required to prepare the world for Christ's second coming. What are we supposed to do with this truth? To tell other people who have little truth and ask them to come. That's why Revelation 14:8 says, "Come out of her, my people, because Babylon is fallen." Those people are there. You have to call them to join this group so that we may become one. And the dynamics of the end of the world as we move toward the tribulation are such that there'll be a mighty shaking of all religious groups, including this church. Those who are not anchored to Christ will be shaken out. And those who are anchored to Christ in wherever they are will come in and we shall have only two groups in the world, those who are on the side of God and those who are not on the side of God. But to those who die before you call them, that's why we have an urgent message. We call them so that they may know the truth. Those who are faithful, most of you are not Adventists. What happened? You believed the truth and you came. In the same way, others will believe the truth present truth and come. Meanwhile, they don't cease from being the people of God. You see? But something very interesting is that we have people who don't belong to any religious group, who are in the middle there. Yet, they're the people of God. >> [laughter] >> I hope I've answered your question. I I am a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I'm sympathetic to the Adventist Church, but that's theology. Question number two is uh yeah, question number two. >> [laughter] >> Uh this question keeps coming again and again. The role of works in salvation. Listen for the umpteenth time, for the umpteenth time. We have ethics and we have spirituality. If you are ethical, it means you are morally upright. If you are spiritual, it means you are morally upright. What is the difference? The difference is the motive. The motive of a spiritual man is to glorify God in his moral uprightness. Only that. And that is the reason why you are saved. You are converted to do good works which will glorify God. That's the end of good works. You cannot do those good works to secure heaven. Or to make your prospect of entering heaven fairer or better and better. No. The reason is simple. There are no amount of good works that can secure heaven. Heaven is too costly and expensive. It cannot be secured by good works. You believe. And that faith is what drives you to do good works which we call spirituality that will glorify God. If I'm using the one that I tell my students. If you refuse to eat eggs. That's good. Animal products are not very good for health. If you receive to eat eggs, take milk, cooking oil, salt, sugar, omena, and everything else. Fine. If that will glorify God, sawa sawa, but don't think that is what will take you to heaven. You will be surprised. A small illustration. I was there many years ago, unmarried, very committed. Of Of before I went to do theology, I had read all the writings of Sister White, all of them. So, I was a very serious young man. So, I escorted my brother to to the funeral of the child of his brother-in-law. After burial, in our community, in-laws are the most important guests. So, we went we had put on suits. When we arrived at home, they were so happy to see us. And they rushed. They brought soda, Coca-Cola, >> [clears throat] >> Fanta, Sprite, and biscuits. I told them I don't take soda. They said, "Then just eat biscuits." I told them, "The sugar in biscuits, I don't take biscuits." So, what will you eat? I have no problem. I'll eat nothing. I can just drink water. What? All right, sawa. Then time for a meal came. Ugali, fish, chicken, beef. I told them I don't eat chicken. Then eat fish. I don't eat fish. Then eat beef. I don't eat beef. What? I told them bring vegetables, but make sure there's no oil or or salt. >> [laughter] >> They tried. They brought vegetables without salt and oil in the best way they tried to do. So, we ate. Of course, I ate last. Then after that, they brought tea leaves with bread smeared with Blue Band, white bread smeared with Blue Band. I told them, "I don't take tea, neither do I eat white I eat brown bread, but don't put Blueband. I also don't take Blueband." I'll never forget the comment that guy said. Do you know what he told me? This is what he said. I want you to know whether what I was doing would glorify God or not. He said, "If this is what your religion teaches, I can never join that church." I will never forget. When I went home, I cried. I told the God, "Why have you revealed to us the truth which instead of making people happy, they are sad and annoyed and angry?" So, the reason is that I thought that those things would give me heaven. They will never give you heaven. And be careful, they may not even glorify God. Good works are good for you. When you do good works, they go round and come back to you. I was telling the people I was with in the car yesterday that any single, did you know that? Any single wrong deed in your life will come back even after 20 years. And it fix you. Some of you are being fixed right now by the errors you made 25 years ago. So, the moment you discover that 10 years ago I made a mistake to my classmate, look for her and apologize before that thing eventually knocks on your door. There is no error you make that does not come back to you. And there's no good work, no matter how small it is, that you do which will not come back to you. Praise God. So, doing good works is for your own benefit. Kiswahili, they say, "Ukitenda mema, unajitendea. Ukitenda mabaya, unajitendea." It's good to do good works. Not just to glorify God, but also for your own survival on this earth. Only that don't make a mistake to think that God will see those good works and be so happy and give you heaven. He will never. Heaven is for free. That alcoholic who is not aware, he has been given heaven for free. Tell him to believe and accept, and heaven is If he dies at that point when he's almost reaching the water for baptism, still you'll meet him in heaven. Ask the thief on the cross. He never preached any sermon. He didn't even know how to pray. And Jesus promised him the kingdom of glory. God does not shift goals. So, that the thief on the cross, the condition is different because he was on the cross. And we know the condition of salvation is faith alone. That is the gospel that when you'll be grounded in it, that is the ceiling that we talked. The last question, then I run through my last presentation. Where is China in the prophetic talk? So, that was the question. Um world politics indicate that China may most likely be the next superpower. Probably, that's world politics. But biblically China is nowhere. I'm surprised also. Uh the one who asked the question said in Revelation 16 there's what to from verse 17, there's what you call the kings of the East will pass through Euphrates. When I was preparing this presentation, which is entitled Silence in Heaven, I battled, can I present that one? Or this one? But I realized I'm talking about judgment, so Silence in Heaven is connected to judgment. So, I have a long paper that I wrote regarding Revelation 16, which says frogs came from the mouth of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet. And they gathered it's called Armageddon. And so, the way of the kings of the East will pass. China is not there. I'm surprised that China is found nowhere in scripture, or maybe God hasn't yet revealed to us. However, what we were making presentation is after America purple Rome phase two. Which is the beast in Revelation 13. And in Revelation 17, as I presented. And I read to you those things yesterday. Be firmly grounded in the gospel. You will not be worried about whatever that is happening on Earth. So, let's go to Silence in Heaven. That is Revelation chapter 8:1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. What does that mean and why? The silence mentioned in Revelation 8:1 is popularly interpreted in the Adventist Church as the referring to the heavenly state after Jesus and all the host of heaven will have left for Earth during Christ's second coming. But later studies, particularly by Steven Novich and Paulson and very many other people, have given an alternative interpretation, which we consider correct. The silence mentioned in Revelation 8 heralds the end of probation. That's what they're saying. And anticipates God's judgment to be meted on the world in terms of the seven plagues. This perspective finds its validity in the Old Testament prophecy. What we are saying is that if you study the following, I've quoted three Old Testament prophets, but you can have very many others. The word silence has been mentioned in association with judgment. For example, two 7th century prophets, while heralding the judgment of God against the Israelites for their wickedness, mentioned about silence. For example, Habakkuk 2:20, we even sing it. But the [clears throat] Lord is in his holy temple, let all the Earth keep silence before him. In the chapter that follows, this prophet mentions the nature of judgments that would be meted up out upon Israel, which also prefigured the end-time judgments. Habakkuk chapter 3:5 and 6 say, "Before him went pestilence and fever followed at his feet. He stood and measured the Earth." That's judgement. He looked and scattered the nations and the everlasting mountains were scattered. The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. Zephaniah chapter 1 verse 7 and 8. Be silent in the presence of the Lord. For the day of the Lord is at hand. Meaning be silent for judgement wants to take place. For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. He has invited his guests. And it shall be in the day of the Lord's sacrifice that I'll punish the princes and the king's children and as such as are clothed with foreign apparel. That hints at Revelation 19. So when you read Revelation 19, you'll see that. Um When the Old Testament prophets speak about the day of the Lord, they usually refer to uh God's judgement. Here Zephaniah is saying that there should be silence in the presence of God because the day of the Lord is at hand. These two prophets prophesied a few years before Babylon came to sack Palestine including Jerusalem. These desolations were described by prophets as God's judgements. Prophet Zechariah who appears in the 5th century BC after the exile also mentions about silence. Zechariah chapter 2 verse 13. He says, "Be silent all flesh before the Lord for he is aroused from his holy habitation." For what reason has the Lord been aroused from his holy habitation? The earlier verses provide a reply. For thus says the Lord of hosts, "He sent me after glory to the nations which plundered you. For he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. For surely I will shake my hand against them and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. Historically, this prophecy referred to the judgment that God would meet out on the king of the north for plundering the people of God. That is Babylon for taking Israel captive. But eschatologically, the persona, that's the person speaking in that verse, if you go back and check clearly, you'll find that it referred to Jesus Christ when he comes for the second time to take vengeance against Babylon. The Babylon that we studied about for plundering the people of God. So, we go back to silence in heaven. We see that it's associated with the judgments of God. Now, chapter 6 of Revelation presents events of the first six seals. While chapter 8 begins with the opening of the seventh seal. Chapter 7 is an answer to the question raised in chapter 6 verse 17. I just want to read that question. That is chapter 6 verse 17. Oh, it begins Let me begin from verse 60 verse 14. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountain and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. For the great day of his wrath has come. Who is able to stand?" So, chapter 7 answers that question. Those who are sealed are the ones who will stand. I told you that chapter 7 is parenthetical. Uh tribulations are catastrophic events which will occur on Earth. Because we say those are judgments. But they will hurt the wicked. They may hurt the righteous if they don't obey what God has said. When you see this happening, leave the big cities and go away. So, that that that's Ellen White has written about that. But I'm talking about I said, "Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come." And I said it means the tribulation has come. Respond to the gospel. Be sealed. Then when you go through the tribulation, you will not be affected. You will stand. So, the sealing, tribulation, plagues. Chapter 8 comes between the tribulation and plagues. Chapter 8 verse 1 to 6, then plagues. The tribulation is referring to the people of God. God starts by judging the righteous first, then judging the wicked. So, when I'm talking about tribulation, the people of God are going through trying circumstances because of their faith. And then chapter 8 verse 1 to 6. I want to read it and explain a few things there. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. I pause. I've done some calculations. What is half an hour? Let me Yes, look at those calculations. One day in prophecy has 24 hours, of course, even naturally, that's what is. And is equal to 1 year, which is equal to 360 days. 1 hour is 360 divide by 24, which is 15 days. Half an hour is 7 and 1/2 days. But the Bible is saying there was silence for about half an hour. Which means about half an hour is roughly 7 days, right? Or it can even be Yeah, so remember, this is the duration of silence in heaven. Okay. Now, verse two. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth, and there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So, the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Now, let me review again what I've just read slowly by slowly. After Revelation chapter 8 verse 1, an episode of plagues follow. The context compels us to see verse 2 to 6 as events that are preparatory to and closure of probation. An angel having a golden sensor comes and stands at the altar. Is given much incense and offers it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar. This marks the end of intercession. Jesus is interceding for us. At this point, he's ending the intercession. The angel then takes the sensor, fills it with fire from the altar, and throws it to the earth. Then there are noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. This is a transition. In the book of Revelation, that motif occurs several times. Look at chapter 11 verse 19. Chapter 11 verse 19 says, >> [clears throat] >> "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." That motif. It also occurs in chapter 16 verse 18. Chapter 16 verse 18 says, "And there were noises and the thunderings and the lightnings, and there was a great earthquake. Such a mighty and great earthquake as has not occurred since the men were on earth." So, whenever you get that motif, it means there is a transition. So, we have recalculated that. What Well, why would heaven become silent? The common view has been that God and the heavenly host would have would have left for Earth. And that the descent would take place for about an hour. In prophecy, we have seen that an hour a half an hour, sorry. But according to scripture, Christ's descent from heaven will be very noisy. So, that's the thing we are saying it cannot be silent. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Looking forward and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat. It is something you need to give serious attention to when this earth is when this the history of this earth is coming to an end that heaven will burn. Now, I'm thinking about nuclear fission. I told you that at one point I taught physics. Though I was a a teacher of CRE, but in my teaching experience, the subject I taught least was CRE. Those that I didn't study are the ones I taught. Math, physics, I even taught home science. Can you imagine? And social ethics. The only subject I never taught was agriculture. English I taught longest. Kiswahili I taught. Geography, history, economics. My friend. So, I know some physics. There's something called nuclear fission. Physics is you are here. What's a nuclear fission? In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom breaks up into two lighter nuclei, causing a chain reaction where a large quantity of energy is released. If uncontrolled, as in the case of the so-called atomic bomb, it can lead to an explosion of awesome destructive force. Causes of nuclear fission. A nuclear fission reaction is a process that begins when a neutron or other particle strikes a nucleus. This creates fragments of the original nucleus. It also creates new neutrons that can then collide with other nuclei to cause more nuclear reactions, according to that place where I got the information. Now, the second coming of Jesus in glory will cause nuclear fission in the universe, setting many objects, including the sun, on fire. That's why in Revelation, as you continue reading, they say, "I did not see the sun." Where did the sun go? It burns. You know, the glory of Jesus is so severe that the universe around the journey that you'll be using as he comes will burn. That is why Revelation chapter 21 says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. They burned." So, when Peter is saying the heavens, the word is oranos. I had I had promised that I'll not give you any other Greek word. Let me pass there very fast. It stands for the sky as well as God's abode. At least there will be noise in the universe outside of God's heaven. Paul supposed the noisy descent view in his first episode to the Thessalonians. He wrote, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the angel, and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." So, the silence will remain in heaven while outside of heaven is noisy? No. If the silence is for about 7 days, the assumption is that that is the time it will take for Jesus to come to earth and go back to heaven with all the host. But, Ellen G. White in the book Early Writings, page 16, says, writes that going back to heaven will also take 7 days. So, descending from heaven, 7 days. Going back, 7 days. Then, they should have said the silence will be there for 2 weeks. But, here silence is only 15 days. >> [clears throat] >> That's 7 and 1/2 days. That's about half. 7 days, there'll be silence in heaven. Ellen said, "We all entered the cloud together and were 7 days ascending to the sea of glass when Jesus brought the crowns and with his own right hand placed them on our heads." So, the silence in heaven then would have to be about 14 days and not 7. This quickly puts to question the theological value of that sign. But, seeing the awesomeness of these events and the fact that God's judgments are about to fall and end of probation is for to forever close on some people, would indeed be more reasonable to presuppose a silence in heaven? Why would heaven become silent? Because by end of probation, those people who are left out of salvation would forever have to perish. This is no mean matter. Why did these people fail to make the most important decision in life. And now that wicked man is about to be forever lost and the judgment of God about to fall and devastate the earth beyond recognition. Surely, won't this be reason enough to call silence in heaven? And besides, the silence will be for 7 days. Indeed, this silence of 7 days was prefigured by the silence of Job's friends when they beheld what had befallen Job. Job 2:13 says, "So, they sat down with him on the ground 7 days and 7 nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great." This is why three angels' message is an urgent message. It calls upon the people of God to respond to the gospel. They are sealed when they get firmly established in this truth. This is what will prepare them to successfully go through the tribulation. Now, after verse six, when probation is over, plagues will start falling on earth. So, from verse seven, there are plagues falling on earth and they will be pounding this earth and terrorizing the wicked because the wicked had persecuted the people of God. What is our take home? Simple. Be firmly established in the gospel. The Bible teaches ethics. Even you can find history in the Bible. But all those things make no sense without the gospel. What is the gospel? Very simple. Even children can embrace it. The birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Not the second coming is not part of the gospel because it's not good news to some people. When you tell the gospel to people, they should know that Kumba, I can also be saved even though I'm wicked. So, I CAN ALSO BE SAVED. Romans 5:4 says, "And to God who justifies the ungodly and godly." When you preach the gospel, when you believe the gospel, that's by faith alone. Paul argues that. Romans 1:16 and 17, "From faith to faith, the righteous shall live by faith." You believe. When you are coming out of your house that God will give me a vehicle. And when you reach the road, he gives you a vehicle. When there is a problem with traffic and traveling, you can believe that although matatu drivers have gone on strike and I must go upcountry in funeral, I believe that I'll be given a vehicle. And you leave. You tell people, "Ninyi bakini, mimi nitapata gari." Believe. Nitapata gari. Go and wait. I love Pastor J.P. Mallowa. We were with him at university. He had problem with school fees like me. So, having been locked out for three consecutive semesters, the next semester he said, "This time, God, you will have to enable me to register." So, in the morning, he dressed very well and he went to the administration with all the students who are going to register. He knew very well the school fees had not been paid. So, he went up to the corridor where the vice chancellor's office is and he started pacing like somebody waiting for somebody. So, people would come there. "Pastor Mallow, what are you doing?" "I'm waiting for my father. He's coming to pay school fees." No, he didn't have a father, of course. He says, "I'm waiting for my father." So, when the VC came, "Hey, Pastor Mallow, what is your problem?" "For three semesters, I have not registered. I would like to register." The VC told him, "Come, come, come in my office." Wrote him a note, "Take it to the student finance." And he registered. Believe and Jesus said, "With faith, all things are possible." Let's pray. Father in heaven, because of the awesomeness of the incarnation and the death of your only begotten son and resurrection, even if we have got little faith like a mustard seed, that is enough. Help us to be people of faith so that we may be established in the gospel and be ready for the tribulation. Thank you for all the presentations and lessons we have heard. If there's one good thing in them, may it be translated in our practical experience. Who together with me is also praying that this may be so in his or her life, raise up your hand. Father in heaven. There is no other means by which we shall be saved except faith alone in Jesus. Help us to demonstrate this faith from today in Jesus' name. Amen.