1
00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,850
Steve Webb: Everyone has been
waiting for this moment.

2
00:00:04,010 --> 00:00:06,590
It's the Lifespring! One Year
Bible coming to you from

3
00:00:06,590 --> 00:00:10,730
Riverside, California, and
podcasting since 2004, (and just

4
00:00:10,730 --> 00:00:14,060
a little bit late with this
episode) I am your OG Godcaster,

5
00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,320
Steve Webb. It's Prophecy
Friday, and our reading today is

6
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,400
Revelation 7 through 11. I'm
back from my surgery, and this

7
00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,580
episode is well over twelve
hours late. And I'll give you a

8
00:00:25,580 --> 00:00:29,090
brief account of things after
the reading and the commentary

9
00:00:29,090 --> 00:00:32,360
today. The website is
lifespringmedia.com, and I'll

10
00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,960
have contact information at the
end of the show. Before we read,

11
00:00:36,020 --> 00:00:39,770
let's pray. Our heavenly Father,
Lord, we love you, and we thank

12
00:00:39,770 --> 00:00:43,220
you for your Word. We thank you,
Lord, for giving us a heads-up

13
00:00:43,940 --> 00:00:47,390
as to the End Times. And I pray
God that as we read you would

14
00:00:47,390 --> 00:00:52,550
teach us. I pray this in Jesus'
name, amen. Okay, are you ready?

15
00:00:52,970 --> 00:00:53,780
Let's begin.

16
00:00:53,780 --> 00:00:55,130
Revelation chapter seven. After
this, I saw four angels standing

17
00:00:55,130 --> 00:00:59,270
at the four corners of the
Revelation, chapter 7. After

18
00:00:59,270 --> 00:01:02,300
this I saw four angels standing
at the four corners of the

19
00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:05,690
earth, holding back the four
winds of the earth, so that no

20
00:01:05,690 --> 00:01:09,800
wind would blow on the earth or
on the sea or on any tree. And I

21
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,310
saw another angel ascending from
the rising of the sun, having

22
00:01:13,310 --> 00:01:17,090
the seal of the living God; and
he cried out with a loud voice

23
00:01:17,090 --> 00:01:20,150
to the four angels to whom it
was granted to harm the earth

24
00:01:20,150 --> 00:01:24,290
and the sea, saying, “Do not
harm the earth or the sea or the

25
00:01:24,290 --> 00:01:27,740
trees until we have sealed the
bond-servants of our God on

26
00:01:27,740 --> 00:01:31,340
their foreheads.” And I heard
the number of those who were

27
00:01:31,340 --> 00:01:34,850
sealed, one hundred and
forty-four thousand sealed from

28
00:01:34,850 --> 00:01:38,390
every tribe of the sons of
Israel: from the tribe of Judah,

29
00:01:38,450 --> 00:01:42,020
twelve thousand were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben twelve

30
00:01:42,020 --> 00:01:46,460
thousand, from the tribe of Gad
twelve thousand, from the tribe

31
00:01:46,460 --> 00:01:50,060
of Asher twelve thousand, from
the tribe of Naphtali twelve

32
00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:53,870
thousand, from the tribe of
Manasseh twelve thousand, from

33
00:01:53,870 --> 00:01:57,590
the tribe of Simeon twelve
thousand, from the tribe of Levi

34
00:01:57,650 --> 00:02:01,310
twelve thousand, from the tribe
of Issachar twelve thousand,

35
00:02:01,460 --> 00:02:04,910
from the tribe of Zebulun twelve
thousand, from the tribe of

36
00:02:04,910 --> 00:02:08,720
Joseph twelve thousand, from the
tribe of Benjamin, twelve

37
00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,500
thousand were sealed. After
these things I looked, and

38
00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:16,340
behold, a great multitude which
no one could count, from every

39
00:02:16,340 --> 00:02:19,760
nation and all tribes and
peoples and tongues, standing

40
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,420
before the throne and before the
Lamb, clothed in white robes,

41
00:02:23,510 --> 00:02:26,810
and palm branches were in their
hands; and they cry out with a

42
00:02:26,810 --> 00:02:30,440
loud voice, saying, “Salvation
to our God who sits on the

43
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,160
throne, and to the Lamb.” And
all the angels were standing

44
00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,190
around the throne and around the
elders and the four living

45
00:02:37,190 --> 00:02:40,490
creatures; and they fell on
their faces before the throne

46
00:02:40,490 --> 00:02:44,600
and worshiped God, saying,
“Amen, blessing and glory and

47
00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,530
wisdom and thanksgiving and
honor and power and might, be to

48
00:02:48,530 --> 00:02:54,080
our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders answered,

49
00:02:54,110 --> 00:02:57,620
saying to me, “These who are
clothed in the white robes, who

50
00:02:57,620 --> 00:03:00,800
are they, and where have they
come from?” I said to him, “My

51
00:03:00,980 --> 00:03:05,390
lord, you know.” And he said to
me, “These are the ones who come

52
00:03:05,390 --> 00:03:08,600
out of the great tribulation,
and they have washed their robes

53
00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,110
and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. For this reason,

54
00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:15,620
they are before the throne of
God; and they serve Him day and

55
00:03:15,620 --> 00:03:19,100
night in His temple; and He who
sits on the throne will spread

56
00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:22,460
His tabernacle over them. They
will hunger no longer, nor

57
00:03:22,460 --> 00:03:26,690
thirst anymore; nor will the sun
beat down on them, nor any heat;

58
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,390
for the Lamb in the center of
the throne will be their

59
00:03:29,390 --> 00:03:32,690
shepherd, and will guide them to
springs of the water of life;

60
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,570
and God will wipe every tear
from their eyes.”

61
00:03:36,350 --> 00:03:41,540
Revelation, chapter 8. When the
Lamb broke the seventh seal,

62
00:03:41,570 --> 00:03:45,560
there was silence in heaven for
about half an hour. And I saw

63
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,890
the seven angels who stand
before God, and seven trumpets

64
00:03:48,890 --> 00:03:52,010
were given to them. Another
angel came and stood at the

65
00:03:52,010 --> 00:03:56,270
altar, holding a golden censer;
and much incense was given to

66
00:03:56,270 --> 00:03:59,510
him, so that he might add it to
the prayers of all the saints on

67
00:03:59,510 --> 00:04:03,260
the golden altar which was
before the throne. And the smoke

68
00:04:03,260 --> 00:04:06,740
of the incense, with the prayers
of the saints, went up before

69
00:04:06,740 --> 00:04:11,210
God out of the angel’s hand.
Then the angel took the censer

70
00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,240
and filled it with the fire of
the altar, and threw it to the

71
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,750
earth; and there followed peals
of thunder and sounds and

72
00:04:17,750 --> 00:04:21,830
flashes of lightning and an
earthquake. And the seven angels

73
00:04:21,830 --> 00:04:24,530
who had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound

74
00:04:24,530 --> 00:04:29,180
them. The first sounded, and
there came hail and fire, mixed

75
00:04:29,180 --> 00:04:32,660
with blood, and they were thrown
to the earth; and a third of the

76
00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:36,380
earth was burned up, and a third
of the trees were burned up, and

77
00:04:36,380 --> 00:04:40,670
all the green grass was burned
up. The second angel sounded,

78
00:04:40,820 --> 00:04:43,910
and something like a great
mountain burning with fire was

79
00:04:43,910 --> 00:04:48,080
thrown into the sea; and a third
of the sea became blood, and a

80
00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,140
third of the creatures which
were in the sea and had life,

81
00:04:51,170 --> 00:04:55,940
died; and a third of the ships
were destroyed. The third angel

82
00:04:55,940 --> 00:04:59,330
sounded, and a great star fell
from heaven, burning like a

83
00:04:59,330 --> 00:05:02,930
torch, and it fell on a third of
the rivers and on the springs of

84
00:05:02,930 --> 00:05:07,610
waters. The name of the star is
called Wormwood; and a third of

85
00:05:07,610 --> 00:05:11,510
the waters became wormwood, and
many men died from the waters,

86
00:05:11,510 --> 00:05:15,950
because they were made bitter.
The fourth angel sounded, and a

87
00:05:15,950 --> 00:05:18,860
third of the sun and a third of
the moon and a third of the

88
00:05:18,860 --> 00:05:22,280
stars were struck, so that a
third of them would be darkened

89
00:05:22,430 --> 00:05:26,060
and the day would not shine for
a third of it, and the night in

90
00:05:26,060 --> 00:05:30,320
the same way. Then I looked, and
I heard an eagle flying in

91
00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:35,450
midheaven, saying with a loud
voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those

92
00:05:35,450 --> 00:05:38,630
who dwell on the earth, because
of the remaining blasts of the

93
00:05:38,630 --> 00:05:41,660
trumpet of the three angels who
are about to sound!”

94
00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:47,150
Revelation chapter 9. Then the
fifth angel sounded, and I saw a

95
00:05:47,150 --> 00:05:50,270
star from heaven which had
fallen to the earth; and the key

96
00:05:50,270 --> 00:05:54,260
of the bottomless pit was given
to him. He opened the bottomless

97
00:05:54,260 --> 00:05:57,410
pit, and smoke went up out of
the pit, like the smoke of a

98
00:05:57,410 --> 00:06:01,040
great furnace; and the sun and
the air were darkened by the

99
00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:05,060
smoke of the pit. Then out of
the smoke came locusts upon the

100
00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:08,270
earth, and power was given them,
as the scorpions of the earth

101
00:06:08,270 --> 00:06:12,050
have power. They were told not
to hurt the grass of the earth,

102
00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,220
nor any green thing, nor any
tree, but only the men who do

103
00:06:16,220 --> 00:06:19,670
not have the seal of God on
their foreheads. And they were

104
00:06:19,670 --> 00:06:23,480
not permitted to kill anyone,
but to torment for five months;

105
00:06:23,780 --> 00:06:26,720
and their torment was like the
torment of a scorpion when it

106
00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,460
stings a man. And in those days
men will seek death and will not

107
00:06:31,460 --> 00:06:36,440
find it; they will long to die,
and death flees from them. The

108
00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,890
appearance of the locusts was
like horses prepared for battle;

109
00:06:40,220 --> 00:06:43,730
and on their heads appeared to
be crowns like gold, and their

110
00:06:43,730 --> 00:06:47,660
faces were like the faces of
men. They had hair like the hair

111
00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:51,680
of women, and their teeth were
like the teeth of lions. They

112
00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,650
had breastplates like
breastplates of iron; and the

113
00:06:54,650 --> 00:06:58,040
sound of their wings was like
the sound of chariots, of many

114
00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:02,540
horses rushing to battle. They
have tails like scorpions, and

115
00:07:02,540 --> 00:07:06,770
stings; and in their tails is
their power to hurt men for five

116
00:07:06,770 --> 00:07:11,150
months. They have as king over
them, the angel of the abyss;

117
00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,830
his name in Hebrew is Abaddon,
and in the Greek he has the name

118
00:07:15,890 --> 00:07:21,440
Apollyon. The first woe is past;
behold, two woes are still

119
00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:26,240
coming after these things. Then
the sixth angel sounded, and I

120
00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,240
heard a voice from the four
horns of the golden altar which

121
00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,320
is before God, one saying to the
sixth angel who had the trumpet,

122
00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,260
“Release the four angels who are
bound at the great river

123
00:07:36,290 --> 00:07:39,950
Euphrates.” And the four angels,
who had been prepared for the

124
00:07:39,950 --> 00:07:43,910
hour and day and month and year,
were released, so that they

125
00:07:43,910 --> 00:07:47,780
would kill a third of mankind.
The number of the armies of the

126
00:07:47,780 --> 00:07:51,230
horsemen was two hundred
million; I heard the number of

127
00:07:51,230 --> 00:07:55,190
them. And this is how I saw in
the vision the horses and those

128
00:07:55,190 --> 00:07:59,420
who sat on them: the riders had
breastplates the color of fire

129
00:07:59,420 --> 00:08:02,900
and of hyacinth and of
brimstone; and the heads of the

130
00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:06,590
horses are like the heads of
lions; and out of their mouths

131
00:08:06,590 --> 00:08:11,210
proceed fire and smoke and
brimstone. A third of mankind

132
00:08:11,210 --> 00:08:14,240
was killed by these three
plagues, by the fire and the

133
00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,330
smoke and the brimstone which
proceeded out of their mouths.

134
00:08:17,420 --> 00:08:20,090
For the power of the horses is
in their mouths and in their

135
00:08:20,090 --> 00:08:23,990
tails; for their tails are like
serpents and have heads, and

136
00:08:23,990 --> 00:08:28,250
with them they do harm. The rest
of mankind, who were not killed

137
00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:32,210
by these plagues, did not repent
of the works of their hands, so

138
00:08:32,210 --> 00:08:35,900
as not to worship demons, and
the idols of gold and of silver

139
00:08:35,900 --> 00:08:39,770
and of brass and of stone and of
wood, which can neither see nor

140
00:08:39,770 --> 00:08:43,940
hear nor walk; and they did not
repent of their murders nor of

141
00:08:43,940 --> 00:08:47,600
their sorceries nor of their
immorality nor of their thefts.

142
00:08:47,990 --> 00:08:53,570
Revelation, chapter 10. I saw a
mighty angel coming down out of

143
00:08:53,570 --> 00:08:58,040
the sky, clothed with a cloud. A
rainbow was on his head. His

144
00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,240
face was like the sun, and his
feet like pillars of fire. He

145
00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,110
had in his hand a little open
book. He set his right foot on

146
00:09:06,110 --> 00:09:09,860
the sea, and his left on the
land. He cried with a loud

147
00:09:09,860 --> 00:09:14,210
voice, as a lion roars. When he
cried, the seven thunders

148
00:09:14,210 --> 00:09:17,960
uttered their voices. When the
seven thunders sounded, I was

149
00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,100
about to write; but I heard a
voice from the sky saying, “Seal

150
00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:25,130
up the things which the seven
thunders said, and don’t write

151
00:09:25,430 --> 00:09:28,760
them.” The angel whom I saw
standing on the sea and on the

152
00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,660
land lifted up his right hand to
the sky and swore by him who

153
00:09:32,660 --> 00:09:35,840
lives forever and ever, who
created heaven and the things

154
00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,140
that are in it, the earth and
the things that are in it, and

155
00:09:39,140 --> 00:09:42,380
the sea and the things that are
in it, that there will no longer

156
00:09:42,380 --> 00:09:46,280
be delay, but in the days of the
voice of the seventh angel, when

157
00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,180
he is about to sound, then the
mystery of God is finished, as

158
00:09:50,180 --> 00:09:53,570
he declared to his servants the
prophets. The voice which I

159
00:09:53,570 --> 00:09:56,960
heard from heaven, again
speaking with me, said, “Go,

160
00:09:57,140 --> 00:10:00,080
take the book which is open in
the hand of the angel who stands

161
00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,590
on the sea and on the land.” I
went to the angel, telling him

162
00:10:03,590 --> 00:10:07,370
to give me the little book. He
said to me, “Take it and eat it

163
00:10:07,370 --> 00:10:10,400
up. It will make your stomach
bitter, but in your mouth it

164
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,760
will be as sweet as honey.” I
took the little book out of the

165
00:10:13,790 --> 00:10:17,390
angel’s hand, and ate it up. It
was as sweet as honey in my

166
00:10:17,390 --> 00:10:21,470
mouth. When I had eaten it, my
stomach was made bitter. They

167
00:10:21,470 --> 00:10:25,040
told me, “You must prophesy
again over many peoples,

168
00:10:25,070 --> 00:10:27,140
nations, languages, and kings.”

169
00:10:27,890 --> 00:10:33,020
Revelation, chapter 11. A reed
like a rod was given to me.

170
00:10:33,350 --> 00:10:37,370
Someone said, “Rise and measure
God’s temple, and the altar, and

171
00:10:37,370 --> 00:10:40,820
those who worship in it. Leave
out the court which is outside

172
00:10:40,820 --> 00:10:43,730
of the temple, and don’t measure
it, for it has been given to the

173
00:10:43,730 --> 00:10:47,180
nations. They will tread the
holy city under foot for

174
00:10:47,180 --> 00:10:51,350
forty-two months. I will give
power to my two witnesses, and

175
00:10:51,350 --> 00:10:55,340
they will prophesy one thousand
two hundred sixty days, clothed

176
00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:59,150
in sackcloth.” These are the two
olive trees and the two lamp

177
00:10:59,150 --> 00:11:03,170
stands, standing before the Lord
of the earth. If anyone desires

178
00:11:03,170 --> 00:11:06,350
to harm them, fire proceeds out
of their mouth and devours their

179
00:11:06,350 --> 00:11:10,130
enemies. If anyone desires to
harm them, he must be killed in

180
00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:14,150
this way. These have the power
to shut up the sky, that it may

181
00:11:14,180 --> 00:11:17,990
not rain during the days of
their prophecy. They have power

182
00:11:17,990 --> 00:11:20,840
over the waters, to turn them
into blood, and to strike the

183
00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,650
earth with every plague, as
often as they desire. When they

184
00:11:24,650 --> 00:11:27,890
have finished their testimony,
the beast that comes up out of

185
00:11:27,890 --> 00:11:30,740
the abyss will make war with
them, and overcome them, and

186
00:11:30,740 --> 00:11:33,890
kill them. Their dead bodies
will be in the street of the

187
00:11:33,890 --> 00:11:37,910
great city, which spiritually is
called Sodom and Egypt, where

188
00:11:37,910 --> 00:11:42,410
also their Lord was crucified.
From among the peoples, tribes,

189
00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:45,830
languages, and nations, people
will look at their dead bodies

190
00:11:45,830 --> 00:11:49,190
for three and a half days, and
will not allow their dead bodies

191
00:11:49,190 --> 00:11:53,150
to be laid in a tomb. Those who
dwell on the earth will rejoice

192
00:11:53,150 --> 00:11:56,330
over them, and they will be
glad. They will give gifts to

193
00:11:56,330 --> 00:11:59,540
one another, because these two
prophets tormented those who

194
00:11:59,540 --> 00:12:03,260
dwell on the earth. After the
three and a half days, the

195
00:12:03,260 --> 00:12:06,470
breath of life from God entered
into them, and they stood on

196
00:12:06,470 --> 00:12:10,790
their feet. Great fear fell on
those who saw them. I heard a

197
00:12:10,790 --> 00:12:14,960
loud voice from heaven saying to
them, “Come up here!” They went

198
00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:19,010
up into heaven in a cloud, and
their enemies saw them. In that

199
00:12:19,010 --> 00:12:21,650
day there was a great
earthquake, and a tenth of the

200
00:12:21,650 --> 00:12:25,550
city fell. Seven thousand people
were killed in the earthquake,

201
00:12:25,820 --> 00:12:29,210
and the rest were terrified and
gave glory to the God of heaven.

202
00:12:30,020 --> 00:12:35,480
The second woe is past. Behold,
the third woe comes quickly. The

203
00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,870
seventh angel sounded, and great
voices in heaven followed,

204
00:12:38,900 --> 00:12:41,960
saying, “The kingdom of the
world has become the Kingdom of

205
00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,920
our Lord and of his Christ. He
will reign forever and ever!”

206
00:12:46,820 --> 00:12:49,910
The twenty-four elders, who sit
on their thrones before God’s

207
00:12:49,910 --> 00:12:53,990
throne, fell on their faces and
worshiped God, saying: “We give

208
00:12:53,990 --> 00:12:57,320
you thanks, Lord God, the
Almighty, the one who is and who

209
00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,610
was, because you have taken your
great power and reigned. The

210
00:13:01,610 --> 00:13:05,210
nations were angry, and your
wrath came, as did the time for

211
00:13:05,210 --> 00:13:08,180
the dead to be judged, and to
give your bondservants the

212
00:13:08,180 --> 00:13:12,050
prophets, their reward, as well
as to the saints and those who

213
00:13:12,050 --> 00:13:15,950
fear your name, to the small and
the great, and to destroy those

214
00:13:15,950 --> 00:13:19,580
who destroy the earth.” God’s
temple that is in heaven was

215
00:13:19,580 --> 00:13:22,490
opened, and the ark of the
Lord’s covenant was seen in his

216
00:13:22,490 --> 00:13:26,540
temple. Lightnings, sounds,
thunders, an earthquake, and

217
00:13:26,540 --> 00:13:27,740
great hail followed.

218
00:13:29,900 --> 00:13:32,990
You remember that back in
chapter 5, the book with the

219
00:13:32,990 --> 00:13:37,160
seven seals was introduced. No
one in heaven or on earth was

220
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,120
able to open the book or look
into it, and John wept. But then

221
00:13:41,150 --> 00:13:44,480
one of the elders told him to
stop weeping because the Lion

222
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,830
from the tribe of Judah, who is
Jesus, was able to. And then in

223
00:13:48,830 --> 00:13:52,520
chapter 6, the first six seals
were opened and only one

224
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:56,540
remained. But today in chapter
7, there was an interlude, and

225
00:13:56,570 --> 00:14:01,400
144,000 from the 12 tribes were
sealed as the bondservants of

226
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,540
God, and a great multitude from
all over the Earth began to cry

227
00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:10,310
with a loud voice, praising God
and the Lamb. Now in chapter 8,

228
00:14:10,340 --> 00:14:13,820
try to picture the scene in your
mind's eye. There is a great

229
00:14:13,820 --> 00:14:17,720
multitude of people in heaven
before the throne. Some are

230
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,250
those who have believed in Jesus
and 144,000 of them are from the

231
00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,900
12 tribes of Israel. There's a
multitude of angels and there's

232
00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:30,050
the Lamb, the Son of God,
sitting at the right hand of

233
00:14:30,050 --> 00:14:34,850
God, who is at the center of it
all. And then the seventh seal

234
00:14:34,850 --> 00:14:38,270
is opened. Everyone has been
waiting for this moment.

235
00:14:38,570 --> 00:14:43,310
Everyone is focused on the book,
The seal is opened, and there

236
00:14:43,310 --> 00:14:48,650
was silence for half an hour.
For thirty minutes, everyone was

237
00:14:48,650 --> 00:14:53,900
still, waiting. What will happen
with the breaking of the seventh

238
00:14:53,900 --> 00:14:58,040
seal? But before anything
happens, there is silence.

239
00:14:58,820 --> 00:15:00,860
Listen to silence...

240
00:15:15,870 --> 00:15:20,340
That was just 15 seconds,
imagine 30 minutes. Can you

241
00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:23,760
imagine a scene like that with
all of those beings possibly

242
00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:29,130
millions and there is *silence*.
There was such an anticipation

243
00:15:29,130 --> 00:15:32,370
and wonder at what a breaking of
the seventh seal would bring.

244
00:15:32,610 --> 00:15:36,960
And the next thing that happens
brings a powerful message. After

245
00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,830
the silence at the peak of
anticipation when you know all

246
00:15:40,830 --> 00:15:44,430
eyes were on the throne, an
angel came and stood at the

247
00:15:44,430 --> 00:15:48,570
altar with incense and the
prayers of the believers along

248
00:15:48,570 --> 00:15:52,860
with the incense went up before
God out of the angel’s hand.

249
00:15:53,790 --> 00:15:57,960
Listen, do you think prayer is
important? Do you think God pays

250
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:02,340
attention? Absolutely, he does.
Imagine the focus of all of

251
00:16:02,340 --> 00:16:06,120
heaven here. Every eye is
observing the scene at the altar

252
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,670
and no one knows what the
breaking of the seventh seal

253
00:16:08,670 --> 00:16:13,230
will bring. And they're all
watching closely. And a very

254
00:16:13,230 --> 00:16:17,370
special angel brings your
prayers, and mine, and lifts

255
00:16:17,370 --> 00:16:21,840
them up to God at this eternally
important time in history. It is

256
00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,590
the prayers of God's people that
precede the final moments of the

257
00:16:25,590 --> 00:16:29,790
history of this world. T. F.
Torrance, the 20th-century

258
00:16:29,790 --> 00:16:34,650
Scottish theologian said, "More
potent, more powerful than all

259
00:16:34,650 --> 00:16:38,160
the dark and mighty powers let
loose in the world, more

260
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,690
powerful than anything else is
the power of prayer set ablaze

261
00:16:42,690 --> 00:16:47,340
by the fire of God and cast upon
the earth." Do you think your

262
00:16:47,340 --> 00:16:51,120
prayers aren't important to God?
Well, from what we've seen here,

263
00:16:51,150 --> 00:16:59,340
I would say that God considers
prayer as vitally important. Let

264
00:16:59,340 --> 00:17:02,340
me know if you have thoughts or
questions, send a boostagram or

265
00:17:02,340 --> 00:17:05,100
call the Lifespring Family
Hotline or go to the comments

266
00:17:05,100 --> 00:17:07,950
page or write an email to me.
I'll tell you how to do all that

267
00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:11,580
at the end of the show. Tomorrow
will be Gospels Saturday, and

268
00:17:11,580 --> 00:17:14,280
we'll read Acts 23 and 24.

269
00:17:18,210 --> 00:17:21,570
Our Executive Producer today is
Kevin Dills. Thank you, Kevin.

270
00:17:21,570 --> 00:17:26,250
God bless you. He sent in his
monthly $50 donation. And

271
00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:31,620
someone sent a 75,000 sat
boostagram from - I forgot which

272
00:17:31,620 --> 00:17:36,600
app now - but they just said,
"Anonymous." So Anonymous, thank

273
00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:41,130
you for the 75,000 sat boost. He
or she sent that on the Nehemiah

274
00:17:41,130 --> 00:17:45,180
10 through 13: Striving for
Faithfulness episode. Thanks

275
00:17:45,180 --> 00:17:46,350
again. God bless you.

276
00:17:48,570 --> 00:17:48,690
Jingle: Lifespringmedia.com/support

277
00:17:54,150 --> 00:17:57,570
Steve Webb: So here's a
semi-brief rundown on my surgery

278
00:17:57,570 --> 00:18:01,560
and why this episode is late. So
the surgery on Wednesday

279
00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,970
actually went fine. Went in on
time. They put me asleep. They

280
00:18:05,970 --> 00:18:09,660
did what they needed to do. It
was a laparoscopic procedure.

281
00:18:09,660 --> 00:18:13,740
And I'm told that it took about
45 minutes. And when I woke up,

282
00:18:13,740 --> 00:18:16,530
I was a little sore in the area
that they worked on, of course,

283
00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,670
as expected, of course. And my
shoulders were a bit sore as

284
00:18:20,670 --> 00:18:23,280
well. I was kind of puzzled
about that, but I thought it

285
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,180
might just be from the general
anesthesia. I've never had that

286
00:18:27,180 --> 00:18:31,440
happen to me before. But LeeAnn
has had some other things

287
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:36,660
happen, and she's had soreness
after general anesthesia. So I

288
00:18:36,660 --> 00:18:40,650
thought, well, maybe this time
it's my turn. Well, I spent the

289
00:18:40,650 --> 00:18:44,220
rest of the day at home,
resting, and when I woke up

290
00:18:44,250 --> 00:18:47,700
Thursday after a fitful night of
sleep because my shoulder

291
00:18:47,700 --> 00:18:51,480
soreness kept me in, you know,
kind of that half-asleep,

292
00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:55,560
half-awake state. I just didn't
get a good night's rest. And

293
00:18:55,590 --> 00:18:58,740
later that morning, this would
be Thursday morning, I sat down

294
00:18:58,740 --> 00:19:03,030
on my desk and began to put this
episode together. And I just

295
00:19:03,030 --> 00:19:06,750
couldn't concentrate because I
was just so tired. So I decided

296
00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:10,860
to take a nap. Well, when I lay
down on my bed, my right

297
00:19:10,860 --> 00:19:14,280
shoulder felt like it had been
stabbed. It just all of a

298
00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,940
sudden, just *bam*, right in the
shoulder joint. It was just

299
00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:21,630
excruciating. And when I tried
to move to another position to,

300
00:19:23,490 --> 00:19:26,400
you know, find someplace where
it wouldn't hurt, it just got

301
00:19:26,430 --> 00:19:30,630
worse. I didn't know if I had
torn a ligament or pinched a

302
00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:33,480
nerve or just what. And on a
scale of one to ten, the pain

303
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:37,020
was about a nine and a half. I
mean it was bad. Long story

304
00:19:37,020 --> 00:19:40,770
short, I called LeeAnn at work
to tell her what was going on

305
00:19:40,830 --> 00:19:44,970
and she came home to drive me to
the emergency room. They took

306
00:19:44,970 --> 00:19:49,200
x-rays of the shoulder. They put
me on an EKG machine to see if

307
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,890
maybe I was having a heart
attack. They ran me... through

308
00:19:52,890 --> 00:19:59,400
some range of range-of-motion
exercises. And there was just

309
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:04,260
nothing there. But the bottom
line seems to be this during my

310
00:20:04,260 --> 00:20:07,620
surgery which was in the lower
abdomen, since it was a

311
00:20:07,620 --> 00:20:11,490
laparoscopic procedure, they had
to inject carbon dioxide gas

312
00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,090
into my abdomen to make room for
the instruments and to see what

313
00:20:15,090 --> 00:20:17,580
they were working on. They just
kind of blow your stomach up,

314
00:20:17,790 --> 00:20:21,360
your abdomen. I don't know how
much gas they put in. but a

315
00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:26,430
little internet sleuthing taught
me that it's common to put one

316
00:20:26,430 --> 00:20:30,120
to two liters of carbon dioxide
gas in there. Could be more,

317
00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:33,000
could be less but one to two
liters. That's not, you know, an

318
00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:36,840
insignificant amount. So anyway,
when they complete the

319
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:41,010
operation, they, you know, take
out the CO2 gas, but it is not

320
00:20:41,010 --> 00:20:44,670
unheard of to have some of that
gas remain inside the abdomen

321
00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:48,450
when they stitch you up. And the
gas, you know, wants to get out

322
00:20:48,450 --> 00:20:52,440
and it has to go somewhere. And
sometimes it migrates to the

323
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,940
shoulders, which causes the
pain. So that seems to be what

324
00:20:56,940 --> 00:21:00,660
happened to me. A nurse told me
that the best way to deal with

325
00:21:00,660 --> 00:21:04,590
that is to move, take walks, et
cetera until the gas finds its

326
00:21:04,590 --> 00:21:09,330
way out in the normal way one
expels gas if you get my drift.

327
00:21:09,690 --> 00:21:13,470
I know it sounds weird, right?
So right now, as I record this,

328
00:21:13,530 --> 00:21:17,880
the pain is still there. It's
not as bad, but it hurts quite a

329
00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,960
bit. But I'm taking some pain
medication, so at least it's

330
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,780
manageable. I can sit here and
do this. But when I move my arm

331
00:21:24,780 --> 00:21:29,100
to move the mouse and stuff,
yeah, it gives me some

332
00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:32,430
discomfort. So after I record
this episode, and get it

333
00:21:32,430 --> 00:21:35,850
published, I'm going to go out
for my second walk of the day,

334
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,240
then come right back into the
studio to get Saturday's episode

335
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,390
recorded. And I do appreciate
your prayers.

336
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:52,500
Well as always I do invite your
comments and your questions.

337
00:21:52,530 --> 00:21:55,680
There are several ways to get in
touch with me. You can send a

338
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,190
boostagram, of course. Or you
can call the Lifespring Family

339
00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:06,750
Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Or
go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com

340
00:22:06,750 --> 00:22:09,900
if you have a prayer request or
a praise report, which we will

341
00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:13,590
do on Sunday's show. If you have
a comment or a question, go to

342
00:22:14,550 --> 00:22:17,460
comment.lifespringmedia.com. Or
send an email to me at

343
00:22:17,460 --> 00:22:19,110
steve@lifespringmedia.com.

344
00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,260
Thanks to the team: Sister
Denise, Michael Haner, Scott

345
00:22:31,260 --> 00:22:33,900
Snider, Jason Paschall, and
Sister Brittaney for their

346
00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:37,650
generous donations of time and
talent. Thanks to Kevin Dills

347
00:22:37,650 --> 00:22:42,150
for being our Executive...
Executive Producer today and

348
00:22:42,150 --> 00:22:45,570
helping to make this episode
possible. Beloved, I'll see you

349
00:22:45,570 --> 00:22:48,360
tomorrow. God bless you. Thank
you for spending time with me.

350
00:22:48,690 --> 00:22:50,820
My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

351
00:22:58,470 --> 00:23:03,210
Lifespring! Media bringing the
message of hope, love, and good

352
00:23:03,210 --> 00:23:05,520
news since 2004.