The Seven Seals

How important is hope to you?

Dr. Caroline Leaf, in her book, “Cleaning up Your Mental Mess” quotes Carol Graham, the senior fellow at the Brooking Institution, who made this eye-opening observation in 2019 about the effect of “deaths of despair” that were rampant in the US: “The metric that really stands out is not whether a person is happy or unhappy. Happy today doesn’t matter a whole lot. It’s hope for the future or lack thereof that’s really linked with premature mortality.” Dr. Leaf states that more and more research is showing how the absence of hope and the lack of resources to deal with our most basic emotional and physical needs are coming at a great cost.

Fear, isolation, pain, purposelessness, despair . . . these are the symptoms of a society that is broken and hurting, and they can lead to an early death not only from suicide but from very real damage to the heart, immune system, GI system, and brain—the entire body goes into states of low-grade inflammation that can increase our vulnerability to disease by up to 75–95 percent when we are in a constant state of turmoil.

Hope is a key component for our lives. It gives us the strength to endure hardship, the resilience to overcome criticism and the perspective to put challenges and struggles in their proper place. We need hope as much as we need air, water, and food.

Where do you get your hope from? And what do you put your hope in? Revelation chapters 6 and 7 are all about hope and they challenge us to get our hope from God and to put our hope in God.

Last week, as we went through chapters 4 and 5, we beheld with John this amazing vision of the throne, the one on the throne, and of the lamb who was slain. In the hand of the one on the throne was a scroll and attached to the scroll were 7 seals. An angel cried out “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” and the answer is nobody. Because of our sin, no one is worthy. No one, except for Jesus. Because he gave his life for humanity, to reconcile every person who puts their faith in him to the Father - because he is the lamb who was slain - Jesus is worthy.

So, what is on the scroll? Darrell Johnson, whose brilliant book “Discipleship on the Edge” has been foundational for us as we go through the book of Revelation, says, “The scroll is the scroll of history. The scroll contains the meaning of history - of world history, of your history, of my history, of our children’s history. The scroll contains God’s plan for bringing the purpose of creation to its intended fulfillment.” It’s God’s plan for bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

And who then is worthy to open the seals and put the plan into motion? Only Jesus because only Jesus can and did take on the sin of the universe and suffered its consequences. And so Jesus, the lamb who was slain, opens each of the 7 seals. And what is easy to miss, but is important for us to notice is that each opening of the seals is a response to prayer.

For the first 4 seals, the living beings, which are representative of all living creation offer a single-word prayer to the lamb: they pray “Come.” Some people think that the living creatures are calling John to come, but he is already there. Others think that the living creatures are calling the four horsemen. But, as Darrell Johnson points out, why would creation (which is the representation of the four living creatures) call for that which brings about its destruction and turmoil? No, when the creatures pray “Come” they are praying that part of the Lord’s prayer that says, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.” They are praying the prayers of the Spirit and Bride at the end of revelation

Revelation 22:20 NLT

20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

For the first four seals, the living creatures are praying for the in-breaking of the kingdom of heaven into our world.

For the fifth seal, the martyrs pray for justice. For the sixth seal the people pray, not to God whom they have rejected, but to the mountains to hide them from God. And for the seventh seal, there is a half hour of silence while the prayers of God’s people ascended to the throne.

The reason this is so important is that it reminds us that prayer - that your prayers - impact history. One of the most beautiful and empowering mysteries of our faith is that our God who is the sovereign King of all creation, who alone rules the cosmos, uses our prayers move history towards his appointed destination. It can be so easy for us to give up on prayer. Maybe you’ve been praying for something or someone for decades and you’ve seen no results. But things are not as they seem. God is using our prayers to unfold history and to change lives and if we truly trust in him, then we need to be patient for God’s response and we need to persevere in praying. So keep on praying, church, because God is going to use those prayers to change the world.

So now, let’s look at the seven seals that lamb of God opens, moving history to God’s desired place. For the first four seals, there is a horse and rider that appears and these represent the things that happen when the world resists and opposes the kingdom of Jesus. God doesn’t cause these things to happen. They happen as a result of people rejecting the rule and reign of Jesus in the world and in their hearts. Let’s look at each one now:

Seal 1 - White horse and rider

Revelation 6:1–2 NLT

1 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

Some people think that this is Jesus, because its language is similar to chapter 19 when Jesus defeats the beast and the false prophet while riding a white horse. But, more likely, this is an imitation of Jesus that has come to deceive the nations. Jesus warns us of this in the book of Matthew:

Matthew 24:4–6 NLT

4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.

This first horse is the power of evil imitating Jesus. It looks like him, but in opposition to the lamb that was slain for the sins of the world, this rider is about conquest and deception.

Seal 2 - Red horse and rider

Revelation 6:3–4 NLT

3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.

Whenever evil is threatened by the coming of God’s kingdom, it reacts with violence; it generates strife and war. And what is a good thing for us to remember is that all the war, violence and strife that is prevalent in our world is due to spiritual conflict. That’s why Paul reminds us in Ephesians

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

War, whether its nation versus nation, tribe versus tribe, or person versus another person, occurs when one or both people give up the way of Jesus and embrace the way of the beast, of the enemy of God. Are any of you in any conflicts with others right now? How does the way of Jesus, the lamb who was slain, impact how you will choose to respond?

Seal 3 - Black horse and rider

Revelation 6:5–6 NLT

5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”

This one is all about justice - about economic injustice where food costs so much, it will be a whole day’s work just to have enough for a single loaf of bread. And the oil and wine aren’t to be wasted on the poor. The rich thrive and enjoy luxury while the poor struggle. And we don’t have to look far to see that even though the cost of living in Canada has risen sharply lately, most of us get to enjoy an abundance of luxury compared to the many places where people are hoping for, praying for and working for that single loaf of bread for them and their families. Economic injustice is wildly prevalent in our world and it, like war, has its roots in spiritual warfare of those who set themselves against Jesus.

Seal 4 - Pale horse and rider

Revelation 6:7–8 NLT

7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” 8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Death is personified here but it’s important to see that it’s not referring to natural death, which comes for all of us. This death that covers the earth is the preventable kind: war and murder, famine, disease, insufficient shelter from wild animals. This is the type of death that happens because of the sin in the hearts of humanity that allows violence, injustice, and indifference to run rampant around the globe. Until we see that our human problems are a spiritual problem - the resistance and opposition to the kingdom of God, these four horsemen will continue to plague us.

The four horsemen are not something that will happen in the future. They have been around since Jesus was installed on the throne of the universe, trying to take him and his people down. As all creation cries out “Come” to Jesus, evil rises up in opposition causing chaos, strife, injustice and hardship in our world.

Seal 5 - The Martyrs

Revelation 6:9–11 NLT

9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. 10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.

The sad reality is that being a follower of Jesus does not keep us from experiencing the chaos and evil that arises in response to the in-breaking of the kingdom of God. It affects us deeply and the toll has been heavy on Christians throughout the centuries.

Dr. Todd Johnson, professor of Global Christianity and MIssion at Gordon Conwell Seminary estimates that 70 million Christians have been martyred over the last two millennia, more than half of which died in the 20th century under fascist and communist regimes. He also estimates that 1 million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010 and about 900,000 were killed from 2011 to 2020.

When John sees the martyrs under the altar, they are crying out for justice. How long, Oh Lord? And for many Christians, they are echoing that cry for justice even today. And God’s response is, “Wait a little longer.” More will suffer as they did, but there is a finite number - the martyrdom will stop and God will enact his justice. That’s what Revelation 20:12 is all about:

Revelation 20:12 NLT

12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

When there is no justice, people lose hope. But the fifth seal reminds us that justice is coming, but we just have to wait a little longer.

Seal 6 - The Comos in Chaos

Revelation 6:12–17 NLT

12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. 13 Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. 15 Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

Can we all acknowledge that this feels dark? It’s things like the sixth seal that turns people away from reading the book of Revelation. But things are not as they seem. There is hope.

The sixth seal uses Old Testament apocalyptic language to describe what it’s like to experience the wrath of God. It feels like the end of the cosmos. It feels so terrifying that everyone, from Kings to slaves, will hide themselves away and call on the mountains to bury them. But where is the hope?

The hope is found two ways: First, there is hope as this is the justice of God being poured out against all who have rebelled against him, no matter who they are - whether they be Kings or slaves. This is an answer to the prayer of the martyrs in the fifth seal. Second, those in hiding ask “Why is able to survive?” And chapter 7 tells us that the answer is us.

The Interlude - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 feels like a bit of an interlude since it splits up the sixth and seventh seal, but we have to remember that there are no accidents in scripture. Stories, chapters and thoughts are placed with purpose, so we have to discern what the purpose of its placement is.

Chapter 7 is broken into two sections: verses 1-8 take place BEFORE the great tribulation and verses 9-17 take place after it. In the first section, the “servants of God” are sealed so they can persevere through this tribulation. In the second section, the reward for perseverance is shown.

But what is the great tribulation? We’ve seen it revealed through the opening of the first six seals - it’s the crushing pressure that occurs when the kingdom of heaven clashes with the kingdom of humanity in rebellion to God. And when does this great tribulation happen? It’s already happening.

Revelation 7:13–14 NIV

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“Who have come out” is literally “who are coming out.” There is a sense that the believers in 96AD, under the brutal persecution and oppression of Emperor Domitian were already experiencing the great tribulation. Look how John identifies himself in chapter 1:

Revelation 1:9 ESV

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

And this tribulation has continued, in some form or another ever since. To John, the great tribulation starts with Jesus’ birth when Herod orders the death of all those children, through his life, ministry, resurrection and ascension. The New Testament does say that it will intensify as we get closer to the final crises, but that doesn’t negate that we are in this tribulation right now. And as it ramps up, the question spoken by those in the sixth seal is finally answered: Who is able to survive this tribulation? Those who are sealed by God.

In verse 4, it says that the number of those sealed is 144,000. This number is not to be taken literally, but symbolically. 12 times 12 equals 144. Have we seen anything else so far that shows 12 and 12? Multiplying that number by 10 is a Hebrew way of saying big. Multiply it by 10 again and it means “really big.” Do it again and it means “really, really big.”

But who is sealed? The account shows just the 12 tribes of Israel, right? Yes, but things are not as they seem. Earlier I said everything is ordered for a purpose. That’s true here where the order of the tribes has changed. Normally, Reuben would be first, because he was the first born of Jacob. But now Judah is listed first. The tribe that is associated with Jesus. And the tribe of Dan has been removed and Manasseh has been added in. What is John saying with these changes? He is saying that the nature of Israel is now different because of the Messiah, the Lion of Judah. Gentiles like us have been grafted into the family of God with believing Israel to make one thing: the church. John is stating that it is those who are the people of God who are sealed and that’s great news for us because being sealed means that there is a guarantee that as we, the servants of God, go through all that the tribulations and struggles, we WILL make it

And on the other side of that tribulation, when we get through it, we receive the reward for our endurance - our redemption which leads to worship

Revelation 7:9–10 NLT

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

That’s the interlude, but now let’s return to the seventh and final seal.

Seal 7 - Silence for half an hour

Revelation 8:1 NLT

1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.

It would be natural to assume that in the 7th seal, the kingdom of God would come in its fullness. But instead there is silence. It almost feels anti-climatic. But again, things aren’t what they seem. In our western world, many of us have a struggle with silence. Between traffic noise, our TV’s, radio’s phones, friends, children, spouses, the internet - we have become unfamiliar with silence and we can find it awkward and even oppressive.

But when we look at this passage in light of the temple, we see why heaven is silent for that half an hour. In temple worship, when prayers and incense were offered, they were supposed to be done in silence. With that in your mind, look at verses 3-4:

Revelation 8:3–4 NLT

3 Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.

The scene gives us a visual picture to remind us again that God hears our prayers and he acts on them. During the silence, the prayers of God’s people, who are crying out for justice, who are crying out to the lamb, “Come,” reach up to God. What good news! Your prayers are not drowned out in the noise! God silences everything to listen to you. So therefore it’s good - it’s safe to

1 Peter 5:7 NLT

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Conclusion

At the beginning of this sermon, I asked you, “Where do you get your hope from?” and “What do you put your hope in.” Revelation six and seven show us that our hope comes not from an improvement in circumstances, but in the fact that we, God’s people, are sealed for the day of our redemption - that we can get through the worst of circumstances because Jesus, the lamb who was slain for the sin of the world, is the one who among other things, uses our prayers to move history along until its conclusion. I love that no matter what we go through here on earth, there is a better day coming and that truth gives me hope and leads me to worship.

Pray.