04 - Cosmic Chaos 2009

Chapters 6-19 vividly describe and predict the Great Tribulation. The Tribulation occupies 14 of the 22 chapters of the book.

The Tribulation is also called “The Day of the Lord” in the O.T. It is the climactic era in God’s plan for the ages. As with so much else in Rev.’s, the Tribulation is marked with a 7—it will last exactly 7 years.

We will see that Satan, under God’s permissive hand, is allowed to bring his evil forces to the earth, with the restraining hand of God no longer withholding his efforts.

Paul predicted this very thing:

“Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

 5Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.”—2 Thes. 2:3-6

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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!”

Remember the four living creatures around God’s throne with the attributes of a lion, calf, man and eagle? The first beast that is lion-like has just cried out, “COME!” John says:

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.”

WHITE HORSE: Roman general rode white horses. Most scholars believe this is the Antichrist. He will have authority depicted by the crown, but will conquer as the “good guy” at first.

Arnold Toynbee said something worth quoting: “By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons and at the same time making the whole world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of stress that we are ripe for deifying any new Caesar that might succeed in giving the world unity and peace.”

After the LAMB breaks the second seal the second living creature with the attributes of a calf cried out, “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.”

RED HORSE: The horse that follows testifies to the fact that Anitchrist’s peace is only temporary, for the next horse is the fiery red horse of war.

During the 20th century two major world ward engulfed the globe, involving dozens of nations and resulting in the deaths of millions. After the Rapture the world will be plunged into a conflict without parallel.

With the release of this horse, the greatest war in the history of mankind will take place. It will culminate in the battle of Armageddon which, if not stopped by the return of Christ, would leave no flesh alive.

21For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now--no, and never will be [again]. 22And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure and survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened.”

5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being (with attributes of a man) 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.”

BLACK HORSE: The black horse represents famine.

Clearly, massive inflation is suggested here if one must work an entire day to pay for loaf of bread.

OIL AND WINE: Oil and wine are luxuries, not necessities. Oil would represent our toiletries, beauty aids and body conditioners. The wine corresponds to the liquor that will be in abundance.

It is possible that John is describing the total breakdown of a middle class. There will be a few rich, with the vast majority stricken with famine.

Today, one-percent of the American population has accumulated over 40% of the nation’s wealth. This is a sign of the last times.

Even now more than a billion people are on the brink of starvation. The reality is that out of 180 or so nations around the world, only 4—the U.S., Canada, France, and Argentina

But after such a horrific war, famine will be even worse. When the red horse rides, the black horse of famine will be right on his heels.

Then finally, John sees the FOURTH SEAL broken:

“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being (with attributes of an eagle) 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.”

PALE HORSE: The fourth horseman is called DEATH, and rides a pale horse. The Greek reads, HIPPOS CHLOROS—the word from which we get Cholera. The PALE HORSE is plague.

John saw a stunning catastrophe. When this 4th horse rides, one-fourth of the earth’s population will be wiped out in quick succession. This will happen with the sword (WAR), and with hunger (FAMINE), and with death (PESTILENCE), and with the beasts of the earth.

The worst plague in history was the Black Plague. It killed one-fourth of Europe in the 14th century. Over 25 million died. But two-thirds of the infected lived! It stopped after around a century.

But John predicts that a plague will come that will wipe out one-fourth of, not just Europe, but the entire world!

It’s possible that the pestilence will take the form of germ or biological warfare. We don’t know, only that it does indeed take place.

During the release of these dreaded horsemen of the apocalypse, twenty-five percent of the earth will be destroyed. One out of every four human beings will die.

THE FIFTH SEAL—

THE MARTYRED TRIBULATION SAINTS

When the FIFTH SEAL is opened, no longer do ghastly scenes of earth pass before us. The view shifts to heaven, where an altar is seen. And just as the blood of sacrificial animals in O.T. times was poured at the bottom of the altar, so the souls of those that gave their lives for God are represented as under an altar.

Vs. 9-11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”

Notice John’s use of THEY, THEM, THOSE when referring to the martyred instead of WE, OUR OR US. He’s not using inclusive language because these are not “Church Saints.” They’re Tribulation Saints.

In Chapter 7: 13-14, one of the elders representing the church asks, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

And he was told, "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.

These Tribulation Saints want to know how long it will be before their blood is avenged. (Remember, John’s Revelation is largely about the times of avenging).

They are told that others would also die before full vengeance is poured out on the persecutors, which will happen at the Return of Christ.

THE SIXTH SEAL—

COSMIC CATASTROPHES

When the SIXTH SEAL is broken, the scene shifts back to earth for a picture of the cataclysms, chaos and confusion which will befall much of the world at this stage of future history.

These horrific events are occurring during the first one or two years of the Tribulation—the first half.

12 “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake (seismos megas). The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”

The earth, says John, will be violently shaken. Killer earthquakes will rock the planet. A world-wide blackout will occur as a result of volcanic and seismic disturbances, when ash is spewed into the sky.

And there will be an awesome reddening of the moon, as when a total eclipse occurs…only here there is another cause, possibly dangerous contamination of the atmosphere could cause this. Even the Prophet Joel predicted “…the moon will be turned into blood…” 2:30-31

Jesus said in Matthew 24:29 that, "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

In addition, meteors, possibly asteroids and other interplanetary matter, slam into the earth. Unlike the ones we sometimes see streaking through the sky and disappearing, these will strike the ground.

John said that even mountains and islands were moved!

John saw that the cosmic catastrophes were so bad that:

 15”Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

We must wait until Chapter 8 to see what the SEVENTH SEAL brings.

Next time we will make another visit into heaven with John as he again sees the Tribulation Saints in Chapter 7.