Revelation Lesson 2, 1-29-23

All right, let's go.

Last week, we started a new series on the second portion of the Book of Revelation. We're doing chapters 4 through 22. We did chapters 1 through 3 last fall and in the first two chapters. Now, of this section, chapters, four and five. What we saw was a picture of a throne scene. And all creation is worshipping the The God Who is on the throne and well. So let's kind of remember that story. I wanted to show you a picture. I showed you this picture, and it was one person sketch of of that described the scene. So, in this picture, there's a throne and I'm the throne. There's the letter F, which stands for God, the Father, And Then There are three little numbers circles 12in, tree that stands for the Three Gems that are mentioned to describe, kind of what this look like. They've got somebody trying to put into words. So one was a diamond. Number two was Ruby. Number three was an emerald, which referred to Rainbow that was around the throne. And then down at the bottom of the picture, there was a sea of glass, that's those little circles and there was a seven there were seven lamp stands, which is pictured. In this picture as one big lamp stand with seven candles coming up a picture of the Holy Spirit and then that little L off the throne stands, for the land who at one point seems to be off to the side but then later on comes up into the middle of the sea. And then there's some other circle. Circle number for are these four living creatures. One. Look like a lion one. Look like an ox one. Look like a human being one. Look like an eagle. And then around them, we're 24 Elders that Circle Number 5. And then Circle. Number 6, was described as Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand Angels and Circle Number 7 was All the creatures of the Earth. And everybody's praising God, but then this is chapter 7, there's this moment where God produces in his hand, a scroll with seals on it and John the author of the book of Revelation is crying because these are obviously the plans of God and there's nobody who can open them. Nobody can implement the plans of God and this is a disaster but then one of the 24 Elders says to him. It's okay. The lamp. Is worthy to open the scroll. And so the lamb comes up onto the throne in the lamb, takes into his arm, the the scroll and just that just the lamb who is worthy to open the scroll, taking the scroll into his hands, causes the whole scene to go into this huge praising of God until it finally dies down. And then the question you're wondering is what's going to happen when the Lamb of God. By the way, it's how Revelation off and likes to describe Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, what's going to happen when the lamb opens, the seals on that scroll and begins to implement these plans of God. And that's where we are in our story today. We are going to see what happens when the lamp eels. Those seals open. And I want to tell you that perhaps to your surprise. You're going to find this very practical. About the life you're living today and what? It's got to say to you like last week, it's kind of a two-part thing, there's chapter 7 and what it says and I'm sorry this chapter 6 and what it says and then there's chapter 7 and what it says. So we're going to read chapter 6, talk about it first and then we're going to reach after 7 and Amy Van. Harten. Where is she is our reader today? Thanks, Amy.

All right. Revelation chapter.

I watched as the lamb open, the first of the Seven Seals, then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, come I looked. And there before me was a white horse is right or how the bow and he was given a crown and he rode out as a conqueror bent on Conquest. When the lamb open, the second seal I heard the second living creature, say come, then another horse came out, a fiery red one. It's rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other to him was given a large sort. When the lamb open. The third seal, I heard the third looking creature. Say, come I looked and there before me was a black horse, it's rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures saying, 2 lb of wheat for a day's wages and 6 lb of barley for a day's. Wait and do not damage the oil and the wine. When the lamb open, the fourth seal. I heard the voice of the fourth living creature. Say come I looked and there before me was a Pale Horse its Rider with named death and Hades. Was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword famine and plague. And by the wild beasts of the earth, when you open the fifth seal I saw under the altar, The Souls of those who have been slain because of the word of God, and the testimony That they may had maintained, they called out in a line loud voice. How long Sovereign. Lord, holy and true until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood. Then each of them was given a white robe and they were told to wait a little longer until the full number of their fellow servants. Their brothers and sisters were killed just as they had been, I watched as he opened the sea seal, it was a great earthquake, the sun turned black likes, that cloth made of goat hair. The whole moon turn blood red and the stars in the sky, fell to Earth as figs dropped from a fig tree, when shaken by a strong wind, the heaven receded, like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and Island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the Earth, the princess, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else both slave and free hidden caves in among the rocks of the mountains, they call down the mountain 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. For the great day of their wrath is come and who can withstand it.

Thank you.

okay, so you wouldn't think That's very practical but I think it is. So we just have to kind of have to try to put ourselves in the seats of the people who would have first heard these words from John. So, one thing is that it's the lamb opens, these seals scenes start to happen. So a good place to begin is to just identify. What were those seems that we just heard? Amy Reed? So let's review, them seal number one. So, I'm by the by Seal on thinking about Wax Seal wax will be dropped on this scroll to hold it closed and then a Signet ring and somebody's Signet ring has been pressed into that wax. So it's kind of our version of a top-secret document. It's got Seven Seals. So when the first seal is peeled off, one of those four creatures says, come or come or if you're Amy, I'm sorry. I was trying to find it. James Wright, very pleasant in a White Horse appears, and the writer is holding a bow and has a crown. He's a conqueror and he's riding out to do some concrete. Then when the second seal is peeled off, the second creature says, come and a fiery red horse appears, this writer is given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. Just, by the way that sounds scary. But it also sounds like the news we have, you know, we don't we live in a world where people seem to feel like they've got permission to KIPP. There's a lack of peace and people are killing each other. Every time you turn on the news, there's the latest story of some killing. That's what happen happening. And he has a large sword that I just find it. This was originally written in Greek. So the Greek word, we still use Mega. He had a mega sword. Then number 3 seals peeled off in the third creature of those for says come, and this one has a black horse and the rider has a scale. I'm picturing a rope with a rod and then on both ends of that Rod up and hanging. So it's just a simple scale that compares. What's heavier to the next thing for weighing things out and a voice says, a quart of wheat for a day's wage, you work all day and with your wages from a whole day's work. You can buy one quart of wheat or three quarts of barley for a day's wage. And that voice all says says but don't touch the oil and don't touch the wine. And then there's seal number 4 in the fourth creature says come and this time, it's a Pale Horse. Some versions of the Bible. Say at the pale green horse, I think the idea is sickly deathly. the writer of this horse is horses, named death and He's followed around by Hades, which means grave. So, the writers named death and he's got this little minion falling around name, the grave, And he's given power over a quarter of the Earth for killing, not just by sword, but also by famine by plagued by wild animals. So one of the commentaries that I like to read just to kind of help me get a feel for the book is by Craig coaster. And this is how Craig coaster summarizes these forced first four seals. The first one is about Conquest. Remember, he's a conqueror and he's riding out to conquer says this is a picture of like Nation vs Nation fighting each other. The second scene is he calls it violence and I think that's true. Member. This one is given power to take peace from the earth, and to cause people to kill each other. So this is as opposed to Nations fighting each other, this seems to be about citizens. One citizen against each other, violence, person among person. Number three is economic hardship, that's what that's a picture of you work all day and are, you can buy with it, is a quart of wheat. And then there's this mysterious part, which is what does it mean? But don't touch the oil and the wine and we're sort of left guessing one possibility is it's a picture of God placing limits on how bad the famine is. But another picture is that it's a reminder that when economic hardship happens it's the poor who suffer the most. It's the poor who who can barely afford on a good day to buy wheat and barley? Who now can't afford to buy wheat and barley while people who could afford to buy the more expensive things like oil and wine can probably still continue to buy those. Maybe it's picturing the way that economically. Hardship is always hardest on the poor. And then of course the 4th picture is deaths in in-depth. That's just happening on the earth. What people have done with these seals Has at least that times has been too kind of play someone after each other on a timeline. And an imagine, here's a time. When there was Conquest happening. Here's a time. There was violence happening years of time when there was economic hardship, happening, here's a time. When there was death happening, But I don't, I don't think that's the way we're supposed to look at, because the question I would ask is when this book was written in the first century. 80, is it? Not true that all of these things were happening then? And answer is yes. In the first century ad, there were Nations fighting Nations. There was violence, people against people, there was economically hardship. There were a few famines that we know about, because they're in an historical records, and there was, of course, there always is death happening. And then another question would be well, how about since the first century ad have all those things been happening? Yeah. They pretty much pick any time they've all been happening. How about 2023? We've got the war that's happening between Russia and and you stand in front of a group of people and he can't remember stuff. Ukraine. Thank you. I've already mentioned, turn it on the news and seeing violence people against people. We've got economic hardship, happening. How much do I smell? They were six bucks. I think they've come down to about $4. So, but who's harmed, the most, when eggs are $4 or $5 or $6? The people who could least afford to buy those things and death is always present. So, it seems that these seals Are are are painful things happening on the Earth all the time. And what this is showing us is that God is in control of them, he's allowing them, maybe at some level, he's limiting them. God's not the one killing people, but God is allowing this state of affairs to be in the first century 80 and in our Century 2. which kind of sets us up for the next thing, which is Seals 5 and 6, make a jarring comparison In the comparison is between two different things. 1, Martyrs, that would be people who were faithful to the name of Jesus at the ultimate cost. So faithful. Jesus, that it cost them, their life Martyrs are at rest in heaven with Jesus. That's one, seeing that seal 5. While the remainder of humanity is Disturbed on the earth. That's seal number 6. So let me let me explain what I mean,

In the first century ad, we know this from studying chapters 1, through 3 followers of Jesus were being persecuted. We know that some of them were killed. We read about Antipas in chapters 2, & 3, who died, because he stood for the name of Jesus. And we know from the book of Acts about Stephen. And there are those stories of people who died for their faith. Just as there are people today in places around the world who have they Proclaim themselves to be Christian will put their lives in danger in for example, strict Muslim countries. If if you're a son or a daughter and you Proclaim yourself to be a follower of Jesus, You could be forced out of your family in your life. Could be in danger. That's a reality today. But in first-century 80, it was difficult to be a follower of Jesus. You might not get the job. You might be ostracized from the Social Circles of your day.

if I would give up my faith in Jesus, it would go so much better for me. If I just said, forget the Jesus thing, I might get that better job. I might get paid better. My my family could have nicer clothes and better food to eat if you could understandably say, it would be better for me to give up on Jesus life. Would go better for me. And I think seals in a 5in seals, number 6, Our God showing his people, that's not how God sees and hears. What God sees God sees even martyrs. Underneath the throne underneath the altar of God in heaven, safe and sound there, a little frustrated there asking God, how long are you going to let this Injustice? Go on before you bring justice but they're safe and they're sound and God gives to them white robes and he tells them you're going to have to wait a little bit longer. There are some more of you who are going to die for their faith in me who haven't died yet. Be patient and wait for that but there's nothing about those Martyrs that is abandoned. There's nothing about those markers. That is unsafe there, safe and sound in the presence of God on the other side. God says, here is the earth full of people? Who are beginning to experience the Judgment of God, who are absolutely Disturbed there in caves. And at least, this is how I pictured. They're hiding in caves. And they're praying that the landslide would come down I suppose and cover the mouth of the cave so that they could be protected from this wrath of God, or maybe there. Maybe it's worse than that, maybe they're hoping that the, the landslide would fall and kill them. And then at least it would be over for them. Except that. There isn't any escaping from the Judgment of God. so, God's perspective from 4 for this first century ad, Christian, who's finding it hard to be a follower of Jesus is

Any idea that involves giving up your faith in Jesus, to get something is a bad idea, because life is in Jesus. The final question of chapter 6 is the question that everybody's asking and that is who can withstand the Judgment of God. So now we want the answer to that question and Amy's going to tell us by reading chapter seven,

Revelation chapter 7. After this, I saw four Angels standing at the Four Corners of the Earth holding back the Four Winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the East having, the Seal of the Living, God, he called out in a loud voice to the Four Angels wouldn't given Howard harm. The land and the Sea do not harm the land or the sea, or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the Servants of God. Then I heard the number of those who were sealed 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah. 12,000 were sealed from the tribe of Reuben 12,000 from the tribe of GAD 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of naphtali 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12000 from the tribe of Simeon. 12,000 from the tribe of Levi. 12,000 from the tribe of issachar 12000 from the tribe of Zebulon. 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph 12,000 from The Tribe of Benjamin 12,000. After this, I looked in there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation tribe. People and language standing Before the Throne and before the lamp, they were wearing white robes and we're holding palm branches in their hand and they cried out in a loud voice. Ovation Belongs To Our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb of Angels were standing around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worship God saying amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our god forever and ever. And then one of the elders asked me these in white robes, who are they where did they come from? 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. Therefore There Before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he used to sit on the throne will shelter them with his present never again will they hunger never again, will they thirst? The sun will not beat down on them nor any scorching Heat. The lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to Springs of water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Thank you very much.

So chapter 7 is answering the last question, which was, who can withstand the Judgment of God, and it gives two answers to that question. The first answer is verses 1 through 8, it's about the 144,000 and that answer seems to be right now on the earth experiencing hardship, God's people are sealed. They all have a seal on their foreheads. So to me, the key is if you look at that picture of the 144,000, they're not wearing white robes. And there were some angels four of them on the corners of the earth and they're in control of whether the winds can blow. It seems to be there in control of of whether you know, with the violence can come in and things can proceed and God's telling them you guys. Hold back, the wind we got, hitting the pause button, He's freezing everything. And he's saying, We can't continue until we seal the foreheads of all of my people. And then there's 144000 12 x 12, 2012 number, there were Twelve Tribes of Israel. There were 12 disciples of Jesus and then 12 * 12000 seems to be just a big Complete number. I think it's a picture of all of the people of God, but these people of God aren't in heaven yet, they're there in the middle of it. That's pretty soon. These angels are going to deposit is going to be over in the angels are going to let the wind blow in and things are going to happen. Cuz it's so the point is in the midst of stuff that's happening on the Earth. God seals his people, which is a sign of belonging, it's a sign of identity, it's a sign of affection, it's a sign of connection to God. These are God's possession is eyes are on them. Nothing is going to happen to them. That's outside of his control. These are his precious people, that's what sealing them means. So the question is, who can withstand the Judgment of godman and this is, this is a piece of that, all this stuff is going to be happening on the Earth. But these people who belong to God, have his seal on their forehead. And then the second picture is a versus 8217, a great multitude that nobody can count. And my summary of this picture would be in the end. Meaning when it's all done in heaven, wearing white robes, God's people are joyful, they're waving palm branches, they're worshipping their filled. I'm referring to no more hunger. No more pain, there shepherded babe, they have everything that they need, but whereas the 144,000 picture seems like it's a picture of of people on earth. Now with things happening as they are. in the great multitude, they're wearing their white robes, which is what the Book of Revelation describes, you get, when you are in heaven and when your life has been evaluated under the Under the, the beautiful forgiveness of Jesus. They've washed their robes in the blood of the lion. So I think the 144,000 and the great multitude that nobody can count are the same people two different times. That the sealed ones are. Are the followers of Jesus today in a world where it can be painful to be a follower of Jesus. The ones in white robes are those same people. But now in heaven, Everything that they need and worshipping Jesus, and it's a reply to the question at the end of serial number for who can withstand the Judgment of God. And the answer is. People who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Who is Jesus? The son of God.

Another commentary that I find helpful Is by William Hendrickson. And he gives these two groups, two different names. The 144 he describes as the church militant, which means still in the fight and he describes the great multitude as the church triumphant on the other side of the finish line.

so, if you have one of those study guides, There are some really good practical questions. I told you that this was practical and I think that the questions in the study guide, help you realize how it's practical. So one of those questions is what challenges are there to perseverance in your life right now and how do these chapters help you persevere? When I was a high school student I really was asking the question. That I think first century Christians were asking, is it worth it to be a follower of Jesus? And I, I felt like if I just gave up the Jesus thing, so many things in my life would be easier. There were there were like popular people. I can hang out with there were things. I could do that. I didn't think I should do. Kind of rules would follow way there were challenges to my perseverance that were that were difficult for me to navigate but God sees it all differently. God got understand where everything is going and what God would I came to realize? Is that what God has for me, is where, where the good life really lies? But what about you, what challenges are there to perseverance in your life right now? And how do these chapters help you think about persevering? Is another one. What does it mean to be washed in the blood of the Lamb? I'm not assuming that you would describe yourself that way, but if you have asked Jesus to forgive you, if you if you said, I believe in you and I want to follow you and I want from you what you have for me. Then that's how the Bible describes. You as being washed in the blood of the Lamb, being declared righteous by God, not because of what you did but because of what Jesus has done for you.

And how does division of God's people from every nation tribe people language shape us. That's the that's this great multitude. They looked different, they come from different places, they speak different languages. How should that shape us when we think about the diversity of the people of God that we're apart of

Where we're headed in this worship service now is to celebrating the Lord's Supper, that's how we're going to end. So I feel like we could kind of hang out here, but I'll keep this moving along. And what I want to do is I just want to connect what we've read in and thought about to the Lord's. Supper, The Lord's Supper is an invitation to find your identity in the body and blood of Jesus. What does it say about you? If if you come to church Some regularity and if you occasionally, take the Lord's Supper, what's that say about you that you're a person who eats this piece of bread and who drinks this wine, or this grape juice. What it's intended to say about you is your identity is as a person washed in the blood of the Lamb. So, we're going to have communion and you're invited too. to take part, you don't have to but you're invited to and we're going to certain bask in that idea that

Our identity follower of Jesus identity is as one washed in the blood of flying. Let me print.

Thank you for your word. Thank you for a different way of looking at reality, one way of looking at reality, would would cause us to say we should abandon Faith to make it easier. And what you're showing us has a different picture of you as Lord. Where faith in you, is the prize, the thing to be hanging onto no matter what.

What is it that you want to do in us this morning? Hearing that. Come and do it.

This morning for our communion we have a few Usher's will call them who are going to pass the elements around. So we're first going to pass the bread around until everybody's been served so if you're going to join us a hold on your piece of bread until everybody's been served and then we'll eat it together and then we'll do the same thing with the wine. So what are Usher's come up please and pass out the bread.