Opening the Seals

Recap from Last Week

Note: Las week we ended heaven being enthralled in this epic worship scene. Honestly this kind of worship might even make some of us uncomfortable because it was unfettered and unhindered. Unashamed worship before the throne of God. Now the Lamb has the scroll and is about to open the seven seals and unleash his judgement on the world.

Big Idea: Don’t trust in the dust when you are standing with the Just.

We Have a Just God

Note: Remember that no matter what is to come in the tribulation God’s people will be secured held firmly in God’s grasp. Nothing can take you out of the hands of God.

John 10:27–28 ESV

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

The mass murderer Charles Manson identified the musical quartet “The Beatles” as the four horsemen.

No one questions their popularity and influence, but it will pale in comparison to what the world will experience when the real four horsemen come riding into town.

You have a frequent formula used throughout Revelation. John was told to come and see.

Now the words are not come and see but “Come.”

The words are not directed to John but to the horsemen. One of the living creatures thunders “come.”

Note: the first four horses are horses of color. Notice the riders and what they bring are more important than the horses they are on.

We must remember that the scroll will not be opened until all seven seals are broken, so 6:1–8:1 is a series of preliminary judgments that usher in the final end-time events.

The Four horseman introduce us to the first four judgments of Christ.

In his book Death in the City, Francis Schaeffer said of our modern world, “the dust of death” is on everything.

His diagnosis is correct, and the dust will only grow thicker until our great God has accomplished His purposes.

However, we should not fear or fret. He is in absolute control. The Lamb holds history in His hand. Are you trusting Him?

God has each and every detail planned from beginning to end it is all orchestrated by the hand of God.

Revelation 6:1 ESV

1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”

The command is now given by one of the living creatures not directed to John but to the horsemen to “come.”

Primary Theme: The primary theme we are going to read about is the divine sovereignty of God as the Lamb initiates the events.

What do you think about when you think about Justice?

Put 10 kids in a playground for any amount of time and it will not be long before you hear one of them cry out, “hey, that’s not fair.”

Most people confuse Justice with Fairness. In the economy of the world fairness is everyone getting what they deserve. If God were completely fair by this definition everyone would spend eternity in Hell.

But, God is merciful, and good, so He sent His son Jesus Christ to die in our place so that we would escape the lake of fire.

Everyone of you this morning should want a Just God not a fair God by the worlds standards. A Just God is perfectly Just in all that He does. It is a part of His character which means He is always just.

All that John see’s is the reality of God’s divine judgement and the continual spiritual struggle that we see taking place all around us.

The first four seals are the divine judgment of a Holy God!

We are now going to see the natural progression of a sinful fallen world.

1) God is just in giving earth-dwellers what they deserve

All of this is taking place just before the risen Christ returns to establish the coming kingdom of God.

God is now allowing the sinful world to turn on itself and come full circle with their own destruction. The world is eating its own everyday. If you continue to follow the path of the world it leads to ultimate death and destruction.

Picture of Baptisms at Mighty Oaks.

I spent this week with men who were caught in the cycle of the worlds self-destruction. They were letting sin takes its natural course and do what sin does.

The end of sin is DEATH! Let me say that again the end of sin is DEATH! (say the word with me DEATH) This is not a metaphor, this is not a made up thing that religious people tell you to scare you into the kingdom of God. This is the truth of the judgment that is coming on sinful humanity. If this were a courtroom the verdict has already been rendered when Jesus came and died for sinful humanity.

2) The Sovereignty of God is stressed in the words “was given.”

“This shows that the forces of darkness and satan can do nothing without God giving them the go ahead to do it.”

“In the book of Job Satan approaches the throne room of God after going throughout the earth looking for those he could attack. Satan asked the Lord to allow him to afflict Job.”

SOVEREIGNTY: Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure and will.

Revelation 19:16 “On His robe and on His thigh he has the name King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

NOTE: Church I want you to look at this bible that I hold in my hand. Every word, precept by precept, line by line, and word by word is a testament to the sovereignty of the God of the Universe.

3) God does not need to command evil to do His biding.

Evil will run its course and He will let it happen until He returns to make all things new.

Note: Notice that Christ controls the whole process from the throne of God, and the living creatures obey the command of God. The four seals center on the depravity of humanity.

Revelation 6:2 ESV

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

First Seal The white Horse:

God’s Weapon of Deception

The First Four Horses show the Self-Defeating Nature of Sin

All God needs to do is eventually let sin take its course and sinners will be punished.

God’s judgment is to let human depravity to run its course.

Who is the Rider?

(Ancient Church Fathers have said that this is Christ)

However, no living creature would command Christ to come and do anything)

The better picture is that this is none other than the ultimate deceiver embodied in the counterfeit Christ.

The Image of the rider may Include:

1). Antichrist

2). Governments that persecute Christians

3). The Devils servants in general.

The description of the rider closely resembles the Parthians, the only military force in the ancient world feared by the Romans

First Seal The White Horse:

Elsewhere in Revelation we see white in reference to victory and the persevering righteousness of Christ as seen in Revelation 19.

Here we see white as the great deception of the appearance of righteousness and the imitating Christlikeness.

Such attempts are destined to ultimate failure!

The Rider:

The rider is carrying a bow and is given a victors crown.

His purpose was conquest, we should not miss that the crown was given to him. The conqueror has only what the Lord has given him and allowed him to have and use to exact his justice.

All of these horsemen indicate ultimate destruction, horror, and terror.

Cyrus turns his enemies ‘to windblown chaff with his bow’ (Isa. 41:2), and the overthrow of both Elam and Babylon is described in similar terms

Sometimes God breaks the bow and destroys them by His might and power. The bow may even be seen as God’s greater victory and power over sin and death.

The bow was not a typical Roman weapon used in combat. John appears to be focusing on the idea that any nation that embarks on a career of conquest unleashes bloodshed, famine, and destruction.

He reminds us that this will be so until the end of the age and especially in the end times.

Matthew 24:6 ESV

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

“When Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars he meant that people would engage in military conflicts and discuss military conflicts. It would consume our society and its way of life.”

They refuse to repent and prefer to worship the demonic powers that have been unleashed on them.

Revelation 6:3–4 ESV

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Second Seal The red Horse:

Notice: Each horseman represents and aspect of depravity, each one leads into the other. In the second horse the lust for conquest moves into civil

Note: Red is the color of the great dragon that is allowed to bring hatred and murder on the people of God. He will take peace from the earth allowing people to kill one another.

The Great Sword

Refers to the Roman Sword that wielded the power of life and death that was only reserved for them.

The right of the power of the sword was only reserved for the emperor and his governors alone. This now does away with the Roman pretence of the Pax Romana. The peace instituted by Augustus and enforced by the sword.

The sword is great because it is great in battle and it has the power to destroy the earth. God the true emperor of the earth has now given this horseman the right to kill.

Note: Most likely this refers to the wars and rumors of wars and humanities propensity for war and killing one another.

Revelation 6:5–6 ESV

5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

Third Seal the Black Horse:

Now, the third and fourth seals initiate the consequences of war on His creation. Famine and suffering follow war.

Black as sackcloth refers to the Jewish garment that was worn for mourning.

The Scale were exactly as pictured in the ancient texts a balance beam with a scale on each end. The purpose of the scale in the ancient world was to ensure justice. (the honest scale and balances are from the Lord)

He alone holds the scales of justice and righteousness.

The picture in our minds of using such a scale to measure and weigh food should bring us back to the great famine during the days when Joseph was the keeper of the grain in Egypt. Wheat and Barely were the two major sources of food in the Roman Empire.

The measuring is significant in that it is barely enough to sustain human life.

We know that today famine kills more people than Aids, Malaria, and Tuberculosis combined. Millions of children die every year from malnutrition. Roughly 100 million in developing countries are underweight.

If this is what hunger and famine are like today. It will get much worse when the black horse rides into town.

Fourth Seal Pale Green Horse

The rider on the top of this Horse is named Death and Hades.

The Hebrew word for death is “Pestilence.”

So, the picture here is of gathering bodies left by pestilence and death that struck one victim after the other.

Once more the demonic forces are given the power to inflict terrible suffering on humanity to the point that one fourth of humanity will fall victim to its scourge.

Death cannot act apart from the plans and purpose of a sovereign Christ. Remember Jesus warning in Matthew 10:28

Matthew 10:28 ESV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Death is God’s prerogative and He and He alone decides when it will come, and how it will come. The ashen color is of a decomposing corps.

In 1800 the world reached 1 billion in population.

In 1930 the world reached 2 billion in population.

In 1960 the world reached 3 billion in population.

In 1974 the world reached 4 billion in population.

In 1987 the world reached 5 billion in population.

In 1999 the world reached 6 billion in population.

In 2011 the world reached 7 billion in population.

By 2044, the projection is 9 billion. Think about it. If the Lord were to come back today, in all too brief a time over 1.75 billion people will depart planet Earth not by rapture but by death.

Later in Revelation 8:13, because of the sixth trumpet, one-third of those remaining will die. In less than seven years, half of the world’s population will be taken in death (see Ezek 14:21).

In a world decimated by war and famine, even the wild beasts will join in the carnage. Does this sound far-fetched and beyond reality? Not really.

Main Idea: A day is coming when the Lord’s wrath will be poured out on His enemies, and until then believers are called to be faithful even unto death.

4) Judgments are a respond to the saint’s prayers for justice and Vengence.

Fifth Seal Reveals the Voices of the Martyrs

Revelation 6:9–11 ESV

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:12

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

and in Philippians 1:29

Philippians 1:29 ESV

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

We see this lived out especially for those who are martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ every year.

This is the result of the total depravity of humanity.

I was looking to find a Church for one of our guys this week. Lately when I look at the doctrinal statements I go to what they say about sin. One of the Churches I looked at in essence called sin, “a mis-step,” or in layman’s term, “My bad God.”

The martyred saints are now crying out for God to avenge their blood that has been spilt for the cause of Christ and now for the justice of God to reign.

Over 360 million Christians face persecution and threat of death daily for proclaiming their faith.

The four horses of the Apocalypse bringing death and destruction.

Notice that the martyrs are under the alter. Whether it is the alter of incense or the alter of burnt offerings we are not sure. The key on the sacrifice they gave of their bodies would suggest the alter of burnt offerings.

*This is a Call to remain faithful in the witness we have been called to bear.

When Christ calls us to faith he is calling us to be a martyred people. When Jesus told the disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, he was not speaking about self-denial, or carrying burdens, He was speaking of the willingness to suffer death.

The willingness to be martyred for Christ.

There has been a story told of prisoners in a communist country who had been placed in prison for their faith. The guards one day laid a cross on the ground and told them that if they would walk on and trample the cross under their feet then they could go free.

Slowly one by one they began to walk on the cross until one man walked up to the top of the cross, looking up to heaven he prayed a prayer and then as bold as the martyr Stephen in the book of Acts he walked around the cross and to his certain death.

Are Christians the New Jews?

Here's an interesting perspective on the state of the global church from a Jewish rabbi who asks, "Are Christians the new Jews?" He means that Christians have replaced Jews "as the numerically most persecuted people on the planet." Rabbi Alderstein notes, "In a huge swath of territory from Nigeria east and north to Iran and Pakistan, millions of Christians live in fear of losing their property or their lives simply because they are Christians. In the Assyrian Triangle of Iraq, the campaign of church-burning, clergy-killing, and terror has all but decimated the historically oldest Christian communities." The rabbi agrees with Pope Benedict's view that (quoting Benedict) "We might have to part with the notion of a popular church. It is possible that we are on the verge of a new era …. [in which the church] will continue only in the form of small and seemingly insignificant groups, which yet will oppose evil with all their strength and bring Good into this world."

Martyrs Cry Out to The Lord

Note: This is the only prayer of supplication to the Lord in the Apocalypse.

How should we consider this kind of prayer when considering Jesus prayer on the cross, “Father forgive them they no not what they are doing?”

1). Divine vindication and retribution are clearly seen throughout the Old Testament.

Malachi 4:1–2 ESV

1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

2). Divine vindication and retribution are also clearly seen in the New Testament.

Romans 1:18 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Note: Notice they are not calling out for personal retribution but for divine justice. Look what it says in Romans 12:19

Romans 12:19 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Notice Jesus tender care for the martyred saints in verse 11. They were each given a white robe. The white robe symbolizes honor, dignity, purity, and most of all the imputed righteousness of God.

They were then told to rest awhile longer until the number had been completed of those who had been killed just as they had been. More fellow followers of Christ have still yet to shed their blood for Christ.

God knows each one who is to be martyred and will surely vindicate them all.

Perhaps you feel like there is not justice for the things you have been unjustly accused and persecuted for, rest assure God will vindicate each and every one of them.

Revelation 6:12–14 ESV

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Sixth Seal When the Lamb Comes the signs will be Clear

The Judgement will be a Cosmic Event for sure.

Some scholars have seen this as possibly one big political and social upheaval.

However, I tend to see these events as genuine descriptions of God’s intervention in the end time judgement.

An epic and violent earthquake occurs followed by a divine visitation. Zachariah 14:4 tells us that when the Messiah returns His feet will stand on the Mt. of Olives. The mount of Olives will split in half from east to west forming a huge valley so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south.

This cosmic upheaval will also hide the light of the sun so that it is darkened like the dark cloth of goats hair worn during times of mourning. The moon is affected and will turn a dark red color like the color of blood. Some have speculated that this will cause a chain reaction of earthquakes and volcanoes spewing lava and ash into the atmosphere causing the darkness on the earth.

Stars from heaven will fall. Possibly a huge supernatural meteor shower or asteroids falling from the sky. This means any celestial body large or small.

The sky is being rolled up and whole land masses are being moved.

Revelation 6:15–17 ESV

15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The Nature of God’s Judgement is Comprehensive

Ones position in life will not matter.

Ones social status in life will not matter.

The Horror of God’s wrath is even greater Death

No one can stand before the divine Judgement

Note: Rather than turning to Christ in faith they ran for the hills to hide from the presence of God.

Is this not reminiscent of Adam and Eve running to hide in the garden after they had sinned.

However, the difference this time is that the Lamb of God has already paid the price and mankind loved evil more than good. They did what was right in their eyes.

The time of turning is over and the judgement of God is coming on the earth in a mighty way.

They know who has come and what has come, one day at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is lord.

Psalm 139 reminds us “where can you go from his presence, where can you hide from God when he comes.”

To Die Is Gain

If we look at our life as some precious treasure we must hoard, the demands made by others of our life are like losses. And death is a final loss, a final failure to hold on to our life.

But if we look at our life as a treasure we must share, every service we give to others is a fulfillment of our life's purpose. And death is the final giving, the total giving.

CONCLUSION

A great day is coming for every one of us when we will come face-to-face with the Lamb.

We will either stand with Him in His salvation or stand before Him at His judgment. We will either rejoice in His glorious grace or be terrified before His righteous wrath.

Grace or wrath? Forgiveness or condemnation? Where will you stand? Take your stand for the Lamb, King Jesus, now. A day is coming when it will be too late.