The Seals of Justice
Notes
Transcript
Handout
In what do we have hope?
We have hope in the two-fold justice of God - justice in the Cross, and justice in coming Day of Yaweh.
Jesus’ outline of Revelation:
What was seen: Jesus Glorified - Revelation 1:9-20.
What is: the Seven Churches - Revelation 2-3.
What will be: Jesus’ judgement in the seven seals, trumpets and bowls. Revelation 4-22.
What is the Old Testament background for God’s judgement?
Two example passages are Leviticus 26:14-33; Isaiah 13:6-16.
What is the Old Testament context for the four horsemen?
The OT passages are Zechariah 1:7-17; 6:1-8.
8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’
10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’
1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze.
2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses,
3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.
4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.”
7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth.
Here we see the OT concept of four horsemen patrolling the earth at God’s command. John, in Revelation 6:1-8, expands on this concept and has the four horsemen as instruments of the wrath of Yaweh and of the Lamb.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:1-2.
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!”
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.
The word “come” is a command. This reminds us who is in control, for it is spoken from one of the four living creatures, who are representing Yahweh and the Lamb.
What does the white horse and horseman symbolize in this context?
Some think this represents the Messiah conquering through the spread of the gospel. This is not very congruent with the three other horses, and with the theme of judgement and justice of the passage.
The better option is the horse and rider are representing the Antichrist spoken of in Daniel 9:26, or many anti-christs to come.
26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
On Wednesday, September 6th, we will discuss Daniel’s 70th week and how it fits into Revelation’s description of the wrath of Yahweh and the Lamb.
The white horse and rider will be victorious for a time, for he is the beast of Revelation 13:5-8. Yet he is an instrument of the wrath of Yaweh and the Lamb.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:3-4.
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.
The command, “Come,” reminds us that Yahweh and the Lamb are in control.
A great sword symbolizes making war over all the earth.
The red horse symbolizes the shed blood from war. Remember, the horse and rider are an instrument of the wrath of Yaweh and the Lamb.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:5-6.
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!”
Black symbolizes famine, as is show in Lamentations 5:10 LXX
10 Our skin has been blackened like an oven; they are shriveled up by the storm of the famine.
Scales were used in the purchase of food. Wheat represents the food of the wealthy, and barley represents the food of the poor. All with be effected by famine. All will pay exorbitant prices.
Why is the oil and wine left out? Good question. The text does not say. Yet, it does further demonstrate that this horse and rider are instruments of the wrath of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:7-8.
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”
8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
The first three horses and riders are representing the natural realm.
The fourth horse and rider are representing the supernatural realm.
The horse is pale, a greenish-gray, representing death and decay.
Thanatos, the god of death, rides it, and Hades follows him.
For my discussion of Death and Hades, listen to June 14th. The QR code is here for your convenience.
They are given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill.
Who gives them this authority?
Yahweh and the Lamb have given them authority.
Death and Hades are instruments of the wrath of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:9-11.
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.
Luke 18:6-8.
6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?
8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Which alter is this? Given the context of Revelation 8:3-4, it is the heavenly alter of incense.
What is the significance of the souls being under the alter?
This position demonstrates them being in the security and safety of the throne.
Who are theses souls?
They are Christians who have been martyred for the faith.
They are lamenting for justice.
May we all join in the lament for justice, being reminded of Christ clothing us in his righteousness, and resting in his work and his plan.
Revelation 6:12-14.
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.
Isaiah 34:1-4.
1 Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it.
2 For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.
3 Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood.
4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.
The sixth seal speaks of the wrath of Yahweh and the Lamb against the earth and hosts of heaven, i.e. spiritual beings.
Let us have hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb.
Revelation 6:15-17.
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?”
How will we respond to Yahweh and the Lamb?
Will we hope in the two-fold justice of Yahweh and the Lamb - the hope of justice in the cross, and in the coming day of Yahweh?