Revelation 6-7

Good morning everyone, thank you all for having me on here this morning to share a devotion with you. I want to thank Pr Andre for the invite to do this.

I have to be honest, I was a little stressed thinking about what I, a fresh intern, who is very literally taking my first steps in full-time ministry, can share with everyone who have been doing this much longer than I.

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But I was impressed to share something from my own studies that have spoken quite powerfully to me. So recently I had the opportunity to prepare some resources and to prepare for some Bible studies on the book of Revelation. And as I was studying through Revelation in preparation for these, two chapters in particular really spoke to me at a personal level and to some of the experiences I was going in life. Revelation 6 and 7, I found to be particularly encouraging, especially in its portrayal of God in the midst life’s chaos, and it really gave me a renewed love for who God is and the privilege it is to serve him. Now I understand that trying to cover two very dense and difficult chapters of Revelation is impossible in 15minutes, and so we are just going to have a quick glance at the big picture message here, and how it can apply to our lives. And I hope that it will be encouraging to you as it was to me.

[Prayer]

Now just to set some context to where we are headed this morning. And this is probably just a review for many of you. Revelation was written during a time when the first-century church was facing quite a few challenges. There were persecutions externally from the Roman Empire, but what was perhaps most troubling was the internal divisions and apostasies that are beginning to plague some of the churches, and we see some of that in the letters to the seven church. And these were issues that are perhaps relevant to the church at every age.

And as John was praying over the state of the churches while in exile, Jesus comes to John and in answer to his prayer, Jesus essentially peels back the curtains of the universe and reveals to John and to the church that what they are facing, the internal and external threats, are not simply geographical or local issues. In fact, Jesus reveals to John that the threats against the churches are only a snap shot of a greater conflict that involves the entire universe, a conflict that we have come to know the Great Controversy, or the Cosmic Conflict between good and evil and between God and Satan that sweeps the entirety of history.

The story of this Cosmic Conflict is portrayed to us in a series of visions that repeats the story again and again, each time adding more detail and exposing, to greater degree, the agents in this conflict and God’s solution to it all. And revelation 6 and 7 is essentially one of the iterations of this story. That as Jesus is enthrone in heaven (as we see in Ch 5), and as he opens the seven sealed scroll, a series of events occur on earth that will directly affect God people.

Without delving into the details of all the symbols, and just to summarise, we see in Revelation 6 a series of events that escalates in intensity. As the seals of the scroll are opened we have first the vision of the four horsemen, three of which bring war and famine and death. Under the fifth seal we see the martyrs crying out to God for justice. And then the sixth seal, what we see is really the de-creation of the world, as we near the end, everything just seems to fall apart and people on the earth are terrified.

And Sigve Tonstad makes a really good argument that most of what we are seeing here in Revelation 6 is the reaction of Satan to Jesus opening the scroll. And the later parts of Revelation really makes this clear, because in Revelation 12, after Jesus ascended back to heaven after his resurrection, Satan knows his time is short, and he knows that he has lost the battle. But rather than surrendering, Satan now turns his attention to the earth, and particularly God’s people, to create as much chaos and destruction as possible before his time is up.

And so in the cosmic conflict between God and Satan we now see God’s people being caught up in the very middle of this battle, and are now the objects of Satan’s anger. More and more as we approach the end of history.

You know, last year, my wife Audrey and I went through a very trialling few months. Without going into the details of everything, but we went through something that affected us physically but at the same time, definitely felt like a spiritual battle. And we learned a few things from this experience.

And the first is that there truly are caught up in a spiritual warfare in this world. Ephesians 6 talks about this but Revelation more than any other book in the Bible reveals the reality of this warfare.

And the second thing we learned is that Satan’s objective in all of this is truly to create as much destruction and hurt as he possibly can. In Revelation 12:12 we read that Satan, knowing his time is short, comes down on the earth with great wrath. And maybe some of us have experienced this in our own lives, but definitely all of us as we look around the chaos in today’s world. Particularly right now in the middle East and Europe. The destruction going on there.

And the third thing we learned through our trial is demonstrated in the cry of the saints under the fifth seal in Ch. 6 Vs. 10. Revelation 6:10 .

Revelation 6:10 ESV

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?”

And really it is a lesson of theodicy or the character of God in the midst of suffering. Questions of why and “where are you O God?” and “why are you not intervening?” are questions maybe we’ve all asked at one point in our lives or in our ministries. And it was definitely a big question on our minds as Audrey and I were going through some of our struggles.

And really doubts over God’s character is Satan’s ultimate goal here. One of the most common name for him in Revelation is the Diabolos, which literally means the Slanderer. And the Slanderer’s methodology is to create chaos and then point the finger at someone else. And that is exactly what he does here.

But for the believers at least there is a struggle over God’s character because we know him to be the God of love. But we see under the sixth seal that those who have not followed God are absolutely deceived about who God is. And we see this, when facing the the chaos of the sixth seal, the people cry out in verse 16. Revelation 6:16.

Revelation 6:16 ESV

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,

“hide us from the wrath of the Lamb.”

Now, this statement might not be so shocking to us today. But to the first century listener who were surrounded by the livestock of the region, the natural response would be “the wrath of the Lamb? What are you talking about?”

You know, just the other day I was driving through Dural and saw some freshly shorn lambs on one of the properties. And I was just thinking to myself, “wrathful would be the last adjective I would use for one of these animals”.

And in fact, we’ve already seen who the lamb is in Revelation, in the previous chapter. That when heaven is facing the threat of this cosmic conflict, John hears that the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, but when he turns around, he doesn’t see a lion but a lamb that had been slain. That, God’s solution to this conflict is not by becoming the the author of evil and violence, but by becoming the victim of violence as he hung on the cross. And so the upside down Kingdom that Jesus preached his whole life on earth is truly inaugurated as the Lamb takes the throne and opens the 7-sealed scroll.

But then in the middle of all the chaos and the violence and the sufferings of Revelation 6, there is a sudden transition away from the seals. And in Ch. 7, John is given a glimpse into the other side of the cosmic conflict. And as John is probably expecting more violence to follow in the Seventh Seal, God instead gives John a vision of the very end of the conflict, the Great Controversy wrapped up.

And here in the very middle of everything. In the middle of the wars, of the famines, of the deaths, and of the chaos of de-creation, John is given a vision of the final hope. And in Revelation 7, it begins with John hearing an angel declaring the sealing of the 144,000. But when he turns and looks in vs. 9 Revelation 7:9-10.

Revelation 7:9–10 ESV

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

And as we jump down, to verses 15 to 17, which are the verses that spoke to me so profoundly when I read it, we are given a description of the multitude before God’s throne. But the description is very much a promise to every believer. To John and the first century church facing their threats. To the believers throughout church history who faced persecution for their faiths. And I believe, also to us today.

Revelation 7:15–17 ESV

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

And when I read this passage, it really moved me because I couldn’t help but think, “what a beautiful God we see here”. That, even in the midst of suffering and chaos and violence and death. God comes on the scene and promises that he is still the God of hope. And even in the Apocalypse, when our very reality is falling apart, He is still the God of love who wants to protect his people, who wants to be with his people, who want shepherd and guide his people. He is the God who promises to one day, personally, wipe away every tear from our eyes.

And I think of the thousands in today’s world who are suffering beyond what we can imagine. And I think of the newsletter that came out yesterday about the little girl who didn’t make it through the brain cancer and what her parents must be feeling.

But the promise to them is that those who trust the Lamb, those who understand that salvation belongs to the Lamb, will one day have him wipe away all those tear from their eyes. That God himself, one day, will make it up to them.

And I think of the first century church, that in all the internal and external conflicts, and as John is in anxiety over the state of the church, God assures them that the Lamb is on his throne, and the Lamb will be their shepherd and their guide. And I believe that hope is also for us, who represent God’s church today, as as we face the issues we have today.

And even in my own life, time and time again, I have this very experience with God. That, in the middle of some struggle or trial, God pulls me away from just looking at the disasters, and he reminds me that there is hope in him. That even if my reality doesn’t reflect it, He is still the God of hope, and I can trust him and who he is.

And as I was reading through this passage, I also couldn’t help but think: What a privilege it is that we as Seventh-day Adventists have this calling to preach a message to the world that testifies against Satan’s lies and his slanders. That we get to testify to this beautiful God of hope and salvation. To tell people to worship Him who created all things good and us in his image. The God of the Sabbath who invites us every week to dwell with him, and to come into harmony with his peace, his rest, and his love. The God who is not arbitrary, but whose laws are of love and goodness. The God who is not the author of evil and death, but the one who saves us from death by himself becoming the victim of violence. That we don’t have a God who will torcher the unbelievers forever, but the God who will judge righteously and justly, and fairly. The God who will one day put an end to sin and evil, and will recreate everything good. And that Jesus is coming back soon, and those who put their trust in the Lamb will get to see him face to face and he will be the one to wipe away every tear. What a privilege it is to be called to testify to the beautiful God of the Apocalypse.

And I myself am grateful for the blessing it is to take part in this mission. Even though I am just taking my first steps in ministry, I am very much looking forward to being a part of proclaiming this Gospel to the world. And I hope this morning’s message may have encouraged you all to continue and to persevere in your important service of God and his church.

And as we await his return, my hope and my prayer is that we would be as those of Revelation 14:4, who follow the Lamb where-ever he goes, whether in our lives, our work, or in our home.