Horses, Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

Main Theme

Title: Unveiling Judgment and Redemption: From the Four Horsemen to the Sealed Saints

Main Text: Revelation 6-11

Main Idea: Amid trials and tribulations, God’s sovereignty ensures His plan of redemption. He offers grace and salvation to all who call on His name.

Application: Trust in God’s justice and respond to His grace with faith and endurance.

Sermon Outline: The Four Horsemen & God's Redemption

Introduction: The Veil Lifted

In 2004 a series was introduced to pop culture that centered around a physician named Dr. House. It was a fun show that showcased the unconventional bedside manner that drove colleagues and patients to anger and frustration but his antics were only surpassed by his astounding ability to gather symptoms and pronounce a diagnosis. Dr. House was a Diagnostician. Working at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital he received the most complicated of cases, but no matter the conclusion it always begins with the revealing of symptoms.

Just as a diagnostician reveals symptoms before a cure can be applied, so too does Scripture reveal the symptoms of a world afflicted by sin. The Four Horsemen of Revelation 6 are not arbitrary figures of destruction; they expose the consequences of humanity’s own choices. Let’s take a closer look at what these horsemen reveal about our world and our need for redemption.

I. The Four Horsemen: Humanity Given Over to Its Own Desires

Mnemonic Device: C.P.F.D. – Conquest, Peace (False), Famine, Death

We should be thinking about the prophet Zechariah as we this text.

The White Horse – Conquering Power (C)

Revelation 6:1-2 – A rider with a bow, sent out to conquer.

Historical Parallel: Rome’s incessant obsession with military expansion. Rome was an empire and their was nothing like it in all history but even Rome’s power had limits. This first horseman would have triggered the uncomfortable awareness of their greatest enemy, the Parthians, mounted archers that pushed back the line of Rome and has held confidently.

Theological Meaning: Humanity’s thirst for power and self-glorification leads to oppression.

Wesleyan Insight:

"The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever!" (Sermon 61)

– Earthly powers rise and fall, but God’s sovereignty remains.

The Red Horse – The Cost of False Peace (P)

Revelation 6:3-4 – A fiery red horse bringing war and removing peace.

Historical Parallel: The Pax Romana—Rome’s peace was an enforced stability, not true peace. It was easy to give up and compromise religious practice or ideals in order to not be in conflict with Roman politics. This though gave rise to rebellions. The Zealots were the product of Rome’s violent means of peace keeping.

Theological Meaning: When peace is built on oppression rather than justice, conflict follows.

Wesleyan Insight:

"God is holy, and he hath engaged to make us holy." (Sermon 43)

– True peace must align with God’s righteousness.

The Black Horse – Economic Injustice & Famine (F)

Revelation 6:5-6 – A black horse carrying scales, measuring inflated food prices.

Historical Parallel: Economic disparity in Asia Minor—luxury for the rich, famine for the poor. Famine in the near east was common. Farms would not rotate crops and soil depletion would take place thus creating shortages in food.

Bonhoeffer’s message at Union Seminary post WWI

Theological Meaning: Systems prioritizing wealth over justice lead to suffering.

Wesleyan Insight:

"In the midst of wrath he remembers mercy." (Sermon 73)

– Even in judgment, God calls for repentance and justice.

The Pale Horse – Death & Destruction (D)

Revelation 6:7-8 – A pale horse, whose rider is Death, bringing disease, famine, and war.

Historical Parallel: Rome’s internal decay—disease, famine, war, and early death were rampant. Death comes from the root of sinfulness. Whether conquest, social-political upheaval, the disparagement of basic necessities, death comes for all who remain in their sin.

Theological Meaning: Sin leads to death in all its forms—physical, spiritual, and societal.

Wesleyan Insight:

Wesley taught that while God's justice is real,

"he doth not afflict willingly" (Sermon 73)

– judgment is meant to awaken repentance.

The Book of Revelation is an unveiling (apokalypsis = “unveiling”) of spiritual realities.

Judgment in Revelation 6 is not arbitrary but a revealing of the consequences of sin.

Like a disease, sometimes symptoms must be exposed before healing can begin.

The Four Horsemen are not merely future judgments but also expose the brokenness of human history, our modern present, and project the future reality.

John Wesley reminds us that God’s wisdom:

"disposes all things in the best order, and directs them to the best end" (Sermon 68).

Even when the world seems chaotic, God is orchestrating His redemptive plan.

So what?

It is so easy to get caught up in the sensationalism and forget to ground ourselves in reality. These horsemen are called out into activity not by God but by one of the beasts around the throne of God. These beasts as we concluded last week represent the entire created order. Creation itself is caught up in the activity of God and the veil is pulled back to reveal the root cause of creation’s sickness--sin. The word “come” is a directive to “make yourself known”

War, turmoil, famine, and death are not new but in this particular context we see God send forth what is already afflicting the world itself.

In Exodus, the heart of Pharaoh is the main antagonist. It is the seat if you will of whether the people can go free or be detained as slaves.

In the Exodus narrative Pharaoh hardens his own heart and in one instance God hardens his heart. But when we look at the actual language of the text God does not violate the free will of Pharaoh, rather God allows Pharaoh to receive the fullness of his sinful pride and idolatry. Thus, allowing God the window to act as the ultimate power of life and death.

Genesis 15:16 “And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””

We see this again in Romans 1 as Paul wrote about God gave the people over to their sinfulness Romans 1:21-32, God allowed them to be completely ruled by their sin.

God allows creation to live into the fullness of its brokenness before he comes as the Supreme Judge of all things.

This vision is that of not God causing the upheaval of the world but rather pulling back the curtain to show the church what awaits the world as sin becomes the primary intention of the world instead of the Law of God. God sits on the throne and the Lamb has broken the seals. It is critical to note that the seals are not sequential in nature as the scroll”s text cannot be read until all the seals are broken. These seals can be representative of the sin and brokenness that have kept God’s plan from being witnessed until this point and the arrival of Christ. Therefore, Christ’s breaking the seals is the judgement of the Lamb upon the world.

We focus on chapters 6 and 7 this week and jump to 12 next week because 6-11 are at their foundation a retelling of the state of creation and the consequence of sin upon it. We read these not as dispensationalists but as the early church.

1.

"The wisdom of God contrives and disposes all things in the best order, and directs them to the best end. And this he does in the most perfect manner, because he is infinitely wise and good, as well as powerful."

(Sermon 68: The Wisdom of God’s Counsels)

Connection: God’s sovereignty ensures that even in tribulation, His judgments serve a greater redemptive purpose.

"The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever! He is the sole Disposer of all events, and all things are ordered by his wisdom."

(Sermon 61: God’s Providence)

Connection: The unfolding judgments (seals, trumpets, bowls) are under God’s sovereign rule and ultimately lead to His righteous kingdom. The justice of God addresses the sin and rebellion that has been at work in the world since the fall.

If Revelation 6 unveils the tragic consequences of sin, then Revelation 7 unveils God’s response to it. In the midst of judgment, there is mercy. As the world experiences the fallout of its rebellion, God does not leave His people without hope. He seals, protects, and redeems. Let’s explore the assurance given to the saints in Revelation 7.

II. The Answer to Judgment: Revelation 7 – The Sealed Saints

Mnemonic Device: S.E.A.L. – Salvation, Endurance, Assurance, Lamb

The people dressed in white: Those who received the white robes. The robes are not clothing but bring to those who have been waiting an outward sign of: Purity, victory, and blessing. They are the church past, present, and future who have been clothed with the eternal.

Salvation (S) Comes Through God’s Grace (Revelation 7:9-10)

A great multitude from every nation worshiping before the throne.

Key Point: Judgment exposes sin, but God’s mercy remains open to all who turn to Him. God’s Law reveals like a mirror or measures like a rule and exposes the blemish or short comings. To be judged means to be “held to standard” so that salvation can be offered through repentance of sin and confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Those who are in Christ are not measured on our own merits but on the merits of Christ Jesus.

Wesleyan Insight:

"The grace of God is free in all, and free for all!" (Sermon 128)

– God’s salvation extends to every nation.

Endurance (E) Through the Tribulation (Revelation 7:13-14)

"These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation."

Application: Christians are not exempt from suffering but are called to faithful endurance. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him. He warns his followers that the world will be against us and that when we are hated, he was hated first. Christians do not get an escape clause. “Run with endurance the race”

Wesleyan Insight:

"If ye endure to the end, ye shall be saved" (Sermon 40)

– Faithfulness secures our eternal reward.

Assurance (A) of God’s Protection (Revelation 7:1-4)

144,000 sealed, representing God’s spiritual protection over His people.

Parallel: Just as Israel was marked in Egypt, believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit proving that "all things are ordered by His wisdom" (Sermon 61). We understand that power of God watches over us and cares for us, and will see us safely to shore. John 17:12 “While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

The Lamb (L) as the Ultimate Victor (Revelation 7:17)

"The Lamb…will be their shepherd."

Contrast: The horsemen bring destruction, but the Lamb brings eternal peace and restoration. The one who breaks the seals of the scroll is also the one who binds up brokenness and brings healing to the world. The Lamb is the Good Shepherd that gives his life for his sheep. The Lamb redeems the consequences of the seals. Jesus is our judge and our redeemer.

Wesleyan Insight:

Jesus, the Lamb, fulfills Wesley’s teaching that God’s wisdom

"directs all things to the best end" (Sermon 68).

But God’s call to repentance does not end with the sealing of the saints. As the judgments intensify, so too does God’s invitation to turn back to Him. The next series of judgments—symbolized by the trumpets—serve as warnings, echoing the plagues of Egypt and urging the world to recognize its need for a Savior before it is too late.

III. The Intensified Judgment & Call to Repentance:

Revelation 8-11

As the seals are broken, revealing the consequences of human sin, the trumpets sound as escalating warnings, calling the world to repentance. Yet, like Pharaoh in Egypt, many harden their hearts, refusing to turn to God despite increasing turmoil. The bowl judgments, then, are the culmination of divine justice, not arbitrary wrath but the inevitable outcome of a world persisting in rebellion.

Mnemonic Device: T.W.O. – Trumpets, Witness, Overcoming

Trumpets (T) as Warnings of Judgment (Revelation 8-9)

The first four trumpets strike creation; the last three directly affect humanity.

Parallel to Exodus: But God’s call to repentance does not end with the sealing of the saints. As the judgments intensify, so too does God’s invitation to turn back to Him. The next series of judgments—symbolized by the trumpets—serve as warnings, echoing the plagues of Egypt and urging the world to recognize its need for a Savior before it is too late.

Because the entirety of the world is not affected we can see this as God’s sign that the world still has time to repent. This prevenient grace of God gives people who are outside of the covenant of Christ a chance to “turn back”

Witness (W) in the Midst of Trial (Revelation 10-11)

The little scroll represents the necessity of proclaiming God's message despite suffering.

The Two Witnesses exemplify faithful endurance, paralleling the Church’s mission.

God preserves a faithful witness even amid persecution.

The Church’s role is to proclaim truth, even at great cost.

Overcoming (O) Through God's Sovereignty (Revelation 11:15-19)

The seventh trumpet declares God's kingdom fully realized.

Key Point: Despite judgment, God’s plan is redemptive, calling people to Him.

Even as sin grows, Revelation reminds us that God is patient, desiring repentance, but His justice will not be delayed forever. Jesus is coming back not as the gentle sacrificed Lamb who takes away the sins of the world but as the Lion who will bring the very wrath of God’s judgement on those who refuse to receive him. In the midst of judgment, the Church is called to remain faithful, bearing witness to Christ until His kingdom is fully revealed

Judgement in the Bible serves a specific purpose. It is to bring awareness to and break the glass of apathy toward God and God’s Law. Judgement is redemptive by exposing sin and extending the opportunity for repentance. God’s judgement throughout scripture always serves this end i.e. Noah’s flood, Babel, and the Babylonian exile. Revelation is not just a story of judgment; it is a call to action. If we understand the signs of the times, how then should we live? The book of Revelation is not meant to fill us with fear but to awaken us to God’s greater reality. How do we, as followers of Christ, remain faithful in a world unraveling under the weight of its own sin?

Revelation is not just a story of judgment; it is a call to action. If we understand the signs of the times, how then should we live? The book of Revelation is not meant to fill us with fear but to awaken us to God’s greater reality. How do we, as followers of Christ, remain faithful in a world unraveling under the weight of its own sin?

IV. Application: How Do We Live in This Reality?

Mnemonic Device: W.A.K.E. – Watch, Align, Kneel, Evangelize

Watch (W) – Be aware of the sin patterns in our world (Matthew 24:42).

Align (A) – Align your life with God’s kingdom, not earthly power systems (Romans 12:2).

Kneel (K) – Pray for endurance and faithfulness in trials (Ephesians 6:18).

Evangelize (E) – Call others to Christ’s hope in the midst of judgment (2 Corinthians 5:20). Spread scriptural holiness across the land.

“spreading scriptural holiness”

Wesleyan Application:

John Wesley emphasized that God’s justice purifies us and that salvation is available for all. His quote "Ye are saved from the power of sin, if ye are a true believer" (Sermon 40) calls us to endure faithfully, trusting in Christ alone.

Awareness leads to action, and action leads to transformation. When we recognize the reality of sin and judgment, we are called to respond—not with fear, but with faith. Just as the plagues of Egypt revealed the brokenness of Pharaoh’s rule before Israel’s deliverance, so too do the judgments of Revelation reveal the corruption of this world before God’s ultimate redemption. The question before us is simple: Will we trust in the fleeting powers of this world, or will we stand firm as the redeemed in Christ?

Conclusion: Exposure for Healing

Pharaoh’s hardened heart in Exodus exposed Egypt’s sin before Israel’s deliverance.

The Four Horsemen reveal the world’s corruption before God’s ultimate redemption.

Revelation 8-11 intensifies judgment, but God still calls for repentance.

The faithful are called to endure and proclaim His truth like the Two Witnesses.

Final Call: Will we trust in the fading powers of this world or stand with the redeemed in Christ?

How will you live as a S.E.A.L.E.D. follower of Jesus Christ?

By embracing God’s sovereignty, justice, and prevenient grace, we can stand firm in trials and proclaim the universal hope of salvation.