The Seven Seals

Introduction

Opening Illustration - Iran? / VOM?: Last week I came across a story of a young girl named Mariatu, who lives in Sierra Leone. Part of her daily chores is to take the hike to go gather firewood so the family can cook. One day a few years ago, while on that hike, a Christian shared about Christ with her. She was scared what her family would think as any young teenage girl would be, but she snuck the following Sunday to church, and accepted Christ right then and there. She was full of joy! But, when her family found out, they cast this young girl out of her home. For the next few years she struggled by, holding onto her faith, yet trying to survive as a young teenage girl on her own.

Personal: I share this little story to awaken our sensitivities this morning to the reality of what it means to follow Jesus. Most of us in this room are largely shielded from the some of the real suffering and persecution faced by the Church in different contexts. Certainly, many in this room, myself included have endured very real persecution and suffering in various ways, directly as a result of their faith. And yet it does help us to remember girls Mariatu and the cost and the courage of what faith in Christ really means.

Context: Today, we enter into the beginning of a number of very intense passages in the book of Revelation. We are now right in the thick of it. Remember the principle that we laid down early in our study. Revelation is a book of symbols that require interpretation. This is not a linear history. The symbols and the images communicate phsyical realities using spiritual symbols. Today, the Apostle John is still in the throne room, as he entered in chapter 4. Last week in chapter 5 we saw the great spotlight shining on the lamb who was slain at the center of heaven. And in that scene the lamb took a scroll that was sealed with seven seals. If you recall, that scroll had God’s decrees for history written down on the front and the back. It contained God’s hidden plan for this world. Today, Christ our lamb begins to open the scroll, one seal at a time. With each seal he opens another reality about this world and about God’s plan for his church.

Main Idea: The Lamb Holds the Reigns. What reins? From this text, let me show you three different reins the Lord holds.

The Lamb Holds the Reins over History

First, the lamb holds the reins over history.

Revelation 6:1–8 “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!” 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. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 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. 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. 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!” When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 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.”

Here we encounter the famous four horseman of the apocalypse. As Christ opens the first four seals, four horsemen riding four different color horses are revealed riding throughout history.

SEAL 1: A WHITE HORSE (CHRIST’S CONQUERING) 2

Debate: The first seal that is opened is described as a “rider on a white horse.”

Lust for War: Commentators and scholars are quite divided on the identity of this rider. Some, want to press the idea that there is a strong unifying theme between all four of these horsemen. Since the other are clearly more negative and carry the theme of devastation and destruction that is released on mankind, they believe the identity first rider on the horse is like the others. One very respectable scholar says it this way,

“In these four interconneceted seals, God’s judgment is to allow human depravity to run its course.”

And so those scholars would see this horse as representing the human lust for war and all of its consequences.

My Position: I hold to a different position. I think this first horse and his rider are unique among the four.

The grammatical tone is different with this horse.

The color white often symbolizes purity

Most importantly, later on in the book of Revelation, another rider is seen on a white horse, and the identity is given in that chapter. There we read,

Revelation 19:11 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”

For this and a number of other reasons, I believe this first rider is actually Christ himself. He wears the crown because he is the King. He comes out conquering because his kingdom is expanding and growing. Where Christ goes, the gospel goes forward in power and in strength. Lives are changed, hearts are converted, families are transformed. Frankly I love this image. I think of whenever someone has repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that means the rider on the white horse and just come by and conquered another heart.

History is Christ’s: What does this mean for us? He is the first seal, the leader of the other horses because Christ is in the front going forth and conquering. What primary story is being written in history right now? The main story of history, is Christ our conquering king winning souls to faith in Christ, and building his kingdom. Jesus Christ is galloping across history as we speak. The greatest power in this world is not any one nation’s military, it is the rider on the white horse who goes forth to conquer. Nothing can prevent him from conquering.

SEAL 2: A RED HORSE (WAR & PERSECUTION) 4

The second seal, is a red horse.

War & Persecution: This red horse symbolizes war. War is a reality of this world. We, in the west, because of our geography as well as the might of the US military, have largely been immune to the realities of war for a number of generations. We see it on our tv screens, and from time to time our pop news reports on it, but on the whole, we are largely unfamiliar with war and persecution.

War Stats: War kills millions of people. World War 1, 30 million. World War 2, 70 million. War in Syria, 600,000. War in Russia since February 2022, perhaps close to 1 million people. The war in Sudan, since April 2023 150,000. The war in Yemen, since 2014, 150,000.

The Point: The Red Horse symbolizes war. What is the point here. War is not an anomaly to the growth of God’s kingdom. Until Christ returns, Christians are not surprised that God permits wars to exist. There is an entire field of theology regarding war, which we will not get into now. But what should this form in you? War is brutal, no matter what way you cut it. But in the midst of its brutality, the Christian knows who is the one who opened the seal and released the red horse. We might not understand how it all fits together, but we know who holds the reigns of history.

SEAL 3: A BLACK HORSE (ECONOMIC POVERTY) 5-6

The third horse is black and represents economic poverty.

These are the scales of economic forces. That last phrase there about the cost of wheat and barley is to describe radical inflation that makes the worth and the value of money reduced. Poverty is a common reality in this sin filled world.

No Prosperity Promise: And Christians who live in God’s world must know that wealth is no promise. We cannot shield ourselves from the black horse that rides throughout history. It is not wrong to build wealth, and to invest wisely. But nobody knows what tomorrow brings. Is another Great Depression on the horizon? If radical inflation occurs, you may have a lot of money, but that money might not be worth much.

Comfort: We don’t know God’s hidden decree. But this rider on the black horse is actually a source of comfort, because it reminds us that even the forces of poverty are under God’s sovereign hand and decree. And though poverty is frightening and difficult and real, the lamb holds the reigns.

SEAL 4: A PALE HORSE (DEATH) 7-8

Fourth, finally, and most fearfully, we see the pale horse.

With this fourth horse, death goes out on this earth to claim its victims. Death which claims by the sword, by famine, by sickness, and by tragedy. Indeed, on becoming a Christian none of us escape the brutal reality that a very real death awaits all of us. And while many will hopefully live to a ripe old age, many more will meet a quicker end due to one of these four forces.

Comfort: Again, this is a frightening reality, but it is simply a picture of reality. The Bible does not shy away from hard truth, and from fierce reality. Rather it helps explain reality to us, so that we can properly interpret our lives and our experiences.

CONCLUSION - FOUR HORSES

Not Wild Horses: What do we learn from these first four seals. Christ holds the reigns of history. These four horses are not wild horses sowing destruction at whim.

They are written in God’s decree.

They are given authority only to a degre “one fourth” (v8)

Each of them have a rider.

So while these four horsemen are frightening, and the impact of them on our world is often horrifying, the Christian has a unique confidence in the midst of the turmoil of history. They see war on their TV screen, and they hear the galloping footsteps of God’s decree. This does not make them lovers of the world’s trials. But it does make them steadfast in the midst of them.

The Lamb Holds the Reigns of the Church

As the lamb opens the fifth seal, we move away from the four horseman and John sees and hears something of an entirely different kind.

Revelation 6:9–11 “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. 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?” 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.”

These souls under the altar in heaven are Christian martyrs, those who have lost their lives for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. There are three apsects of this seal that I want us to consider: the reality of martyrdom, the martyr’s painful prayer, Christ’s curious response.

THE REALITY OF MARTYRDOM: First, the reality of martyrdom. We read of those who were “slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.” Persecution and suffering for Christ is a theme that we will come back to regularly in our study of Revelation. Persecution takes many forms, varying from name calling and cold shouldering on the one end, to beating, imprisonment, rape, and death on the other. We should not be shy about this reality because this text is not shy about this reality.

Statistics: Let me give you some statistics, and then a story to help paint the picture accurately.

1.34 million Christians face high levels of persecution today. We’re talking about beatings, rape, enslavement, torture, and murder. That number is increasing each year, not decreasing.

Numbers of direct martyrs, who are killed for their faith each year are a bit hard to measure.

For example, the woman who helps catechize children in the Congo at her local church, who encourages those kids to not sign up for child military service, but then is killed by militants because she was decreasing their recruits. Is she a martyr?

Another example, a lot more close to home, and a lot more edgy. Charlie Kirk was shot through the neck and killed, seemingly by someone who did like his political views, particularly his views on transgenderism. Those views were clearly reflecting his Christian faith. Was Charlie a martyr?

You can see that direct statistics are hard to come because why people are murdered is often quite complicated. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that at a minimum, for statistical purposes, 5,000 Christians are killed each year as martyrs because of their faith, and likely the number is far higher.

The reality of martyrdom.

THE PAINFUL PRAYER: But now consider their prayer. They cry out,

Revelation 6:10 “… O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?””

This is what is called an Imprecatory Prayer. “Imprecatory” means “invoking harm or evil on another person.” There are a number of Psalms in the Old Testament which are imprecatory in nature, calling for divine wrath to befall someone’s persecutors. In general, we modern Christians are often confused by these prayers.

Forgive Enemies: Our confusion is somewhat justified. After all, Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount,

Matthew 5:43–45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…”

Some people therefore see this prayer in Revelation as an ethical low point of the book. But in doing so, they miss a very important part of God’s justice. These Christians who have their life for Christ at the hands of murderous men are not seeking personal revenge, they are seeking public justice. Their cry for public justice is in line with the character of God. Therefore this is not an ethical low point, in fact it isa high point for the clarity of divine justice in this world when it comes the death of and suffering of Christ’s beloved saints.

How Long O Lord: Some of you might resonate that prayer very deeply. “How long O Lord.” The prophets prayed that exact prayer regularly. And you can pray it too. It is possible to love and pray for our enemies, while at the same time to pray to the God of justice that He would execute full and final justice for real sins committed against us.

CHRIST’S CURIOUS RESPONSE: Lastly, see Christ’s curious response. He does not say that he will take care of it immediately. Nor does he say that he will ensure that no more deaths will happen in his name. He says and does something quite the opposite.

White Robes: He gives each of them “white robes.” The white robe is symbol of high social status in the first century. It’s a symbol the glory of heavenly reward.

Rest: Then they are told to “rest a little longer.” The idea here is that where they are now is a world of peace and a world of rest. Christ their great comforter, is comforting them after they have been through so much.

The Full Number: But what is curious about Christ’s response is that they are told to “rest until” the full number of martyrs who will be killed for their faith join them under the altar. This signals to us, that it is Christ’s design that severe suffering for faith in Christ will endure up until the end. It signals to us that great suffering for our faith, persecution, is part of the story.

APPLICATION: What do we do with all of this? Let me give us two applications

Pray: First, this is a theme that we are going to come back upon quite a few times before Revelation is over. For most in this room, discussing the persecuted church is about as relevant as discussing astronauts in outer space. Interesting, but so far removed from your world that it doesn’t connect at a personal level. And our study of Revelation should change that. These are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Since you walked into this room today, somewhere a Christian has been killed for being a Christian. Pray that God would increase your heart for the persecuted Church.

Prepare: Second, this text informs us that the Church can expect suffering and persecution. We should not go out looking for it. But, there is a degree, that even in the West, faithfulness may increasingly cost us greatly. Clarity with where your worship lies. Refusal to comply with ordinances, allegiances, ideologies that are anti-Christ. Church, it is my job to equip for you suffering for Christ’s sake. If and when it is your turn to suffer for your faith in Christ, hear Christ’s words:

Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven…”

The Lamb Holds the Reigns of Final Judgment

Lastly, we see that the Lamb reigns over the end. I believe this sixth seal is fast forwarding into our future. The martyred saints cried out “how long O Lord?” And upon opening the sixth seal, the answer of how it will all be justified in the end is revealed.

Revelation 6:12–17 “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, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 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, 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, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?””

Christian Optimism: Many of you know that I hold to a theology that I like refer to as Christian Optimism. When I use that phrase, what I’m referring to is these six seals. There is a tension in these six seals. The tension that on the one hand, the rider on the white horse is going forward conquering. Where he goes he convicts hearts, he converts souls, he expands the Kingdom of God. And I believe deeply that the Kingdom of God is primarily spiritual, as God’s kingdom advances in the hearts of men. But it is only spiritual. As hearts are changed, then families are changed, then communities are changed, then leadership in society is changed. In a sense, the fragrant aroma of the expanding Kingdom of God has a wonderful effect on society. And so I am optimistic about the growth God’s kingdom and the kingdom courage we should live with as a result, a courage to build in his name, to advance in his name, to win in his name, to defeat evil in his name.

This is why we built a Christian school to educate and disciple the children of our city. Because Christ is our conquering hero who goes before us.

This is why we stand against the evils of abortion and establish an adoption fund. Because Christ is our conquering hero who goes before us.

Evil Until the End: And yet, if the second through fifth seal, have taught us anything it is that we should not expect some future golden age of Christendom on Earth. While Christ’s true kingdom advances, the enemy doth rage. And he will rage, and he will make war until the end.

The End: But there will come an end. The language in these verses is describing some kind of cosmic upheaval that involves the sun changing, the moon changing, stars falling from the sky, mountains moving from their place, the sky being fundamentally changed. What precisely this means, I don’t know. But it is signaling the final end of this age which will be a cataclysmic event from which nobody will escape.

The Wrath of the Lamb: And the keyword in the description of this cataclysmic event comes at the very end of this chapter. The people of the Earth, who are alive and enduring the final birth pains before the end of this age call upon the mountains and the rocks!

Revelation 6:16–17 “… Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The people of the nations who have rejected Christ now stand before the reality of his might, the reality of his divinity, the reality of his justice. Rather than fall on their knees in repentance and acceptance of the one true and living God, they call upon the rocks and the mountains to hide them from his face. One of my beloved professors, Joel Beeke, says it this way

“They would rather perish in a nuclear holocaust than look into the face of Jesus Christ.”

Christ the Lamb: The day of the wrath of the lamb will be an utterly terrifying day for all who have refused his free offer of grace upon grace. This lamb, is the same lamb we celebrated last week on Easter Sunday. He is called the lamb, because his death was a sacrificial death upon an altar.

Who Can Stand: Their question at the end is the key question. “Who can stand?” In other words “Who can bear the wrath of God?” Because his wrath against evil is perfect because his wrath is a reflection of his love. And since his love is perfect, his justice and wrath are perfect. Who can stand? The answer, Christ alone! Christ alone stood on that cross and absorbed the wrath of God. You cannot stand. I cannot stand. All the world great men put together, with all their courage and might, cannot stand. Christ can bear it. And he has. And this same lamb, that will bring about ultimate justice, offers each of us the free gift of grace by faith in the one who stood under God’s wrath on our behalf.

Conclusion

In this life we will have many troubles. The four horseman of the first four seals run throughout this world. They were present in the first century, and that explains why John had to write to those early churches and comfort. We aer not promised prosperity, or even safety in this life. What we are promised is that Christ our conquering king, who wears the crown, goes before us. Not one of his beloved will be lost. Martyrdom only secures our comfort.

Praise God in this life, the Christian cna face anything that comes our way, because Christ holds the reins.