Untitled Sermon (5)

Introduction

Before we begin we must once again remember the nature of prophetic literature in the Bible, the nature of Apocalyptic literature in the Bible and elsewhere.

First - the imagery in the vision are pictures, snapshots of reality. They are not intended to be chronological in nature and especially with the 3 series of 7 we see them interwoven with each other in a way to suggest that either the first set paves the way for the other two sets or that they are 3 different perspectives of what will happen until the final judgement. However many people also interpret them as 3 separate events leading one to another.

More on that in a minute.

We must also remember that this is not a separate vision or letter, this is a continuation of chapters 2-4, John is still writing his letter to the seven churches so this word is first to them and then to all of us, so it must be read in light of what it meant for them and then extended to the rest of us.

Also remember as we begin to read, that the Lamb is opening the seven seals, He is the one with control and sovereignty over all that will take place. Nothing will be out of his control and remember those that overcome will rule and reign with him after the final judgement.

I want us to see the 3 sets of seven side by side so you can see the formatting of each element of the vision. You can see here the similarities as well as some differences which we will go through separately as we talk about each section.

Revelation: A New Covenant Commentary The Opening of the First Six Seals (6:1–17)

The seven seals (6:1–8:5)

The seven trumpets (8:6–11:19)

The seven bowls (15:1–16:21)

1. White horse

1. Earth 1/3 scorched

1. Painful sores

2. Red horse

2. Sea 1/3 to blood

2. Sea to blood

3. Black horse

3. Water 1/3 bitter

3. Rivers to blood

4. Pale horse

4. Sun 1/3 darkened

4. Scorching sun

5. The martyrs

5. The locust plague

5. Total darkness

6. The earthquake

6. Fiendish cavalry

6. Froglike demons

a. 144,000 sealed

a. The eaten scroll

a. The heavenly call

b. Great multitude

b. The two witnesses

b. Gathering for battle

7. The seven trumpets

7. The consummation

7. Earthquake levels Babylon

Go over the chart

Now remember some people view Revelation as purely symbolic of the overall struggle between good and evil

Others view revelation as events that have already occured (with the exception of 19-22) during the time John was writing Revelation.

And yet others view it as starting when Christ was born and will continue until he returns.

Now as I said before there are also several ways of looking at these series of 7.

One view of these series of 7 is that they are entirely symbolic of what happens during the struggle between good and evil when world powers try to conquer the world so none of these are sequencial but rather overall symbols

We do see this in scripture that God frequently uses world governments to judge His people, to judge the earth or to judge other countries

You can see this in the Old Testament and in Romans Chapter 13.

Another view is that this the seven seals pave the way for the seven bowls and seven trumpets so the first column sets up the seven trumpets but then we see those judgements from a different perspective in the seven bowls.

One of the reasons this is considered is because the culmination of the seven trumpets and the seven bowls is a sort of final judgement which we know really only happens once - we will look into this when we go through those sections.

However the seven seals looks as though they are separate from the other two and are much more of a broader view of the universe and time.

Another view is that each of these are in a chronological order and happen in sequence starting with the seals then the trumpets and finally the bowls.

This can be seen because of the differences between the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgements

This is a relatively new view of the book of Revelation.

Another view is that all three are different views of God’s judgement and Kingdom coming on the earth. The seven seals being a broad view of God judgment the seven trumpets being a different perspective utilizing

We can see this in that the seven trumpets come out of the seventh seal and the seven bowls come out of the seven trumpets and the seals.

Each as we said before culminates in a final judgement.

So let’s begin:

The New International Version Chapter 6

6 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

The New International Version Chapter 6

6 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, n and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death,

The Four horseman - Many people who view these cycles of 7 as chronological will focus on each of these horseman independent of one another and while there are individual characteristics that we should notice that group itself must be taken together. One big reason is because the 5th seal is in response to what happens at the end of the horseman

White horse - typically Chrito-centric imagery or at leas a hero but here that is not the case because of the outcome as we talked about before. Therefore this is more of a parody of Christ or Anti-Christ type figure. We see this in the fact that he is given a crown representing authority that uses force and aggression (the bow) further explained as conqueror bent on conquest.

Most first century believers saw this as the Roman Empire further supported by the next horseman.

The Fiery Red Horse Given the power to make people fight against each other and kill each other and logically he is given a tool for aggression - the sword.

The next horse is black and brings famine. Don’t get caught up in the specifics in verse 6 just know that it is demonstrating the fact that food was expensive.

The Final horse is pale (actually a gray-green) sickly color representing death which is the ultimate culmination of the work of the first 3 and Hades (hell personified staying within the personification so far) demonstrating judgement for those who have still chosen to not follow God.

The New International Version Chapter 6

and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Each of these horseman, in my opinion represent every day on the earth - where you have world powers conquering and attacking one another through force and war - this causes war and famine and devastation, culminating in death and for those who are separate from God - those dominated by these horseman will be separated from God.

All of this begs a response which comes from the 5th seal.

The New International Version Chapter 6

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

So because of the work of the horseman we see a tremendous amount of calamity on the earth and the believers are swept up in the consequence of that reality becoming martyrs for their faith.

Notice none of what has happened is judgement - in reality we can say it is everyday that the world exists. This is important for us to remember. The Horseman are not judgement in the sense of “The Day of the Lord” they are God’s judgement in that they are allowed to do what they do which is the typical outcome of people who do not submit to God’s authority. As the saying goes sometimes God punishes us by giving us what we want.

But as we say in the beginning of this vision they are given a white robe - representing their victory their priesthood and righteousness and told to wait or more accurately to “rest” until a specific moment this shows not only God’s sovereignty but also his patience for more to come to faith - even though they will be hated by those that submit to the system of the world (represented in the horseman). We can see this animosity spoken about in . But we do see God’s action on their behalf in the sixth seal in “The day of the Lord”

Now we come to the sixth seal:

The New International Version Chapter 6

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

One thing to keep in mind is that most if not all prophetic literature is symbolic - events are meant to represent things and this is always the case in apocalyptic literature.

Whenever an earthquake happens in prophecy and in Revelation it represents God’s wrath or Judgement or occurs right before an explicit explanation of judgement and that is consistent here. We should necessarily look for a great earthquake but see this as a pronouncement of God’s judgement on the earth demonstrated by the eschatological imagery used here which is echoed from Matthew and Isaiah.

The imagery here shifts to the universe - representing a creation wide universal event of judgment - now many people will switch gears hear and go from symbolic to literal interpretations which I would caution us, because you can’t do that without cause - here some people view a literal darkening of the sun or the moon turning red, I view it in the historical way which is that the heavenly bodies essentially are in mourning showing the weight of God’s judgement in the events on the earth but the collapse is so intense and widespread that it extends not only to the closest heavenly wonders but throughout the expanse of the heavens and even the reality of the heavens roll away.

Now the focus shifts to the earth itself which responds by the mountains and landmasses moving and shifting. Remember all of this is in response to the “earthquake” or God’s judgement. This includes everyone from the most powerful to the slave all who submit to the values of the horsemen (those that are not counted among God’s people) will be judged and so great is God’s judgement that they would rather perish in the toppling mountains and caves than face Him or His wrath in the final judgement. Causing these people to say “Who can stand”

And immediately we get a pause in the action or more of a shift as John describes “Who can stand”

As the text pauses I want us to pause quickly to remember that according to scripture tribulation and wrath are two different things. The day of the Lord is God’s judgement, his wrath which will, according to the next portion of the text, not be poured out on his people.

That doesn’t mean however that tribulation will not come to us. Now there is some misunderstanding about the “Great Tribulation” and whether or not we will see it. Many people will think that we will not see “The Great Tribulation” so we will not experience tribulation but that is not the case. If, however your idea of “The Great Tribulation” is the Great Day of the Lord then I would agree with you. But understand that the 4 horseman are at work before God’s people are gathered as we will see here.

The New International Version Chapter 7

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

This passage has been drastically misunderstood because of the numeric values as well as the numbering according to the tribes.

It is actually using imagery for a military census like the one in Numbers.

It is 12,000 from 12 tribes - notice the 12’s

It is 12x12x1000

Or God’s people times itself or in my opinion the tribes x the apostles times the number of completion 1000

This imagery answers the question who can “withstand” the outpouring of God’s wrath.

They are numbered because they have been participating in God’s “Holy War” as it is alluding to the number of Israel’s army in numbers. But this army is a bit different and you will see why in the next passage.

Another thing to notice is that they will and have experienced great tribulation as spoken in v. 14 but they will not experience God’s wrath

But that is what John hears. But when he looks he sees something different - just like the Lion and the Lamb

The New International Version Chapter 7

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

So we hear symbolism of an army of God as in Numbers - but we see multitudes (fulfillment of the promise to Abraham) standing before God, but not ready to do battle as an army but rather wearing white robes and worshipping.

Very similar turn of imagery as the Lion and the Lamb.

The New International Version Chapter 7

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!

Praise and glory

and wisdom and thanks and honor

and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!”

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 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.

16 ‘Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,’

nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will be their shepherd;

‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ v

‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Now we see these are the ones the persevered through great tribulation in the greek this is not a title it simply means great difficulty which we see in the letter to the seven churches as well as the work of the horsemen. These are the ones who overcome from the 7 churches and really all believers everywhere.

How can we say this?

The phrase “who have come out of the great tribulation” is a bit misleading. And has been used to mean that “The great tribulation is a specific time” as we have previously talked.

The translation should read according to the greek “those coming out of” it is not past tense but rather present tense in the greek.

So putting the phrases together we get this “These are the ones who are coming out of great difficulty” which also lends to the interpretation that John was first of all speaking to those same 7 churches that were experiencing “great tribulation” at the hands of Rome.

So the military imagery gives way to a sea of worshippers who have been washed by the Lambs blood and receive His blessings. These are the ones who can withstand God’s judgement because of the blood of the lamb.

Also one thing to keep in mind from back at the beginning of this section - there is no taking up. The earth is experiencing judgement but just because God’s people are pictured around the throne doesn’t mean that they are there. It could very well be symbolic of their worship to God and that fits in with the fact that they are sealed by God’s ownership and authenticity. And so will not experience the judgement sent to those that do not follow Him.

We see the worship here as a continuation of the scenes we saw in 4&5 picking up where they left off with the AMEN!

The New International Version Chapter 8

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

The silence here is a pause for effect.

Then we are introduced to seven angels now at the seventh seal.

But before that an angel offers the prayer of the saints on the altar before God.

The meaning is fairly clear to me in that this is describing the events in the 5th and 6th seal. The imagery is the same the response is the same the location is the same.

You have the prayers or the cries of the saints going up before the throne and the response is God’s action against those who have persecuted His people.

The identity of the seven angels is up for debate. Many people wouldn’t care but in translating the Greek most scholars believe the literal translation is “The Seven Angels” it is a definite article meaning that they would have been known to the readers. Some people think it is in reference to the seven angels of the seven churches but there are some issue with that that cannot be explained however one interesting explanation mentioned in Gordon Fee’s commentary on Revelation is that it could be the seven archangels mentioned in 1 Enoch 20.

Now it is important to understand that traditionally in prophetic literature as well as Hebrew Narrative Trumpets are used to warn people which fits into the imagery that the judgements don’t effect everyone and act as a kind of warning to repent and they are given an opportunity to respond appropriately.

The New International Version Chapter 8

6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

The New International Version Chapter 8

6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

The translation should read

we see here echoes of the plagues of Egypt which as Israel witnessed but did not suffer from.