Rev CH 6-8
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I. INTRO
A. Recap:
a. the throne room
1. The Point: the triune God is lrg & in-charge!
B. Everything else hinges on the power & authority of God & his lamb
a. who’s the slain lamb that is alive?
C. Video
II. The Seals
A. First 4 Seals, “Horsemen”
a. Describe them
1. white horse, w/a bow & crown objective 2 conquer
2. Red horse, w/great sword “permitted to take peace frm the earth
3. black horse pair o scales in hand
i. words spoken, “a quart o wheat for denarius, 3 quarts o barley for denarius” & “don’t harm oil & wine”
4. pale (yellow/green) horse, death w/hades (the place o the dead)
b. who r the horsemen/who do they represent?
1. rep. a futre awful tribulation unlike anything that the world has ever encountered
2. symbols:
i. White:
- is Jesus/gospel
*problem is has a bow, not a sword (red has that)
- empires w/desire to conquer
ii. red represent war…could be civil war “take peace frm the earth”
iii. black famine
iv. pale pestilence
-this works good if Rome is the target o the horsemen
-leads 2 next question
c. when did the horsemen happen (past, present, future)?
1. past?
i. scholars suggest that the white horseman strangely resembles the Parthians (frequent enemies o rome) who were known for white horses & ability to shoot bow/arrows from horseback
ii. the red being civil war works really well 4 this because Rome was brutalized by civil war not long after rev. was written.
iii. Rome also suffered frm a famine under Domitian (the emperor when rev. was written)
-during this time wheat & barley prices skyrocketed
*he ordered the vineyards be destroyed 2 make room for planting more barley & wheat
*& the people nearly revolted & so he reversed his decree which would be where we get the quotes “a quart o wheat for denarius, 3 quarts o barley for denarius” & “don’t harm oil & wine”
2. Present?
i. though raging empires, wars/civil wars, plagues, & famine r far removed from our life experience in USA, they r common place around the world
-people having 2 decide weather 2 die frm thirst or drink diseased water that will kill ‘em slowly
-death frm starvation due to famine
-deseases like HIV/AIDS, etc. killing kids & adults mercilessly
-war lords raging & killing
-civil war breaking out every-other week
*This is a tragically normal day in the life o Africa, & many places like them
3. future?
i. This is an easy 1 for us to believe because we are so far removed from these problems
4. What if there’s a 4th option?
i. ID?
-Jesus? probably not, doesn’t have a sword, has a bow
i. what if these horsemen do represent a tragically normal day in the life o a sin ravaged world & has been since the fall??
-there was a long time enemy o Rome
ii. Jesus describes the end o the world in
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Matt 24:6-8
-Jesus describes the 4 horsemen (essentially) & calls them “the beginning of the birth pains”
-What I’m learning about birth pains though…they start out relatively mild & far apart & lead up 2 awful, intense & 1right after the other until the birth.
*what do u get out o birthing pains?
*the joy o a new born
*similarly we will see that this will conclude w/the end o the world, but what will b birthed is Jesus’ coming & the new heavens & new earth!!
d. What stood out to you about these 4 seals?
B. 5th Seal:
a. Martyrs crying out to God
Rev 6:10
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?”
1. where r they?
i. under the alter…why?
ii. on the 1 hand, they r where the blood o sacrifice collects
-on the other hand, where is the alter? - in the presence o God!
-The very instrument that killed these people only dispatched these beloved 2 glory!!
b. what were they doing (besides crying out)? - resting (rest a little longer)
c. given white robes
d. Why doesn’t God just avenge the martyrs? why must they rest a little longer?
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.
Rev 6:
1. but, why? - Think the answer could b found in
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
C. 6th Seal
a. What is this seal? - the end o the world!!
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.
Rev 6:12-
1. How do we know?
i. how big is the sun compared to the earth?
-the sun is just 1 average sized star…what would happen if it collided w/the earth?
-now consider what would happen if several stars hit earth?
ii. What would happen 2 the earth if mountains & islands were displaced?
iii. besides the context tells us it’s the end o the world:
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?”
Rev 6:
2. “the great day”
b. who’s the end o the world meant 4? Where’s God’s people in all o this?
c. who’s the end o the world meant 4? Where’s God’s people in all o this?
1. Ch 7 tells us o a military census
i. What does John hear?
ii. What does John see?
-uncountable # o people frm everywhere
*What ties ‘em 2gether? Jesus
*The people o God r bound 2gether by Jesus not nat. heritage o fam. background!
* I wonder if this scene depicts rapture…where r the multitude?
9 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,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
9 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,
~b4 the throne!
iii. What’s in their hand? - palm branches
iv. What r they saying? -sounds strangely like triumphal entry, huh?
-listen 2 this...
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 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 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.”
Rev
c. perhaps this is not “literal stars” falling 2 earth; could be meteors, could b simply a dramatic over-exaggeration 2 prove a point drawn frm
10 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty.
19 And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
isa 2:20
11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
Joel
6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
D. the 7th Seal
a. What’s the 7th seal? -end o the end & judgement
1. notice the 1/2hr. o silence…what’s that about?
7 Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.
8 And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice— “I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9 On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud.
10 “On that day,” declares the Lord, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
zech
i. the silence displaces all the praise that we heard so far, right?
-then what?
2. throws fire on2 the earth apparently during the great silence
III. THE POINT
A. God is in control!!
B. God will vindicate himself by vindicating his people.
a. The faithful r 2 live w/ assurance that God is in cmnd o his universe.
1. @ the moment it may appear that the forces o evil have gained the edge...
2. but the 1 who defeated those very forces by means of his sacrificial death on the cross...
i. will return @ the end o time 2 claim his own people & destroy forever all that stands in opposition.
Mounce, Robert H.. The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (pp. 153-154). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.
NEXT WEEK CH 8-11
-What’s w/the diff?