Two Irrefutable Truths
Notes
Transcript
9 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 testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and 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 His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
The 5th & 6th Seals.
The Lamb opens the Fifth seal:
John says he saw under the Alter, he souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and the Testimony they held.
Under the Alter -
This expresses sacrifice as we see for the Old Testament.
12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Souls Slain -
Sometimes used to describe the entire person, I believe that it’s use here is distinctive.
These disembodied souls are waiting for the culmination of the rest of the tribulation saints!
Christians will be put to death for their faith.
It had been asserted, that all seven seals represent the seven year tribulation period.
If this is true - then the opening of the fifth seal represents an approximate halfway point in these seven years, where the pressure and persecution is increased upon godliness.
The Lamb opens the sixth Seal:
12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
of every natural disaster that has ever occured, nothing will have compared to this scene that john describes.
So violent and undeniably divine, that all people will hide themselves from the wrath of God (The Father and the Son).
So all this brings up two irrefutable truths
I. People die for their Faith.
I. People die for their Faith.
Because we as Americans have been insulated from persecution for so long, we think some government restrictions are draconian.
The fact is, we don’t have a clue as to what real persecution is!
Stats of Christian persecution:
from the beloved Apostles James at the hands of Herod, Paul and Peter at the hands of the Romans (Paul having his head chopped off, and Peter being crucified inverted).
To Polycarp, Aged bishop of Smyrna , who at 85 years of age was burned at the stake by the Romans in 168 AD.
To the Thousands upon thousands that were impaled and lit on fire to light the streets of Rome, covered with animal skins and thrown into arena with wild beasts to be devoured by them, to being burned at the stake. Tortured, dismembered, and discarded like trash.
To the faithful who throughout the centuries in every place, were hunted down and mercilessly killed by the state church. Their only crime - Speaking the word of God!
To Wycliffe, Huss, The reformers, Anyone who preached the word of God, or translated it into the common language.
To the multitude of faithful followers who practiced their faith against the laws and warnings of the government.
To those who came to this country because they were fleeing persecution in Europe.
To the underground church of the past century and current, who meet around the Word of God where it is illegal and punishable by death.
To the Christians who dare bring the gospel to those of other intolerable faiths that kill them because it is considered a service to their god!
To the thousands recently murdered and beheaded in Northern Africa by radical Muslims!
My brothers and sisters, this is not foreign to the Christian!
It is considered an honor to suffer for the cause of Christ!
And God says...
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.
II. God’s Judgment is sure.
II. God’s Judgment is sure.
In a world where God has been reduced to a myth, or even embraced by some as the divine cosmic force that is responsible for all creation, there is overwhelming evidence that the majority of people today do not believe there is a judgment coming! Not even among supposed Christians!
Well did Jeremiah speak to this problem in his day -
7 “Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord.
And the Apostle Paul spoke clearly of it -
2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
And so as sure as every other natural occurence in this world, Hebrews tells us -
27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Is our cushy life package so precious to us that we would do anything to preserve it?
Will we not take a stand for Christ because we are afraid of losing any of it?
Oh my friends, We need to turn up the thermostats of our spiritual furnaces!
We need to recognize that we are not on this earth to serve us, but to serve Him!
We must consider our lives expendable for the kingdom of heaven, and that giving it up would be worth it if just one person escapes hell fire!
And we aren’t being put to death yet for our faith, so why are we having such a difficult time considering ourselves expendable?