Revelation 6, Pt 2

Revelation 6 (READ)

1 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!” 2 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.

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 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.

5 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. 6 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!”

7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 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.

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 witness they had borne. 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?” 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.

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. 15 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, 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?”

If you remember, as we moved into Chapter 6, we have begun to see the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who conquered, open the seals of the scroll he took from the hands of the Father on the throne.

The first four seals, which we looked at last time, set in motion God’s judgments on the earth. The judgments are absolutely under the control of Christ. It is Christ who through the living creatures gives the command for 4 horses and their riders to come forth, bringing:

Seal 1: white horse: conquering the earth

Seal 2: Red horse: war on the earth

Seal 3: Black horse: famine

Seal 4: Pale horse: death & Hades

An important note here: these judgments come (at least partially) because of the how the men of the earth have persecuted Christ’s people (seal #5 will show us this). And, at the same time that the judgments bring wrath against rebellious men, they also bring PURIFCATION to Christ’s people. 

We start today with the 5th seal...and in v9, JOHN sees under the altar “the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.”

Remember in Rev 1:9 we heard John say: 

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Remember also in the letters to the churches:

2:9ff: Church in Smyrna: they were facing tribulation and were warned of what they were about to suffer in prison and exhorted to be faithful, even to death...so they could conquer

2:12ff: Church in Pergamum: Antipas was killed for his witness of Christ

These martyred believers, NOTE, were slain

-for the Word of God

-and for the witness they had borne

QUES: How would you rate your witness for Christ?...note it is the witness of the Word of God, not our “story” primarily. One evidence of true love and trust in Christ is a bold witness for Him...

So these martyred saints John sees are crying out: 

NOTE also: they are under the altar is where the blood of the sacrifices was poured:

Exodus 29:12

12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar.

These are saints whose lives have become sacrifices for the sake of Christ...His sacrifice for them has resulted in their sacrifice for Him!

Saints were killed for their witness in the 1st century, and in every successive century, not least of which is our own. And it will continue to happen. One thing this is to communicate to us is that SUFFERING FOR CHRIST IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS A NORM IN THIS LIFE...

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?”

They want to know when God will judge their murderers. Vengeance is His, HE will repay...when will He take vengeance?

This echos the cry of David in:

Psalms 13:1-2

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

ANOTHER NOTE:

We see, it seems, that these martyred saints are IN Heaven and they are very conscious and aware of what is going on there in heaven and, at least to some extent...on earth.

Christ’s answer to their cry:

Revelation 6:11

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.

NOTE HERE:

-white robe: robe of righteousness and of overcomers

Revelation 3:4

4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

-REST a little longer...they have already entered God’s rest 

Revelation 14:13

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

-NOTE that the exact number of those who were to be killed for their witness was ALREADY DETERMINED BY CHRIST...

NOTE also: while the saints in heaven rest, while saints on earth continue to be killed for Christ’s sake, there is also the PATIENCE of Christ, continuing to hold out the gospel through His saints witness to men on earth...goodness and severity...

and NOTE: the answer of Christ tells these saints who have been killed for their testimony is: JUSTICE IS COMING...wait a “little longer.”

When will that final judgment come, when all wrongs are righted, especially the persecution and killing of His people...the opening of the 6th seal show us...

Then, the SIXTH SEAL is opened...

Revelation 6:12-14

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.

NOTE; the first 5 seals look at what has been happening from the time of Christ until now and will happen until He returns...but this 6th seal is different...it is the JUDGMENT OF THE END...

The universe is falling apart...it is vivid language and it is figurative. The end has come. Obviously, if the sun became black and the stars fell from the sky and the sky vanishes and every mountain was removed there would be no one crying out or hiding...they would be vaporized in an instant. But the language repeats much OT language, eg 

Isaiah 34:4

4 All the host of heaven shall rot away,

and the skies roll up like a scroll.

All their host shall fall,

as leaves fall from the vine,

like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Joel 2:31; Matt 24:29; and many others...

Revelation 6:15-17

15 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, 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?”

NOTE: every one, great and small alike, who have reason to fear the Lamb, are crying out to die to hide them from the FACE OF HIM ON THE THRONE AND FROM THE LAMB...

NOTE: this is the GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH...the wait a little longer is over!

The Lamb, Jesus, is performing His great last day assignment of bringing wrath on the wicked...

Romans 2:16

16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

This chapter and the account of the first 6 seals ends with this question in v17:

“The great day of their wrath has come, AND WHO CAN STAND?”

CHAPTER 7 will answer that question for us...