Revelation Study 10 chap 6 The 7 Seal
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Revelation study 10, chapter 6
Revelation study 10, chapter 6
The opening of the Seals
The opening of the Seals
What do you see? If we were to look back over time, the history of our world, or even the history of the United States, what would we see?
This may not be the only thing we’d see, but since the beginning war and death have prevailed, we only need to look at Genesis 4, Cain killing Able.
War and death, conquest and expansion have always come at the hands of the powerful and on the backs of many.
We in the western world in the year 2020, for the most part, don’t really know war, our fathers maybe fought in some war, or possibly our grandfathers if they are still alive. But war, blood, death, destruction are everywhere in the world we live, we just need to look around and back a little bit.
What are some of the wars or destruction that come to our mind, things that didn’t happen that long ago? World Trade Centers, Iraq War, Vietnam, Korean War, World War 2, the Nazi death camps.
Do we realize that World War 2 and the Nazi death camps existed less than 100 years ago? Yes a lifetime, but a fraction of time in regards to human existence.
Look at these two paintings
The first by El Greco painted in the 1600’s called The Opening of the Fifth Seal. It depicts the slain martyrs under the throne of God.
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.
The second is by Pablo Picasso titled Guernica, named after a small city in Spain.
What do you see? What is depicted is war and death, dismembered bodies, powerful animals symbolizing countries and leaders trampling on people. The context for this is the Spanish Civil War and how Nazi Germany bombed Guernica for two hours, most of who were killed were women and children.
Remember the Greek word, oida, to see, to know, to possess information. Words like see, saw, watched, look, looked, etc.
Remember the command from Jesus to John in Revelation 1:19, “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. This is a writing possible of past events, current events, and future events all rolled into one.
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
As we study Revelation we will continue to have the desire to import things into the text. Like John is writing to us today, or some symbolism we were taught for what John is writing, or some timeline, etc.
We will have the desire to want to know the future, what will soon take place. Every generation believed it was living in the end times. There is no doubt that John is writing about things to come, future events for him and them first and then also for us.
This is God’s unfolding plan of judgement on evil and a theme running throughout is the absolute depravity of humankind.
But, we must first see the understandable message John was communicating from the Lord to his original audience. And then realize that we might not be able to know exactly what something is or when it will take place, or if it hasn’t already.
We must also see this message, not only in light of the current times in which they lived, but also in light of the history of Israel.
Remember the scene from chapter 5, the Lion of Judah who is also the Lamb who was slain, is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll.
Remember the words of Jesus to John in the beginning of chapter 4,
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
“I will show you what must take place after this.” After what? Because so far John has seen an image of Jesus/God from O.T. as He’s standing amongst the churches.
Now in 4 and 5 all he sees is a portrayal of what’s going on in heaven, or has been going on in heaven. The glory of God being worshipped and then Jesus being worshipped.
With the lion who is the slain lamb, this is possibly what has taken place after the resurrection, but the images John sees and the verses he references leads us to believe he’s writing about human history as well as current events, which can also be future events in the brilliance of God.
The word “after” can also be translated “with”, I will show you what must take place with this.
So, with Jesus portrayal with images of God, standing amongst, judging, correcting, encouraging the churches, John is also now going to see the glory of heaven, and God who is sovereign over all of creation.
As sovereign over all of creation, John will see and understand for the purpose of communicating what’s been going on and what will happen.
Remember, these are all things that “must” take place. Jesus who is the Lion of Judah, but also the Lamb who was slain, had to take place.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Ok, lets look at chapter 6, well let’s first look at Zechariah 1:8-17, also more is in chapter 6:1-8
“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’ And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”
Zechariah is writing during Israel’s captivity and during the reign of the Persian king Darius.
In this vision we see 4 horses that patrol the earth,
the myrtle trees is Israel,
the world at rest are the pagan nations who have conquered and brought “peace” at the expense of nations like Israel.
So even though God allowed Israel to be captured and led away into captivity as a punishment, it doesn’t absolve the conquering nation, they still committed an evil and are deserving of punishment.
It’s like Judas, or Pilate, or any other who is used by God because of the evil already in them to further His plan, they are still just as guilty for their own actions.
The call is for mercy on Israel and judgement on “the nations”
God will rescue and deliver Israel, return them to Jerusalem and build a temple.
This is what John will be referencing as we read in Revelation 6.
But before we do, some things to look out for
The judgements all divide into 4 and 3
First 4 fall on God’s earthly creation
Last 3 fall on or are cosmic, spiritual
The 7 seals are preliminary judgements that lead to the trumpets and bowls, but they are not successive.
They are more likely parallel cycles that retell one another. This means that they symbolize a series of judgements in which God will be pouring out these natural catastrophes in increasing severity
These apocalyptic images are not intended to be harmonized with one another. They are meant to be taken as-is, with each vision as a self-contained unit. It will be unclear how literal the judgements will be.
There is though a clear progressive intensification of the judgements, 1/4 to 1/3 to all.
7 Theological Themes that run through the judgements
These judgements are poured out on earth-dwellers, sinners, not saints, with the emphasis on justice, these “enemies” get exactly, no more no less, exactly what they deserve.
These are God’s response to the prayers of the martyred saints for vindication and vengeance.
God’s sovereignty is key, “it was given” is repeated, God gives permission and authorizes.
God does not command evil to operate, evil acts on its own
There is a deep sense of total depravity, being given the chance to repent, the earth dwellers almost always reject God.
These judgements are redemptive in nature, providing the opportunity to repent. This is the mission theme in the book, only once does it happen 11:13
There is a progressive dismantling of creation, first shaken, then overthrown, until ultimately destroyed.
As we read this section of Revelation, I want to do so in light of Romans chapter 1 verses 18-25 & 28-32
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
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!”
Now I watched, this is a continuation of chapter 5, the lamb has taken the scroll for the purpose of opening it.
when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals,
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.
The infamous four horses of the apocalypse
In Zechariah’s vision the horses were on a recon mission, here they are to bring war and conflict, which bring famine and death, or to reveal the costs of war.
Here the horses symbolize sin and how it works itself out, its consequences as man delves deeper into it and sins self-destructive nature.
The white horse symbolizes conquest and victory, its rider has a bow and a crown, and his mission is to conquer. But let’s look at
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. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Could this white horse and its rider symbolize Jesus who’s come to conquer, has conquered? If it is, then John doesn’t describe Jesus at all, why would that be? John has painstakingly described Jesus’ appearance so far, why stop now?
Could this horse symbolize conquest and victory and the rider can vary? allowed by God, “Come”, and its individual rider has always been a conqueror victor, but will one day be The Victor? The nations of the earth have been temporarily victorious, in there sin and lust they conquered for personal gain, but God and Jesus will One day and have always been ultimately victorious.
The red horse symbolizes blood and death, some of the consequences of war and conquest, nations and people slaying one another. The lust for conquest has led to civil war and bloodshed. The sword is meant for murder, the killing of anyone in its path, be it earth dwellers and/or the citizens of heaven.
The black horse symbolizes economic injustice, famine and inflation, the effects of war. A denarius was a days wage. This cost is 10-12x the normal cost for wheat and barley. Remember in our study of Philadelphia we talked about the wine production and the grain shortage, and how prices literally skyrocketed to 10-12x the norm.
The pale horse symbolizes sickness, probably resulting from famine, and death was its rider. The pestilence and wild beasts are also effects of a food shortage. Hades follows behind ready to swallow the victims. The full effects of sin has resulted in death.
Ezekiel 14 speaks of four dreadful judgements of almighty God, sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague.
“For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!
What’s interesting is that as Jesus opens the seals, one of the living creatures from chapter 4 & 5 speak and say “Come” and then the horses comes forth.
This is, again, a reminder that Jesus is showing John “what must take place.”
But again we must note, God is not causing these things to happen but allowing it, this is the course of sin. These judgements have been brought on by the people, caused by the people, and it’s the people who suffer because of it.
Let’s continue in Revelation with v 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.
There is a shift in focus here, what was self-inflicted judgement on the earth, or the wars and death and its affects on earth, the people of the earth, we are now looking back into heaven.
What does John see? The souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne, martyr’s, the citizens of heaven killed for their testimony
Where are they? Under the altar. What is the altar for? Sacrifice, these souls are an offering, a sacrificial offering to the Lord.
What is their plea? For God to judge and avenge their blood, on who? Their oppressors, their murderers, the earth dwellers. They are not asking God to do something for them, but asking when will God do what He’s always promised to due. This goes back to Deuteronomy, curses for the disobedient.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
What was Jesus’ plea on the cross? Stephens when he was being stoned to death? Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.
So how is this a call to judge and avenge? When does judgement and avenging take place? At the end
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
Lex talionis—the law of retaliation, getting your just desserts, having done to you what you did to others. These are the judgement of God, this is their plea.
They were given a white robe, v11, symbolizing purity and victory, and told to hold on a little longer, until the number of the martyrs was complete, filled, fulfilled. God is in control, He is allowing what must take place.
Before we read Rev. 6:12-17 let’s look at
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Now Rev. 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?”
Focus returns to earth
Sevenfold judgement: Total and complete
earth quake
sun darkens
moon reddens
stars fall
sky rolls up
mountains removed
Islands removed
We’ve talked about earthquakes in the Roman empire, Laodicea and Philadelphia.
But in the ancient world, what were some of the “god” symbols, things worshipped? Sun, moon, stars
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.
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars,
and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
Hide us from the God who is seated on His throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand.
Who are the people saying the above? kings of the earth, and great ones, generals, and the rich, and powerful, everyone, slave and free, all of humanity is exposed, how?
Sevenfold coverage of people: Nobody is spared
Kings
princes
generals
the rich
the powerful
slaves
freemen
Why are they saying the above? Because their “gods” have been swept away in an instant. This is metaphorical, clearly referring to the O.T. passages above. This could be alluding to the fall of kingdoms, fall of the power, fall of the system. The system and its backer have been defeated, it’s judgement day.
Hide us from the face of Him who is seated on what? His throne, ultimate throne, sovereign and authority is His. They know it.
The wrath of the lamb, the slain lamb has wrath, doesn’t seem very scary, a wrathful lamb, but He is one with the Sovereign Lord. The Lamb was meant to save, but once rejected, you stand judged and condemned.
The clear understanding is that this judgement immediately brought the 2nd coming of Jesus.
Joel 2 is about the Day of the Lord, in the midst of this chapter are verses 12-14
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
What is the purpose of God’s wrath and judgements? Repentance, first, then punishment for rejection and partnership with the enemy in the end.
Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Joel, Isaiah, and Hosea are all about judgement, these are the passages John draws from. Judgements that have happened, and an eventual and ultimate judgement, the Day of the Lord.
Who can survive such an event? Well, chapter 7 has some answers to this question.