The Self-Evident Truths

The Apocalypse, Act 1: The Seven Seals

Two of the most loaded words in society today

Justice

Equality

Safe to say that all people are created as equal

All deserving of true justice

This is the design of God’s creation

Ge 1-2

Acknowledged in the United States Declaration of Independence

“We hold these truths to be self-evident:”

“That all men are created equal”

“that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights:”

“that among these are

Life

Liberty

Pursuit of happiness”

Equality is a Truth Stressed in the Bible

God so loved “the world”

The Lamb of God takes away the sin “of the world”

“whoever”

“all”

What we are going to discover today

Is that during the seven-year tribulation

The people of the world will all be equal

They will all face the devastation to come

Re 6 timeline

Revelation 6:9-17

Revelation 6:9–17 NKJV

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?”

We have just seen the start of the tribulation

Four horsemen

Revelation 6 continues with the judgment

Seals opened by the Lord Jesus Christ

His judgments upon the earth

Fifth Seal

Souls of martyrs

V.9

Under the altar

Not the object of sacrifice

But the recipients of the atonement

Blood of the Old Testament sacrifices were poured at the base of the altar

Ex 29:12

Le 4:7

Who are these martyrs?

All who have been martyred throughout history?

Problem

If there is a rapture, those martyrs prior to the rapture have already been raised at the rapture

Does not include those who die for the faith after the rapture

Likely these are people who become believers after the rapture

Suffer unprecedented persecution and death

What do they want?

V.10

Vengeance and vindication

Avenge

ἐκδικέω

“to bring out what is right”

What do they get?

V.11

White robe

Practical issue?

These tribulation martyrs have not yet received resurrection bodies

The raptured church has theirs

The trib saints don’t get theirs until Re 20:4

Cannot be simply a spirit

Can’t put a robe on a spirit

Possible solution

They receive temporary bodies

Until they receive their glorified resurrection bodies

Told to rest up

Because the number of people who will be saved is not filled up just yet

Point

Justice may not be immediate

But it is imminent

Another way to put it

Pay Day may not be today

But it will be Some Day

If you have received everlasting life by believing in Jesus for it

Your faithful obedience to Him will be rewarded

Some day

Even when today doesn’t seem like it the promised Pay Day

Sixth Seal

Largest earthquake in history to date

Vv.12-14

Number of events occur with this earthquake

Sun goes dark

Moon goes red

“like blood”

Stars fall to earth

Sky recedes

Every mountain and island moved

Temptation to simply dismiss this as symbolic

But there is no good reason to do so

Reason

Vv.14, 16-17

Day of the wrath of the Lamb

Has been foretold throughout Scripture

Jesus foretold of earthquakes

Mt 24:7

Joel told of earthquakes and sun becoming black

Joel 2:2, 10, 30-31

Isaiah describes a day when the sky is rolled up like a scroll

Is 34:4

Reactions of the people of the world

Vv.15-16

Includes

Kings

Great men

Rich men

Commanders

Mighty men

Every enslaved person

Every free person

Reactions

Hid in caves

Hid in rocks of mountains

Cry out to mountains and rocks

Fall on us!

Hide us!

From face of Him who sits on the throne

From the wrath of the Lamb!

Point here

This judgment will be inescapable

Every person on the earth will feel the shock of these calamities

It will not matter

How much is in your portfolio

How big your house is

How esteemed you are in society

How much of the human population you govern and rule over

You will feel the effect

You will be terrified

You will know why all of that stuff is happening

Now What?

What do we conclude from these two judgments?

The faithfully obedient followers of Jesus Christ will be rewarded

Will experience full justification

Even though it is not happening at the moment

The unbelieving world population will experience these seven years equally

No distinction between class of people

How does this impact you?

It will establish the truth

That everlasting life is received by believing in Jesus for that

Once you receive it, you have a new identity

You are in Christ

Christ is in you

It will affect your worship

Reminder that these judgments are rendered by the breaking of the seals on the scroll of the judgments of God, in Heaven by the hand of the Lord Jesus

Should remind you that because of this kind of power and authority, the Lord Jesus can do more in a moment than you can do in your lifetime

It will affect your mission

And yes, you have been called to be on mission

To Make Jesus Known

To whom?