What Did John See And Hear 2
11/30/2008
WHAT DID JOHN SEE AND HEAR?
REVELATION 6:1-2
**In our study on end times we have learned about the difference between the Rapture of the Church and the Revelation of Christ.
**During the Rapture of the Church Jesus will appear in the air but during the Revelation of Christ Jesus will return to the earth!
**During the Rapture of the Church Christians are gathered together to meet Christ in the air but during the Revelation of Christ Christians return with Him.
**During the Rapture of the Church Christians are the only ones who will see Him in the air but during the Revelation of Christ every eye will see Him even those who have rejected Him!
**In addition to these great truths we have also been blessed to be able to go with John through an open door in heaven and be reminded that there is a throne in heaven and it is occupied!
**We also were privileged to learn that there is someone who is worthy to take the scroll or book out of the hand of God the Father and break the seven seals that kept the contents of this book from being revealed.
**We also were able to learn about the kind of praise, worship and singing that is taking place in heaven.
** But in our message today we are going to move from a theme of JOY to a theme of JUDGMENT from a time of WORSHIP to a time of WRATH and from a season of CELEBRATION to a season of CONDEMNATION.
**In my message today we are simply going to ask and answer the question: WHAT DID JOHN SEE AND HEAR?
**John actually saw and heard:
I. THE OUTPOURING OF GOD’S WRATH
- The INVITATION was EXTENDED to John
6:1 . . . and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice of thunder, “COME”
**The Invitation that was Extended to John is an important detail that we need to remember. Sometimes we see so much evil in the world that we are tempted to think that evil is going to triumph and that perhaps there is a chance that Satan might actually win in the end!
**However when we see what John saw and hear what John heard we are reminded and assured that the events that are about to occur on earth happen under the Sovereign control of our Omnipotent God!
**Notice in our text (6:1) says that John “heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice of thunder, “COME”. . .
**In addition to the INVITATION that was EXTENDED to John I want you to notice that:
- The INSTRUMENTS were EXPLAINED to John
6:2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer
**Our text says that John looked and BEHOLD, a white horse and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer!
**The first instrument of wrath that John saw was identified as a WHITE horse with someone sitting on the white horse. Who is the rider that is sitting on this white horse and what does it represent?
**I believe that:
1) The WHITE horse represents DECEPTION
6:2 a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer
**Some have suggested that the rider on the white horse is actually Christ. However a careful investigation of Scripture will reveal some interesting insights that will help us see that this white horse and its rider represent deception!
**In our text (6:2) it says that the rider of the white horse had three distinct features: a bow, a crown and an agenda (conquering and to conquer).
**There is a bow but no arrows! (According to Rev 19:12 our Lord’s weapon is going to be a sword!).
** The word for crown in Revelation 6:2 is stephanos, which means “the victor’s crown.” The crown that Jesus Christ wears is diadema, “the kingly crown” (Rev. 19:12). Antichrist could never wear the diadem, because it belongs only to the Son of God.
**In addition to this Daniel states that there is a “prince that shall come,” who will make a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (Dan. 9:26–27).
** In other words, the future world dictator begins his career as a peacemaker! He will go from victory to victory and finally control the whole world.
**Now it should not come as a big surprise that the Antichrist is going to resemble the Christ, because Antichrist is Satan’s great imitation! Even the Jews (who ought to know the Scriptures) will be deceived by him (John 5:43; 2 Thes. 2:1–12).
**This great deceiver will come as a peaceful leader, holding a bow but no arrows but his real agenda and ambition is to CONQUER. Antichrist will temporarily solve the world’s problems and be received as the Great Liberator. However his real agenda is going to become painfully clear to the inhabitants of the earth.
**So the first Instrument of God’s Wrath is the WHITE HORSE that brings DECEPTION with him. Now I want you to notice that the second instrument of God’s wrath is a red horse and:
2) The RED horse represents VIOLENCE
6:4 . . . a red horse went out and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth and that men would slay one another and a great sword was given to him
** The color red is often associated with terror and death: the red dragon (Rev. 12:3), the red beast (Rev. 17:3). It is a picture of wanton bloodshed and war has been a part of man’s experience since Cain killed Abel, so this image would speak to believers in every age!
**Antichrist’s conquest begins in peace, but soon he exchanges the empty bow for a sword (and a great sword was given to him). Widespread violence begins to fill the earth and as our text says in 6:4 it was granted to take peace from the earth AND that men would slay one another . . .
**The WHITE horse represents DECEPTION and the RED horse represents VIOLENCE and now I want you to notice that:
3) The BLACK horse represents FAMINE
6:5 When He broke the third seal . . . I looked and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand . . . a quart of wheat for a denarius . . . do not damage the oil and the wine
**War is not only costly in terms of the human lives that are lost but anytime you have a war you will also have a time of FAMINE to follow it.
**However, during the Tribulation, a man will have to work all day just to secure food for himself! There will be nothing for his family! At the same time, the rich will be enjoying plenty of oil and wine. No wonder Antichrist will eventually be able to control the economy (Rev. 13:17) as he promises to feed the hungry masses.
**The WHITE horse represents DECPTION, the RED horse represents VIOLENCE, the BLACK horse represents FAMINE and there is another horse that I want to call to your attention.
4) The ASHEN horse represents DEATH
6:7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal . . .8 I looked and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had a name DEATH; and HADES was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth!
**One fourth of the world’s population is going to DIE! Notice who was following closely behind the ASHEN or PALE horse. The BIBLE says and HADES was following with him!
**Remember the CHURCH, the BRIDE of Christ has already been raptured or removed from the earth. All Christians disappeared at the beginning of the Tribulation and anyone who receives the mark of the beast will not be able to be saved.
**One fourth of the world population is about to die and go straight to a place of suffering and torment!
**So in our text today we have learned that John actually SAW and HEARD the OUTPOURING of God’s WRATH but I also want you to notice that:
**John actually saw and heard:
II. THE OUTCRY OF GOD’S WITNESSES
A. The LOCATION of the SOULS
6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls . . .
**When the Old Testament priest presented an animal sacrifice, the victim’s blood was poured out at the base of the brazen altar (Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30).
B. The TERMINATION of their LIFE
6:9 . . . I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained
**In Old Testament imagery, blood represents life (Lev. 17:11).
** So, here in Revelation, the souls of the martyrs “under the altar” indicates that their lives were given sacrificially to the glory of God.
** The Apostle Paul had the same idea in mind when he wrote Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6.
C. The COMPENSATION for their SERVICE
6:11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also!
**John actually saw and heard:
III. THE OUTCOME OF GOD’S WORLD
**The earth dwellers will try to:
- FACE the POWER of God
6:12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black . . . and the whole moon became like blood 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll . . .
**Once the earth-dwellers realize that they can’t stand against the Power of God, they try to do something else. They actually try to:
- FLEE the PRESENCE of God
6:15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders . . . hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?
**They ran to the wrong person: ANTICHRIST and they ran to the wrong PLACES: CAVES and ROCKS of the MOUNTAINS!