Part 16 | Seals 5 & 6

We should interpret Revelation with an open hand; there is a GREAT deal of disagreement between interpretation, even amongst faithful pastors/theologians

We should not assume that what we’ve always been taught is the right interpretation

We should remember that Revelation was written *for* us but not *to* us; we must guard from interpreting the book through the lens of the Western World.

The Left Behind Seres—while entertaining—is probably not the best commentary

The Throne Room

Chapters 4 and 5 - Throne Room of God

Chapter 5 - God sits on a throne with a scroll in His right hand.

Scroll has 7 seals: Contains God’s plan’s for the last days (the time between Christ’s resurrection and return)

John wept - no one to open the scroll

He saw a Lamb, as though it had been slain, and this figure (Jesus Christ) is able to open the seals and scroll

Jesus’ work at the cross, was the victory that has led to the unfolding of God’s redemptive plans

The Seals

The seals represent the pain, sorrow, and judgements that will come upon the world in the last days before He brings about New Creation. God is allowing to do its worst so that He might confront it head on.

Purpose of this chapter: To show God’s sovereignty in the midst of chaos and suffering

The fact that Christ holds the scrolls and breaks the seals, shows that God is in still control—even in the midst of the most horrifying circumstances—and he uses these for both judicial and redemptive purposes.

When Will These Events Take Place?

Preterist View: Already Happened

Futurist: Will happen at some future time

Dispensationalists believe these judgements will happen in a literal seven year period AFTER the church is “raptured.”

Idealist: These judgements are recapitulated throughout the time between Christ’s Resurrection and His Return

Eclectic View:

Past: These seals describe events that were relevant to the first century churches to whom the book was written

Future: The sixth seal (for sure) has NOT happened yet, as we will see later.

Idealist: The six seals describe a regular season in human history.

Revelation is NOT written linearly

The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are not separate judgements, but they are a retelling of the same events from different perspectives

There are movies that tell the same story over and over, each time from a different characters perspective. Murder Mystery

Perspective of the killer, the detective, the victim\\

Furthermore: the 7 seals should not be taken to mean that the described events will follow a consecutive pattern. They overlap, they change patterns, etc.

The First Four Seals: The Four Horseman

Rider on the White Horse: Conquest - Likely Symbolize Conquering Kings

The Red Horse and Rider: War (or Violence) - the malevolent behavior of humans one to another… this violence robs the world of peace.

Black Horse: Famine (Economic Woes) brought on by tyranny and national disasters

Pale Horse and Rider: Personification of Death: Conquest, Violence, & Famine, all lead to death. In addition to the bloodshed from war and death from famine, many will be killed by pestilence and wild beasts.

Tonight - Seals 5 & 6

I. 5th Seal

Revelation 6:9–11 (ESV)

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.

No horse is summoned

“Souls of Those Who Had Been Slain”

John sees the “souls” of those who have been martyred for their allegiance to God.

“Souls” likely indicates that the resurrection has not yet come

(The mystery of Heaven)

When will every tear be wiped from our eyes? The New Creation is established

A) Why are the souls under the altar? What altar?

i. Altar of incense?

OT:

Exodus 30:1–3 (ESV)

“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.

The Altar of incense stood in the temple, in the Holy Place before the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.

Aaron was to burn incense on the altar as an offering before the Lord in the morning and the evening

Revelation 8:3–5 (ESV)

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Because the altar of incense is referenced in chapter 8 (as well as other places in Revelation) and because the martyrs are praying, some scholars believe that this is the altar in view.

It is more likely, though, that the Altar of burnt offering is in view.

ii.) Altar of Burnt Offering?

Numbers 28:1–6 (ESV)

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.

This is where burnt offerings were sacrificed twice a day

The phrases “those had been slain” and “avenge our blood” causes many scholars to believe that the Altar of Burnt Offering is in view...

The conclusion here is not crucial

B) Who Are the Souls Who Had Been Slain?

It is possible that “those who had been slain” are just the martyrs who have literally lost their lives because of their faith

Some scholars believe that “slain” is metaphorical and refers to all saints who endure til’ the end…

Every believer is persecuted to some degree and must persevere

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Finally, the seven letters to the churches included a call for the believers to persevere in the midst of all temptations (including death)...

John could see the church as a whole as a martyred church.

C) Under the Altar

The martyrs being “under the altar” suggests that they are under God’s protection and that they belong to Him

D) The Martyr’s Prayer

Revelation 6:10 (ESV)

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?”

The souls of the martyrs are conscious and they are aware of the wickedness that prevails across the earth.

The martyrs have not been vindicated publicly and the wicked have not been held accountable for the persecution of God’s people. They are crying out for justice.

Their prayer of rage, but it is a cry for Justice

Because He is “Holy,” He cannot tolerate sin.

Because He is true, He is just and faithful to His people

“Those who dwell on the earth” = the wicked

D) God’s Response to the Martyrs

Revelation 6:11 (ESV)

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.

i.) White Robes

Remember that Jesus promises that He will give robes of white to those who conquer (i.e. endure til’ the end)

Read Rev. 3:1-5;

White robes signify purity and that a person belongs to the Lord

Revelation 7:9 (ESV)

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

How does a “soul” put on a white robe? Baffling… but remember, this is apocalyptic imagery.

The Point is that—though the martyrs have not yet been vindicated, that they belong to God and He has not forgotten them.

ii.) The Martyrs are told to “Rest a little longer”

Heaven is a place of rest.

iii.) The Martyrs are told to “wait”

Waiting is difficult

Wait for what?

There are more brothers and sisters in Christ who must be persecuted and killed for the sake of Christ. Why?

Some mystery here. But, as the burnt offerings are pleasing to the Lord, so is the aroma of those who give up their own lives for the sake of Christ.

NT Wright illustration:

- There are three ways to end a chess match

1) Patiently play the game until there is an undeniable winner

2) Both players agree that there is not a possibility for either opponent to win and call a “draw”

3) Or, you can get angry and just angrily flip the board over

Wright illustrates that the martyrs want the third option. They just want God to act swiftly and pour out His wrath on the wicked.

Something to think about: Why is God allowing evil and malevolence continue before He judges?

Read Romans 1:17-32;

It seems that God gives those with hardened hearts over to their own lusts and passions, letting the evil be fully brought to light.

And it seems that it is when the evil is brought into the the light, that God will confront it head on.

Not that God needs to prove Himself, but the world will know that God is just in the horrifying wrath that is poured out on the wicked on the Last Day

II. Application

Those who die in Christ are with the Lord in a place of rest, awaiting bodily resurrection

We must trust God’s timing.

We look around, baffled at the pervasive wickedness in the world, and we think “Lord, why aren’t you coming back? How could you let this continue to happen?

But we must remember, God’s redemptive purposes are at work

Prepare for Persecution

Endure til’ the end.

Hebrews to Revelation: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Volume 4 (The First Six Seals (6:1–17))

A famous early martyr was Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch. In A.D. 110, Ignatius was taken to Rome to be thrown to the beasts in the Colisseum (The fourth seal, the Black Horse and Rider). While passing through Asia, he wrote letters to five churches in the province—to Ephesus, Magnesia on the Meander, Tralles, Philadelphia, and Smyrna—as well as to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. Ignatius expressed his attitude toward martyrdom: “May I have the pleasure of the wild beasts that have been prepared for me.… Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts, mutilation, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil—let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ!” (Rom. 5:2–3)

We must be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. Though the Lord tarry, in the end, we will be vindicated.

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