Revelation 6-8:5
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
My name is Spencer I am one of the pastors here we're in Revelation chapter 6 vers uh actually chapters 6 all the way through 85 we got a some territory to get through today um so you can turn in your Bibles uh towards the end and follow along there the text will also be on the screen so we've jumped into this part two of The Book of Revelation and we've been saying that it's going to ramp up a little bit like it's just it's going to be.
If you haven't read the book of Revelation before it's about to get a little wild and we've been going up the roller coaster a bit and like last week chck got us to the top but like we are woo like it's I mean it's we are descending down jumping into it starting in verse one and for the next few months are going to be in this and my encouragement has been for you to go into if you weren't here for training weekend or.
If you haven't gone back and listened to the content that was Tau at training weekend uh that's on our website now I would encourage you to do that because at times you might be like what's happening um and we don't have all the space on a Sunday morning to to cover all what's happening but the next two months that training is going to be crucial um because it's it's covering things in this book from a uh uh perspective in in in different areas that we don't have space on a Sunday morning to cover.
But I will say one of the things we did say in training weekend and how to read this part of the Book of Revelation from chapter 4 onward is how to understand this uh phrase that shows up the tribulation we've already seen it a few times we're going to keep seeing it this idea of tribulation some will view the tribulation what we're seeing in chapter 4 onward as a period of time that happens right before Christ returns and then there are others that.
Look at uh chapter 4 onward and look at the tribulation and and we'll see actually this is the uh a description of events that happened between Christ's first coming and his second so the whole of Church history uh and Chad and myself both take that position and if you're like wait what encourage you go back listen to training weekend we went through this and I'm going to preach this from that perspective that this is actually uh covering the whole uh that what we're going to.
See is pointing to events that happen between Christ's first and second coming not just before he returns and the reason I'm doing that is cuz I love you because earlier this week week I try to do all the things and and we have a teaching team where these sermons are preached and and I watched uh a little bit of Isaac and Chad's Joy evaporate I don't know if they'll ever get it back I think that's I think that's just gone so it's going to be a lot easier we're just going to preach from that perspective.
But I would encourage you to uh if you want to know more about it to go back to our training weekend so there's the cavat as we launch into this next phase last week cck kicked us off in verses four and five witnessing the throne room scene where John sees the glory of the Lord how worthy he is to be worshiped and his unworthiness and there's this desire for a scroll with Seven Seals to be opened I'll show you a picture of it this is one we showed last week we don't know.
If this is exactly what it looked like but this is a little bit of a helpful picture that this scroll needed to be unsealed it needed to be opened and there's this moment where no one is found worthy enough to open the scroll and and when this happens John weeps it says began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and he's weeping because this long awaited thing has not happened yet if you've ever done a a a a puzzle like a long one or it took all weekend or it took a week and you spent the time putting the edges together and connecting the pieces and everything it's satisfying.
But then you get towards the end those final few pieces and you're starting to get a little concerned because it doesn't look like you're going to have enough and then you finish it and there's two pieces that just aren't there yet and you're like you I mean you're what what's happened you look underneath the couch you you berate your children because you think they might have taken them like what where are these pieces you're just left unsatisfied there is a missing piece of the puzzle.
For John and he is weeping because it has not happened yet and the question that we left kind of last week and this week is why why is he weeping because the scroll has yet to be open what what what is happening in him that's what we're going to examine as we walk through these chapters and my hope is that as we as we look at this that we too with John would long for what's about to happen in these chapters we should long.
For the Scrolls all Seven Seals to finally be open so me pray and we'll walk this together heavenly father I pray that you give us ears to hear what is certainly difficult I pray that you would open our hearts that we would not combat your truth but we would be open towards your word and that it would sink into our hearts and it would mold us and shape us into your image we ask this in Jesus name amen all right so chapter 6 verse one.
Now I watched when the lamb opened one of the Seven Seals and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a loud with a voice like thunder come 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 so what we're shifting into here is Judgment that is unfolding and that's what these seals are going to start to unveil when this first seal is opened a white horse emerges.
Now there two different ways to look at this first seal the first is is that John is being told to come and see and he comes and sees this part of the vision and then this part of the vision there's a rider on a white horse and that is Christ and and Christ appears on a white horse later in the Book of Revelation this is Christ on a white horse conquering what's conquering is the Gospel advancing that the Gospel is advancing it's going to conquer every tribe nation and tongue that's one way to read this the.
Second way to read this is that come is a horse is being summoned with a rider it is not Christ and it is an angel and this is launching immediately into judgment and what's happening here is that the first judgment upon the Earth is nations against Nations it is war between the peoples now you read the arguments on both sides and they're very very compelling they just star it's like oh that looks that's yeah that you make a good point there and the good news is is it doesn't really change how you interpret all this.
Because it's true that the Gospel advances and also God does bring judgment nations rise and fall so you know I I don't have to pick a lane here because it doesn't really change how you view it and if that annoys you you then I'm just giving you a warning you're going to be annoyed for the next couple of months because the Book of Revelation can be quite difficult at times so that's the first seal then we get to the second one chapter 6:3.
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 so the second seal is opened and it is a rider on a bright red horse and this is clearly judgment unmistakably because peace is being taken from the earth now if you think the first one was the Gospel advancing.
Then This is war between nations if you thought the first one was actually war between the Nations what H was happening here is conflict between individuals peace is being taken from the earth and and and people are fighting against one another and this is God's judgment upon Nations that rebel against him against peoples that rebel against him that that God turns them over to their sin and that Strife happens this is what Jesus is prophesying about in Matthew CH 24 when he is speaking about the uh end times in this present age and he speaks about wars and rumors of wars.
So that is the second seal that is opened here verse 5 when he opened the third seal I heard the living creatures 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 Daenerys and three quarts of barley for a daus and do not harm the oil and wine.
So this third seal is opened and out comes a black horse and this judgment is famine the pictures here is is a of famine scales being brought out here to to weigh food that's what happens in a famine a court for of wheat for a Daenerys a Daenerys is a day's wage so working all day just for a little bit of bread I mean we feel it right now with inflation like we looked yesterday and the eggs of God back up in price I like no.
But I haven't worked all day for a carton of eggs I don't think anyone in this room works all day for a little bit of bread so this is severe this is severe famine and the and the the the picture here do not harm the oil and the wine is likely a picture of what happens in a time of famine in a time of famine you don't need Vineyards you don't need olive Groves you need wheat or you're going to die and everyone's going to die.
So it's don't harm the wheat don't harm the olive Groves don't clear out The Vineyards Don't Make Way for wheat Fields no but this is a picture of famine another picture of God's judgment that happens upon the Earth verse 7 when he opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creatures 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 pest and by wild beasts of the Earth the fourth seal is opened and its writer is death with Hades following and the.
Picture here is of rampant death upon the Earth this is the kind of death that you see in history like the black plague where a quarter to a third of Europe died because of pestilence because of plague and it's a picture again another Vivid and difficult picture of God's judgment upon the Earth when the Nations Rebel when the people's rage and plot in vain then we get to the fifth seal now those four horse are what are commonly called uh The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse you've ever heard that before.
So that shifts into the fifth seal and the fifth seal is not judgment it's actually a cry for justice jce so verse 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 this is Martyrs this is Christians uh throughout history that have uh leveraged their literal lives to proclaim the Gospel and have been killed for the Gospel this is the martyrs and it says they cried out.
Verse 10 with a loud voice oh Sovereign Lord holy and true how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth there's this Cry For Justice oh how long oh Lord verse 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 so they have this deep cry.
For justice when how long Lord when will you avenge our blood and says he says you need to wait a little longer and and note the language here until the appointed time when every last martyr has died that the the Gospel even today advances with the blood of saints so there is God is for pre-ordained for ordained that the Gospel will advance and he will come back after the last martyr has spilled their blood for the sake of the Gospel reaching every tribe Every Nation every tongue all right it's possible at this point you're like goodness I mean this is heavy you may be visiting.
For the first time and you're like wait what it's like that's a lot I I feel this when I read this this is a lot and you may be thinking is this what we've got for the next couple of months are these types of heavy pictures of judgment and the answer is yes that's this is this is exactly what we're going to see you want to know why John is weeping because no one's able to open the scroll this missing piece of the puzzle that has not happened that's left him in as Chad said last week ugly ugly crying ugly tears do you want to know why the the the martyrs are crying out avenge.
Us oh Lord how long oh Lord it is because they understand the evils the injustices the Brokenness and the sinfulness of this world they uniquely understand it I mean goodness the at this point when when John is writing down what he is seeing he's the last of the Apostles the rest have been murdered some brutally beheaded crucified upside down flayed alive burnt alive I mean he's had Brothers and Sisters in Christ who were thrown into pits where wild beasts tore them apart at this point he in his in his life tradition tells us that he was they tried to kill him they tried to boil him alive and he survived.
So he set a front row seat to some of the most heinous parts of the sinful condition of humanity and when you've been there you long for justice and a goodness y'all if we came back here next week and 50 people were just missing and they were some in prisoned some hanging in the Gallows children that need to be raised cuz they're now orphaned for the sake of the Gospel that puts a whole new understanding on what's Happening here because this is the reality.
For these churches that are receiving this book of Revelation it's the reality for many churches throughout history it's the reality for many churches across the world today so when they are asking how long when John is weeping bitterly it's cuz they want Justice to come down they long for it therefore it would be a lazy reading of the rest of this book to not understand all of the pictures of judgment from their perspective and the persecution that they are enduring and that's important.
For us to understand as we continue to read this but we should along with them for the return of Christ that God would write every wrong this leads into the opening of The Sixth Seal which regardless of whether you think these are playing out at moments in history or over time as a series of events in history or right before Jesus comes pretty much everyone is on the same page when we get to the sixth and seventh seal this is this is at the end these are pictures of right before Christ returns.
So verse 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 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 there is a day coming when the fierce Judgment of God and its final form is going to come and the picture is the Earth being torn to pieces and from the mightiest most powerful King Kings prime minister presidents generals down to those who are not in power and those who are poor everyone will be asking.
For the mountains to fall upon them to Shield them from the wrath of God that is pouring out on them they will long for an end to it to not see see his Fierce wrath and then there's this question at the end of this who can stand who can stand when this happens now that question is what gets answered by chapter 7 who can stand then we get chapter 7 now chapter 7 is an interlude this is a pause so if you try to read Revelation as a chronological this happened and this happened this happened you're going to run into some problems and chapter 7 is one of those problems.
Because this is not you need this is not like a typical movie where this event this event this event this is more like a you ever seen a Christopher Nolan movie Inception Interstellar Dunkirk it's like this happens then we're this point in the story and this point in the story and this point in the story I mean this is so we are not following between the sixth and the seventh seal we are jumping out to something entirely different and that's what's happening here with this seventh between the seventh seal with chapter 7.
So let's pick up in verse one in this interlude after this I saw four Angels standing at the Four Corners of the Earth holding back the Four Winds of the earth that no wind might blow on Earth or sea or against any tree so here God is holding back judgment we have this imagery of angels here holding back the Four Winds the this is the wind here is judgment and four is reference to the four corners of the Earth this is the whole fullness of the earth that the angels are holding back judgment upon the earth and the question is is why why are they holding back verse two.
Then I saw another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the Seal of the Living God and he called with a loud voice to the Four Angels who had been been given power to harm Earth and sea and saying do not harm the Earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the the Servants of our God on their foreheads which again this is why you can see it's clearly not chronological here because he says don't harm the sea the Earth the sea or the trees.
And if you go back to the Sixth Seal a lot of a lot of trees were harmed like that the imagery there is there's a lot of harm going on so this is not this is completely detached and there's this all right this isn't going to happen yet until until the ceiling of God's people so we're going to see what that is up at verse four and I heard the number of the sealed 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.
Then we get this long list 12,000 of the tribe of Judah were sealed 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben 12,000 from the tribe of GAD 12,000 from the tribe of Asher 12,000 from the tribe of napali 12,000 the tribe of anassa 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000 from the tribe of Levi 12,000 from the tribe of issachar 12 000 from the tribe of zebulun 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph 12,000 from The Tribe of Benjamin were sealed he he hears this this 144,000 and this long list.
And then verse 9 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 es in their hands verse 10 and crying out with a loud voice salvation Belongs To Our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb and some of you may be thinking what you may have never read this before and you're like huh some of you have read this 50 times and you're like what what what is happening here.
Because at first glance it's like what this is crazy confusing to us the 144,000 here I'll be honest can be pretty wildly speculated and go in some pretty uh crazy directions I mean it can go in some actually heretical Jehovah Witness directions okay so I think that the New Testament and really the the context of the Book of Revelation gives some clarity to what's actually happening here so I think here the this 44,000 is the full number of the Church for those who have placed their faith in.
Jesus between Christ first and second coming this number is figurative it is not literal it's not it's certainly not literal when it comes to the the the tribes of Israel this isn't literally talking about ethnic Israel if you want to have that conversation one with me later certainly can I'll give you one of the reasons why it's not this isn't even the 12 original tribes this list of tribes is not the original 12 list of tribes this matches nothing from the Old Testament.
So this is not the literal Israel as rest of the New Testament teaches Israel in its truest form has always been the people of God who have faith in God you're not a Jew by birth only means belong to the people of God is to be a Jew by faith and when you see Romans chap chapter 10 and chapter 11 Galatians chapter 6 and all these other passages that show that the Church is brought into the Gentiles are brought into the true people of.
God in Israel but this is not literal Israel and this isn't a literal 144,000 this number is symbolic of fullness a fullness so 12 is a number that's symbolic for completion you have 12 tribes of Israel you have the 12 uh disciples so this is a number four completion here and the number here is 12 * 12 * 1,000 it's symbolic of complete and what's important to note here is that John heard that number and that number points to the symbolic reality that this is those who will place their faith in Christ over the span of Church history.
But then he hears that and then he sees a number that cannot be counted a number greater than 144,000 it cannot be counted and this is not just ethnic Jews this is every tribe Every Nation every tongue this is the Church of Jesus Christ so who is being sealed is the Church of Jesus Christ who will not face the ultimate Judgment of God so what is the ceiling here the ceiling is God's protection upon the people who will stand at the end of chapter 6 on the day of judgment the Church of.
Jesus Christ will the Church of Christ will stand because of God's sealing upon them this is Assurance to the Church y'all this is good news to the Church this is meant to encourage us that we will stand like there there are times where I go up and I and I put my son to bed and he looks at me and he says Dad what what if somebody he's like really upset what if somebody comes in and tries to hurt us in the middle of the night and I and I have to tell him like buddy you are my son you belong to me you are a carry you you out of every little boy in.
The world you're the most important little boy the most special little boy to me you I love you buddy if somebody comes into this house to hurt you I'm going to break every bone in their body buddy you know Daddy has guns right just it's it's going to be okay and it's to assure him you're you're you're sealed you're okay God is saying you the Church will stand you you will you will be sealed on the day of judgment so that goes into.
Verse 11 and all the Angels were standing around the throne and all and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying amen blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever amen at the thought of this praise God that he seals the people of God from judgment glory and honor and power and might be to you oh God forever and ever.
Verse 13 then one of the elders addressed me saying who are these clothed in white robes and from where have they come I said to him sir you know and he said to me these are the ones coming out of the Great Tribulation they have washed their robes and made them white and the blood of the Lamb so has this exchange with the Elder who is this it's like you know th this is those coming out of the Great Tribulation again the Great Tribulation being the period of the Church and the trials of the Church faces to advance the Gospel and he says they're the ones coming out of this and I love the imagery.
Here the ones coming out they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb y'all this is the Gospel that if you everyone comes in this world broken deserving the Judgment of God God loves us so much that he sent Christ to be crushed for our sins then he claims a people for himself and he washes his people in the blood of the Lamb that Christ's blood stands for us by faith in what he has done.
For us on the cross and the empty tomb and that blood washes us and renews us our sin is washed and we are made white in the picture here is the righteousness of Christ all the good works of Christ are credit to our account and it's just a celebration praise God for the good news of the Gospel that saves that will make us stand on the day of judgment verse 15 therefore they are Before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence they shall hunger no more I thirst anymore the sun shall not strike them nor any.
Scorching heat for the lamb and for the lamb in the midst of the throne will be there Shepherd and he will listen y'all he will guide them to Springs of Living Water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes that's what awaits us in Christ y'all and we don't deserve this at all we deserve judgment but he saves us and he redeems us and he sets us apart and what awaits us is no more hunger no more thirst no more scorching heat no more trials that we will be with the lamb we will be with Christ our chief Shepherd who guides us to Living Water who wipes away tear from I mean every.
Pain of this present life will be a distant memory what a beautiful gift that God gives us that we don't deserve now that's the interlude so put that scene there now we're back into the seals in chapter 8 and we're going to see the seventh seal open in the first five verses when the lamb opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour then I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them and another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censor 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 now we're going to get into trumpets that's coming up but but I want to focus on right here is this picture of the prayers of the people of God that are being offered up like incense and the prayers of the people of God are being gathered in this sensor and they're they're being they're being gathered here so here are the prayers.
And then listen to verse 5 then the angel took the sensor and filled it with fire from The Altar and threw it on the earth and there were peels of Thunder Rumblings flashes of lightning and an earthquake and that is the final judgment and what I want us to see here is that the prayers of the people of God and the Church of Jesus Christ throughout history have been a prayer and a longing for justice a prayer and a longing for.
God to wrong to write every wrong a prayer for justice and all of that gets stored up in the sensor and then God hears those prayers and at the right time when Christ comes he answers those prayers and those prayers are converted to Fire and judgment that is poured out on the earth that is one of the long missing puzzle pieces that John is weeping to see happen he's longing to see that happen the the Church has longed to see that happen however I think.
If we are honest I think many of us don't long to see that happening I don't think we love this I think one of the missing puzzle pieces about the new heavens and the new Earth I think we long for that and I think many of us just want to skip to chapter 21 and 22 but this piece of Justice coming down judgement on the earth I don't think we long for that I think that the reason for this is that many of us in the west have largely been insulated from Injustice I don't think we've actually endured the type of Injustice that the global Church endures right.
Now that the Church has endured for 2,000 years so I don't think we really celebrate this kind of picture of judgment largely I think you make an exception I think the the black Church in America for centuries has done a better job with this but I think largely in the west we just don't have a category for this we don't have a category for experiencing Injustice and longing oh how long God before you bring Justice upon the earth I don't think that's our heart cry I mean this world is broken and marred by sin I mean goodness y'all the the Ukraine Russia War General estimates hard to get estimates in a war like that a.
Million people dead what's happening in Israel right now and has been for the last year I mean you go on and on and on and on and on and I think we see some of that and what's Wild is that I can get on my phone and see somebody being blown to bits and another part of the world I not looking for this stuff sometimes just shows up you read this story and then I flip the next thing and oh the Gamecocks and that's way more fun to.
Look at and I think we're largely insulated from the reality of Injustice that happens in this world and I think that honestly our faith is a little too comfortable and our lives are a little too comfortable CU I think deep down we just we kind of like it here and we kind of like this present moment and we kind of like this life a little too much in a way that we're not willing to leverage our lives in a way that would make us uncomfortable they willing to support and get behind Mission efforts where people are literally putting their life on the line to.
See the Gospel move forth and the reality is the the whole rest of the Book of Revelation is going to be very very heavy and my hope is is that we wouldn't turn away my hope is that we'd see that this moment in history for the Church and our context is pretty unique that we haven't had to experience the things that our brothers and sisters have across the world right now that are being persecuted and throughout history and that we wouldn't turn away from these pictures of judgment.
But we would actually submit our hearts before the Lord and ask God to change our heart so that we might look at the Brokenness of this world and the haer in this world and the vess of this world and all of the things that happen in this world and we might begin to weep like John and say how long before you come Lord please come and that might end up into a humble praise that says thank you Jesus that you're going to make this right and thank you.
Jesus even though I don't deserve to be a part I don't deserve to stand that I will but we need that heart shift to make it through the next two months in a way that will help us see the glory and the goodness of God in his judgment the band's going to come up and the reality is is that we need to start to do that work today we need to start to do the work on our soul they would not turn away from these pictures of judgment would.
But would embrace them the reality real is is there some of you live a life that is storing up wrath for every person that's ever harmed you you live angry you live bitter and the reality is you you're not trusting in the Judgment of God you're not trusting in the actual that there is a God who will bring Vengeance and it is not you and some of you need to repent of your desire to bring judgment upon others you need trust in the Judgment of the Lamb I think many of us need to prepare ourselves through repentance over the next couple of months and what we're about to.
See that the parts of us that don't want to look and examine these parts of Revelation but also don't want to look at the injustices of this present age we need to submit that to the Lord and ask God to change our hearts in Repentance that the Wars that are that are happening right now where millions are giving their lives and are dying that there are people right now that are in famine and we have full bellies that there are babies being killed by the millions in utero every single year that there is mass oppression of the poor all across this world that there is ethnic and racial hatred and every part of this world.
That there is flagrant celebration of sin and Rebellion all across our culture in this world that we should look at all of it with tears and say Jesus please come Lord how long but that's going to take work and that's going to take the Lord slowly beginning to change and reorient our heart towards Justice in a way that needs to happen but that first comes through coming to Christ because there may be some of you that have never fully put your faith in Christ and he has spilled his blood.
For your sin so that you might stand on the day of judgment and if you can hear this and walk away the Scriptures say woe to you but it gives the invitation to say Don't run from Christ run to him that he might cover your sin and your Rebellion you don't deserve it none of us deserve it but the offering is there that you might not stand stand in your own sin in the day of judgment but you might stand under the Seal of.
God and the rest of us boy oh boy at every moment that we start to read some of these pictures of Judgment at every ter in our community groups and on Sundays in our private reading we should go praise God I don't deserve this I don't deserve the stand but I'm thankful that you let me stand because of what you did for me we need to prepare ourselves for the next couple of months and God willing God will change our hearts and it will result in the type of worship and honor that our savior deserves.
Let me pray heavenly father I pray that you might begin that work today Lord we are humbled by how intense these texts are help us not turn away from them help us embrace the reality of judgment that is coming so that we might stand so that we might act now so that we might be motivated to see the Gospel Advance now but Lord we need your work and we need your grace and we need you to go to work in our hearts to help us be the people that you've called us to be we ask this in.
Jesus name amen.