REVELATION 6-9---Judgment upon the UNSAVED earth
Think back over your lives…
How many on your face prayers your have prayed; how many heart cries winged their way to Heaven; how many injustices you have faced; how many times you have been used, abused, & mistreated namely because as a Child of The Most High…you have NOT returned EVIL for EVIL…but have cried out an ocean of tears to your ABBA FATHER for justice, intervention, defense, saving grace.
Did you know that our tears, our heart cries, and our prayers are so precious to Him, that He HAS saved every SINGLE one in priceless, pure golden bowls?
Remember ALL THE ABOVE while we study the next 12 Chapters of Revelation. Because this is what Almighty God IS saying & doing.
ALMIGHTY GOD IS SICK & TIRED OF HIS CHILDREN BEING MISTREATED.
ALMIGHTY GOD IS SICK & TIRED OF EARTH REJECTING HIS PRECIOUS SON.
GOD HAS BEEN SAYING…“BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR MANKIND!!!!!!”
MANKIND’S RESPONSE…“GO AWAY; GET OUT OF OUR LIVES; WE WANT TO ROCK & ROLL & RULE WITH THE WORLD & THEREFORE SATAN!”
WE DO NOT NEED YOU. WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN SOME SUPREME BEING WHO CREATED ALL THINGS. WE DO NOT YOUR WIMPY LAWS, YOUR COMMANDMENTS. WE ARE DOING JUSTTTTTTTT FINE ON OUR OWN. GO AWAY!
ALMIGHTY GOD FINALLY SAYS......…“SO BE IT!”
Revelation 6 --- The First Six Seals
The FIRST FOUR seals of the scroll bring four horsemen.
(v.1-2) The WHITE HORSE brings a man of conquest.
“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
“I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals:” From the previous chapter, we KNOW this scroll is the destiny of mankind and creation, and only Jesus - the Lamb - has the RIGHT to loose the seals on THIS scroll of the culmination of history.
The OPENING of the seals is NOT JUST a declaration of what God will do, BUT that whenever the seal is opened, the sentence IS executed.
“And I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.:” EACH seal is associated with a living creature (zoa, one of the cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and 10) who calls out “come” or “go forth” to each horseman.
“Behold, a white horse:” Some - WRONGLY believe the rider on the white horse is Jesus. IT ISN’T. Jesus does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16. But this is THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE SATANIC DECEIVER who TRIES TO IMITATE Jesus. Remember JESUS came to SAVE that which is LOST…NOT TO CONQUER….NOT TO DESTROY.
He WILL rule (a crown was GIVEN--NOT EARNED/NOT ENTITLED…BUT GIVEN); but he rules (with a bow), NOT a sword; and he exercises dominion over the earth (went out conquering and to conquer). But the results of his rule, as described in the following verses, show this is NOT the reign of Jesus, but The AntiChrist.
Here we reach a CROSSROADS of the Book of Revelation. You can tell much about how a person understands REVELATION & God’s PLAN by whom they believe THIS FIRST rider is. This rider IS the antichrist.
“He went out conquering and to conquer:” This FINAL satanic dictator over LOST MANKIND will be the more TERRIBLE/EVIL/INSIDUOUS than ALL other combined. He will rule over men as a false Messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion AGAINST God.
The idea of a satanic dictator over men goes back all the way to Nimrod, the ruler over Babel in Genesis 10:8-14. Nimrod was a mighty hunter of men, and that he did this OFFENSIVELY in the face of God.
Today’s political and social scene is certainly set for the emergence of such a political leader. All that waits is for the Lord Jesus to ALLOW it AFTER He takes His church/His Holy Spirit from this earth & out of the reach of The AntiChrist/HIS FATHER SATAN with The Rapture.
“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
The IMPORTANCE of this FIRST seal? The AntiChrist IS LOOSED upon the earth in global chaos & moves QUICKLY to WORLD prominence.
JESUS CHRIST IS CLEARLY TELLING US, THAT EVEN NOW, SATAN AND HIS DEMONS ARE UNDER RESTRAINT. THEY AND THE ANTI CHRIST HAVE NOT YET BEEN LOOSED. FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, THEY ARE ON A CHOKE CHAIN…WITH LIMITED MOVEMENT. BUT AFTER JESUS TAKES HIS BELOVED FROM THE EARTH, THEN THE CHOKE CHAIN WILL BE LOOSED. SATAN, HIS DEMONS, AND THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL HAVE MORE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
We understand that the 70th week of Daniel 9 (THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THE MESSIANIC WOES, JACOB’S TROUBLES, THE GREAT TRIBULATION) DOES NOT BEGIN UNTIL THIS WORLD DICTATOR HAS RISEN TO GLOBAL POWER & THE COUNT DOWN CLOCK BEGINS when this dictator will confirm a covenant with [the] many, referring to THE NATION OF ISRAEL, the Jewish people.
THE BIBLE IS TELLING US…THAT THE WORLD CAN KNOW WHO THE ANTI-CHRIST IS…BECAUSE HE AND HE ALONE WILL STAND AS THE WORLD LEADER AND WILL PERSONALLY MAKE AND SIGN A GLOBAL PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL. THE INSTANT INK TOUCHES PAPER, THE 7 YEAR COUNTDOWN BEGINS.
These four horsemen of Revelation 6 ARE CONNECTED with the 70th week of Daniel 9 and the great tribulation itself. The BOOK OF DANIEL PROPHESIES IT AND REVELATION, JESUS CHRIST IS CONFIRMING THOSE PROPHESIES IN REVELATION.
(v.3-4) The RED HORSE brings war and conflict.
“When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.”
“Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth:” This rider doesn’t NEED to bring WAR & DESTRUCTION. All he needs to do is TAKE ALL PEACE from the earth. Once this peace---God’s gift to man----is taken, men rush in with war and destruction. Peace & RESTRAINT between men and nations is A GIFT from God.
“And it was granted:” This authority is granted to the horseman. This is, directly or indirectly, the judgment of God.
“That people should kill one another:” We live in the age of war and conflict. DID YOU KNOW, JUST SINCE World War II, there have been more than 150 wars of one kind or another on the earth, and at ANY given time there may be some three dozen armed conflicts taking thousands of lives yearly. The nations of the world often spend more than $1 trillion on military expenditures a year.
(V.5-6) The BLACK HORSE brings scarcity and inequity.
“When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard 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 the wine.”
“A black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand:” The scales symbolize the need to carefully measure and ration food. This speaks of a time of GREAT scarcity...GREATER FAMINE than this world has EVER seen.
“A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius:” These prices are about twelve times higher than normal. It means that it would cost a day’s wage to buy the ingredients for a loaf of bread.
We often see great famine in the world today, yet fewer people suffer from hunger today than 100 years ago. However, understanding the ecological balance, it would not take much MORE NATURE/MAN DISTURBANCES to plunge THE WORLD into the kind of scarcity and inequity mentioned here.
“Do not harm the oil and the wine:” Yet, the nicer things will be available for those who can afford them. There will still be the oil and the wine that should not be harmed.
(v.7-8) The PALE HORSE brings death.
“When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”
“A pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death:” This last rider shows that there will be a tremendous DEATH TOLL WORLDWIDE from the dictatorship, war, famine and other calamities described by the previous three horsemen.
Our century has seen hundreds of millions killed by dictators, war, and famine. Yet this will BE NOTHING…NOTHING compared to the death toll coming in the wake of this ultimate dictator. No wonder Jesus said of this time “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
“Power was given to them over ONE FOURTH of the earth, to kill:” Power is given to the horseman, and given BY God. Though all hell is breaking loose on the earth, REMEMBER JESUS is ALWAYS in control. He still holds the scroll and opens the seals.
The fifth and sixth seals of the scroll are opened.
(v.9-11) The fifth seal brings forth the CRY OF THE MARTYRS.
“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. 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?” 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.”
“I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God:” That these souls are under the altar emphasizes that their life blood was poured out as an offering to God. The idea is drawn from Leviticus 4:7: “And he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of the burnt offering.”
“Who had been slain for the word of God:” This IS the cry of ALL martyrs for God’s truth, not ONLY THE MILLIONS OF believers persecuted & KILLED by the coming world leader, the first horseman of Revelation 6:1-2.
“And they cried with a loud voice:” These souls in heaven cry out for vengeance (until You judge and avenge our blood). We usually don’t think of God’s people crying out for vengeance, but they make their cry TO JESUS, and leave the matter WITH HIM.
When God’s people are persecuted, He will set it right. It ISN’T wrong for God’s people to ask Him to do what He promised to do. So the blood of Abel cried out from the ground for vengeance (Genesis 4:10), as did the blood of unavenged murders in the land of Israel (Numbers 35:33).
“It was said to them that they should rest a little while longer:” These saints are instructed to wait. How long do they wait? Until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be SAVED & KILLED as they were, was completed.
THIS SHOWS US RIGHT HERE…THAT JESUS HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON MANKIND YET.
JESUS is WAITING for the multitude numbers of those who WILL cry out to HIM & WILL be saved during the Tribulation to be met.
REMEMBER Jesus wants NONE to perish, so Almighty God WAITS until ALL ARE saved. But REMEMBER in the eyes of Jesus, it IS the way that you live that makes you a martyr, NOT the way that you die.
(v.12-17) The opening of the sixth seal brings COSMIC DISRUPTION.
“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. 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. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 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, 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! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
“A great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth:” In the Bible, celestial disturbances are often connected with the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Zephaniah and Jesus Himself ALL describe such things.
Zephaniah 1:14-16 prophesies it.
Joel 2:10-11 prophesies it.
“The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth:” John isn’t using technically precise scientific language, but he simply describes the REAL THINGS he saw.
ADELL POSTED AN IMPORTANT AND FACTUAL VIDEO, ABOUT THE EARTH AND THE COSMOS GROANING. GROANING NOISES OF THE EARTH AND THE SKIES IS REPORTED AND RECORDED IN THIS VIDEO…but other than in the local areas that SAW, HEARD, AND EXPERIENCED IT…the media DISMISSED IT.
RIVERS TURNING TO BLOOD, BIRDS FALLING DEAD FROM THE SKIES, LOCUSTS INVADING, MOSQUITOS IN MILE HIGH SWARMS, DEER DROPPING DEAD, DOLPHINS, FISH, AND WHALES WASHING ASHORE DYING OR DEAD. METEORITES, FALLING STARS…DEAD VOLCANOES WAKING UP, EARTHQUAKES WHERE THEIR HAVE NEVER BEEN EARTHQUAKES, AND NASA, SCIENTISTS, THE WORLDS SPECIALIST HAVE NO CLUE WHY OR WHAT CAUSED IT…TOO BAD THEY DO NOT READ, OR BELIEVE THE BIBLE…BECAUSE WHAT JESUS, ALMIGHTY GOD, JOHN, PAUL, DANIEL AND THE PROPHETS HAVE TOLD US WOULD HAPPEN….IS HAPPENING BEFORE OUR EYES.
“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:” ALL people are EQUALLY brought low by God’s wrath. The judgment is all the more profound because it is the wrath of The Lamb.
“Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne:” They hide not only from the terror of the judgments, but from the face of Him who sits on the throne.
How do THESE SEALS fit in God’s prophetic plan?
1. There are many different opinions, but what we DO KNOW is this:
The FIRST six seals are “a summary” and overview of the judgments distributed over the whole book. REVELATION 7-19 TELLS US IN DETAIL WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO MANKIND AND THE WORLD.
That span BEGINS with the revelation of the Antichrist (the first seal) and it concludes with the revealing of the face of Him who sits on the throne (the seventh seal).
MANY HAVE ASKED, BUT Do the seals represent conditions immediately before the end, or more general conditions prevailing over a more extended period, up until the return of Jesus?
We have had dictators, war, famine, death and persecution throughout all history, in every place all over the globe at one time or another….but THIS….THIS IS THE ENTIRE WORLD SUFFERING ALL AT ONCE….AND NOTHING IN THE COMBINED HISTORY OF THE WORLD SO FAR….comes close to the magnitude and severity with which they will be present in the Great Tribulation. NEVER before since the time of Noah has a judgment so devastating been consummated as to destroy 1/4 of the earth’s population at one stroke.
THE WORLD NUMBERS JUST OVER 7 BILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY IN DECEMBER 2012. BIBLICAL SCHOLARS ESTIMATE THAT ONE BILLION CHRISTIANS ARE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. IF YOU ESTIMATE BY THOSE NUMBERS, ONE BILLION INSTANTLY CAUGHT AWAY, SNATCHED UP TO MEET JESUS IN THE CLOUDS AT THE RAPTURE…THAT LEAVES 6 BILLIONS UNSAVED, JESUS CHRIST REJECTING HUMANS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
AND SINCE THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT ONE FOURTH OF THE WORLD’S REMAINING POPULATION OF 6 BILLION WILL DIE AND BE KILLED…THAT MEANS THAT 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE WILL DIE.
The sixth seal concludes with a valid question: Who is able to stand? ONLY the believer CAN stand before this great judgment, the one who is justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which WE STAND.” (Romans 5:1-2)
“I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received and in which YOU STAND.” (1 Corinthians 15:1)
“Testifying that this is the true grace of God in which YOU STAND.” (1 Peter 5:12)
HERE is the GOOD NEWS of Revelation 6.
Did you catch it?
There WILL BE UNTOLD NUMBERS who ASK, ACCEPT Jesus Christ into their hearts and lives & are ETERNALLY saved DURING the Great Tribulation. These NEW TRIBULATION believers CAN & WILL stand even in the face of what the AntiChrist WILL do.
SHINE OUR JESUS WHILE WE MAY, BECAUSE JESUS IS COMING SOON, AND THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE FOR WITNESSING, SHARING, SHINING, & SHOWING OUR JESUS TO THE LOST AND THOSE WE LOVE…AND TO STRANGERS & ENEMIES ALIKE.
PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY...
SHINE SHINE SHINE SHINE SHINE...
FOR THE TIME OF THE CHURCH IS ENDING...
AND IN A BLINK WE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITH JESUS IN THE CLOUDS AND GONE FROM THIS WORLD.