The Opening of the Six Seals: Tribulation Revelation 6 The Opening of the Six Seals: Tribulation

Despite the tribulations and judgments of Revelation 6 and 7, if you face toward God and belong to Him, you will see the Lamb, the victorious Jesus by God’s side, and you will have nothing to fear.

3. The Vision of the Seven Seals (Rev. 4-7). a 3. The Vision of the Seven Seals (Rev. 4-7) a. The Throne-Rome in Heaven (Rev. 4:1-11) b. The Scroll and the Lamb (Rev. 5:1-14) c. The Opening of Six Seals (Rev. 6:1-17) i. The first seal (Rev. 6:1-2) ii. The second seal (Rev. 6:3-4) iii. The third seal (Rev. 6:5-6) iv. The fourth seal (Rev. 6:7-8) v. The fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11) vi. The sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) d. The Status of God’s people (Rev. 7:1-17) i. The 144,000 (Rev. 7:1-8) ii. The great multitude (Rev. 7:9-17)

Key Message: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” Revelation 7:14

Revelation 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!" Notice he says, “Come!” not “come and see” as some would translate it. He is calling forth the rider.

First seal The scroll has seven seals probably made by tying the roll with seven strings and sealing each knot with a waxed, stamped seal. The scroll could not be unrolled and read until all seven seals were broken. Nothing is said here about reading the document, but the breaking of each seal introduces an action

Revelation 6:2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

4 horseman of the Apocalypse

1st horseman - white 1. Righteousness, because white is associated with the white robes of the redeemed. 2. Victorious, because it is a matter of conquest whatever the cause. 3. Some say deceitfully bad, because the other three horses represent evils. 4. Hal Lindsey says it is a European Antichrist who rules from Rome (who secures the help of a Jewish Antichrist ruling from Israel)

1st horseman - white 5. Many say it is a military threat 6. Some say it is the Parthians 7. Some say it is representative of the threat of war 8. Some say it is the ruler from Daniel 9:26 and the beast in Rev. 13 9. Some say it is a false teacher

1st horseman - white Possible not evil at all. Zechariah 1 there are horseman who are neutral Zechariah 6 there are four horses in four colors pulling chariots White is typical for the good guys Therefore some have suggested it represents the Church fulfilling the Great Commission. Which is a great way to start.

1st horseman - white He is white, remember Rev. 19 Jesus on white horse Second seal is war remember He is given a crown, the same crown the redeemed were promised He is called the conqueror, the same conqueror the redeemed were promised to be. He left peace in his wake Mark 13:10

The Rider with a bow Jesus Christ, because identified in Revelation 19:11 Parthian The gospel because of the Word of God Spirit of Conquest Antichrist

The Rider with a bow Ps. 45:4-6 Habakkuk 3:8-13 Ps. 7:10-13 Some object and say the other riders represent things, not people If that be the case that works here for it is “the Word of God” who rides Rev. 19

Conqueror It is conquest. The question is what kind of conquest? Remember war comes next Different kind of conquest Mark 13:11ff

Revelation 6:3-4 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and he was given a great sword.

2nd rider Red Red is appropriate for war and bloodshed. It fits the results: he removed peace, men slay each other, given a large sword. Represents war in general. God is teaching the Church that when you go preach the Gospel you will encounter war. There is no exemption for war and bad stuff for Christians

2nd rider Red What were the Old Testament Jews commanded to do in regard to pagans? No great commission until after the ressurection

Revelation 6:5-6 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a balance in his hand; 6 and I heard what seemed to be 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; but do not harm oil and wine!"

3rd rider black A symbol of economic depression of some type, famine War brings this to be sure Quart of wheat in Cicero’s day was ordinarily twelve measures for a day’s wage Wheat was three times more expensive than barley (normally it was two to one)

3rd rider black “oil and wine” – some say the rich will be fine, but probably not the case Some say God will allow, but limit tribulation like in Job Likely it means do not waste either. They may not be so quickly affected as the grain, but they will run out too.

Revelation 6:7-8 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

4th horse ashen (pale green) Catastrophic death Ezekiel 14:21 ¼ implies it is going to be a partial catastrophe Remember the meaning of four

Revelation 6:9-10 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 thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?"

5th seal Persecution and martyrdom Leviticus 4:7 Is it right ask for vengeance? Psalms 137:8-9

Revelation 6:11 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 brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

White robe They have made it to heaven When is the second coming? Acts 1:6-7

Revelation 6:12-14 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 rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

6th seal – God’s Final Judgment Some say this is dealing with the fall of Rome Some say it is dealing with the fall of China or Russia Some say it is the fall of Jerusalem

6th seal – God’s Final Judgment Natural disasters – Isa. 13:6-11; 24:23; 34:4; 50:3; 64:1-3 This is the language of a theophany – when God says He will bring down a nation this is the language He uses The moon and stars refuse to look or the earth trembles Matthew 24:29-31; Nahum 1:3, 5, 6; Hosea 10:8 also see Luke 21:20-24

Revelation 6:15-17 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid 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 before it?"

“the Great Day of Wrath” Some say it is the 2nd or so year of wrath More likely the final day, the Day of the Lord “wrath of the Lamb” – a scary lamb???

Parallel with Matthew 24 2nd seal – war vs. 6-7 3rd seal – famine vs. 7 5th seal – persecution vs. 9-10 6th seal – end vs. 13 1st seal – Gospel vs. 14 Remember it is a double prophesy of a.d. 70 and the end of time