How are you doing with this Revelation study so far? Has your heart been stirred by the picture of Jesus in glory? Has your hope been rekindled by knowing He is the One still in charge? Have you received encouragement from His compliments? Have you seen improvements regarding His complaints? Has your love for your Savior increased? Have you found yourself worshipping Him more freely and walking in thankfulness for your salvation? Have you fallen more in love with His Word? Are you more inspired to believe in Him, trust Him, and place your faith in Him? Are you beginning to see proof of His fruit in your life? If not, let's get started. It's not too late. He's already smiling that you are reading this. Go back and read the text and notes. Stay with it. He's not finished with you yet. I'm living proof! He's still working with me in so many areas. One big one is establishing Him as my First Love, for real. He's made it clear that I've struggled with getting my priorities mixed up. I've allowed my hobbits and habbies to rise up...wha? Hobbies and habits! Haaaa! You see what I mean?
I pray the Revelation of Jesus Christ is real and evident in our lives. May His character come forth in our thoughts, words, and actions. He's going to use those things to plant seeds in others' lives for such a time as described in Chapter 6. Enter the Great Tribulation.
Have you ever had difficulty working with a certain someone? Someone that is just continually contrary and defiant? Obstinate and uncooperative? They just refuse to comply? Won't listen? Twisted and bent, like an old gnarly tree? God has a plan for such characters. I trust you are not one of those types, but you might ask around, just in case! If you are, repent, and pay attention here. God, in His sovereignty, must deal with sin. He is True and Just. Wouldn't you want justice done for any travesties done to your children? The Lamb is opening the Seven Seals and unleashing His wrath upon the sinful, stubborn world to shake them up with a knock out punch. This, in turn, will wake up Israel to come around to belief, as well. Remember, He has already taken up the body of believers known as the Church at the beginning of Chapter 4. That's where Christians are raptured and caught up to heaven. That all happens prior to the trials of the Great Tribulation. So, why do we care about Chapter 6 then, if we are already gone? First, just reading about His wrath convinces us we should do everything in our power to avoid having to go through this tribulation. We need to be certain that He is our Savior. It should motivate us to lead our families to Jesus, while there's still time. Secondly, John wrote this down to become part of our bibles. There will be a substantial revival during this seven year period. It's a part of God's grace to give all people He loves the best opportunities to receive salvation. They will be a people that will have great need for His Word. I imagine copies of the bible could be scarce. Meetings will be likely held in secret. They are going to benefit from reading about their current situation. They will be encouraged to stand firm to their testimony to the end, which is shortly coming. It will be a time like no other, more difficult than they've ever known. Antichrist is extremely deceptive. It will be difficult to make good decisions. It will be painful and costly. It will cost them their heads, literally. We will see their slain souls under the altar in heaven in this chapter.
The intensity of the Great Tribulation is increased by several factors. The Holy Spirit no longer restrains evil. He doesn't leave, but He is no longer actively influencing. The true church, salt and light, are gone. Their influence is removed. The devil knows he only has a short time to have free reign. Evil men are free to carry out their plans as Antichrist takes over for a time. There will be direct judgment by God. Who could possibly stand?
The Lamb is the One who is worthy to open the seals. He's not on His horse yet. That time is coming. But for now, He is directing His wrath in the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first horse is white. It's rider has a temporary crown made of olive branches, symbolizing peace. He carries a bow, but no arrows. This is the symbol of Nimrod, the founder of Bablyon, that place of false religion and the Tower of Babel story. He could easily be mistaken as Christ, as he pretends to be Him. He's Antichrist, bent on conquering the world. He comes in the name of Peace and solves the world's peace problem. He's a world dictator, disguising himself as an angel of light. Perhaps, he comes up with a treaty for the Middle East. Even non-believing analysts agree the world is ripe for a one-world leader and government to bring peace and unity. He makes everything look good. Then suddenly, war is on his heels. The red horse shows up. He is given a sword. Much blood will be shed. The world is at war. The black horse brings famine. The economy goes bankrupt. A meal costs a day's wages. But the rich are still okay. They have plenty of wine and beauty products to still look good and carry on their lifestyle of the rich and famous. The pale horse brings Death and Hades. A fourth of the population is killed by more war, famine, plagues, pestilence, and beasts. These beasts could be microscopic germs and viruses or they could be actual factual hungry animals attacking. Payback for the hunters? That would be my luck! The fifth seal reveals the souls of those slain in the tribulation. They are begging for the Lord to avenge their blood. They are told to wait a little longer until the full amount of believers are martyred.
The Earth is rocked by the sixth seal. There will be a great earthquake. This isn't a wittle guy or a teeny weeny tremor. This one levels the place. The early explorers may be proven correct by the end of this thing because the world will indeed be flat! They will be able to simply reach out and touch the top of Mt. Everest, as it is no more. The sun turns black and the moon turns blood red. This is the first mentioning of a red moon, so there's no need to be alarmed at our present-day Blood Moons that some are getting excited about. Remember, we are already gone by this point, so we won't see this red moon, from Earth anyway. You think softball size hail is bad? Try dodging the stars falling to the Earth! There goes the tulips! Might as well get out your baseball bat and swing away, if you're still in defiance. Hope you have a good helmet.
This brings a most interesting point to light in the scripture. Everyone is hiding in the clefts of the rocks, begging for the rocks of the mountains to kill them. How do they know where this is coming from? How do they know Who is directing this? They cry out to be hidden from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. How do they know that? I think something very special has finally happened in the history of mankind. Verse 14 describes the heavens receding like a scroll being rolled up. Refer to Rev. 20:11, where earth and sky flees from His presence. The connection of the Spirit world to the Physical world became tangible to people at that point. They discovered the reality of the Spirit world and could literally see it. Currently, we walk by faith, not by sight. We believe and depend on that reality connecting and impacting our lives today. These folks really see it. I believe in His grace, He conceals it from us today. But in this passage, it's Go Time! From the Earth, they see the reality of Him on the throne. They see the Lamb opening the seals of His wrath. I bet the caves they were trembling in smelled pretty foul at this point. "Now, get me a clean pair of shorts!"
I pray neither us, nor our families are found to be in this company. We weren't made to hide in the rocks. We were made to stand on the Rock! He is our salvation. Keep praying for those family members and friends that are bent. Don't give up on God. Don't count Him out. What is impossible for man is so very possible for God. Save Your people, Lord.
