Revealing Revelation - Part 6
The great Divide
Chapter six begins the judgment of God on a world of rebellion against Him. There are three sets of judgments—the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the vial or bowl judgments. Each set has a total of seven plagues. Again, seven is a picture of completion, and the number three represents unity (as in the Trinity). The plagues will compliment each other while at the same time they will be complete judgment from the God of Heaven.
The church has been raptured, and Christ is the only One capable of opening the book. Here we have “the Great Divide” of the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 1:19 we see John being told to, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” John had already written about the things that have been and the things that are in chapters 1-3. Now he has been commissioned to write about the things hereafter beginning in chapter 6.
This point in time is yet future, Christ has been found worthy to open the seven seals. With each seal a judgment is unleashed upon the earth.Jesus is now on the move. He is not walking through His candlesticks anymore. They have been removed. He no longer sits as High Priest. He now takes the office of Judge. Let the judgment begin.
Revelation 6:1, 2 says, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.” And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.”
The Four Horsemen
At the opening of the first seal a rider goes out on a white horse with a bow and and is given a crown. A white horse, yes, but not the white horse of Revelation 19:11. In Revelation 19:11, the Son of God will be upon the white horse. Generally in Scripture, white is a representation of purity and righteousness, but not so in this case. Here we have an “imitation” and an “imitator”. II Corinthians 11:14 we are told, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” It is not Christ, but the antichrist that is pictured here.
Notice that he carries a bow, but no arrows. He comes offering peace. I Thessalonians 5:3 says, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety: then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child: and they shall not escape.”
He comes to rule. He is given a crown. Once the rapture is complete, the antichrist will be able to step on the scene and will be given great authority to rule the world. Again, this is not Christ. He is in Heaven opening the seals. Now—seal number two.
“And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” There is a short lived peace. Now the antichrist is actively involved in World War III as he is given a “great sword”. Christ’s peace will be a permanent peace. The wicked will never have true peace. Isaiah 57:21 says, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”
The third seal is opened in Revelation 6:5, 6—the black horse of famine. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah mentions is Jeremiah 4:28, “For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it. I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.” He continues in Lamentations 4:8, 9 to explain the plight of those taken by famine. “Their visage is blacker than coal; they are known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones. It is withered, it is become like a stick. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.”
Black is the color of mourning and famine, and as the third seal is opened, famine is poured out worldwide. The phrase in verse 6, “…A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny…” represents an inflation rate of 800%. If you think gas is high now, just wait. Currently the price of gas is about $3.50/gallon. An inflation rate of 800% would put the price for a gallon of gas at about $28.00/gallon. Be glad we will not be here then.
The phrase “and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” refers to the ability of the wealthy to continue to but luxury items like toiletries and liquor. It has always been that way. The poor suffer, but the rich survive in style.
Enter—seal four, the pale horse. Verse 8 tells us, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him. And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” A sickening greenish-yellow is the color of this horse. It represents pestilence. Every war brings famine, and famine always brings pestilence. Pestilence brings death.
Death is not the only one riding on the pale horse. Hell rides on the back of this beast and takes 1.5 billion people hostage. Death takes the body, but hell takes the soul. The wild beasts will eat the human “leftovers”. No doubt there will be germ infections from both death and warfare.
The Remaining Seals
Christ opens the fifth seal in verses 9-11—martyrdom. We see in verse 9 the altar. Remember that after the resurrection, Christ ascended to the Father to offer his blood. Hebrews 9:23, and 24 says, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Luke 11:50, 51 tells us, “ That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily, I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.”
Revelation 6:11 mentions the martyr’s fellowservants. Apparently, at the altar we have the Old Testament saints that were martyred waiting for the Tribulation saints that will be martyred . Both are pleading for justice under the law, not grace. The age of grace is over, and God’s wrath is poured out.
The sixth seal involves a great earthquake that will shake the world (6:12-17). The heavens will be shaken and the stars will fall to the earth. The very abode of God (verse 14) will be moved. Verse 16 says, “And {men} said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come: and who shall be able to stand.” Joel foresees this day when he writes in Joel 2:30, 31, “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD.” Peter mentions this day in Acts 2:20 as he quotes the Old Testament book of Joel, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”
This series of events begins the second half of the Tribulation known as the Great Tribulation, the day of God’s wrath. Still, the worst is yet to come for Revelation 16:18 speaks of a great earthquake like none that man has ever seen.
Chapter 7:4-8 deals with the sealing of the 144,000. God tells us exactly who they will be. They will all be Jews, 12,000 from each of the tribes. They will be virgins (Revelation 14:4).
In verses 9-11 we see a tremendous group of saved Jews. These 144,000 Jews will do more to spread the gospel in seven years than the church did in 2,000 years.
In chapter 8:1 we have the seventh and last “seal” judgment. Christ opens the seventh seal and there is silence in Heaven. “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.”
Remember please, that Christ is directing the affairs of earth. He is the great Judge and He is now judging. No man can hide from Him at this point. Six terrible judgments just fell on the earth. But that is only the beginning. Seven more “trumpet “ judgments are on the way. They will be worse that the previous seven, but not as bad as the last “vial” judgments. So what we have is the seventh seal judgment introducing the first trumpet judgment. It is the calm before the storm. Remember too, that God is always slow to bring judgment. Ezekiel 18:32 says, For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
This brings us to the close of the first seven judgments that will be poured out on the earth. Remember that the church is in Heaven during this time. People will still be saved, but the Holy Spirit will not have the same ministry that He has now. He will revert back to His dealings with men in the way He dealt with them in the Old Testament.
Even though much of Revelation seems unbelievable, the bulk of the book is to be taken literally. This world will be a terrible mess. Man can not possibly stand against the wrath of Almighty God.
