Please turn in your Bibles this evening to Revelation chapter 6 as we continue our study through the Word of God. Last time we met, as we began studying Revelation chapter 6, we saw Jesus begin to open the seals that were upon the scroll and as He did God’s judgment was poured out upon a Christ rejecting world.
We looked at last time what is known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as they were sent forth or unleashed upon the earth. The rider on the white horse is the Antichrist who comes forth as a man of peace and is ushered in as the world’s leader by the people. The rider on the red horse brought about devastating wars upon the land. We then moved to the rider on the black horse that represented a worldwide famine upon the land and all will be affected by this famine except the rich, they will still have food to fill their stomachs with. And this fourth rider sits upon a pale or ashen horse, the color of death. Here we see ¼ of the earth’s population killed by the sword, by hunger, by pestilence and by the beasts of the earth, over 1.5 billion people will die!
As I said last time, it seems like this fits in with what Jesus said in Matthew 24:4-8, where we are told, “And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’”
You see, this is the beginning of birth pains or labor pains, which would place these events in the first 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period. I would not be dogmatic about this, but it does seem to fit into what the Scriptures are saying. It is the beginning of sorrows or birth pains that leads into the Great Tribulation or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, those last 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period.
Tonight we are going to finish up this chapter as we pick-up our study in Revelation chapter 6, beginning in verse 9 as we see what happens as Jesus opens up the fifth and sixth seals that are upon the scroll. It is as we are told in Zephaniah 1:14-18 about the Day of the Lord. We are told, “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. ‘I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.’ Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.” Not a pretty picture nor is it intended to be. In saying that, let’s dig in and see what the Lord has for us this evening.
VERSES 9-11
As the fifth seal is opened we see those who have been put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ crying out to the Lord and asking the Lord how long this persecution, the death of God’s people is going to go on before He judges them. First of all let me say this so there is no misunderstanding here. The fifth seal judgment is not the martyrdom of God’s people; it could not be a judgment from God upon His people. Then what is this seal judgment all about?
It would seem that this seal judgment is the prayers of those tribulation martyrs for God to exact His holy and righteous vengeance upon them. We are told in Psalm 9:12, “When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.” And in Luke 18:7-8 we are told, “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. . . .” God will answer these prayers for they are prayers that are in accordance with His will!
Now, is John speaking of the Church here being persecuted? In fact, why can’t it be the Church? First of all, as we have seen in our study of the book of Revelation, this can’t be the Church that John is speaking of here because we have seen that the Church is Raptured or taken out of this world before God’s wrath is poured out upon it, before the Tribulation Period begins. I am very confident in this, John is not speaking of the Church here in Revelation chapter 6. Let me explain. In Revelation 7:13-15 we are told, “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 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 dwell among them.’”
So specifically, these saints are the ones who have come out of the Tribulation Period and have been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. In saying that, it means that this can’t be speaking of the Church, remember what Jesus said in His letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Jesus is saying that He will keep us out of this time of trial that is coming upon this earth, upon the earth dwellers, not His children, we will be kept out of this day!
Not only that, but in Revelation 13:7 we are told, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” The Amplified Bible puts it like this, “He was further permitted to wage war on God's holy people (the saints) and to overcome them. And power was given him to extend his authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, [Dan 7:21,25.]” And The Living Bible puts it this way, “The Dragon gave him power to fight against God's people and to overcome them, and to rule over all nations and language groups throughout the world.”
Now if you have any doubt about this being the Church here in Revelation chapter 6, this should clear it up. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Do you see that, Jesus is saying that against His Church the gates of Hell shall not overcome or prevail against them and yet, in Revelation 13:7 it seems to be saying the exact opposite, why? Because that is not the Church that is spoken of there in Revelation chapter 6 or 7 or 13, they are the Tribulation Saints or those that have come to the Lord during the Tribulation Period. I hope that clears it up for you, there is a big difference between the Church and the Tribulation Saints as you can see.
When are these saints martyred for their faith during this 7-year Tribulation Period? Again, let’s look back to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 in a section that is known as the Olivet Discourse as Jesus gives to His men the signs of His second coming. In Matthew 24:9-10 we are told, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
According to what transpires after this it would seem that this martyrdom occurs probably late in the first 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period and will continue on and become more intense during those last 3½ years or what is known as the Great Tribulation. You see, as you continue on reading in this section of Matthew chapter 24 you come to verse 15, which speaks of the abomination of desolation where the Antichrist enters the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and demands to be worshiped as God. This is the middle of the 7-year Tribulation Period that the abomination of desolation occurs and thus, these saints begin to be martyred somewhere in those first 3½ years, and like I said, probably towards the end of it.
Here in verse 9 of Revelation chapter 6 it speaks of these martyred saints being under the altar, what is that all about? In Leviticus 4:7 we are told that the priest, “ . . . shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” It is very possible that John is telling us that their lifeblood was poured out as an offering to God.
In II Timothy 4:6-8 Paul tells us this as he waited to be put to death for his faith in Jesus Christ, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Paul saw his life ending as a drink offering to the Lord, (Numbers 15:1-10). You see, first there was the burnt offering, then the grain offering, and lastly was the drink offering to the Lord. It is as Hiebert said, “His whole life has been presented to God as a living sacrifice; now his death, comparable to the pouring out of the wine as the last act of the sacrificial ceremony, will complete his life.”
It is as Paul said in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service [spiritual worship].” And thus, as these dear saints waited under the altar, their blood having been shed for their faith, it is like the blood being poured out upon the base of the altar of burnt offering.
Here is one more possibility, this could be the golden altar of incense that stood outside the Holy of Holies and it was a picture of the prayers of God’s people. What is interesting is that on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would sprinkle the horns on this altar with blood taken from the brazen altar. It is a picture of our prayers, outside of the sacrifice of Christ, His shed blood, our prayers will not be answered. Could these saints be under this altar? It is a possibility because they too are praying to God to intercede and right the wrongs that have been done, to set up His Kingdom on this earth.
Now why does the Antichrist, and for that matter, the world come against these saints of God? It is because of the Word of God, which they believed, and their testimony of God, which they held. In other words, they will be a bright shinning light in a world of darkness and the darkness will not like the light because it will expose their evil deeds and thus, they will try to extinguish it, put it out. Yes, persecution of God’s people has been around since the church began on the day of Pentecost, but it will reach its climax during the Tribulation Period as these tribulation saints who stand up for the truth’s of God found in the Word of God and proclaim Jesus as the only way are put to death!
Remember the letter Jesus wrote to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation chapter 3, He praised them for keeping His Word and their faith or their testimony of God. Folks, that never changes! And those that hold onto these things will manifest the things of God in their lives and many times they will be persecuted, and even put to death for their faith. Now our responsibility is not to destroy those who come against us but to lay our lives down before them. To show them the love of Christ. Many Roman guards and executioners came to the faith after seeing Christians being put to death and praying for those who were doing these things to them. Today we want to get our AK-47’s and blow these evil people away. The reality is we are to love them into the kingdom of God just as God has loved us!
Also, we see in the church today the Word of God being placed behind all kinds of entertainment, psycho-babble, watered down sermons, and all this garbage has caused many people not to know God, they don=t know how to live, their light is dim, and their testimony is weak. Difficult times come and they are ready to run, instead of drawing closer to God. I pray that you have a love for God’s Word and a desire to draw close to Him through it. If you do your light will shine brightly and your testimony will be strong!
Their question is simple, “How long?” How long are they going to have to wait until those who have done these things to them will be judged?” And the Lord tells them to hang in there, to be patient, as soon as the complete number of their fellow brethren have been martyred for their faith, then He will act. Now please understand this is not a spiteful request, but a desire to see Satan and the Antichrist destroyed, to see wickedness done away with and to see the Lord rule and reign in righteousness from Jerusalem. Folks, it truly is our cry too, “How long?”
VERSES 12-14
Now we are into the Great Tribulation Period and I believe this brings us all the way to the end of the Tribulation Period. Why do I say that? Because, when you look at the events that are described here; the great earthquakes, the sun turning black, the moon becoming red like blood, the stars in heaven falling, the sky split apart and every mountain and island being moved out of its place, it has to occur very close to the end!
In Joel chapter 2 we read of this time known as the Day of the Lord beginning in verse 10, “The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? . . . And I will show 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 coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” Joel 2:10-11, 30-31.
In Isaiah 24:17-23 we read of this time that is coming, “Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit, And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, And the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth. They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit ,And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously.”
Now, let’s look at some of these events a little closer. First of all we read of this great earthquake, what is so special about this one? Think about it, there are earthquakes every single day, some that are big and some that are not so big, but everyday there are earthquakes! Folks, nothing will compare with this one and not only is there a great earthquake, but the sun becomes dark and the moon becomes like blood. What is this all about? Scientist Dr. Henry M. Morris explains how this might happen. He wrote:
The great earthquake described here . . . for the first time in history is worldwide in scope. Seismologist and geophysicists in recent years have learned a great deal about the structure of the earth and about the cause and nature of earthquakes. The earth’s solid crust is traversed with a complex network of faults, with all resting upon a plastic mantle whose structure is still largely unknown. Whether the crust consists of great moving plates is a current matter of controversy among geophysicists, so the ultimate cause of earthquakes is still not known. In all likelihood, the entire complex of crustal instabilities is a remnant of the phenomena of the great Flood, especially the breakup of the fountains of the deep. In any case, the vast worldwide network of unstable earthquake belts around the world suddenly will begin to slip and fracture on a global basis and a gigantic earthquake will ensue. This is evidently, and naturally, accompanied by tremendous volcanic eruptions, spewing vast quantities of dust and steam and gases into the upper atmosphere. It is probably these that will cause the sun to be darkened and the moon to appear blood-red.
- Dr. Henry Morris, The Revelation Record, p. 121
We are also told that every mountain and every island will be moved out of its place and once again Dr. Morris explains how this could happen. He wrote:
The earth’s crust, highly unstable ever since the great Flood, will be so disturbed by impacting asteroids, the volcanic explosions, and the worldwide earthquakes, that great segments of it will actually begin to slip and slide over the earth’s deep plastic mantle. Geophysicists for many years have been fascinated with the idea of “continental drift” (although strong evidence has been accumulating against any such phenomenon occurring in the present age). Several have published theories of a past naturalistic catastrophism involving what they call “the earth’s shifting crust.” Some such phenomenon may actually be triggered under this judgment of the sixth seal, dwarfing the damage occasioned by all the mighty earthquakes of the past.
- Dr. Henry Morris, The Revelation Record, p. 123
Also, the sun becomes black and the moon like blood, and this may be the result of volcanic activity, which is a strong probability after this violent earthquake. You may remember when Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington or Mt. Pinataubo in the Philippians, leaving the sky’s as dark as night during the day time. People were driving around at noontime with their car headlights on because the volcanic ash blocked out the sun.
The stars falling from heaven may be speaking of meteors or asteroids that are pelting the earth. We have seen the effects of these projectiles as just a few years ago they pelted Jupiter, and it has caused many to search the heavens looking for these objects to warn us of the coming danger. An object just 10 miles wide impacting the earth could alter the rotation of the earth, besides the other devastating effects of this object hitting the earth.
It is as Isaiah 24:19-20 tells us, “The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again.”
Also we see the sky split apart or roll up like a scroll. I can’t tell you fully what this means but I will say this. According to those involved with quantum physics and the findings of the Hubble telescope, they show us that the universe is expanding and is curved or scroll-like in shape! Can God roll up the sky? If He wants to!
In fact, in Isaiah chapter 34, beginning in verse 1, listen to what we are told, “Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood. All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree. . . . For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” Isaiah 34:1-4, 8.
Now, as all these cataclysmic events are being poured out upon the earth-dwellers, what do you think their response will be? As you will see the heart of man is hard and in rebellion towards God.
VERSES 15-17
First of all you can’t say they didn’t know where this judgment was coming from. You can’t say that they just thought these were natural disasters. You see, they are crying out for the mountains and the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath that is coming from God the Father and from God the Son, the Lamb! They will know exactly where this is coming from and why and yet, they will still refuse to repent. It is as H. B. Swete said, “What sinners dread most is not death, but the revealed presence of God.”
You can’t stand before a holy and righteous God in your own righteousness, and they will understand that and yet they still refuse to repent and get right with God. It is as Nahum 1:3-6 tells us, “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.” Those that refuse the Rock of Ages will end up crying for the rocks of the earth to fall on them. What a sad picture this is of rebellious man!
Also, in Isaiah 13:6-13, listen to what we are told of this period of time, “Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man's heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.” In fact, this will be so bad that Jesus said in Luke chapter 21, starting in verse 25, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25-28. When people see what is happening, their hearts will fail, some will die it will be so bad!
And listen carefully to what John tells us in Revelation 6:17, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” This is the Great Tribulation and apart from Christ, like I have said, you will not be able to stand before Him!
In our study this evening we have seen two groups of people. One group is going to be put to death for their faith in Christ, and the other group will be hiding from God and wanting to die, as they refuse to turn to Christ. One group is destined for heaven, and the other group is destined for Hell. And each individual has the choice of where he will spend eternity, depending on what He does with Christ. And keep in mind that all these things are taking place during the tribulation period as Jesus Christ opens the fifth and sixth seals of judgment that is coming upon a Christ rejecting world.
Lester Buford tells us this story of Calvin Coolidge:
Once when Calvin Coolidge was Vice President and presiding over the Senate, an altercation arose between two Senators. Tempers flared, and one Senator told the other to go straight to Hell. The offended Senator stormed from his seat, marched down the aisle and stood before Mr. Coolidge, who was silently leafing through a book.
“Mr. [Vice] President,” he said, “did you hear what he said to me?”
Coolidge looked up from his book and calmly said, “You know, I have been looking through the rule book. You don’t have to go.”
- Lester Buford
You see, people do have a choice, they don’t need to go to Hell, but if you want to, God will not get in your way. He has done everything possible to keep you out of Hell, but if you reject Him, it is your choice!
Make no mistake about it; these things will come to pass just as the Lord has said. As I begin to close this evening listen to these words from Paul in Hebrews chapter 12, beginning in verse 25. We read, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29.
God is going to shake this earth, the question is, “Are your feet planted upon the solid Rock, Jesus Christ?” If not, you will be shaken and consumed in the fire of His judgment. If you are in Christ you are on solid ground and God=s fire of judgment will not consume you for your sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ. The choice is yours on where you will stand, who you will put your faith in! May it be the Lord Jesus Christ, for all other foundations will crumble away!
Now, as I really close this evening, let me leave you with this to think about. I don’t believe this scientist knew how prophetic his words would be, but listen carefully to what he had to say. In 1860, a French scientist named Pierre Bercheit predicted: “Within a hundred years of physical and chemical science, man will know what the atom is. It is my belief that when science reaches this stage, God will come down with His big ring of keys and will say to humanity: Gentlemen, it is closing time!” Folks, that is what we are seeing here in Revelation, for rebellious man, “Gentlemen, it is closing time!” For us, it is going to be the birth of the Kingdom Age and we long for that day!