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Revelation 6-7 "When God Removes His Protection"
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. 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. When He opened the third seal, I herd 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." 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 kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.Å@(Revelation 6:1-6)
Last week we found that the only one who was worthy to open the scroll was Jesus Christ. God’s perfect justice is dealt out by the very same Jesus who showed us God’s mercy by redeeming us on the cross. Jesus not only died on the cross for us, but through His church He is spreading the good news of salvation throughout the entire world. His mercy is so great that He will not open the scroll until the church has gone out into all the earth so that everyone who can be saved has had the chance. Only when He has gathered His church from every tribe and tongue and people and nation up into heaven will Jesus finally open the seals on the scroll of God’s plan of final judgement.
The first four scrolls unloose what are known as the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". These are not just symbolic, but will be actual beings, demonic spirits who God will allow to do their evil in the world. I find it interesting that God's judgement here is not so much sending trouble as unloosing trouble that until now He has held back and protected us from. The opening of the seals is like opening holes in God’s constant protection of the earth. It is like the Lord, holding our planet in His hands, starts to spread His fingers one by one. When Jesus opens the first seal it will let in the rider on the white horse who will conquer. To all the world this person will seem like a man of peace, a savior, a good guy on a white horse. He will establish himself at the head of a world government and be incredibly popular. We will find out much more about this figure later on in Revelation but suffice it to say that peace won’t last long, because as the second seal is opened a second figure in blood red enters the scene who will take away peace and bring war. After war the third seal lets loose a rider on a black horse who will bring famine. The famines in the world now are the direct consequence of war. War disrupts planting and harvesting, land mines make it impossible to work fields, young men die and cannot tend the land, and aid if it can arrive at all is often diverted to the soldiers. With the "green revolution" of the 60’s and 70’s even the most overpopulated countries are able to feed themselves if only they can get the chance to plant in peace. The last rider is on a pale horse and is simply called death. I believe that it will be a breakdown of society, with the strong plundering the poor, the hungry forgotten, the sick left to die and humankind so degenerate that there will be a resurgence of wild animals at the top of the food chain. Man will have sunk so low that he runs from beasts in fear. The only ones who will prosper in this time will be the strong and the rich who will still be able to buy their oil and wine.
This is what the earth will look like without God's protection. If God simply left us to our own devices this is what the result would rapidly be. Praise God that until that day He is constantly protecting us from even ourselves. Not only that but He is working through His church to be salt and light in this world. Throughout history most of the greatest reforms against evil in this world have been spearheaded by Christians. Without Christians like John Woolman, America would still hold Africans in slavery. Without Christians like Amy Carmichael there would still be little girls in India forced into temple prostitution. Without Christians most of the world today would still be without medicine and education and dependant on the colonizaton of stronger countries.
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 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?" (Revelation 6:1-17)
In Genesis when Cain killed his brother Abel, God said to him, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." In the same way the blood of every Christian who has been killed for the word of God and for their testimony cries out to God for justice. God's justice is not complete just to leave man to stew in his own evil. The blood of every innocent who has been killed demands justice. The sixth seal opens and it is like God suddenly removing His protective covering from the earth. Recently, scientists are concerned about the hole in the ozone layer. We are truly only beginning to understand the complexity of God's protection that surrounds us. The ozone layer shields us from the harmful rays of the suns radiation. The reason why it is getting hotter, it is easier to get sunburned, and there are more cases of skin cancer is because we have poked a hole in God's protective covering. Actually our whole atmosphere acts as a protective covering as well because most objects that come to earth from space burn up about 90km up in our atmosphere before they become a problem. The sixth seal sounds like that protective covering has been removed. Every year around November 17th, our earth's orbit passes through an area of space with a high number of meteors that produces the Leonid Meteor Shower. Every 33 years it is particularly strong with up to 10,000 meteors striking the earth in one hour. 1999 is one of these strong years and my son and I will be staying up late that night to watch. But could you imagine what would happen if those shooting stars did not melt 90 km up but just kept on falling? John describes it as like shaking a fig tree and watching the fruit drop to the ground. Actually those meteors are not very large, just pebbles, but each one would hit the ground like a rocket. However scientists say that our earth is often hit by meteors that are about the size of a car that never hit the ground. Scientists are only now starting to search for and track asteroids that are near us, but it is possible that a collision with a large asteroid could cause devastating earthquakes, tidal waves and even climate changes. John says that when this seal is opened, even the rich and powerful will hide themselves in the caves and rocks. In the great day of God's wrath, no one will be able to stand.
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea. Saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and were 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 n His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:1-17)
After the sixth seal there is a pause. Actually, it will become terribly silent on the earth because there will be absolutely no wind. The whole atmospheric system will be put on hold, while God takes a time-out to make sure that His servants are protected. But haven't God's servants all been caught up with Jesus in the air, praising Him in heaven? Yes, the church has been raptured out of the tribulation! That is why at the end of chapter 7 we see those from every nation, tribe, people and tongues praising God and no longer having hunger or thirst nor tears. So who are these servants that are sealed on their foreheads? First, we know that they are Jews. Exactly twelve thousand from each of the tribes of Israel are sealed. Secondly, we know that they were not Christian when Jesus raptured the church. So we think that these 144,000 servants of God are Jews who see the rapture and the fulfillment of the prophecy written in Revelation and choose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are too late to avoid the Great Tribulation but God grants them special protection from the wrath that He pours out on the rest of the world.
The words of God's people ringing out in heaven are true.
"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb!" There have been many groups who insist that their church
is the 144, 000 servants of God, and unless you join their group you
won't be protected from the Great Tribulation. God has told us clearly
that there is only one way to be saved, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation belongs to God, it is not ours to sell. It is not our right
to demand that people measure up to our standards, or do things our
way. Only God has the right or the ability to save us from sin and death
and He says that He will give that salvation freely to anyone who believes
in the name of Jesus Christ.
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