06 how long, sovereign lord (part 1) slideshow

The Book of Revelation 4/8/2007

Lesson 6
How Long, Sovereign Lord? (Part 1)

Amen! Hallelujah! – A Study of the Book of Revelation
By Dale Wells
Text: Rev 6.1-17

THE SEVEN SEALS
From this point on, Revelation
revolves around sets of seven –
seven seals, trumpets and
bowls.
Each set is broken into three.
Each begins with four images
that are similar.
The four are followed by two
that are different from the first
four.
Then, there is a break, or
intermission, of some sort,
followed by the seventh image.
In Revelation 6 the Lamb, the
only one in the universe who is
worthy, begins to open the
seven seals.

THE FIRST FOUR SEALS
Rev 6:1-8 WEB I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals,
and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of
thunder, "Come and see!" And behold, a white horse, and he who sat
on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came forth
conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard
the second living creature saying, "Come!" Another came forth, a red
horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the
earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a
great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living
creature saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a black horse, and he
who sat on it had a balance in his hand. I heard a voice in the midst of
the four living creatures saying, "A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and
three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don't damage the oil and the
wine!" When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living
creature saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a pale horse, and he
who sat on it, his name was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority
over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with
death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.

Lesson 6 1


As Christ opens four seals,
horsemen ride across the stage
The first rides a white horse
The second rides a red
horse
The third rides a black horse
The fourth rides a pale horse
Three approaches to
understanding these riders

The most common approach is to
identify the first rider as Christ
Christ rides a white horse later
Rev 19:11-16 WEB behold,
a white horse, and he who sat
on it His eyes are a flame of
fire, and on his head are many
crowns. He has names written
and a name written which no
one knows but he himself
His name is called "The Word
of God." He has on his
garment and on his thigh a
name written, "KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS."
The others are Satan's efforts to
destroy Christ's work using
bloodshed (red horse),
economic oppression (black
horse), and death (pale horse).

Another approach views all four
riders as the minions of Satan
All four are seen as Satan's
workers that he uses in his
attempts to rout Christians and
destroy the church.
This seems to flow naturally
from the fact that the fourth rider
is identified as "Death" and that
Hades follows him.
Also, the fifth seal introduces
the souls of dead saints, so the
flow seems quite natural.

Lesson 6 2


A third approach sees these riders as
a parade of God’s powers
Each is a weapon God uses on
his enemies.
The four riders may be the
same as the four winds of the
earth that are held back before
unleashing their destructive
power in the next chapter.
Rev 7:1-3 WEB I saw four
angels standing at the four
corners of the earth, holding the
four winds of the earth I saw
another angel He cried with
a loud voice to the four angels
to whom it was given to harm
the earth and the sea, saying,
"Don't harm the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees, until we
have sealed the bondservants
of our God on their foreheads!"

The White Horse

Rev 6:1-2 WEB I saw that
the Lamb opened one of the
seven seals, and I heard one
of the four living creatures
saying, as with a voice of
thunder, "Come and see!"
And behold, a white horse,
and he who sat on it had a
bow. A crown was given to
him, and he came forth
conquering, and to conquer.

This is probably not the same as the
rider John describes in Revelation 19
Rev 19:11-16 WEB behold, a
white horse, and he who sat on it is
called Faithful and True. In
righteousness he judges and makes
war. His eyes are a flame of fire,
and on his head are many crowns
He is clothed in a garment sprinkled
with blood. His name is called "The
Word of God." The armies which are
in heaven followed him on white
horses, clothed in white, pure, fine
linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a
sharp, double-edged sword, that
with it he should strike the nations.
He will rule them with a rod of iron.
He treads the winepress of the
fierceness of the wrath of God, the
Almighty. He has on his garment
and on his thigh a name written,
"KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS."

Lesson 6 3


The rider in Revelation 19 is Christ
We'll focus on the points of
identification when we
examine that passage.
For now, it is enough to note
that he is called "Faithful and
True", his name is "The
Word of God", the armies of
heaven follow him, he judges
and makes war in
righteousness, and he has
the name "KING OF KINGS,
AND LORD OF LORDS"
tattooed on him.
John expects us to identify
the rider in Revelation 19 as
Christ.

But is the rider in the first seal
Christ?

Proponents of identifying the rider in the first seal as Christ point
out that both passages depict a rider on a white horse, and that
each rider is wearing a crown.
But they overlook or minimize some very important differences
between the descriptions in the two texts.

The riders wear different crowns

The rider in the first seal is wearing a single crown; the rider in
Revelation 19 is wearing many crowns.
The riders are wearing different kinds of crowns.
The rider in the first seal is wearing a stephanos - the victor's crown worn by
a victorious general, or by the winner of an athletic competition. It was a
wreath, similar to those in pictures of Roman conquerors.
The rider in Revelation 19 is wearing many crowns of a different type. Each
of those crowns is a diademnos – a ruler's crown.

Lesson 6 4


The riders carry different weapons

The rider in the first seal carries a bow; the rider in Revelation
19 has a sword coming out of his mouth.
The sword was a favorite weapon of the Romans, but it was not the
weapon of their enemies.
Their mortal enemies, the Parthians, used the bow as their favorite
weapon.
This rider appears to parallel the others. He is not distinct, as
one would expect if he was Christ, and the others were the
agents of Satan trying to destroy his kingdom.

This group of four riders has an OT
background
Zec 6:1-8 WEB I saw four
chariots . In the first were red
horses; in the second black
horses; in the third white horses;
and in the fourth dappled horses
"These are the four winds of the
sky, which go forth from standing
before the Lord of all the earth
The strong went out, and sought to
go that they might walk back and
forth through the earth: and he said,
"Go around and through the earth!"
So they walked back and forth
through the earth. Then he called to
me, and spoke to me, saying,
"Behold, those who go toward the
north country have quieted my spirit
in the north country."

As in Zechariah 6, the riders are
agents to discipline God's enemies

In Zechariah's vision, the Lord is the one who controls history. He will conquer
the nations that oppress Israel. Since his chariots claim victory in the north, total
victory is certain. The chariots are vehicles of God's judgment.
In Revelation 7 they are seen again as four winds God is going to use to
discipline the Roman Empire.
Zec 6:4-5 WEB Then I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are
these, my lord?" (5) The angel answered me, "These are the four winds of
the sky, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth."

Lesson 6 5


The horsemen in Revelation 6 are
the winds in Revelation 7
Rev 7:1-3 WEB I saw four angels
standing at the four corners of the
earth, holding the four winds of the
earth I saw another angel ascend
from the sunrise, having the seal of
the living God. He cried with a loud
voice to the four angels to whom it
was given to harm the earth and the
sea, saying, "Don't harm the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees, until
we have sealed the bondservants of
our God on their foreheads!"
God controls destinies of nations.
Act 17:26 WEB He made from
one blood every nation of men
to dwell on all the surface of the
earth, having determined
appointed seasons, and the
boundaries of their dwellings

This group of riders suggests how
God works in the destinies of nations
God has a hand in the
destinies of nations.
He has brought other nations
to their knees before - great
and powerful nations like
Assyria, Babylon, Edom,
Egypt and even Israel.
John's vision sequence
begins with God parading
various aspects of his power
to bring down nations at his
will.

The first rider rides a white horse
This is the horse of the
conquering general, who
rides it in the triumph after he
has been victorious over his
enemies.
Rome was used to having its
way with its enemies by
riding out into battle and
conquering them in great
military campaigns.
The rider on the white horse
is God's way of telling Rome
that it would, itself, be
conquered, in part by military
invasion.

Lesson 6 6


The Red Horse

Rev 6:3-4 WEB When he
opened the second seal, I
heard the second living
creature saying, "Come!"
Another came forth, a red
horse. To him who sat on it
was given power to take
peace from the earth, and
that they should kill one
another. There was given to
him a great sword.

The second rider rides a red horse
“Red” (Greek purros) comes
from the word for “fire”
(Greek pur). Literally, the
color is “flame-colored.”
Red is the color of
bloodshed.
The rider is given "power to
take peace from the earth"
That includes inciting men
to slaughter. Hence, the
reference to men slaying
one another.
Note that it is humans
engaging in slaughter, not
the riders, or angels,
slaughtering men.

This rider is sent by the divine voice
reminding of Jesus' words:
Mat 10:34 WEB "Don't think
that I came to send peace on
the earth. I didn't come to
send peace, but a sword.
Revelation uses the same
word here that Jesus used in
the above statement.
Greek had two words for
"sword".

Lesson 6 7


The rhomphaia was the battle sword
John attributes to Jesus
Rev 1:16 WEB Out of his mouth
proceeded a sharp two-edged
sword.
Rev 2:12 WEB "To Pergamum
write: "He who has the sharp two-
edged sword says these things:
Rev 2:16 WEB Repent or else
I will make war against them with
the sword of my mouth.
Rev 19:15 WEB Out of his mouth
proceeds a sharp, double-edged
sword
Rev 19:21 WEB The rest were killed
with the sword which came forth
out of his mouth
The rhomphaia was wielded with
two hands by a soldier. Jesus
wields the sword with his mouth!

The rider on the red horse carries a
different sword, the Greek machaira
The machaira was a short
sword that could be carried
in a sheath at the girdle.
It was the kind of sword
Peter used in defending
Jesus.
Joh 18:10 WEB Simon Peter
having a sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest's
servant, and cut off his right
ear. The servant's name was
Malchus.

The machaira was more like a knife
than a sword
Herodotus used machaira to
describe the close-combat
dagger of Greek soldiers.
In the Iliad, Homer used
machaira to describe a knife
used to slaughter animals and a
knife used by a surgeon to cut
out an arrow from a wounded
man.
Aristophanes, and Euripides
used machaira of a knife used
for cutting up meat.
Plato used machaira of a
pruning knife.

Lesson 6 8


In the Septuagint, machaira
described the sacrificial knife
Gen 22:6 WEB Abraham
took the wood of the burnt
offering and laid it on Isaac
his son. He took in his hand
the fire and the knife. They
both went together.
Gen 22:10 WEB Abraham
stretched forth his hand, and
took the knife to kill his son.

In the NT, machaira also described
the sword of governmental authority

Rom 13:3-4 WEB For rulers are not a terror to the good work,
but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority?
Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,
(4) for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that
which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn't bear the sword in vain; for
he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does
evil.
Significance: Governmental authority includes power to kill

The rider on the red horse rides on
the heels of the white horse
He represents bloodshed,
which is essential to military
conquest that has already
been figured in the rider on
the white horse.
He also may represent
bloodshed as a part of civil
unrest – or even civil war –
among people subject to
such a military conquest.

Lesson 6 9


The Black Horse

opened the third seal, I
heard the third living
creature saying, "Come and
see!" And behold, a black
horse, and he who sat on it
had a balance in his hand. I
heard a voice in the midst of
the four living creatures
saying, "A choenix of wheat
for a denarius, and three
choenix of barley for a
denarius! Don't damage the
oil and the wine!"

Black is the color of mourning
In the OT, the word "mourn" or
"mournfully" is literally "in black".
Jer 4:28 WEB For this shall the
earth mourn, and the heavens
above be black; because I have
spoken it, I have purposed it,
and I have not repented, neither
will I turn back from it.
Jer 8:21 WEB For the hurt of
my people I mourn; dismay
has taken hold on me.
Mal 3:14 WEB You have said, 'It
is vain to serve God;' and 'What
profit is it that we have kept his
charge, and that we have
walked mournfully before
Yahweh of Hosts?

It is not only the color of the horse
that identifies the rider
The rider carries in his hand
a pair of scales, symbolizing
a time when food is doled
out by weight, due to the
scarcity of food during siege.
Lev 26:26 WEB When I
break your staff of bread, ten
women shall bake your
bread in one oven, and they
shall deliver your bread
again by weight: and you
shall eat, and not be
satisfied.

Lesson 6 10


The rider is carrying scales, on which
to weigh out foodstuffs
A denarius will buy a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley.
A denarius was a day's pay for a laborer.
Mat 20:2 WEB When he had agreed with the laborers for a
denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
A man could buy a day's ration of food (wheat) for a day's pay.
A family man had to make do with coarser cattle feed (barley) to
make his money go as far as possible toward feeding his family.
That left nothing for other life needs, like clothing or shelter.
It left nothing for such luxuries as oil and wine.
Food was available, but only at black market prices.
The rider on the black horse depicts economic disaster in the
wake of military conquest.

This sounds like God's description of
siege conditions in Jerusalem

Eze 4:8-17 WEB Behold, I lay bands on you, and you shall not turn you from
one side to the other, until you have accomplished the days of your siege
Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from
time to time shall you eat it. You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a
hin: from time to time shall you drink. You shall eat it as barley cakes
Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in
Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they
shall drink water by measure, and in dismay: that they may want bread and
water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

The Pale Horse

opened the fourth seal, I
heard the fourth living
creature saying, "Come and
see!" And behold, a pale
horse, and he who sat on it,
his name was Death. Hades
followed with him. Authority
over one fourth of the earth,
to kill with the sword, with
famine, with death, and by
the wild animals of the earth
was given to him.

Lesson 6 11


The fourth rider rides a pale horse

The word "pale" translates
the Greek chlooros, which
was the yellowish green
color of a corpse.
The text tells us that the rider
is Death, personified, and
that Hades (the realm of the
dead) is following along and
picking up the corpses.

But this is not just any kind of death -
it is death by plague
Chlooros, used of a person, is
"pale" or "pallid".
Thucydides used it to describe
the appearance of persons
stricken with plague.
Homer used it to describe a
person pale from fear.
In LXX, thanatos ("death“)
sometimes suggests plague.
Jer 14:12 WEB I will
consume them by the sword,
and by the famine, and by the
pestilence.
Jer 21:7 WEB I will deliver
Zedekiah and the people
in this city from pestilence, from
sword, and from famine, into
the hand of Nebuchadrezzar

In our own history, "death" has been
used in a similar manner
In the Fourteenth Century,
an Oriental plague was
called "Black Death".
So it is possible that we
should read the name of the
fourth rider as "Pestilence" or
"Plague" rather than "Death".
Just as bloodshed and
economic disaster
accompany military
conquest, so also disease
and death follow in its wake.

Lesson 6 12


The four horsemen remind us of the
scourges described by the prophets
Jer 14:11-12 WEB Don't pray for
this people ... I will not accept them;
but I will consume them by the
sword, by famine, and by
pestilence.
Jer 15:1-3 WEB It shall happen,
when they tell you, Where shall we
go forth? then you shall tell them,
Thus says Yahweh: Such as are for
death, to death; and such as are for
the sword, to the sword; and such
as are for the famine, to the famine;
and such as are for captivity, to
captivity. I will appoint over them
four kinds, says Yahweh: the sword
to kill, and the dogs to tear, and the
birds of the sky, and the animals of
the earth, to devour and to destroy.

God's agents wait to be released to
do their work
These are the agents God
uses to bring down any
nation that becomes his
enemy: military conquest,
bloodshed, economic
disaster, and plague, leading
to death.
But these riders don't do
their work just yet. They
await a command from the
one on the throne.
For now, the Lamb continues
opening seals.

THE FIFTH SEAL

Rev 6:9-11 WEB When he opened the fifth seal, I saw
underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for
the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they
had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master,
the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those
who dwell on the earth?" A long white robe was given to each of
them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until
their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed
even as they were, should complete their course.

Lesson 6 13


The fifth seal is the key to
understanding the entire book
When the Lamb opens the
fifth seal, John sees the
souls of the martyred saints.
Notice that these souls are
already under the altar in the
heavenly scene of
Revelation 4-5.
The question is which altar?
Within the Holy Place inside
the tabernacle, was the altar
of incense, on which the
priests burned incense daily.
Outside the tabernacle, yet
within the courtyard was the
altar of sacrifice.

There is good reason to believe this
is the altar of sacrifice
Connection of life and blood.
Lev 17:11 WEB For the life of
the flesh is in the blood; and I
have given it to you on the altar
to make atonement for it is
the blood that makes
atonement by reason of the life.
The blood of sacrificial animals
was poured out at that altar
Lev 4:7 WEB The priest shall
put some of the blood on the
horns of the altar of incense
before Yahweh, which is in the
tent of meeting; and he shall
pour out all the blood of the bull
out at the base of the altar of
burnt offering, which is at the
door of the Tent of Meeting.

The reader can hardly miss the
sacrificial symbolism of the picture
The one opening the seals is
himself a sacrificial lamb who
was slain, and yet lives.
Rev 5:6-14 WEB I saw a
Lamb standing, as though it
had been slain Now when he
had taken the book, the four
living creatures and the twenty-
four elders fell down before the
Lamb They sang a new
song, saying, "You are worthy
to take the book, And to open
its seals: For you were killed,
And bought us for God with
your blood, Out of every tribe,
language, people, and nation,
And made them kings and
priests to our God, And they
reign on earth."

Lesson 6 14


These martyrs have followed the
example of their Lord
Their blood has been poured
out at the base of the altar
because of their loyalty to
the word of God and their
testimony.
Phi 2:17 WEB Yes, and if I
am poured out on the
sacrifice and service of your
faith, I rejoice, and rejoice
with you all.
2Ti 4:6 WEB For I am
already being offered, and
the time of my departure
has come.

This is more likely the golden
incense altar in the holy place

Exo 30:1-10 WEB "You shall make an altar to burn incense on.
You shall make it of acacia wood. (3) You shall overlay it
with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you
shall make a gold molding around it. (6) You shall put it
before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the
mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.
(7) Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it a
perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
(10) It is most holy to Yahweh."

They remember God's promise to
vindicate and avenge his people
Deu 32:43 WEB Rejoice, you
nations, with his people: For he will
avenge the blood of his servants,
Will render vengeance to his
adversaries
2Ki 9:7 WEB You shall strike the
house of Ahab your master, that I
may avenge the blood of my
servants the prophets, and the
blood of all the servants of Yahweh
Psa 79:10 WEB Let it be known
That vengeance for your
servants' blood is being poured out.
Luk 18:7-8 WEB Won't God avenge
his chosen ones, who are crying out
to him day and night, and yet he
exercises patience with them? (8) I
tell you that he will avenge them
quickly …

Lesson 6 15


Now, the martyrs have a compelling
question
They want to know just how
long God is going to put up
with his enemies and how
long it is going to be until he
judges the earth and
vindicates their blood.
Recall that judging the earth
does not need to be taken
literally.
Their question has to do with
the judgment of the godless
Roman Empire that has
made its mission the
destruction of the church.

Each martyr in the picture was given
a white robe
That identifies them. They
are overcomers - faithful
Christians who were
promised a white robe in
Revelation 3.
Rev 3:5 WEB He who
overcomes will be arrayed in
white garments, and I will in
no way blot his name out of
the book of life, and I will
confess his name before my
Father, and before his
angels.

They were also told to wait a while
Others will die before God brings
the persecutor down.
Their question is "How long?"
God's answer is "wait a little
longer."
That is not a message we like
to hear, but it is God's
message, nevertheless.
The message to 1st Century
Christians is that there has already
been persecution, and there will be
more, but God will act, and the
persecutor will be destroyed.
God's name will be vindicated!
God's people will be avenged!
We’re going to see these people
again in Revelation.

Lesson 6 16


In Revelation 7 we will see them
enjoying relief in the presence of God

Rev 7:9-17 WEB behold, a great multitude, which no man could number,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes One
of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes,
who are they, and from where did they come?" "These are those who came
out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in
the Lamb's blood. Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him
day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over
them. They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more; neither will the sun
beat on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne
shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes."

We will see them in Revelation 14
with the Lamb on Mount Zion

Rev 14:1-5 WEB I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with
him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name
of his Father, written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven, like the
sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I
heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. They sing a new song
before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one
could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had
been redeemed out of the earth. These are those who were not defiled with
women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he
goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God
and to the Lamb. In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.

We will see them in Revelation 15
having crossed over the sea
Rev 15:2-4 WEB I saw
something like a sea of glass
mixed with fire, and those who
overcame the beast, his image,
and the number of his name,
standing on the sea of glass,
having harps of God. They sang
the song of Moses and the
song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and marvelous are your
works, Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are your
ways, you King of the nations.
Who wouldn't fear you, Lord,
And glorify your name? For you
only are holy. For all the nations
will come and worship before
you. For your righteous acts
have been revealed."

Lesson 6 17


They are by the sea that separated
the elders from God in Revelation 4

They are singing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb.
That tells us they have been delivered.
The Song of Moses was the song Israel sang in Exodus 15 after
they had passed through the Red Sea and the Egyptian army
had been drowned in it. It was their song of deliverance.
Likewise, the "song of the Lamb" in Revelation 15 is the song of
deliverance by the Lamb.

We see them rejoicing in Revelation
19 because God has avenged them

Rev 19:1-6 WEB I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in
heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God: for
true and righteous are his judgments. For he has judged the great prostitute,
and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." A second said,
"Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever." The twenty-four elders and
the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne,
saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!" A voice came forth from the throne, saying, "Give
praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the
great!" I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of
many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, "Hallelujah! For the
Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!

Finally, in Revelation 20, we see
them reigning with Christ
Rev 20:4-6 WEB I saw thrones,
and they sat on them .... I saw
the souls of those who had
been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the
word of God, and such as didn't
worship the beast nor his
image, and didn't receive the
mark on their forehead and on
their hand. They lived, and
reigned with Christ for the
thousand years This is the
first resurrection. Blessed and
holy is he who has part in the
first resurrection. Over these,
the second death has no power,
but they will be priests of God
and of Christ, and will reign with
him one thousand years.

Lesson 6 18


Revelation is another Exodus, not
unlike the Exodus of the OT
In the Old Testament, God's
people were delivered from
their enemies by God's
power. They were sustained
through all sorts of hardships
in the desert while they were
on their way to promised
land.
In the Book of Revelation,
God's people are also
delivered from their enemies.
They, too, are sustained by
God on their way to their
ultimate reward in heaven.

THE SIXTH SEAL

Rev 6:12-17 WEB I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great
earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole
moon became as blood. The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree
dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. The sky was removed
like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of
their places. The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the
rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves
and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the 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?"

The sixth seal describes cataclysmic
events
It sounds like the end of the
world, but it's not!
The vision has people
fleeing and trying to hide.
When the final coming
arrives, there will be “sudden
destruction” and there will be
no time to hide in caves.
1Th 5:2-3 WEB the day
of the Lord comes like a
thief in the night. For when
they are saying, "Peace and
safety," then sudden
destruction will come on
them, like birth pains on a
pregnant woman; and they
will in no way escape.

Lesson 6 19


The figures used here are common
in the Old Testament prophets
What is in view is the Day of
the Lord as described by the
prophets.
The prophets used
descriptions like these to
portend the fall of a nation at
God’s hand.
Several prophets used this
kind of language to describe
the Day of the Lord for
wicked nations
Jesus even used similar
language to describe the
Day of the Lord for
Jerusalem

The Day of the Lord is a day of terror
when God punishes his enemy
Even if it is Israel or Judah.
Amo 5:18-20 WEB "Woe to you
who desire the day of Yahweh! Why
do you long for the day of Yahweh?
It is darkness, and not light. (19)
As if a man fled from a lion, and a
bear met him; Or he went into the
house and leaned his hand on the
wall, and a snake bit him. (20)
Won't the day of Yahweh be
darkness, and not light? Even very
dark, and no brightness in it?
Zep 1:14-15 WEB The great day of
Yahweh is near. It is near, and
hurries greatly, the voice of the day
of Yahweh. The mighty man cries
there bitterly. (15) That day is a
day of wrath, a day of distress and
anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a
day of darkness and gloom, a day of
clouds and blackness,

Isaiah 34 is Edom's Day of the Lord
Isa 34:1-17 WEB (4) All
of the army of the sky will be
dissolved. The sky will be
rolled up like a scroll, and all
its armies will fade away, as
a leaf fades from off a vine or
a fig tree. (5) For my sword
has drunk its fill in the sky.
Behold, it will come down on
Edom, and on the people of
my curse, for judgment.
(8) For Yahweh has a day of
vengeance, a year of
recompense for the cause of
Zion.

Lesson 6 20


Hosea describes Samaria's Day of
the Lord at the hand of the Assyrians
Hos 10:1-8 WEB (5) The
inhabitants of Samaria will
be in terror (6) It also will
be carried to Assyria for a
present to a great king.
Ephraim will receive shame,
and Israel will be ashamed
of his own counsel. (8)
The high places also of
Aven, the sin of Israel, will
be destroyed. The thorn and
the thistle will come up on
their altars. They will tell the
mountains, "Cover us!" and
the hills, "Fall on us!"

Nahum 1 is Assyria's Day of the Lord
at the hand of the Babylonians
Nah 1:1-6 WEB An oracle
about Nineveh Yahweh
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 The
mountains quake before him,
and the hills melt away. The
earth trembles at his
presence, yes, the world,
and all who dwell in it His
wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken
apart by him.

Isaiah 2 is Judah's Day of the Lord at
the hand of the Babylonians
Isa 2:1-22 WEB This is what
Isaiah the son of Amoz saw
concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. For there will
be a day of Yahweh of Hosts
Men shall go into the
caves of the rocks, And into
the holes of the earth To
go into the caverns of the
rocks, And into the clefts of
the ragged rocks, From
before the terror of Yahweh,
And from the glory of his
majesty, When he arises to
shake the earth mightily.

Lesson 6 21


Isaiah 22 is Jerusalem's Day of the
Lord at the hands of Babylon
Isa 22:1-25 WEB (4)
Don't labor to comfort me for the
destruction of the daughter of
my people. (5) For it is a day of
confusion, and of treading
down, and of perplexity, from
the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in
the valley of vision; a breaking
down of the walls, and a crying
to the mountains." (8) He
took away the covering of
Judah; and you looked in that
day to the armor in the house of
the forest.

Zephaniah 1 describes Judah's Day
of the Lord at the hand of Babylon
Zep 1:1-18 WEB (14) The great
day of Yahweh is near. It is near,
and hurries greatly, the voice of the
day of Yahweh (15) That day is
a day of wrath, a day of distress and
anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a
day of darkness and gloom, a day of
clouds and blackness, (16) a day
of the trumpet and alarm, against
the fortified cities, and against the
high battlements ... (18) Neither
their silver nor their gold will be able
to deliver them in the day of
Yahweh's wrath, but the whole land
will be devoured by the fire of his
jealousy; for he will make an end,
yes, a terrible end, of all those who
dwell in the land.

Jeremiah 4 is also Judah's Day of the
Lord at the hand of the Babylonians
Jer 4:23-29 WEB I saw the
earth, and, behold, it was
waste and void; and the
heavens, and they had no
light. I saw the mountains,
and, behold, they trembled,
and all the hills moved back
and forth. For this shall
the earth mourn, and the
heavens above be black;
because I have spoken it, I
have purposed it, and I have
not repented, neither will I
turn back from it.

Lesson 6 22


Ezekiel 32 is Egypt's Day of the Lord
administered by the Babylonians
Eze 32:2-11 WEB Son of
man, take up a lamentation
over Pharaoh king of Egypt,
and tell him When I shall
extinguish you, I will cover
the heavens, and make the
stars of it dark; I will cover
the sun with a cloud, and the
moon shall not give its light.
All the bright lights of the sky
will I make dark over you,
and set darkness on your
land, says the Lord Yahweh
For thus says the Lord
Yahweh: The sword of the
king of Babylon shall come
on you.

Isaiah 13 is Babylon's Day of the
Lord at the hand of Medo-Persia
Isa 13:1-22 WEB (9) Behold,
the day of Yahweh comes, cruel,
with wrath and fierce anger; to make
the land a desolation, and to destroy
its sinners out of it. (10) For the
stars of the sky and its
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. (11) I will punish
the world for their evil, and the
wicked for their iniquity. (13)
Therefore I will make the heavens
tremble, and the earth will be
shaken out of its place in the wrath
of Yahweh of Armies, and in the day
of his fierce anger. (19)
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the
beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will
be like when God overthrew Sodom
and Gomorrah.

Zechariah 14 describes the Day of
the Lord for unbelieving nations
Zec 14:1-21 WEB Behold, a day of
Yahweh comes, when your spoil will
be divided in your midst. (2) For I
will gather all nations against
Jerusalem to battle; and the city will
be taken, the houses rifled, and the
women ravished. Half of the city will
go out into captivity, and the rest of
the people will not be cut off from
the city. (3) Then Yahweh will go
out and fight against those nations,
as when he fought in the day of
battle (12) This will be the
plague with which Yahweh will strike
all the peoples who have warred
against Jerusalem: their flesh will
consume away while they stand on
their feet, and their eyes will
consume away in their sockets, and
their tongue will consume away in
their mouth.

Lesson 6 23


Matthew 24 is Jerusalem's Day of the
Lord at the hand of the Romans
Mat 24:1-51 WEB (29) But
immediately after the
oppression of those days, the
sun will be darkened, the moon
will not give its light, the stars
will fall from the sky, and the
powers of the heavens will be
shaken; (30) Then all the
tribes of the earth will mourn,
and they will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of
the sky with power and great
glory. (31) He will send out his
angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they will gather
together his chosen ones from
the four winds, from one end of
the sky to the other.

The Day of the Lord in the Bible is
God's judgment on a godless nation!
It may not be the end of the
world, but it is always the
end of someone's world!
Joe 3:14-19 WEB
Multitudes, multitudes in the
valley of decision! For the
day of Yahweh is near ...
The sun and the moon are
darkened, And the stars
withdraw their
shining."Yahweh will roar
from Zion, And thunder from
Jerusalem; And the heavens
and the earth will shake

The 6th seal comes from Joel's
description of a locust plague
Joe 1:1-3:21 WEB What the swarming locust has left, the great
locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has
eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten (2:1)
Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain!
for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand: (2) A day of
darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the
dawn spreading on the mountains (4) The appearance of them is
as horses, and as horsemen, so do they run. (5) Like the noise of
chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap (7) They run like
mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his
line, and they don't swerve off course. (8) they march everyone in
his path, and they burst through the defenses (9) They rush on the
city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in
at the windows like thieves. (10) The earth quakes The heavens
tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw
their shining. (11) Yahweh thunders his voice before his army (31)
The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes

Lesson 6 24


Joel uses the description of a locust
plague for Judah's Day of the Lord
The earth quaking with the
whirring of millions of wings
A spreading cloud darkening
the sun and obscuring the
stars
The moon looking like blood
through millions of wings
Revelation uses the same
terms to describe the Day of
the Lord for the enemy of
God in the First Century –
the Roman Empire!

Lesson 6 25

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