"THE SEAL JUDGMENTS”
Revelation 6
INTRODUCTION:
From 6:1 - 19:4 the judgment of the earth is depicted.
1. The church raptured and the saints crowned
2. Up to now the throne of God - grace; then, judgment (cf. Hebrews 4:16) does.
I. THE FIRST SEAL vs. 1, 2 (White)
A. Who is the rider of the white horse?
1. He is not the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ does not ride a white horse until Revelation 19:11-16.
3. The Lord Jesus comes with a sword, not a bow.
4. He does not bring war, famine and strife with Him!
B. The rider is the personification of
1. The coming world dictator, Antichrist
2. Reasons for
a. He comes at the outset of the Tribulation - II Thessalonians 2:3, 7, 8
b. He leads the governments of the world in peace and unity. Daniel 9:27
1) Note his weapon: a bow with no arrows.
2) Signifying conquest by peaceful means - Revelation 17:13, 17
c. He brings a federation of 10 kingdoms together to end all war.
1) He is a counterfeit of the Prince of Peace - Matthew 24:5
2) He breaks all treaties and plunges the nations into war - Daniel
11:36-45
II. THE SECOND SEAL vs. 3, 4 (Red - color of blood)
A. The second seal brings war - Joel 3:9; Revelation 14:14-20; 16:14-16
1. Characteristic of the last 3½ years - Matthew 24:6,7;
I Thessalonians 5:3
2. Will be a bloody war - indicated by red horse
3. “That they should kill one another” - civil wars, race, class wars - Cf. Ezekiel
38:21
B. The false peace of the first 3½ years is gone
1. Wars come as ambitious men and nations rise.
2. Wars come as God’s method of purging the earth.
III. THE THIRD SEAL vs. 5, 6 (Black)
A. The third seal brings famine - Cf. Matthew 24:7
B. The scales of balance - Cf. Revelation 13:16, 17
1. Suggest scarcity of food to the point of famine
2. No one left to till the fields - men are in war
3. Plowshares beaten into swords - Joel 3:9, 10; contrast Isaiah 2:4
C. A day of rationing v. 6
1. Penny - denarius (15 cents) - the laborers wage for a day
2. It will buy one meal of wheat or three of barley for one person
3. Such will be the provision for a man and his family
4. Most would prefer death - cf. Lamentations 4:8, 9; 5:10
D. “The oil and the wine”
1. The average people starve.
2. The war lords will enjoy plenty.
3. The same condition has always prevailed under tyrants.
IV. THE FOURTH SEAL vs. 7, 8 (Pale)
A. The rider of the fourth horse is death. v. 8
B. Death is the result of war and famine
1. ¼ of the world’s population is destroyed.
Pestilences = any infectious malady (Matthew 24:7))
2. 1,250,000,000 of the population of the world as it is today.
3. Equal to the total population of all Europe and South America.
C. Hell - The abode of the unsaved souls follows to gather up its victims.
V. THE FIFTH SEAL vs. 9-11
A. The scene shifts to heaven.
B. A vision of the martyred saints of the Tribulation
1. There will be many saved - Revelation 7:9-14
2. Saved because of the missionary efforts of the sealed and the testimony of the
Word of God. Revelation 7
C. Why are they slain?
1. Because of their belief in the Bible - v. 9
a. Prevailing spirit of the age is a rebellion against the Word of God.
b. They might be spared if they deny the Word, but they stand firm.
2. Because of their refusal to bow to the godlessness of that day.
Revelation 13: 7,15
D. Many of those who are saved will pay with their lives.
VI. THE SIXTH SEAL vs. 12-17
A. The sixth seal judgment comes directly from God.
B. The first five seals have not convinced men that they are undergoing God’s judgment
for unbelief.
1. They now realize that it is the wrath of God that is upon them - v. 17.
2. They finally realize that such a catastrophe is not of men.
C. Its effect on men
1. The do not repent.
2. They seek refuge FROM God - v. 15.
3. The will attempt suicide - Joel 2:8.
4. They pray to the rocks and hills - vs. 16, 17.
VII. THE SEVENTH SEAL Revelation 8:1
A. Silence in heaven for the space of a half an hour
B. Silence because of the awful judgment that is about to happen
END