The Self-Evident Truths
The Apocalypse Act 1: The Seven Seals • Sermon • Submitted
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The Apocalypse, Act 1: The Seven Seals
The Apocalypse, Act 1: The Seven Seals
Two of the most loaded words in society today
Justice
Equality
Safe to say that all people are created as equal
All deserving of true justice
This is the design of God’s creation
Ge 1-2
Acknowledged in the United States Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident:”
“That all men are created equal”
“that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights:”
“that among these are
Life
Liberty
Pursuit of happiness”
Equality is a Truth Stressed in the Bible
God so loved “the world”
The Lamb of God takes away the sin “of the world”
“whoever”
“all”
What we are going to discover today
Is that during the seven-year tribulation
The people of the world will all be equal
They will all face the devastation to come
Re 6 timeline
Revelation 6:9-17
9 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.
10 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?”
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
15 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,
16 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!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
We have just seen the start of the tribulation
Four horsemen
Revelation 6 continues with the judgment
Seals opened by the Lord Jesus Christ
His judgments upon the earth
Fifth Seal
Fifth Seal
Souls of martyrs
V.9
Under the altar
Not the object of sacrifice
But the recipients of the atonement
Blood of the Old Testament sacrifices were poured at the base of the altar
Ex 29:12
Le 4:7
Who are these martyrs?
All who have been martyred throughout history?
Problem
If there is a rapture, those martyrs prior to the rapture have already been raised at the rapture
Does not include those who die for the faith after the rapture
Likely these are people who become believers after the rapture
Suffer unprecedented persecution and death
What do they want?
V.10
Vengeance and vindication
Avenge
ἐκδικέω
“to bring out what is right”
What do they get?
V.11
White robe
Practical issue?
These tribulation martyrs have not yet received resurrection bodies
The raptured church has theirs
The trib saints don’t get theirs until Re 20:4
Cannot be simply a spirit
Can’t put a robe on a spirit
Possible solution
They receive temporary bodies
Until they receive their glorified resurrection bodies
Told to rest up
Because the number of people who will be saved is not filled up just yet
Point
Justice may not be immediate
But it is imminent
Another way to put it
Pay Day may not be today
But it will be Some Day
If you have received everlasting life by believing in Jesus for it
Your faithful obedience to Him will be rewarded
Some day
Even when today doesn’t seem like it the promised Pay Day
Sixth Seal
Sixth Seal
Largest earthquake in history to date
Vv.12-14
Number of events occur with this earthquake
Sun goes dark
Moon goes red
“like blood”
Stars fall to earth
Sky recedes
Every mountain and island moved
Temptation to simply dismiss this as symbolic
But there is no good reason to do so
Reason
Vv.14, 16-17
Day of the wrath of the Lamb
Has been foretold throughout Scripture
Jesus foretold of earthquakes
Mt 24:7
Joel told of earthquakes and sun becoming black
Joel 2:2, 10, 30-31
Isaiah describes a day when the sky is rolled up like a scroll
Is 34:4
Reactions of the people of the world
Vv.15-16
Includes
Kings
Great men
Rich men
Commanders
Mighty men
Every enslaved person
Every free person
Reactions
Hid in caves
Hid in rocks of mountains
Cry out to mountains and rocks
Fall on us!
Hide us!
From face of Him who sits on the throne
From the wrath of the Lamb!
Point here
This judgment will be inescapable
Every person on the earth will feel the shock of these calamities
It will not matter
How much is in your portfolio
How big your house is
How esteemed you are in society
How much of the human population you govern and rule over
You will feel the effect
You will be terrified
You will know why all of that stuff is happening
Now What?
Now What?
What do we conclude from these two judgments?
The faithfully obedient followers of Jesus Christ will be rewarded
Will experience full justification
Even though it is not happening at the moment
The unbelieving world population will experience these seven years equally
No distinction between class of people
How does this impact you?
It will establish the truth
That everlasting life is received by believing in Jesus for that
Once you receive it, you have a new identity
You are in Christ
Christ is in you
It will affect your worship
Reminder that these judgments are rendered by the breaking of the seals on the scroll of the judgments of God, in Heaven by the hand of the Lord Jesus
Should remind you that because of this kind of power and authority, the Lord Jesus can do more in a moment than you can do in your lifetime
It will affect your mission
And yes, you have been called to be on mission
To Make Jesus Known
To whom?