revelation 6(3-8) 5-18-2015

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SWORD MINISTRIES

REVELATION 6:3-8

(Ephesians 6:17)

In REVELATION chapters 4 and 5 we are brought into the very Throne Room of God in Heaven; worship of the Father and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is going on. Jesus takes possession of the 7-sealed scroll which is the title deed to the universe; the Tribulation will begin on earth when Jesus starts to unseal the scroll; the wrath of God will be poured out upon the world. REVELATION 6 (vv1,2) 1st Seal – White horse Jesus opens the first seal and the Antichrist arrives on the scene, the great imposter poses as Jesus; Jesus Himself will return to earth on a white horse in REVELATION 19. The Antichrist has a bow, yet no mention of arrows, alluding to the prophecies of him coming in false peace at first. This is Daniel’s 70th Week, where he is called ‘the prince that shall come’ DANIEL 9:26,27; 8:25; JOHN 5:43; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-5; 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-17. (vv3,4) 2nd Seal – Red horse; war Jesus opens the next seal and war breaks out upon the earth. “And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” Even in such trying times, it is good to know that God is in control as He is the One giving authority to the rider. This rider takes peace from the earth, it appears that much life will be lost; all hopes today of world peace by human efforts are doomed to failure. As we get into these judgments it is important to keep in mind that these judgments are progressive: there are 7 seals, each with a judgment; the 7th seal ushers in the 7 trumpet judgments; the 7th trumpet ushers in the 7 vial [bowl] judgments; and when the 7th vial is poured out Jesus will return to set up His Millennial Kingdom on the earth! Why the need for the Tribulation? 1. To prepare Israel for her Messiah and His Kingdom EZEKIEL 20:33-44; DANIEL 12:1 2. To pour out judgment on unbelieving men and nations JEREMIAH 25:30-38 This is the time of God’s Wrath being poured out; the most terrible time in the history of the earth, the church has no part in this judgment, Jesus has taken our sin and promised us deliverance from this time ROMANS 5:8,9 (vv5,6) 3rd Seal – Black horse; famine As Jesus opens the next seal this rider brings ‘balances’ [scales]. Sadly it will take a day’s wages just to buy a day’s worth of bread for one person; no money will be left over for anything else; worldwide starvation will set in. ‘…and see thou hurt not the oil and wine’ this implies global rationing and control; the Antichrist will control the economy. Eating bread by weight is a sign of being cursed LEVITICUS 26:26

(vv7,8) 4th Seal – Pale [ashen] horse; death As Jesus opens this seal a yellowish green pale horse comes; it is the look of decay, terror, and death. There are two personages in view here: ‘Death and Hell [Hades’ death claims the body, Hades claims the soul. “And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Jesus is giving them the power to do these things; 25% of the earth’s population will die; probably around 2 billion people! We have never seen anything like this before. ‘…the beasts of the earth” some look at these as actual wild animals who will become especially fierce during the Tribulation when normal food supplies are disrupted; some believe it may refer to brutal military and political leaders of the these days; the word ‘therion’ is used 38 times in Revelation and every other time refers to the Antichrist or his partner the False Prophet; others believe the beasts may refer to plagues that will come upon the earth because of all the death. Whichever way it is, the earth’s misery will be incredibly intense, and this is just the beginning of God’s Wrath. ROMANS 1:18-32 God declares that He will ‘give them over’ to their own evil passions; apart from being born-again, mankind is evil and self-centered; the world today is full of deceit, lies, greed, and murder; God is giving the world over to it. EZEKIEL 14:12-23 God has promised judgment to come upon Israel and the world due to sin. ISAIAH 13:1-6 God has foretold of the very judgments we are seeing in REVELATION 6. It is important to keep in mind two things: the absolute holiness and righteousness of God; the absolute evil in the hearts of all mankind. REVELATION 5:11-14 while the wrath of God is being poured out on the world, the church as represented by the 24 Elders will be worshipping God and the Lamb for their righteousness and judgment. (vv9-11) 5th Seal – Martyred souls in heaven Jesus opens the fifth seal and the scene switches from earth back to heaven once again; the martyred dead would seem to imply that they died after the Tribulation events of the fourth seal unfold on the earth. ‘…the souls of them that were slain for the word of God…’ notice that they are not in resurrected bodies yet, the church has been resurrected at the rapture (see 1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-54; I THESSALONIANS 4:15-17). The martyrs cry out for judgment and God’s vengeance to be taken out on ‘them that dwell upon the earth’ the Greek word is ‘katoikeo’ and refers to unbelievers who look upon the earth as their home; this is quite different from believers; and the ‘earth dwellers’ are the group that the Tribulation judgment is upon REVELATION 3:10; 11:10; 13:8 they are destined for eternal separation from God. Believers know God’s plan, and where our true home is; live for Jesus daily and follow Him! PHILIPPIANS 3:20,21; 1:20,21; 2 PETER 3:8-18

Meeting Mondays 6:30 – 8:30 pm Gateway Building Auditorium, 3556 Lakeshore Road, Blasdell (follow Woodlawn Beach signs)

Teacher: Dave Farrell

swordministries.com