^{THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Revelation 6
Bob Bonner
December 11, 2005}

^{As a result of interviewing adults who are in their mid-nineties, I found that their perspective on the increase of evil, rudeness, immorality, apathy and the need for individuals to take personal responsibility for their own lives, very interesting. I also found many in that age group who are disheartened with our present-world situation, believing that things are totally out of control and they fear for their extended family.}

^{Interestingly, when I interviewed their children, who are in their sixties and seventies, I discovered that, just like their parents, they tell me that the changes in their world that they have personally witnessed leaves them feeling fearful for their extended family. They, too, believe their world has gone crazy and is out of control. Communities around the world dangle on a thin wire over the pit of anarchy.}

^{As bad as local, national and international problems are today, are things really out of control? Do we have no choice but to live in fear? I believe our passage of study for this morning definitely teaches us that we need to be aware of what is happening around us, and to be part of the solution, rather than the problem. In addition, its truth relieves much of our fears. God has given us His Word, and in particular, this passage, to reassure us and to bring comfort to those whose minds tend to race into panic mode because of the world events that surround us.}

^{Last week, we gave you an overview of prophetic history to come. You were shown how the book of Revelation relates to the major skeletal timeline of events that the Bible teaches lay ahead of us. We examined the chart of Daniel and Revelation, which I will not go over again in detail. However, I will remind you that today, and for the next few weeks to come, we will find ourselves looking at this time period known as the Tribulation or what is also referred to by some as Daniel’s 70th week, which comes from Daniel 9:27.}

^{This period of the Tribulation lasts seven years. The event that divides this period into two equal halves will be that event that comes immediately after the Antichrist takes control of the world, and specifically of Jerusalem and the Temple, and he forbids the Jews to continue their religious sacrificial practices. This event is called “the abomination of desolation.” It is at this point that Revelation picks up the prophetic story, beginning with chapter 6 and through chapter 19, that time period known as the “Great Tribulation.” These chapters deal with the last three-and-one-half years of life on this planet as we know it.}

^{In these chapters we will cover three sets of seven judgments: the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments and then the bowl judgments. Chapter 6, the chapter we will be looking at now, concerns six of the seven seal judgments. The first four seals involve symbolic horses, the fifth seal points to the death of martyred believers who come to Christ during the Tribulation and the sixth seal focuses on a galactic and cataclysmic destruction in outer space that in turn causes tremendous natural disasters on earth. In short, there is nothing pleasant about these events.} 

^{The distress these judgments bring to those alive during this period is inconceivable. There is not one event listed here that any of us would want to be around to experience. Those living during this period will be living absolutely desperate lives, just trying to survive one day at a time.}

 ^{Let’s begin our study by reading verses 1-2, which concern the first seal judgment and the rider of a white horse. “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”}

^{Because Christ in His second coming is pictured in 19:11 as riding on a white horse, some have taken it that this rider in 6:2 also must refer to Christ, as the rider and the white horse is a symbol of victory. Although I agree with the white horse pointing to victory, I don’t believe the rider is Jesus Christ. The chronology is wrong, as Christ, according to 19:11, returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation and just before the Millennial Kingdom and not at the beginning or middle of the Tribulation. Also, the rider on the other horses obviously relate to destruction and judgment which precede the second coming of Christ by some period of time.}

^{A better interpretation of who this rider is would be that the conqueror mentioned here is the future world ruler, sometimes referred to as Antichrist, though Revelation does not use this term. Up to this point in the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation, there will have been a few powerful world rulers; one of which was the Antichrist, probably the same person mentioned in Daniel 9:26. Up to this point, the Antichrist had already earned Israel’s trust and had already agreed to a seven-year treaty of peace. But now, half-way through that treaty, at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the last half of this period, he emerges as not just the “ally” of Israel, but now as the ruler over the world.}

^{We read that this rider of the white horse has a bow without an arrow, indicating that his takeover of the world government will be accomplished without warfare or the shedding of blood. That is not to say that in previous years he did not do battle in other arenas and kill people. Obviously, if he has a bow, he has an army and knows how to use it. However, this arrowless bow reveals that in his final takeover of the control of the world, he didn’t have to fire a shot.} 

^{But how could he accomplish this takeover of the world? I believe there is a hint as to how he could do this, found in the second parenthetical section of Revelation, in 13:1-4. (I remind you that in the three parenthetical sections found between Revelation 6-19, we are given further details concerning the events surrounding those judgments coming before each of those parenthetical sections.)} 

^{In Revelation 13:1-4, we have a couple of questions being answered. Those questions are Who is like the beast, [another name or reference to this ruler of the world, the Antichrist] and who is able to wage war with him? These verses explain not only the character and the origin of this world ruler’s power, but also reveal that Satan is the one who empowers this ruler. That which characterizes Satan will also characterize this ruler. Satan being a deceiver, a mesmerizer and the father of all lies, births this Antichrist who is also a charismatic deceiver and liar.}

^{Obviously, then, this world ruler’s ability to conquer people without firing a shot will take place through his ability to deceive. It is interesting that in Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:4-5, His first warning to His disciples is “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”}

^{The apostle Paul also warns us about the satanically empowered and deceptive ruler this Antichrist will be, in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. He writes, “The one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”}

^{No wonder this world ruler will be able to capture the hearts and trust of people, and take over the rule of the world without fighting a war. Furthermore, we read that this first rider of the white horse has a crown. The word for “crown” used here is not the word used to describe a sovereign ruler of a country, but the word used to describe the victor, the one who wins or takes first place. Being that this is a victor’s crown, it adds support to this interpretation that now this ruler moves from being just one of many sovereign rulers over his own country, and an ally of Israel to being the one world ruler who is the victor, over all the other world rulers.}

^{However, note that the emphasis of the latter part of verse 2 is not so much on his authority at this point, as it is upon his victory. He has now conquered without the shedding of blood, and as Dr. David Hocking rightly surmises, “The Great Tribulation begins with a new ruler rising to power on the scene of world history.”}

^{In verses 3-4, when we transition into the second seal, and the second horse, I believe that it is quite possible that the rider of this second horse, the red horse is one and the same as the rider of the white horse. With the changing of the color of the horse, we see the world ruler changes his color or his style of leadership. We read, “When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”}

^{Following the takeover of this world ruler, the false or limited peace of the world has now ceased. Military warfare breaks out against him, brought on by other unsatisfied and ambitious rulers. In response, this “cold-war conqueror” turns into a “red hot warrior.”  “The great sword” that was given to him is a reference to his extreme military power and passion for killing all who get in his way. He will be the ultimate war hawk. Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of such wars, as armies pour out of the north and invade Israel, the new seat of world rule for this Antichrist.} 

^{We must keep in mind that just because some recognize or submit out of fear to one person ruling the world, does not mean that all of the leaders who are in the world are willing to give up so easily. Shortly after his takeover, they will be moved to fight him and he must respond. The viciousness of the battles and skirmishes that will take place are symbolized by the color of this second horse, blood red.}

^{This should show us that human organizations such as the United Nations and all of their human efforts to bring or maintain peace in the world will never succeed. All our human efforts at procuring peace are doomed to fail.}

^{This next seal reveals the common and to be expected aftermath of war... famine. We read, “When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’”}

^{Following war, especially a war of this size that touches every economic corner of the world, the financial markets of the world will be rocked. Inflation, recession, panic...an economic upheaval such as this world had never known will take place.} 

^{A denari was equal to an entire week’s wages. Hence, the economic upheaval will be so great that one would be working an entire week just to earn a small amount of grain that could hardly nourish one individual for a week, let alone a family. After a week’s work, there would not be any money left over to put toward any other needs besides food.} 

^{In addition to the quantity of food being scarce for most people, so will be the quality of the food. Barley is the food that one usually gave to animals during those days. Barley, as a meal would go three times further that wheat in the same amounts. But conditions will be so desperate, families will turn to this kind of food in order to survive. Hence, this is a definitive statement about the desperate time people will have just to find food.} 

^{Yet, strangely, the rich will still have their luxury items, at least for a little while. Oil and wine were commodities that only the rich could afford. Also, notice who the rich will be. Since the rider of the black horse holds the scales that determine who gets what, this Antichrist will reward those who stand by him.}

^{Keep in mind; this famine will be worldwide, not just in certain locales such as in Africa today. This is a judgment that indicates that life around the globe will be lived on the barest of necessities. How the population of the world will be able to live this way, day after day for three-and-one-half years is beyond me. The seriousness and somberness of this suffering is further emphasized by the color of this third horse, “black.”}

^{As we work through these judgments, we can see the connection between the seals and the increasing effect of each additional judgment upon human life. Hence, the next seal judgment describes that widespread death that will cover one quarter of the population of the world, and all of this brought on by the one world ruler, who began his rule on the platform of “peace.” We read, 7When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.}

^{In the second seal, we see the effect of the swords, the results of military battles on human life. Then we see death as a result of the famine caused by economic upheaval. Now, a third destructive element is added to the taking of human life. This destructive element comes not only by the hand of the human Antichrist, “Dr. Death” we might call him, but he is joined by satanic elements that will move even the animals of the earth to turn against the human race.}

^{This attacking of human beings by animals is probably due to the animals competing with the humans for food. They are desperate as well and all previous manners of warding off animals or protecting ourselves from animals will not keep the animals from turning on people to eat them. This is not something the animal rights activists today like to hear about. This will be such a horrible event that one fourth of the population of the world will die in its wake. Hence, the color of the horse representing this judgment is the ghastly color of “ashen,” a puke green mixed with gray, symbolizing great death.}

^{This judgment will represent the greatest destruction of human life ever recorded in history, for by this time, there will have been more people populating the earth than existed in Noah’s day, when the flood wiped out all human life except Noah’s immediate family members. In this one event, one fourth of the earth’s population will be gone. In Revelation 9:15, 18 we are told that during this same three- and-one-half-year period, close to this same time, another one third of the world population will be eliminated. Folks, we are talking about death and chaos the likes of which this world has never known. No one alive today can truly grasp the significance of these judgments. It’s impossible to accurately determine how many people we are talking about dying here, but it is well over two billion people that will be dead by this time...that’s just about half our population of the world today! Just imagine the challenge of trying to bury all of those people such that disease won’t overtake the world.}

^{With the next seal to be broken, the scene shifts from looking at what will happen on the earth, to what is going on in heaven, beneath the throne of God. We read, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”}

^{Evidently, the martyred believers mentioned here come from the same time period of these four seal judgments. The focus of the dead is upon those who were “slain because of the Word of God” and their “testimony” of Jesus. Having died for their faith, these dead saints cry out for God’s justice to come to earth. Apparently, those who had killed them for their faith are still alive on the earth at this time. The fact that Jesus tells us that the judgment won’t come right then teaches us a lesson. It is a lesson we need to be reminded of from time to time. Like those martyrs, it is easy for us, when living under harsh circumstances or periods of injustice, to think that the world is totally out from under God’s control.  But in these verses, God tells them that He is working out His plan according to His timetable. He has not gone to sleep. Furthermore, according to chapter seven, there will be more believers who suffer and die after these events, as we continue in time through the Great Tribulation.}

^{An important observation to be made here is that, unlike those who come to Christ before the Rapture, those who come to Christ after the Rapture will be put to death during this period, and they will receive their robe of full acceptance, their white robe of righteousness before their resurrection, but are without the eternal rewards reserved for Church Age events.}

^{At this point, one must wonder what the rest of the unbelieving world will think about all that has happened to them in such a short period of time. Surely, there still will be Bibles around and people will know what has been prophesied. Surely, seeing these specific prophecies being fulfilled they will turn to Jesus, won’t they? A few will, but for the most part, the majority will not.}

^{History has proven that human rebelliousness against God is powerful, so powerful that it refuses to recognize and submit to God. This was how the human race responded to God before the Flood under Lamech’s rule. This is how the human race responded after the Flood and before the Tower of Babel under Nimrod. This is how the relatives of Canaan responded during the lifetime of Abraham. Nothing has changed today about the arrogance of the human race and it won’t change in the future either.} 

^{In this next judgment, the sixth seal judgment, you will see that, foolishly, those who will live during this future time period believe that they can find relief from their present circumstances as well as escape God’s judgment through death. Apparently, they have found hope in the false belief that, when death comes as a relief to the hard times in this world, there will be no judgment. Maybe, they think there will be nothing; some will think that they will enter a better situation. They will be very surprised to discover that death will not provide for them the escape from God’s judgment that they hoped for.} 

^{In this sixth seal judgment, we see God’s galactic and cataclysmic wrath against the world, a catastrophe that so shakes up our planetary system and its effects upon the earth, that the inhabitants of the earth will crater psychologically. We read, “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”}

^{This sixth judgment appears to be different from the first five. The first five judgments, the judgment of taking over the rule of the world through deceit, the judgment of war, the famine that follows, the greater deaths and the martyrdom of believers all originate as a result of human decisions moved by evil hearts. But this sixth seal judgment originates with God. It is so severe that all human beings, in all walks of life, from slaves to kings, and maybe even the Antichrist himself, since this is closer to the end of the last three-and-a-half years, are questioning how they are going to survive this scene. Obviously, success as this world defines success will not enable one to escape God’s judgment.}

^{Jesus in Luke 21:25-27 describes these events. Here, he writes, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”}

^{This judgment is of such worldwide destruction that no longer will people be able to live normal lives. In fact, imagine being a general or a ruler of a world that wants to go to battle at this time. It would be impossible. With all of the planets falling out of orbit, the destruction of all communication satellites would take place; the air waves would be so disturbed due to massive changes in the atmosphere that all radio communications would fail. With the massive earthquakes and land movements, even land lines or cable and phone lines would be disrupted. The psychological impact of these events upon soldiers would make trying to direct a battle virtually impossible. Look at what the chaos  of the hurricane Katrina did to the police forces in the hard-hit areas. They refused to show up for work.}

^{Isaiah the prophet adds to the psychological portrayal of this scene in 2:21, “They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.”}

^{Bottom line, I don’t know how the world will be able to exist a week after this event. People will literally be panicked and run futilely in all directions. This is one reason why I can’t see that the next fourteen judgments (the seven trumpets and seven bowls) or any other judgments except Christ’s immediate arrival on earth could take place in a chronological order. Luke 21 implies such, that following this, Jesus comes. Human life cannot exist in this environment for six months, let alone a year or a year and a-half. Nothing, from this point forward will resemble anything normal in the world. Police forces, armies and governments will be without any ability to function.}

^{Verse 16 leaves us with the impression that the resulting conclusion of the unbelieving world at this time is that the undeniable time of God’s judgment has come. Whereas many had refused to believe there is a God and that He would bring judgment, now they have no choice but to face the facts that someone greater than a human creature has brought about these disasters.}

^{In addition, verse 16 does not give us any sense that these remaining people will repent and turn to Jesus. In fact, like many today, they think that if they could only die, they will not have to face God’s judgment. Look again at their response to the judgment that has come upon them in verse 16. They cry out to “mother nature,” so to speak, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!” Once again, I am reminded of the words of Isaiah which apply to this period. He says in 26:10, “Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.”}

^{There will be no escaping judgment through death. This is a false hope of the non-believer. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. There is no such thing as reincarnation, or a second chance after death or baptismal regeneration for someone who has died or dodging judgment through death. Judgment by God will come to all who reject His Savior, His rescuer, our only hope, Jesus Christ.”}

^{This chapter ends upon an important question, “Who is able to stand?” or who will be able to survive such a judgment from God. This question echos the prophet Malachi’s words in 3:2, “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?”}

^{There is no greater issue for any human being, but especially for those who live through the Tribulation, than the issue of being able to face eternal life with God through escaping His wrath. Only those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ will be able to stand before God and escape God’s eternal judgment. Apart from trusting in Jesus, none of us will be able to stand.}

^{The contents of Revelation. 6 should put to rest the false teachings that God, being a God of love, could not judge a wicked world. Yes, God is a God of love and mercy, and He is longsuffering toward us. But He also is a God of justice and wrath, which these verses prove. Furthermore, it’s good to keep in mind that the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the one and only being who is worthy to open up these seals. For He voluntarily suffered execution at our hands, that we might be saved. If we choose to reject Him, then worthy is He to bring judgment against those who choose to do so.}

^{Realizing the truth of these up and coming events should inspire us with the urgency of our commission by Jesus to call the world to worship and follow Jesus Christ. We should become the bearers of good news and hope to those who have yet to trust Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord and who will listen to Christ’s message of Good News. Have you made that most important decision to commit your life and future in to the hands of the only One who died for your rebellion against God and can carry you into an eternal relationship with God? Acts 4:12 makes it very clear, that rescue from ourselves and our own rebellion against God will be found nowhere else but in Jesus. For it says, “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”}

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