When we think about end-times theology, we are immediately transported to the idea of the four horsemen. Many people many not even know where this idea comes from – Revelation chapter 6. But before we dive into the six seals of Revelation 6, I want to pause a moment and reflect on why we do this in the first place. I have a book on my shelf titled, “The Last Days According to Jesus,” it was written by Dr. R. C. Sproul. In the introduction Dr. Sproul explains why there is a crisis in eschatology. The critical view of the Bible that many have today originated during the Enlightenment, when rational and naturalistic philosophy was at its zenith. This was followed by Hegelian philosophy which had an evolutionary view of history. All of this was leading to a religion that was not supernatural and did not include a transcendent God. Jesus is reduced to a magician or moral teacher. In 1906, Albert Schweitzer published, “The Quest for the Historical Jesus.” Schweitzer states that Jesus believed that the kingdom of God would be inaugurated by a catastrophic event, a divine act of God. But according to Schweitzer this never occurred, so the eschatology of Jesus was unfulfilled. Put another way, the expectations of Jesus for the kingdom of God were delayed. But of course when we read the New Testament, we find that the kingdom of God is at hand. In Matthew 3, John the Baptist declares, “the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” And this is why we do this. For centuries the academic world has consistently undermined and attacked the Word of God. My goal is to set the record straight and defend the truth!
Telling the truth in the face of opposition does bear fruit. Let me give you an example. During the reign of the Roman Caesar, Domitian, the emperor ordered the execution of all of King David’s lineage (relatives of Jesus). The grandsons of Jude, the Lord’s brother, were found and questioned by the emperor. During the process Jude’s relatives were asked about Christ and his kingdom. According to Eusebius this was their answer, “it was not of this world or anywhere on earth but angelic and in heaven, and would be established at the end of the world, when He would come in glory to judge the quick and the dead and give every man payment according to his conduct.” Eusebius continued the story by saying that the emperor let them go free and ended the persecution of the Church! After this Jude’s grandsons became leaders in the Church, and rightly so.
Now, as we come to our text today, which is Revelation 6, the imagery is clearly coming from Zechariah 1 and 6. So, I am first going to read from those passages to begin.
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11 And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ 12 Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ 13 And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
18 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.” Zechariah 1:7-21
Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” Zechariah 6:1-8
So, why am I reading out of the book of Zechariah? First of all, simply because the text of Revelation contains Old Testament imagery. But also I believe the text of Zechariah helps us understand Revelation 6. In both visions in Zechariah, the first horses are red. But what is key is that the first horses are set apart. Let me read it again in case you missed it. “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.” (Zechariah 1:8) The horses are behind the man on the red horse. Now let consider Zechariah 6, which certainly is a more direct parallel to Revelation 6. The first thing we notice in Zechariah 6 is the two bronze mountains, which symbolize the gates of heaven. When we continue reading the text we notice again that the first horses are red, however when the horses are sent out, the red horses are not mentioned when they go out to patrol the earth. Again the first horse or in this case chariot is set apart from the others. We will come back to this – but here is my question, do the four chariots go out all at once? Well, they appear to work as a unit and go out and patrol the earth all at once. Why would this be significant? Because when we come to Revelation 6 the first four seals are four horses. Do these horses ride out all at once? Well, it appears they go one at a time. But that is likely not the case. First of all, it is clear Revelation in general is not chronological. But more specifically here the breaking of the seals is the opening of a book or document, which is indeed the New Covenant. During the time when Revelation was written when a scroll was sealed, you would not be able to read the scroll until all the seals were broken, which in this case would be the seventh seal. Put another way, the seals aren’t meant to represent chronology, but main themes of judgment that were going to fall on apostate Israel and the Beast system (enemies of God). Something else that is very important to realize is that Revelation 6 and the synoptic gospels contain the same or very similar material. R. H. Charles has noted this and breaks down the information into six main ideas. Revelation 6, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 contain the same six categorical ideas. They are:
- Wars
- International strife
- Famines
- Earthquakes
- Persecution
- De-creation
The point here is that Matthew, Mark and Luke have a little apocalypse in one chapter of their respective books, but the Apostle John wrote a Big Apocalypse, an entire book, which contains much more detail. However, the gospels and Revelation 6 are talking about the same thing – it is essentially the same material and language.
Now, with that let’s direct our attention to the text of Revelation 6, and start with the first seal. “Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:1-2) There is a lot in these verses. First of all, we are reminded that the Lamb, Jesus, is the only person who can open the sealed scroll. He alone is worthy. We also have the four living creatures, who we have already met in chapters 4 and 5. They are higher order angels around God’s throne. Now verse 1 tells us one of the living creatures says in a voice like thunder, “Come” or “Come and see”. It is interesting that the voice of the living creatures is like thunder, according to the text, only on the first seal. It is very likely the four horsemen are operating as one unit, just like in Zechariah when the four horses or chariots go out and patrol the earth. It is also likely the angels say, “Come and see” all together so that the events of the seals are happening all at once. R. J. Rushdoony notes, “When Christ opened the testament, the four living ones cried out in a voice like thunder, come and see.” He continues, “Four horsemen emerge from the sealed roll, from God’s testament, and ride across the stage of history … All four horsemen ride simultaneously.” So, even though the seals are open one at a time in the text, it appears this is happening all at once. Now, the first rider is distinguished from the other riders. Remember in Zechariah we have the same kind of distinctions, where the first rider is set apart. Now, how do we know that for sure here in Revelation? Because the text makes it clear that the first rider is Jesus Christ!
How can we know this? Well, let’s look carefully at the text. First of all, unlike in Zechariah the rider is on a white horse. Now contrary to what some commentators will tell you, someone riding a white horse cannot, I repeat cannot, be the antichrist. In the Bible, the color white always means something holy or heavenly. The other thing to consider is the context. Where else do we see this kind of language in Revelation? The Greek word for conquer used here is “nikao”. This word is used almost exclusively in Revelation in relation to Christ or his people.
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation 5:5
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. Revelation 17:14
The word is also used in the gospel of John (16:22), and here again it refers to Christ. The other strong clue that the first horseman is Christ is found in Revelation 19.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16
And clearly these verses refer to Christ who is riding a white horse. A lot of scholars recognize the similarity in language as proof that the first rider in Revelation 6 does indeed refer to Christ. But that is not all! The rider in Revelation 6 has a bow and is given a crown. We are reminded of Habakkuk 3 when the prophet prays.
Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers,
or your indignation against the sea,
when you rode on your horses,
on your chariot of salvation?
9 You stripped the sheath from your bow,
calling for many arrows. Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and writhed;
the raging waters swept on;
the deep gave forth its voice;
it lifted its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their place
at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the earth in fury;
you threshed the nations in anger.
13 You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah
14 You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,
who came like a whirlwind to scatter me,
rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
the surging of mighty waters. Habakkuk 3:8-15
Obviously, a bow is a weapon of war. If we go back to Genesis, we find a bow there as well.
I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. Genesis 9:11-16
You could look at it this way, God took his weapon of war, and put it in the clouds as a sign of the covenant of peace. However, in Revelation 6, Jesus has a bow because he is about to strike with God’s vengeance. The question then becomes, when will this occur? I have said before that Bible prophecies can have multiple fulfillments. But here in this case I believe it is primarily talking about the opening up of the New Covenant. Jesus conquers apostate Israel and sets up his kingdom.
Next, let’s move to the riders that follow Jesus. In verse 3, we have the second seal and second rider. This time the color of the horse is red.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. Revelation 6:3-4
There are various meanings to the color red, but the text makes it clear we are talking about war. It is interesting the angel removes peace. Put another way, the angel removes restraint on man’s wickedness, thus war comes. If we put this in the context of the first century we would identify the Jewish War as a clear reference for this text. We are also reminded of Matthew 10:34, which states, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Again, I believe the text is primarily talking about the Jewish War in the first century. In other words, the gospel going out and Jesus setting up his kingdom meant that the old, corrupt covenantal system was destroyed and replaced by the New Covenant, which was fulfilled by Jesus Christ alone.
Another significant factor I would like to point out is that words matter in the Bible. And we often forget the Bible was not originally written in English. In the text the word, “sword” in the Greek is “machaira”, which is like a large knife or dagger. We might think of it as a short-sword. When we get down a few verses in the fourth seal, the English word “sword” is used again, but this time the Greek word is “rhomphaia”, which mean broad-sword or a long and heavy sword. The word rhomphaia is also used in Revelation 2:16 and 19:21. The point here is that in the second seal of Revelation a different word is being used, one that typically represents a knife or dagger or something that is used for a sacrifice.
Next we have the third rider. “When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!” Revelation 6:5-6
The text here definitely refers to inflation, famine and economic hardship, which are by-products of war. Now, it is very interesting that the oil and wine are not affected. But before making too much of this, I think it is best to remember what happens when there is a shortage of food and everyday items are very expensive. Well, for most people this means food and other items are hard to get and most of the available money is used up getting basic necessities. To put it plainly, when economic hard times come, it affects everyone, and the average person will only be able to buy basic necessities, not luxury items. This is what the historian Josephus says concerning the famine of the Jewish War, “Many secretly bartered their possessions for a single measure of wheat if they happened to be rich, barley if they were poor. . . in the extremity of hunger some even ate their grain underground, while others baked it, guided by necessity and fear. Nowhere was a table laid – the food was snatched half-cooked from the fire and torn into pieces.” (Josephus , The Jewish War, v.x.2.)
When we come to the fourth seal, we find a pale horse. The word pale in Greek is “chloros”, which means pale green or yellow. You might think of the color of a corpse, which gives us the general picture of death. In Ezekiel 14 when the prophet proclaims judgment against Jerusalem the text states:
“And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God. . . For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!” Ezekiel 14:12-14, 21
Here is Revelation 6 you have these same plagues of judgment. It is important to realize two things. First, that Jesus is the One breaking the seals. The judgments are coming from him. Second, while the fourth seal seems broader and more universal, it is also limited to a ¼ of the land. I think David Chilton sums up the four horsemen well when he states, “it is Jesus, the Lamb, who breaks the seals of judgment, and it is Jesus, the King of kings, who rides out in conquest, leading the angelic armies against the nations, to destroy those who rebel against His universal rule.”
Now, as we transition to the fifth seal, we approach a much different atmosphere. This is what the text says:
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 witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Revelation 6:9-11
First of all, this is a cry for justice! And we are reminded of Zechariah 1 when the angel of the Lord says, “how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem.” The vision shifts here from the earth in the fourth seal to heaven in the fifth. And it is a good question to ask even in our own day with all the persecution and suffering – will God not act and bring about his righteous justice? And we are also reminded again of the words of Jesus in Matthew 23 where he talks about the murder of the prophets and those he will send out who will be persecuted and killed. Now, the language used here – “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God,” actually is using Old Testament imagery. How so? When the priests would sacrifice the animals on the altar, the blood would stream down the sides and it would fill a trench below the altar. Listen to Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” And remember the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4 – verse 10 says, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.” The blood of the righteous cry out to God for justice!
Now, a really important part of the text is verse 11 where it says the righteous and faithful saints are given a white robe. This is very significant. We have already spoken about white meaning heavenly or holiness, which is why it cannot have anything to do with the antichrist. Either way, I want to point something out here about structure. We have already noted that the book of Revelation has a 7 by 7 structure. Here we are talking about the seven seals, six of which are in chapter 6. But the seals themselves actually repeat a pattern. We discovered the colors of the four horses, which are white, red, black, and green respectively. Well, the fifth, sixth and seventh seal repeat this structure. In the fifth seal we have white robes, the sixth seal contains red and black when it states the moon will become like blood and the sun will become black. The seventh seal which we will get to later is a mixture of things, but does contain green grass being burned up. Much of what we find in Revelation are patterns and symbols that repeat.
At the end of the fifth seal God tells the martyrs they should rest a little longer. The time had not yet come. God in his sovereignty administers and executes his divine justice at just the right time. And as we come to the final seal of this chapter, we become very aware of who is in charge of the world.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12-17
Now, the first thing we notice is when the seal is opened there is an earthquake, an eclipse of the sun and moon, and the text says stars fell from the sky. It also mentions a fig tree which is very significant. Let’s read Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Does this sound like it is talking about the same thing – well, it is certainly very similar language isn’t it. Also, in Matthew 21, the week of Jesus’ crucifixion, he sees a fig tree that has no fruit. Jesus curses the tree and it withers. Now, we know from the Old Testament that the fig tree symbolizes Israel. You can reference Hosea 9:10 and Joel 1:7. So, Jesus was declaring judgment on the nation of Israel, which we know came in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans. And we know that in Matthew 24, where we find heavenly signs, just like in Revelation 6, Jesus was predicting what was coming 40 years later in 70 A.D. So, we have to ask ourselves, is the sixth seal of Revelation 6 talking about the same heavenly signs? Well, I think many people are not aware of some of the heavenly signs that occurred close to 70 A.D. But before I get to that, I want to point out that the Bible often uses poetic language, meaning the language is symbolic. Consider Isaiah 13:9-13:
Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
will not give their light;
the sun will be dark at its rising,
and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold,
and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
at the wrath of the Lord of hosts
in the day of his fierce anger.
These verses are talking about the destruction of Babylon in 539 B.C. But you notice the same type of cosmic language being used. Also, in Isaiah 34:4-5 it states, “All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction.” This text is talking about Edom in the sixth century B.C. We also have similar language in Ezekiel 32:7-9 where it is talking about Egypt. The text says, “I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord God.” So, what am I saying? I am saying the Bible uses this kind of cosmic language to describe national conquest. None of the verses I have mentioned are talking about the end of the world. And I think in Revelation 6 we have the same thing. It is the national calamity and conquest of Israel in 70 A.D.
In addition, in ancient times when there were signs in the sky, it was often considered an omen for kings. A comet appeared in the sky around 60 A.D. – immediately the Romans began to speculate who would be the next emperor because they thought this meant a change was coming for the empire. The historian Tacitus writes, “As if Nero were already dethroned, men began to ask who might be his successor.” In 66 A.D. Haley’s comet appeared in the heavens. Many scholars have linked this heavenly sign to not only Nero’s death, which was in 68 A.D., but also the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jewish historian Josephus comments, “there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued for a whole year.” Also, there was a solar eclipse on Nisan 1, or March 30, 70 A.D., which was the beginning of the religious year for the Jews. This was also two weeks before Passover. On September 21, 70 A.D., after the temple was destroyed, there was another solar eclipse. This eclipse occurred on Rosh Hashanah. Of course, we have to be careful because eclipses and red moons are common. The meaning of the text is likely dual in nature. The language is symbolic because the sun, moon and stars do represent kings or rulers. But also, there were real signs in the sky leading up to 70 A.D. It is also worth adding that the judgment affects the stars in the text, which according to Genesis 1, are governing entities, but they are also clocks in the sky. Time was running out and the judgment of the nation was imminent.
Now, I want to deal briefly with verse 14, where the text states, “The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” David Chilton in his commentary on Revelation notes that this means Israel will disappear. So, he is saying the sky or heavens symbolize Israel and he give the following references – Isaiah 51:15-16, Jeremiah 4:23-31. The imagery of mountains and islands being removed shows us the author speaks of a great shaking. And we should be reminded of Hebrews 12:26-29 which says, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
What all of this is saying is that Israel is going to be judged and shaken. The kingdom of Christ will remain and go forth with power and glory. Now, I want to clarify something – I am not saying God will not restore Israel, clearly the Bible teaches that he will. I am saying in this passage, the text is talking about national judgment and the coming of God’s kingdom. As the text continues it speaks of mountains, kings, great ones, and everyone else. The text is saying what God is doing will affect everyone. Mountains are often symbolic of nations in the Bible. The shaking and judgment of national Israel will affect all nations and all people, both the kings and the common. I think Chilton sums it up perfectly when he writes, “God’s old creation, Israel, is thus to be de-created, as the kingdom is transferred to the Church, the New Creation.”
So, as we consider all of this, you may be a little bewildered, thinking I really wanted to know how the world will end. Well first of all, my goal is to tell you what the text actually says and what it is really about. The second coming of Jesus is discussed in the Bible, but not in this text as far as I know. Also, we need to think about the purpose of the text. The very first verse of Revelation tells us the book is about Jesus Christ, and it is written to the seven churches of Asia. It is very important to keep this in mind. And specifically chapter 6 is about the opening up of the six seals – or the New Covenant. We often try to sanitize God and only talk about how loving and gracious he is. But Yahweh is also a God of justice and a dread-warrior.
The medieval Church treasured the Bible, but they did not believe the Word of God could be read and understood by the common person. Only bishops, Popes and theologians could interpret Scripture in that day, so they believed. That is why you see such tenacity by the Reformers to pull the Church into the light of God’s Word and get the text into people’s native tongue so everyone could read it for themselves. William Tyndale, who is known for his translation of the Bible into English, was opposed by the Church of his day. When he debated with some influential members of the clergy, he was told, “We were better to be without God’s law than the Pope’s.” And you may well know Tyndale’s famous reply. He says, “I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spare my life ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost.” I am inspired by such words and what the Reformers did, placing God’s word first and foremost, and giving it to the people in their own language. Often the powers that be stand in the way of truth. And while today we have the Bible in English and many other languages, there are still mysteries to be known, truth to be told, and bulwarks to be replaced with divine truth. My goal is not only to give proof of the divinity of God’s word, but to reveal what is hidden, to restore lost knowledge and to make Christ known in all his glory.
And as we close this chapter in Revelation, I want to say that there are many books that I have read that had a great impact on my life. One of those books is one I mentioned at the beginning of our study. R.C. Sproul’s, “The Last Days According to Jesus” is really profound and it took me a long time to understand how important the themes of the book are. In the conclusion of the book, Dr. Sproul writes, “one of my overarching concerns regarding the points in dispute is the authority of Scripture. As the inerrant Word of God, it precludes all efforts to ignore or downplay any aspect of its teaching. The evangelical world cannot afford to turn a deaf ear to the railing voices of skepticism that gut Scripture of its divine authority, that assault the credibility of the apostolic witness and even of Christ himself. We must take seriously the skeptics’ critique of the time-frame references of New Testament prophecy, and we must answer them convincingly.” Many of us have been lulled to sleep, not realizing how devastating the secular critiques of the Bible have been. We have a responsibility to speak the truth with passion and power, even in the face of persecution. A lot of what we have is unbalanced teaching that simply ignores large parts of the Bible. My goal is to pursue truth with honesty and grace, but also with passion and boldness. And to those who may wonder why on earth we keep talking about such controversial topics. It is because truth matters, particularly God’s truth. Profound truth deserves our attention and we have a responsibility so future generations will know God’s truth.
Arthur Pink once wrote, “when, 25 years ago, I published my book on The Sovereignty of God… and devoted most of my time to preaching on that subject, many criticized my lopsidedness: so in the Foreword to the 2nd Edition I said, ‘… Probably 95% of the religious literature of the day is devoted to a setting forth of the duties and obligations of men. The fact is that those who undertake to expound the responsibility of men are the very ones who have lost the “balance of truth” by ignoring very largely the Sovereignty of God. It is perfectly right to insist on the responsibility of man, but what of God? – has he no claims, no rights? A hundred such works as this are needed, and ten thousand sermons would have to be preached throughout the land on this subject, if the “balance of truth” is to be regained . . . Surely there is far more danger of making too much of man and too little of God, than there is of making too much of God and too little of man.”
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