The Seven Seals

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Good morning Chapel family. Great to be with you today. I want to congratulate everyone being baptized today. We celebrate this moment with you, and you have our full support and prayers.

So we are taking a few months to walk through the book of Revelation. And we’ve been saying every week that Revelation was not primarily written so we could match up current events with biblical prophecies. In fact, this past week a lot of people have been trying to match up the Russian invasion of Ukraine with things they read in the Bible. And it might be there, but just remember people have been trying that for centuries, and most of those theories have turned out wrong. So just be careful with using Revelation like that.

Okay, so how should we use it? Well, the way it was originally intended. Revelation is a letter, written by John the Apostle around 95 AD to a group of actual churches. And if I had to summarize the message of the letter, I would say this: The world is getting darker. Opposition to Christ and his church is getting stronger. But God is in control, and in the end God wins. So stand firm in your faith. That was the message to the churches at the end of the first century, and we need to hear that now more than ever.

So last week, Pastor Ted preached Revelation 4 and 5, and we saw this incredible scene of worship in heaven. But there was a moment of suspense—because there was this scroll, sealed with seven seals, and it was obviously really important, but they couldn’t find anyone worthy to open it. Until finally someone steps forward and says, “Wait! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll !” And for the rest of chapter 5, everyone just worships Jesus Christ the Lion, who’s also the slain Lamb. It’s an amazing scene!

So now, finally, it’s time to break the seals and open the scroll, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today from Revelation chapters 6 and 7.

Before we get into it, let me try to confuse all of you. We are about to read about all kinds of disasters and suffering being unleashed on the earth. And you need to know that there are two main interpretations of this. Some people believe these chapters are talking about something in the future. Specifically, they say this is a future 7-year period called the Great Tribulation. And many people who hold that view believe that Christians will be raptured out of the world right before that, so we won’t have to go through any of this.

Other people believe these chapters are talking about something that’s ongoing. In other words, they say, “Look: this is the kind of suffering and trials that have been happening ever since Jesus started his church, and they’re still happening now; and they’re getting more intense as we approach the end.” Okay? So that’s the other view. That this is not just about the future; this is ongoing. If that’s true, then we Christians do have to go through this. Right?

So those are the two views, and I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not going to settle that dispute today. And here’s why: because either way, Jesus told his followers, “In this world, you’re going to have trouble.” That’s Matthew 16:33. That’s been true for every follower of Christ through history—not just those living at the very end. So even if Revelation 6 and 7 is talking about a super-intense 7-year period at the end, that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got darkness right now, right?

Remember: these words were written to people in 95AD, and it spoke to what they were going through, then. And it speaks to what we’re going through, now. So let’s leave the debating to the theologians, and let’s hear what Jesus says to us, today. Amen?

When you boil it all down, this scroll that Jesus is about to unroll really answers this question—ready? How can I stand firm in my faith when the world is going crazy? How can I stand firm in my faith when the world is going crazy? When innocent people are suffering, and natural disasters are increasing, and global peace is being threatened by the Vladimir Putins and Kim Jong Uns of the world, when godly people are being mistreated, and sin is celebrated. When the world is going crazy, and it’s so tempting to give up, how can I stand firm in my faith. That’s the question that’s being addressed.

And the answer is so simple, but it changes everything: Trust the One seated on the throne. Trust the one seated on the throne. Trust in Christ. And no matter how crazy the world gets, he will give you the power to stand. So as these seven seals are opened, one by one, they’re going to show us four specific things about Jesus that we need to trust, if we want to stand. So here we go…

First, Trust His Sovereignty. “Sovereignty” is a fancy, theological word. But it just means Jesus is in control. Even though some crazy things are about to happen, he’s overseeing the whole thing. So let’s watch as the first four seals are opened—Revelation 6, starting in verse 1:

1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

This is one of those parts of the Bible that has been used in popular culture in countless ways. Back in the 1920s, there were four players on the Notre Dame football team known as the Four Horsemen. Back in the 1980s and ‘90s, there were four professional wrestlers known as The Four Horsemen. The Four Horsemen have been in movies and comic books and punk rocks songs and video games. The image is so chilling and terrifying, so it gets used to represent death and destruction all the time.

So what does this actually mean? Who are these guys?

Well, the first horse is white. In our culture, usually the guy on the white horse is the hero, right? And later in Revelation, Jesus himself shows up on a white horse. So some people have said, “This must be Jesus!” But when you look at the company this guy keeps, and when you look at the whole context, it’s pretty clear this isn’t Jesus. I believe this is someone who’s imitating Jesus. He’s a false Christ. So I would say the rider on the white horse represents spiritual deception. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul said that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. In Matthew 24:5, Jesus is talking about the end

times, and he says many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. So I believe this is one of those false messiahs. In 2022, I think the primary spiritual deception is this: the teaching that the key to life—the key to finding meaning and purpose and spiritual fulfillment—is to look inside yourself, rather than looking to the God who created you. That’s what the guy on the white horse is preaching today. You don’t need God, because you basically are God. And that philosophy comes out in psychology and literature and even Disney movies. So the rider on the white horse represents spiritual deception.

The second horse is red. And it says the rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. In the Bible, that word for “kill” is almost used to describe believers being killed for their faith. So the red horse represents persecution. In many parts of the world right now, if you publicly identify as Christian, you will lose educational opportunities; business doors close in your face; you’ll be socially ostracized. And in some cases, if you don’t renounce the name of Christ, you’ll be imprisoned or killed. That’s persecution. Jesus said it would happen; it’s been happening since he started the church; and it’s accelerating. We really don’t have much persecution in the U.S. yet, but it’s probably coming. So the rider on the red horse represents persecution.

The third horse is black. And it says Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And then a voice calls out Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages. The scales are for weighing out food in a market, and a whole day’s wages is way too much to pay for two pounds of wheat. So the black horse represents famine. Food shortage. Maybe that will be caused by a pandemic. Or supply-chain issues. Or war in Europe. It’s not hard to see how world events could cause this to happen, right? And look at that last thing it says in verse 6: do not damage the oil and the wine! Oil and wine are luxury goods. In times of famine, only the rich can afford things like that. So even in times of world food shortage, there will always be a small amount of people who are living in luxury while the rest of the world starves to death. Not so hard to believe, right? So the black horse represents famine.

And then finally, the fourth horse is pale. The word actually means kind of a sickly, yellow-green color. This is not a color anyone would choose for anything. Nobody says, “I think we’ll decorate our master bedroom in kind of a sickly yellow-green.” This is the color of a dead body. And it’s interesting, because this is the only horseman who’s actually accompanied by another horseman, and this time it names them—it says they’re called Death and Hades. And they’re given power to kill a quarter of the earth’s population. So this one is pretty simple: the pale horse represents death. In this broken world we’re living in, there’s a lot of death, isn’t there? The casualties are starting to mount in Ukraine, and we pray that’ll be stopped soon. But even if it is, death will come from all kinds of different places.

Isn’t this encouraging? Isn’t this just a happy sermon? It’ll get better—I promise! But the first four seals, with these four horsemen, is a rough deal: spiritual deception, persecution, famine, and death. It’s been happening for thousands of years, and the Bible says those things will get more intense as we near the end. So don’t be surprised when you see chaotic things in the world, right? We shouldn’t be shocked by what’s happening in Russia. We should be concerned, and we should pray for peace and stability, but we shouldn’t be shocked. It’s exactly the kind of thing the Bible said will happen.

But here’s the most important thing: Jesus is sovereign over all of it. Remember: while all this is happening, he’s not wringing his hands in fear. He’s seated on the throne. He’s the one opening the seals on the scroll. Jesus is in control. And I know what some of you are thinking. You’re thinking, “How could Jesus be in control of such terrible things?” It’s a really good question.

When Joni Earickson was 19 years old, she dove in shallow water and became paralyzed from the neck down. Right after she got out of the hospital, her pastor came to visit, and they sat down at the

kitchen table to talk. And Joni asked the obvious question: “Where was God? If he’s good, how could he possibly allow this to happen to me?” Have you ever asked that question? And she says it was a long conversation, but at one point, her pastor said ten words that changed her life forever. Her pastor looked at her and said, “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves. God permitted that diving accident—which was a bad thing—to accomplish good things. At that moment, Joni had no clue what good things could possibly come from this, but decades later, we can see literally thousands if not millions of people who’ve been encouraged and helped by her—including me, in big ways—and none of that would have happened if not for the diving accident.

The terrible events unleashed in those first four seals are things God hates! But he permits them… why? To accomplish what he loves. He uses them to bring justice in the world, and to purify and strengthen his people. Like in Genesis 50, where Joseph tells his brothers, who had sold him into slavery, “What you did to me—you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Think about that: God can actually take the evil acts of sinful people, and use those very acts to accomplish his own purposes! That’s what it means to be sovereign. You can’t out-maneuver him. He works all things for good—even the chaos caused by the Four Horsemen.

Can you trust him in that? Can you trust the sovereignty of Jesus in everything that happens? It’s a big ask! But when we accept that view, it radically changes how we respond to hard things. No matter what happens, we become resilient and hopeful, because we know who’s in control.

So as the world is going crazy, if you want to stand firm in your faith, trust his sovereignty.

Here’s the next thing: Trust His Justice. Let’s go on to the next seal—Revelation 6, verse 9: 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

So John gets a glimpse of what’s happening in heaven while all that chaos is happening on earth. He sees this group of people who’ve been put to death because of their faith in Christ. So now they’re in heaven, in the presence of God, and they’re asking for justice. They’re asking God to hold the people who did this to them accountable for their actions.

Have you ever been in that position? You’ve been mistreated—either in a big way or a small way, someone has wronged you. And it seems like they’ve gotten away with it. The former boyfriend or spouse who cheated on you. The kid who cyber-bullied your son or daughter. Or maybe you’ve actually been the victim of a crime—someone robbed your house or totaled your car or assaulted you. And everything in you wants justice. And the answer God gives these martyrs is the answer he gives us: wait a little longer. Leave the timing to God. He’s got this.

That is so important for us to hear. Because when you’re been wronged, it’s easy let your desire for justice—which is a good thing—become a thirst for revenge. Right? To dream about that person who wronged you suffering or being publicly humiliated. It’s easy to become bitter and angry, or maybe to take matters into your own hands. And God says, “Hold on—be patient, and justice will come.” Not in our timing, but in God’s.” 2 Peter 3:8 says With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

In the meantime, while you leave the timing to God, instead of fantasizing about that person suffering for what they did, pray for them. Isn’t that what Jesus calls us to do? “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” That takes Holy Spirit power, but it’s really powerful. It’s impossible to hate someone when you’re praying for them. So in these days, when the world is getting darker and crazier, you’ll probably find yourself offended and angered by people in all kinds of ways. Right? So pray for them. Ask God to bless them and lead them to repentance. And at the end of the day, if there’s any justice to be done, God is perfectly capable of handling that.

Now: it’s time to open the sixth seal, and it’s the wildest thing we’ve seen yet. Continue reading in verse 12: 12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. We said earlier there are two interpretations of this passage—either it’s all future or it’s been happening all along. Well, this part is definitely future, because everything in creation is coming undone, and everyone on earth seems to know this is the end. And part of that “end” means final judgment.

So look how people respond when they know they’re going to stand before God—verse 15: 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! How do people who’ve rejected God respond when they know they’re about to face God? They try to hide. It’s human instinct when we’re guilty. And it specifically mentions princes and generals and rich people—in other words, people who have power and wealth in this world. But on that day their power and wealth is useless. These are people who always thought they had plenty of time to get right with God, but now time is up, and it’s too late. It’s a terrifying scene!

And chapter six ends with this question—verse 17: For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” The Greek literally says, “Who can stand?” In fact, when you look back over all six of these seals, who could possibly endure this? Who can stand? And I believe we get the answer to that question in chapter 7.

So here’s the third way we need to trust the One on the throne: Trust his Protection. Let’s continue reading in chapter 7, verse 2: 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. In the ancient world, when important people wanted to mark something as their possession, they would mark it with their seal. So this group of 144,000 people are getting marked with the seal of God—they belong to him. And the question is, who are these people?

Some say that this is literally 144,000 ethnically Jewish Christians that God will send out during the 7-year tribulation period to evangelize, and that they will be protected by God. That could be the right interpretation, and that would be a powerful way to spread the gospel during that terrible time. But I think there’s also a more direct application to us. I think this group of sealed believers symbolizes us—God’s people—true believers in Christ—living in this dark world right now. See, the numbers in Revelation are highly symbolic, and the number 144,000 could just symbolize the large number of believers that God has in this world.

So what does it mean that we’re “sealed”? Well, look at Ephesians 1:13…When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. The moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ, it was like God took his signet ring, and he pressed his mark of ownership on you. Which means you are his. And you have the power of his Holy Spirit to stand through anything the four horsemen can dish out: spiritual deception and persecution and famine…and even death. Because even if you lose your physical life, God says, “Nothing can touch your soul.”

So as the world goes crazy, trust his protection. Nothing can separate you from his love. No one can snatch you from his hand. He’s got you. So trust him.

And then finally, Trust His Reward. At the end of chapter 7, John gets another peak at what awaits us in the future. And it’s one of the most breathtaking pictures of heaven anywhere in the Bible—Revelation 7, starting in verse 15…

“they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Isn’t that awesome? Just think about what this is promising us: no more death—I’ve done so many funerals recently, I can hardly imagine this. Complete safety—no more air raid sirens in Ukraine, or active shooter drills in school, or Amber alerts on the highway. Complete provision of our needs—no more hunger and thirst for anyone. There’s meaningful service; there’s community with other people; there’s joy. It’s almost too good to be true. And the best part is that we’ll be with Jesus. Remember at the end of chapter 6, people who had rejected God were trying to hide from him? This is the total opposite. It says we will walk into his presence as his beloved daughters and sons. Anyone looking forward to that?

Bob Goff is an author and speaker. And ever since he was a kid, he dreamed of sailing across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. So a few years ago, he and four of his buddies entered an event called the Transpac Race—it’s a sailboat race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. They had very limited sailing skills, but they went for it—they loaded up their thirty-five foot sailboat with canned chili and bottled water and set sail for Hawaii. But Bob says the most memorable part wasn’t the journey—it was actually the finish. There’s a tradition in this race that no matter when the boat finishes, there’s a guy there who announces their arrival, and it’s been the same announcer for decades.

So sixteen days after they left from L.A., just as they finished the last of their supplies, they pulled into the marina in Oahu. It was the middle of the night, and they were exhausted. And then they heard this booming voice, announcing the name of their boat, and then he started announcing the names of the sailors, with obvious pride in his voice. And Bob said it became this very emotional moment. I want to quote him here—this is Bob Goff…

When he came to my name, he didn't talk about how few navigation skills I had or the zigzag course I'd led us in to get there. He didn't tell everyone I didn't even know which way north was or about all my other mess-ups. Instead, he just welcomed me in from the adventure like a proud father would. When he was done, there was a pause and then in a sincere voice his last words to the entire crew were these: "Friends, it's been a long trip. Welcome home."

I've always thought that heaven might be kind of a similar experience …. After we each cross the finish line in our lives, I imagine it will be like floating into the Hawaiian marina when our names were announced, one by one. At the end of our lives, after our many mistakes and midcourse corrections, our loving Heavenly Father will simply say, "Friends, it's been a long trip. Welcome home."

In a world that’s going crazy, the only we we’re going to stand firm in our faith is to trust the one seated on the throne. Because one day we’re going to see him face to face, and it’ll all be worth it.