I invite you to turn tonight to the last book of the Bible as we're working through this book, Revelation chapter 6, and tonight we are considering together the first 11 verses, the first 11 verses of Revelation chapter 6. This is the word of the Lord beginning at verse 1 of Revelation 6. Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creature saying 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 to conquer 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 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 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 when he opened the fourth seal i heard the voice of the fourth living creature say come and i looked and behold a pale horse and its writer's name was death and hades followed him and they were given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth 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 oh 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 and there ends tonight the reading of god's word well what we have seen so far in our study of the book of revelation is that it is a book that is helping us to see things the way that we should at least from a heavenly perspective from god's perspective and reorienting if you will are thinking and last time we were we were shown a vision of the true king weren't we we were shown a vision of heaven we were shown a vision of the throne and the glory there around the throne we learned things that and were encouraged to join that heavenly multitude as it is worshiping as they are worshiping in heaven are encouraged to join in and to realize we are a part of that we are a people who belong there we are people who are headed there no matter how hard it is for us in the present we have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb that's where revelation 5 left us the work ultimately has been done heaven is secured for us worthy is the lamb who was slain he has redeemed us to god by his blood he's made a place for us we belong there well as we move on from revelation chapter 5 and 6 sometimes we're not sure of what the whole plan is as we're still here on the earth and struggle isn't that the case i think uh it's it's helpful to remember a little bit about what society is in pursuit of in this world. Think of our founding documents. Our founding documents say things like, we want domestic tranquility, the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are good things. We, of course, have set up things on the earth to make it go well. We have a united nations don't we uh to uh stop wars to bring peace at least they try to there's a great focus on the environment you know no matter how hard uh they try to bring this on the earth you notice how nothing ever seems to be going that well on the earth nothing seems to be going smoothly liberties are taken uh economies continue to go up and down ebb and flow and fall apart at times wars really can't be stopped you know it's anything could happen tomorrow with regard to war world war three could break out any moment we live in fear don't we the world is gripped by fear they want a tranquility they want peace on earth uh and and we join in with that of course we want peace on the earth we we're afraid if things were being taken from us, aren't we? We're worried about what we see on the news. We live in fear of economic destruction. We live in fear of jihadists. We're wondering where it's all going to go with Islam. We're wondering what the Muslims are going to do. Is it true, everything that we're hearing? Isn't there a little bit of denial going on? Did you see last night? Conflict, conflict, conflict. What kind of havoc is coming tomorrow? And we don't really know how to process all of this. We've had it so good. We've had it so good. Something like what we just sung out from Psalm 59, maybe we cringe a little bit, don't we? Do we really face these kind of things? Are there dogs at bay coming after us, snarling about city gates, hungering for us as their prey? We've had it all pretty good, if we admit. And because of that, this is a little bit confusing for us, Revelation. It was a little confusing for the Christians of the first century, too. If you understand what I'm talking about, you'll understand in the first century that Rome had promised what was known as the Pax Romana, the peace of Rome, a blessing and prosperity if they bought into their ideology. They would live well in Rome. They would be protected. They would be provided for. They would have what they need. They would get lands. They would get a good life, a happy life. And as these Christians now were facing things happening, they're crying out to rome this is not us this is not fair we're facing persecution they wanted the old rome back things were changing they wanted things the way that they used to be how do we process a mess how do we process changing times what's really going on well that's where revelation 6 really helps us tonight because it is now unfolding for us the plan that is happening god's plan on the earth what is god doing is anything happening and revelation 6 is giving us perspective revelation 6 is giving us encouragement that we need to understand why if the lamb has conquered if the lamb is seated on the throne if jesus is reigning as we just sung out about why does the world continue to be such a place of violence why is there so why are there so many bad things happening on the earth and how do we live in the midst of that what do we do in the midst of all of that how do we handle that and and that's revelation 6 tonight that is showing us how a certain plan is unfolding helping us to be sober-minded in thinking about things this is remember the scroll that was handed to to the lamb who was worthy and jesus was the only worthy one to open this scroll and to loose its seals well the son of god then here as was presented last time has received all remember he said in after he had finished his work all authority has been given to me go therefore he has he is worthy he has conquered and that's what we have before us our problem is that revelation where we're challenged is that revelation is showing us the kingdom of god its purposes and its goals and fulfillment is is often absolutely different then the kingdoms of this world who stand in opposition to the king it's really important who stand in opposition to the king revelation is showing the kings and kingdoms of the earth as they are in their worst forms in opposition to the lord and his anointed and if we confuse the blessings of belonging to god's kingdom in this way with what the world is offering to us in this antagonistic state this book will make no sense revelation 6 is telling us look at how things are unfolding before us a little bit differently let me help you with that tonight that's revelation 6 so that you don't fall into despair so that you don't panic when you see things in the earth so that you don't stand back and say this is all going to hell in a handbasket what am i going to do that is not how the lord wants you to respond revelation 6 is saying don't respond that way revelation 6 is a great encouragement for you so that's that's what we're looking at how history is unfolding before us this is not something just in the future dispensationalism looks at these horses as something just in the future that is not what is happening this is something that is happening now and we'll continue to the end john is being shown the things that are coming to pass in fact all the way to chapter 11 now we have two sections that run parallel to each other that are meant to show us god's plan unfolding and in the middle of each section is a you have these series of judgments that are happening on the earth and then this dramatic as one pastor called interlude of god's reassurance to his saints i'm going to protect you through it i'm going to keep you through it i'm not going to lose you in this mess you can be encouraged that way his people he will care for them through all of the turbulent times that happen on earth so each section is moving to the ultimate comfort of jesus coming back to get is bright so that's what they're moving toward well tonight we begin this first section in chapter six of the last scene the lamb has been seated he's taken the scroll off the right hand of him who sits on the throne he's taken the scroll and now the the focal point in chapter six is jesus himself is now loosing these seals he's worthy he has authority he has dominion he's the king and that's where we pick up so in verse one uh that's what we read now i watched when the lamb opened one of the seals and i heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder come come that's not an invitation to john if you look at this carefully as soon as christ opened up the seal he is giving a call to one of the cherubim around the throne the four living creatures and what's happening one of them then gives a summons come come up here come who well meet the horseman that's who's being summoned come the cherubim by the will of christ written on the seal have summoned in this first section a horseman to go out into the earth and to perform the judgment of the seal the imagery that we're getting is that these writers are riding now in the earth so what's being shown to you here is really not as hard to figure out as you may think jesus is the worthy one jesus has all authority and jesus is unleashing judgments in the earth that's not what we're used to hearing about that's not what we're used to thinking about but that's why revelation really helps us in the midst of this chaos doesn't it matthew 24 uh jesus said these things so plainly you can't help but to think about it um jesus had just told his disciples that the temple was coming down and they utterly panicked remember and they take him out and they sit over the mount of olives and are looking over the beautiful kinder kidron valley and they're worried about it when are these things going to come to pass when will these things be and i want you to remember what jesus said first thing take heed that no one deceives you many will come in my name saying i am the christ and will deceive many and then you're going to hear of wars rumors of wars don't be troubled all these things must happen the end is not yet nation will rise against nation kingdom against kingdom there will be famines pestilences earthquakes in various places revelation 6 is telling you why horsemen are riding horsemen are riding from the throne horsemen have been sent they've been summoned jesus in the middle of matthew 24 said all these things are the beginning of birth pains if you were to categorize the things that jesus said in matthew 24 you come up with these things deception conflict famine death those four things and jesus explains those as birth pains to the end to the final judgment that is to come when he finally would come but it was in the midst of that that jesus's great concern for his people was and he said to his disciples but i don't want you living in fear in the midst of all this i don't want you alarmed in the midst of all this don't be alarmed these things have to happen i don't want you alarmed so his eye was on helping his people his eye was on helping his disciples through it i don't want you deceived i don't want you to be protected i want you to understand i want you to think about these things but you need to know that certain things, he said, have to happen. They have to. And we stand back from things and we don't quite know how to process it, do we? Doesn't Jesus want us all to have peace on earth? Doesn't he want there to be no wars? What of earthquakes? We shiver to see economic destruction and what happens when an earthquake hits a region are we blaming the devil for that this is exactly what the nations of the world are all trying to stop aren't they how many movies have we seen some guy is it bruce willis who flew up into the spaceship and went up onto an asteroid that was going to hit the earth and he's going to he's going to stop that asteroid from hitting the earth isn't he going to drill in the middle of the thing how many movies are all about stopping and averting the destruction that's about ready to come. And man's going to rise up and do it. He's going to stop everything that's a threat to the planet, isn't he? All of our movies capture this. Just go look in Hollywood about all the natural disaster movies that Hollywood's heroes have stopped. It's really something. Well, Revelation 6 is giving us this perspective in verse two we read i looked and behold a white horse and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given him and he went out conquering to conquer what we have here are four horsemen sent out into the earth to execute judgments judgments some have uh said that the first horseman is jesus because it's so similar to the description of revelation 19 but i don't believe that's the case because the first horseman belongs to the other horsemen here that are all sent out to implement some kind of specific judgment in the earth i want you to notice this first one is all about conquering you'll notice the emphasis there conquering in the earth so he comes the cherubim summons him after the seal after christ has opened the seal he comes and there he was sent out into the earth conquering to conquer, he has a bow. It's fascinating as I was reflecting on this and thinking about all the history of conquest. Think about all the history of conquest. I had my most difficult time with this particular writer. I really don't know what particular form of conquest this is. If you asked me about conquest in its very forms and you say, well, what do you think this is? I would say that this particular form of conquest has something to do with what Jesus first alerted us to in Matthew chapter 24 having to do with deception. But I don't know. I don't know. I know this, that even though we live in a day where the gospel's being published and good news is going out, we have to remember the other truth that's rarely preached in our day that Romans tells us in chapter 1 that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So there are judgments happening now. The particular judgments of Romans 1 are giving people over. Deception. I was thinking a little bit of the Old Testament in this regard, in whatever way conquest happens, of that prophet Micaiah. Listen to this. Then Micaiah said, Hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by. on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, who will persuade Ahab to go up that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one spoke in this manner and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said to him, in what way? So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, you shall persuade him. And also prevail. Conquest. Go out and do so. Therefore look, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours and the Lord has declared disaster against you. God used a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets who came as an angel of light to execute judgment on Israel because they refused his word. This is 1 Thessalonians 4. Because they did not receive a love of the truth, that they might be saved for this reason. God will send them strong delusion that they may believe the lie. Did you know that deception is a judgment? Deception is a judgment. It sometimes confuses us. Look at how widespread deception is. That can be a judgment. Next comes the red horse. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, another horse fiery red went out and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth that people should kill one another and there was given to him a great sword war will be addressed in the the fourth horse but notice this he's bringing conflict he's bringing division he's bringing sword this red horse is is sending out these things into the earth it's it's a it's something to look at all of the the sword happening in the earth right now look at all the conflict look at all of it a black horse the third living creature says come and what happened a black horse and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand and a loud 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 but do not harm the oil and the wine. What is that? He's hitting the scales. What do I mean? A denarius was a day's wage and a quart of wheat was enough for one person for the day. A quart of wheat for one person. What did the horseman just do? He hit hard inflation, 800%. Meaning all the people's labor would raise just enough be raised just enough to feed the house, as one pastor said? What happens when a loaf of bread goes up 800%? How much has famine hit the earth throughout history? Where do you think that comes from? There's a writer. The fourth horseman. I heard the fourth living creature say, come, a pale horse in the name of it who sat on it was death and Hades followed him and power was given over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. That's all the many kinds of things that we see unfold. We see all kinds of famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places and these horsemen inflicting these things. And you say, well, that's scary stuff, Pastor. That's why I don't want to read the book of Revelation, right? Revelation is telling you, in this particular section, birth pains have come. Birth pains have started. How are you looking at all this on the earth? That's the question, isn't it? How are you looking at all the stuff happening every night on the news? What are you doing with that? The Lord's concerned about that. The Lord wants you to have perspective through this. The world is busy trying to fix all the problems, aren't they? They're trying to prevent wars, but they get into them. They're trying to keep economies strong, but they can't stop the inflation. They worship the creation rather than the creator, don't they? What is the message of Revelation? Well, the writers are writing, and in some form, the birth pains are hitting the earth. A decreation is happening, anticipating the end. Judgments are falling. Horsemen are hitting economies. Conflict is always coming. He's the one unleashing a seal judgment resulting in these things. These cherubims sending these from the seals. We have to look at things differently, is what Revelation is saying. Dennis Johnson says it in his wonderful commentary on the book of Revelation. The churches of Asia must realize that through His sovereignty over all things, from rulers to bacteria, Christ will send all sorts of limited providential judgments on the Roman imperial system, exposing the emptiness of political, military confidence and its religious pretensions. You understand that? You see, in the first century, imagine the confusion. Rome is promising everyone the Pax Romana. We've promised everyone in borrowing Rome's language the Pax Americana, the peace of living in the United States. And I want that. Of course I want peace. But if I buy into its ideology, if I begin to trust in the United States for these things, if I begin to trust in Rome for these things, do you see where that's going to take me? Rome was working so hard to bring peace and security for its citizens, but they couldn't see that behind that, In its worst form, it hated the kingdom of Jesus. All you have to do is bow to Caesar. God is saying, I refuse to let my people fall. I refuse to let my people be deceived. I refuse to let my people be constantly hit. I refuse to let my people be thrown under the bus and put their trust there. I don't want people thinking there's lasting peace in the United States. I don't want people to think there's lasting peace in Rome. That doesn't come in this life. If my kingdom were of this world, we'd fight, says Jesus. But you need to know in its worst form, when the world stands in opposition to me, and you can't see that, it is in opposition to you. The world and its kingdom are not saviors. The world and its kingdoms are not saviors. The world ultimately and its system, and I'm not talking about common grace, I'm not talking about government systems which the Lord puts in place to be a blessing. That does happen. I'm talking about in its system in opposition as the kingdom of darkness. that kind of darkness jesus is really concerned about and they needed to understand this or they're going to get all messed up and confused in this mess many of these christians didn't see christ's rule they were have a hard time believing in christ's rule and they're they're buying into the rome roman ideology and then they see that it's oh wait it's the lord who's sending out a horse and a rider with scales in his hand rome doesn't control that it doesn't control how people are fed jesus does his horses are stronger than rome's and that meant something in that day didn't it the effect is they didn't have to fear he's with them and now you see the perspective that he's given them a persecuted church will really appreciate the book of revelation a persecuted church that's being thrown under the bus a persecuted church that's being hated and martyred and despised will understand and appreciate the book of revelation he wants them to see that all they're facing the sufferings in the world in various forms christ is throwing it back on earth at them you got to look at these things different differently that's him defending you he's jealous for you he's shepherding his sheep he loves his people so much who are disregarded in this life who are hated in the world and he pictures them in revelation as a what a martyred people isn't that the clothes here of this particular section all of a sudden when he opens the fist seal i saw the altars of those who have been slain for the word of god and the testimony which they held do you know how much that bothers Jesus his people are getting killed in the earth and they're crying out from heaven with a loud voice how much longer until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth you know what they did do us Lord they chopped off our heads they put us in the fire this is Fox's book a martyr you know i think this is a reminder to the church that in their earthly pursuits they had forgotten that so many of god's people have suffered a terrible death standing up for jesus you forget the hatred for those whom jesus loves we haven't tasted what that could be but it's bad and I think you see how quickly it all could turn you know what this picture is then is all those believers every one of them who've been through the tribulation they're with the Lord they're with Him they're longing for glory they're waiting they're wanting the final fulfillment of the resurrection of their bodies they long for God to bring all this to an end do you? You long for God to bring all this to an end? Do you say, come quickly, which Revelation is going to teach us to pray? I'm weary. I'm weary of sin. I'm weary of the fight. I'm weary of the hatred of you, Lord. My eyes run rivers of tears because they hate your law. And he says, just wait a little longer. I'm saving still. I'm bringing in more. They have to come in yet. Just wait a little bit longer. a little bit longer. I'm still bringing in my elect. They have to all come in. He describes our struggle in terms of martyrdom. It's meant to encourage you that all the sufferings we're facing have a purpose. I mean, this is why when you read Psalm 91, you need to remember, though a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, it shall not come near you. Ultimately, everything that's going on in this world, all the things that are happening as judgments are coming, it can't touch you. That's been the message from the beginning. It can't touch you. You belong to Him. You're going there. Our life is not meaningless here. So as Christians, we look at things differently, don't we? Aren't we called to from this? As societies collapse and crumble, the Roman Empire is no more today. One day the United States may be no more. Our response should not be terrified alarm. We have a king on the throne. Our security is bound up there with him. Whatever's happening on this earth, that's of him to do to fulfill his purposes for bringing in his sheep and the advancement of his kingdom. look at it that way but for now the lamb is on the throne and god's plan for history is firmly in his hand we should commune together then under these crosses for a moment as the scriptures say that means that he's still saving us soon we will as we're going to come to revelation 19 soon we will eat and drink anew in the kingdom of god in all of its fullness and of all of its glory when finally as revelation 20 says there will be 21 no more tears no more crying no more sorrow for these things all will have passed and then we will be in glory forever with him let's pray heavenly father it's a it's a challenging message for us to fully understand of course because we confess that we've been confused at times with all the the things that we've enjoyed in this life the good things losing perspective that we don't belong here and we can't see behind the scenes how much hatred there is for you and your people we can't see how the devil is working over time like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour next and all of his devil seeking to destroy on the earth for his rage is great revelation 12 will tell us and his wrath is against the people of god but you are our defender you care about us you fight the battle for us and as we see things unfold may we see then that jesus christ is indeed on the throne and may we remember everything is being fulfilled just as planned and it's going according to the plan that every last one of the people of god will be brought in and gathered from the four winds of heaven not one will be lost and then we'll be in glory no more to know this sorrow encourage us and give us hope in this struggle and thank you for your word that does so in jesus name we pray amen