Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
All right, Revelation chapter 4. Let's just read this chapter. Not going to read all of the chapters that I'd like to comment on tonight. We may just read little portions here and there, but this is significant. It's a new.
Opens up a new subject, if I could put it this way. We've taken up chapter one, chapter two and three, and all of those really have to do with what was.
Taking place in this earth and we have this little statement made in chapter two and three it says.
He that in verse 22, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Now it's not going to be that scene on earth that's going to be heavenly scene. So we have a distinct new beginning and from heaven's perspective, God is going to deal. And so chapter 4, verse one.
After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was, as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said.
Come up, hit her, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven. And one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a sardine stone. And there was a rainbow round about the throne, insight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and 20 seats. And upon the seats I saw 4 and 20 elders sitting clothed in white raiment.
And they had on their heads crowns of gold, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like under crystal and in the midst of the throne.
And round about the throne were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion.
And the second beast like a calf. And the third beast had the face of a man as of a man.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle, and the four beasts which had each head of them, six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they were rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.
And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever.
And ever before and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him, that liveth forever and ever. And cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created well. This these two chapters, chapter 4 and chapter 5, are introductory to the beginning of judgment, which begin in chapter 6.
And so these, as I say, the scene changes from earth to heaven.
And we don't have the rapture specifically mentioned in the Book of Revelation, but it's alluded to. And here we have John that says come up, hit her and I will show these things which must be hereafter. It's after the church period hereafter. And it's from a heavenly perspective. And it is takes into notice here that the Saints have been caught up in the rapture.
And so we take this for granted, as it were, and also that we don't hear of the church.
In its testimony in reality, the Church of God, the Bride of Christ, as being on earth.
Really just in heaven and these four and 20 elders are picture of all of the Saints of God.
Old Testament. 12 from the Old Testament, as it were, and 12 from the new and the whole of the redeemed company.
In that scene above and we find that they have crowns on their heads. It's really indicates that the judgment seat of Christ will have taken place and they have crowns. Now if you turn to the last chapter of the Book of Revelation and we'll read verse 12.
It says, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. Well, this is an allusion to the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord values.
The testimony of his Saints, he now used the fruit, the desire of heart that we have to live to please him. And he's not going to wait a long time after the rapture to reward, to review our lives and to just reward. And so that's why he says I come quickly and my reward is with me. Now we're limited by thinking of time and thinking of how there's 24 hours in a day and in natural sense that would take.
00:05:27
A part of an eternity, as it were, to review the lives of all those that belong to the Lord. Well, God is not.
Limited by the laws of physics and science, and very quickly we'll have an individual.
Review what the Lord and all that might be. Any hindrance at all in our thoughts.
Any shame of how we conducted ourselves in this scene, anything that was.
Really. Perhaps at the coming of the Lord, some of the Saints will be sitting in a bar or something like that. There will be some shame, some something that.
Perhaps will not be quite right. Well, the Lord is going to. We're going to see the Lord face to face, all of us all together. The dead will be raised 1St and then we.
Caught up together to be with the Lord. So shall we ever be with the Lord? But he's not going to wait a long time to review our lives.
And to put what was not for His glory on the burn pile. It'll go up and smoke. We'll be so glad that it's gone. And He loves us so much. He'll never ever, for all eternity ever remind us of anything that was done in disobedience. He won't forget our sins. That's not what the Scripture says.
Because you and I forget things and I sometimes forget my keys and so on. I have a habit of doing is taking my shoes off at the front door and I put my keys inside my shoes. But sometimes I forget my shoes. I forget where they are and whether I was at the front door in the basement or whatever. But God doesn't forget. He chooses. He says their sins and their iniquities will. I remember no more. He has the power.
To never remember after the review of your life and mine.
He'll never remember anything that was ever done in disobedience. No sin, not one will ever be reminded to us. And that's how much He loves us and he has that power. So here we have this scene turns to heaven and the Lord. He speaks as a trumpet.
We know that there's going to be a last trump, so perhaps another allusion to the coming of the Lord. Immediately I was in the spirit and behold, the throne was set in heaven. And the throne speaks of the rights and the authority of the one that sits on that throne to rule. And the Lord Jesus has a right to rule in this world.
And here we have really in connection with his rights to the title of this world in verse 11 of chapter 4. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, for Thy will, they are and were created. So you and I weren't created so that we could have a good time down here. That's not the object at all. The good, the thing that we were, God created us.
The Lord Jesus himself and we were formed in the womb. We were born into this world.
And his purpose was that he could take pleasure in us. Not wonderful. He wanted to have pleasure in each one of us.
And he didn't create two people the same. Everyone of us is unique. And so he's created all things. And because he's created all things, he has the right to be the judge. He has the right to receive worship and praise and honor. And so this is really the point of chapter four. He speaks symbolically, and we said this at the beginning and in a couple of nights ago, is that his book is written in a symbolic style. So all of these symbols in connection with the Jasper inside are in stone and the rainbow. And all these symbols that are used are the same ones that are used in the Old Testament. So we.
The Spirit of God assumes.
That we know about those types because we've read the scriptures and we've enjoyed those types. So we speak of a rainbow here, and it speaks of really God's promise never, ever to judge the world with a flood ever again. And it speaks of the blessing that would flow after the judgment. That's really what the rainbow speaks of, a blessing that would come after the judgment. And we have a little.
A little insight as to the heart of the Lord Jesus.
He's going to have the judge and he's going to cleanse this world. He's going to cleanse it good. He's going to do a thorough job in judgment and he will take the kingdoms for himself. And so he brings in this thought of rainbow and there's going to be tremendous blessing that flows forth even in this world after the judgments. And so it says in verse five that the throne out of the throne proceeded lightnings.
00:10:24
And thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. We don't have time to look at it, but there are. If you look at Isaiah Chapter 11 verse two, you make a little note there and you'll see that there are 7 spirits of God mentioned in that verse.
But he speaks of these lightnings and thunderings and it's they're really expressions in nature of power. And we know that God is going to have the power in the person of the sun to execute judgment. Then we have here these beasts, these living creatures. And he mentions in verse seven that there were there really angelic beings, perhaps you might say across?
Special created beings, Seraphims and Cherubims. Remember the Cherubim were placed two cherubims at the Garden of Eden.
That man could never come into that garden ever, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life.
And live forever in a sinful state. And then the seraphim were those if you looked at Isaiah chapter 6.
And they cry, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty, and so they guard the holiness of God. So there are those angelic beings here that will be used particularly in judgment and are intelligent angelic beings, but they reflect.
To us the strength, the majesty of God in in his power and in judgment. The first beast was like a lion, first living creature like a lion, so the king of beasts, and nothing ever will stop him. He has power to judge. And like a calf, the second beast, like a calf. I think it's an oxen in Ezekiel and perhaps in Isaiah as well, but the oxen is.
A steady plotting, and in strength and the judgments of God.
His work of judgment is a strange work, and it's going to be sure and steadfast. It'll never, he'll never be turned from his purpose. Men try to do something, and they perhaps try to restrain the evil in this world, and they are somewhat successful on occasion.
But the Lord Jesus in his.
Work of judging is not going to be hindered at all. And the third beast had a face as a man that speaks of intelligence. And so there's going to be intelligence in what God does in connection with judgment.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle that speaks of swiftness.
And so we're going to read if some of those judgments are going to be swift, God isn't going to.
Linger, as it were, and to allow man to have his own way in this world indefinitely. And so they rest not in verse nine, day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which is and which which was and which is and which is to come. And then those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne. Now you'll notice that he's sitting.
And it really speaks of the patience of Christ. I think it's chapter one that speaks of the patience and Kingdom. Yes, chapter one and verse nine, I John also, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. So there's patience. God is patient right now. The Lord Jesus is patient. He's seated. He's not going to be seated at all for a long time. He's just about to rise. He's just about to rise up.
And you know what happens at breakfast time this morning, brother?
Got up and after he had his breakfast and went into the sitting room for a little bit and just read a little bit and so on, and then brother Jerry went off to work. He got up.
Off of his seat he began to do his work and that's what we have in chapter 5. Let's read a few verses in chapter 5 just to get a little connection here. Chapter 5, verse one, I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven, or no one in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book that's really not in the text and to read I just have little brackets around it.
00:15:24
No, no man was found worthy to open the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not, Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and low in the midst of the throne, and in of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Well, you notice that the Lord Jesus is going to stand.
Going to stand, He's going to be prepared now to take the Kingdom for himself. And remember His inheritance. You and I are not His inheritance. We're a part of His bride. We're not a part of the inheritance at all. What is the inheritance of the Lord Jesus? It's every created thing, all the heavens and all the earth, everything in them. He bought them at the cross. He not only created them, but He bought them.
At the cross, it says that he saw a treasure in the field in Matthew chapter 13, and he went and bought the field. He bought the treasure, He bought the field, and he bought the treasure that was in the field. Everything belongs to him, it's all his. But man has operated in this world in rebellion against God, energized by Satan and influenced by demonic power, and has really usurped the earth and used it for His own glory, for His own purposes.
Without any thought for God at all and so the Lord Jesus here he takes this book. It's really perhaps we might say the title deed to this world and he's going to begin to assert his rights and to.
Take possession of this world. And so no one in heaven where on earth or under the earth was able to open the book, neither look thereon. You know there have been many forms of government in this world.
The communists think their system is very good. The socialists some socialist governments think that they have things figured out. Many men today think that democracy is the way to curb evil and to bring man into a place of.
Utopia, as as it were, has democracy.
Help mankind as democracy improved the world. Has democracy got rid of all the evil in the world?
No, no, it's really characterized. Democracy is characterized by the will of man, and the will of man has not been able to suppress the will of man and the hatred of man. And so the Lord Jesus is going to bring all into subjection. So this is what it speaks of here. And you'll notice that he's mentioned as a lion, the lion of the tribe of Judas, the only time in the Book of Revelation that he's mentioned as a lion and in His Majesty and his power and his glory.
As the king, he's mentioned here, but you know, he's mentioned as the Lamb of God. I believe it's something like 28 times. I have a little note in Isaiah chapter 53, and there he's presented 10 times as the substitute for Israel. You know, I say a chapter 53.
Yes, it's 28 times he's mentioned as the Lamb of God in Revelation. Isn't that wonderful? He's the Lamb. He's a Redeemer. And that's really the point of chapter 5. He's a Redeemer.
And he has rights as the Redeemer. His credentials to and his rights, his worthiness to be the judge are that he has created this world and that he has acted. He has a glory as the Redeemer. You know, there were some glories that the Lord Jesus didn't have.
In heaven before he came, he always existed as God the Son, and he was he had a glorious the the Son of God. And it says that in in John's Gospel chapter 17. It says, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thy forth thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. So there were those glories that he all.
He always had as the Son, but he acquired glories as the one who became the Lamb of God. He's the Redeemer. He has glories because he is the Redeemer and other glories that he has acquired and God has honored him as a result of those that work of the at the cross of Calvary. Now we find that there are those that sing a new song. The elders fell down in verse 8.
00:20:26
They had harps, really. It speaks of perhaps joy and communion of the Saints with the Lord. And the golden vials full of order speaks of prayers. You pray for the brethren, you pray for the Saints. God values those prayers. You know, there's Brother Ed Paldino in Holden, MA, and he's sick right now. He's got, he's got a very bad cold. He may have a bronchial problem, whatever, but.
He's probably going to end up going to the doctor tomorrow and so on, but it'd be nice to pray for Ed Paladino. He's somewhat exercised about being gathered to the Lords name and he's he's the Lord is passing them through trials difficulties. It's good to pray for one another. Well these golden vials full of odors.
Which are the prayers of Saints? You know there are those that pray to for the glory of the Lord, that the Lord might have his rights in this world, that he might be glorified, that he might have his way.
Does the Lord have His way in America today?
America wants their own way.
Americans that there used to be perhaps more of a fear of God among us and even among those that call themselves Christians. But now people want to please themselves instead of trying to please the Lord. But isn't it nice to pray and ask that the Lord?
Ask the Lord to come quickly, Even so come Lord Jesus, and to pray and ask that pray that the Lord his will might be.
Made to take precedence in this world. While these prayers are are necessary and the Lord values them. They sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof. Now this is a heavenly company. These are heavenly Saints, and they're singing a new song.
Redeemed. And it should say, For thou was slain, and hast redeemed, or has bought us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them unto our God kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth. Now the heavenly Saints are singing about the earthly company, and they're singing about that earthly company. And of the ones who are going to be redeemed in this world, those are going to be blessed.
During the Millennium and during the time of the tribulation that they're going to be the blessing, in spite of these judgments, there's going to be blessing that goes forth throughout this world. And so the tribulation Saints that are to be preserved are perhaps here, perhaps brought out, and they'll enter the millennial Kingdom of the Lord. And so he says that they're out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And so while we don't have the tribe of Dan mentioned, we don't have the tribe of Ephraim mentioned a little bit further on in Chapter 7 here.
There are those from the tribe of Dan that will be saved, will be brought into blessing every tribe and nation. God is going to make sure you know the Book of Revelation. We said this on the first night that we were together as a book of judgment largely, but it's a book of tremendous blessing.
That's told to us in the last few chapters of the book, and it's just such an encouragement to read those things so God, while he has to judge.
His purpose in telling us these things is that we might be intelligent as to that, what his purposes are and what he's doing even in day that we're living in, but that we might look forward to the blessing. Heaven is going to rejoice. There's going to be a new song in heaven, but you look in the Psalms and there's going to be a new song in the earth too, a song that can't be sung today.
And there's going to be singing says in Isaiah that the trees are going to clap their hands, the whole of the creation is going to rejoice. And so he says he beheld an inverse 11I beheld. And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000 * 10,000 thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy as the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches and wisdom, strength and honor and glory and blessing.
There's seven notes of praise. You know, there's three different groups that are mentioned here in verses 9 and 10. We just read is really an inner circle, you might say, of those that are redeemed. We have the 24 elders that are mentioned and the four and 20, the four beasts and the four and 20 elders.
00:25:20
Really in the very closest relationship to the land, in the very presence of the Lamb, did you know that you're going to have a better place in heaven than the angels, a higher place and a better place than the angels? You'll be, you're a part of the family of God. You're going to be very in the very presence of the Lamb, the Lamb of God. The Angel won't. They're going to be on the 2nd circle, you might say. And so they're mentioned here in verses 11:00 and 12:00 and.
So they really are on the outside. The Lamb is in the midst, the the Saints are all around the Lamb. And then you have the angels all about them, the elect angels. And they're going to be giving praise to the Lamb. Now it says that we sing a new song.
You remember when the first singing began? It's Exodus chapter 15, I think it's verse one, the song of Moses. Moses, the children of Israel saying when they were redeemed, the blood of the lamb had been shed put on the doorposts and the lentil of the door they'd left Egypt and the principle of the shed blood. They had been sheltered from judgment and they sang. They could sing a song. And so heaven is going to be filled with.
The song of the redeemed and then the earth is going to be filled with the song of the redeemed.
But the angels never sing. They don't. They're not redeemed. There's no forgiveness for an Angel. It's an Angel sins. It's a banishment and judgment. But here they're saying in verse 12, saying with a loud voice, isn't that nice? They can say they honor the their creator.
But you and I have a far greater privilege to sing in the presence of the Son of God. And then we have another circle, as it were, those in the outside circle, less intelligence, perhaps every creature verse 13 which is under heaven, in heaven and under the earth and under the earth and.
Such as are in the sea and all that are in them.
Heard I saying, Blessing and honor, and glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever, to the age, ages of ages.
And the four beasts said Amen, and the four and 20 elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever. You know when I sometimes think you'll forgive me for the.
A little expression, but I think of a fireworks display. When I read this verse and some of these other verses of Scripture, I think of how we're going to be ushered very shortly into a scene of such glory and magnificence with the Lord Jesus in the midst, that it'll just be like a fireworks display that starts and it'll never cease. Our praise and Thanksgiving, the songs that are uttered, It's just going to be such magnificent.
In the presence of the Lord, with no sin to ever, ever hinder us, no relationships that would hinder us, no associations to.
Hindrance nothing to hinder us ever from rejoicing the presence of the Lord.
And so the words of the apostle Paul, he says, And so shall we ever be with the Lord. But.
Here he gives us details. Now we come to really the judgments and chapter six really continues down to.
Really. Chapter 19 or not 19? I'm sorry, Chapter 11?
Of revelation. Remember we said that there are from a prophetic standpoint, the Spirit of God is going to review the same territory. He's going to give us a perspective from the Western Christian nations perspective. He's going to judge the Western nations first. Why?
Because we have the whole Bible has the gospel being preached in Canada and America, Mexico, South America, Europe.
England, yeah, it's been preached there. Was it preached in its entirety throughout the entire nation of Japan.
No. Has it been preached in the entirety, throughout the entirety of some of the heathen nations? You know, they're less guilty. But you and I who have the Bible, and you and I who can go and stay at a hotel room and find a Bible in a drawer.
We're more responsible than any other people upon the planet. So those that have professed Christianity, those that have professed and all the Lord Jesus and Savior, those that have acknowledged God in some way are far more guilty and responsible than others.
00:30:14
I love to be able to see on the money in this country. In God we trust.
But there's coming a time when the people in this country are going to give that up. They're going to give up the profession of faith. So from chapter 6 to Chapter 11 and verse 18 to the end of verse 18, He's going to take us from the beginning of the tribulation period. Now remember the tribulation period is divided into two parts of seven years long and the 1St 3 1/2 years are the beginning of sorrows In Matthew chapter 24. You can look it up. The Lord Jesus calls at the beginning of sorrows.
And then the last 3 1/2 years are the great tribulation. And so the Lord Jesus is going to appear at the end of the great tribulation, and he's going to appear in great glory and honor. And who's going to be with him? You and I, All of the Saints, all the redeemed.
Not one missing those that are despised and disregarded by this world, those that are.
Criticize those that are martyred.
Everyone of them going to be with the Lord Jesus. You know there are three days they're spoken of in Scripture. I'll just mention them because I think it's important. At this point. Let's just turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter.
Two.
It says.
I'm just going to read this little expression in verse 2.
Chapter 2 and verse two of Second Thessalonians, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word.
Nor by letter is from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Where is present? What's the day of Christ?
You know what it is? It's the display of the Lord Jesus in all of His glory, and you and I with Him.
Not nice.
That's what it is. Do you know what the day of the Lord is? That's another day. The day of the Lord is His reign. And when does it begin? It begins when He comes and is appearing with you and I in all of His glory. It'll be the day of the Lord and it'll continue until the eternal state. And we could read in First Corinthians chapter 15, He's going to deliver up the kingdoms. Everything's going to be brought into subjection to the Father, to God, and then the Lord Jesus is going to take and hand over the kingdoms, as it were, to His Father.
And then, for all eternity, he'll devote himself to his bride.
We know that there's going to be an earthly people, but He'll particularly be devoted to you and I in a coming day. What grace, what love for Him to do that. Well, there's another day as well, and it's the day of God. And so that's really the eternal state, the eternal day.
The and the day of God begins when the sun presents, all brought into subjection to the Father, and it begins that day of God.
So those are three days. And so it's necessary for us to understand where we are in the history of this world today.
We're not in the day of Christ right now. His glory is not displayed before this world. And you and I are seen and treated with contempt, if not abuse, really with contempt on the part of others. And then what we look forward to, the day of Christ and the day of the Lord is the day of his reigning. And really those two continue side by side, as it were for those thousand years.
And so here we have in chapter 6 of Revelation, we have the beginnings of the judgments and the 1St 3 1/2 years of what God is going to do among those that are in the Western Christian world.
It's kind of hard not to read the chapter without.
To comment on the chapter without reading it. So maybe we'll read it very quickly and I'll try to bring out something in connection with each one of these seals. You know, there are four series of judgments in the Book of Revelation.
There's the seal judgments, there's seven of them. There's 7 trumpet judgments.
And there's seven vile judgments or bold judgments, and then there are 7 Thunder judgments.
00:35:07
Now we're not told about the Thunder judgment. I'll just point that out.
Now I have to find it but.
There were 7 Thunder judgments that were mentioned and yes, chapter 10.
Verse four. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Enemy, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
Your beloved brethren, there are some things that you and I in this scene perhaps could not.
Could not bear.
They're gone. When he judges, he's going to be severe. And He doesn't tell us about those 7 Thunder judgments. He does tell us about some of the things that we can enter into. And He wants us to be intelligent as to what he's going to do when we're in the glory with him, we'll have our glorified bodies.
But there are some things that are private and that he's going to do and he hasn't told us because of the perhaps the severity of them. So chapter 6 verse one when I I saw the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were the noise of Thunder. One of the four beasts saying come it shouldn't say NC Every one of those that just I just put a little bracket around those two words Mr. Garvey and other.
Expositors notice that in the Greek those two words are not there, so the four beasts say come.
And I saw and I and behold a White Horse, And he that sat on him had a bowl, and the crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come. And then went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come.
And I beheld and lo, a Black Horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. And cedar hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the 4th seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell, or Hades followed with him, and power was given unto them over the 4th part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with beasts of the earth. And when he had opened the 5th seal, I saw under the altar of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto everyone of them, and was said unto them that they should rest for yet a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when he had opened the 6th seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became his blood, and the stars of heaven fell into the earth.
Even as a fig tree cast as their untimely figures when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll, when it was rolled together in every mountain and every an island, were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, the mighty men, and every bondsman and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountains, and set into the mountains. And the rocks fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?
Well, these sealed judgments are the judgments that are first to fall upon the Western world. Now you know that the first one really is the Roman Catholic Church, but I'm just going to make a comment on the first verse that says there was a noise of Thunder. Now you know what happens when there's noise of Thunder.
You know that there's a there's a storm coming.
And I wonder sometimes, I don't want to be dogmatic about it, but I feel that the Lord is allowing the Western Christian world to hear the Thunder and to recognize that there's a Thunder, that there's a a storm of judgment about the fall upon the Western world.
00:40:00
And so they're talking about climate change. Boston has a record snowfall this year. Hurricane Katrina wipes out new New Orleans. There's a hurricane that came through New York City. How often do we have those things happen?
The country that has on their money in God we trust is doing everything but trusting in God and defying God and his rights publicly and defying God in the moral standards of the country and the laws that are being passed and so on. And I believe that the Lord is allowing us to see that there's a noise of Thunder and we're hearing that Thunder. The storm of judgment is about to fall. So he says the Lord Jesus.
Calls the judgment forth. He says, Come, and he saw a White Horse, and him that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and went forth conquering the Conqueror. I'll just say this that this is really referring to the Roman Catholic Church, and isn't it solemn?
That the very first judgment that was going to fall.
At the beginning of sorrows as the tribulation period begins the beginning of sorrows as soon as the agreement is signed between the United states of Europe and.
The nation of Israel, the prophetic clock, will start again.
It's not started now. It's not prophecy isn't being fulfilled at the present time, but it's going to start and these judgments will begin. Well, you know, it's the Roman Catholic Church that is going to rule the Western.
Economy. The Western Empire, the United States of Europe, if you will. That's what they call themselves in the news media.
Or the EU, and perhaps they are the forerunner to this 10 nation confederacy that will be consolidated at the time.
Shortly after, perhaps the Rapture.
But God is going to allow the Roman Catholic Church to rule Western Europe. She's always wanted to rule and the Pope and that whole system of things, the Church of Rome is going to rule the United States of Europe. That's the first judgment that God is going to pronounce and allow to fall upon corrupt Western Christendom.
After the rapture, and then it says it's not there's no military involvement here. It says a crown was given to him. So there's going to be perhaps peace, peace treaties, negotiations and so on. And somewhat like America making peace with Cuba, not really on a righteous basis or anything like that, but there's peace made and there's negotiations and.
We agree to get get along and so the Pope is going to have influence over the nation's that are a part of the United States of Europe and perhaps will lead them or some of his Cardinals, whatever. And then it says the second seal. When he had opened the second seal, I heard the second V say come.
And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth, that they might.
That they should kill one another, and that there was given unto him a great sword.
Now, you remember at the beginning of these meetings I said that there were three expressions in connection with this world. The land has to do with Israel.
And the earth has to do with the Western world, Western Europe and perhaps America, South America, those parts of the world that profess Christianity. And then the world is really a broader sphere and it includes the nations that are not a part of the prophetic outline, not part of the prophetic earth as it were. So that Japan and Indiana, some of the some of those nations that are outside farther, less responsible than the Western nations.
So that's why it says in verse 8, the 4th part really 25% of the earth.
If we could use that as a little bit of a symbol, 25% of the earth professes to be Christian Christian. And so in chapter 8 it goes up a little bit to 30% because he mentions the third part in verse.
Verse seven. Third part of the trees was burned up, and all green grass was burned up. It should say a third part.
Of the trees was burned up and then in verse 8, a third part of the sea became blood. So he mentions the third part. I think it's 12 Times in that chapter. So it means 33%. What does that mean? The third part really includes the land of Israel. And so these beginning, these judgments here in chapter 6 perhaps don't influence the land of Israel so much at the first because he says as well.
00:45:26
Hurt, not the oil and the wine. We know that they're going to be very prosperous in their land and.
But in any case, there's bloodshed, there's there's a peace treaty signed and.
In Western Europe, the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church rules and governs. And then it says in verse three that there's bloodshed. Verse 4, bloodshed, peace is taken away. They kill on another great sword. And isn't that what we see with terrorism today is people don't like to, they want their own way and so on. And I can just imagine what the Muslims would do in France and other parts of Europe when they find that the Roman Catholic Church now rules the Western.
Empire and it's going to be a cause of great civil war and strife and civil disobedience and people are going to die. And then it says the third seal there was a Black Horse speaks of famine he that sat on him out of pair of balances in his hand. So food is going to get very expensive. A measure of wheat for a penny. That means to be able to eat every day you're going to have to spend all the money that you have just to be able to eat.
And barley really was the food for slaves, SO3 measures of barley for a penny and those that were less well off the slaves and servants and so on hurt not the oil and the wine. And so that's what happens when their Civil War, civil disobedience. You know how long it took to empty the shelves in New York City when they.
Hurricane went through there. It took three days to empty the shelves and empty all the grocery stores and so on.
But it took three weeks to fill them back up. Why? Because the delivery system was interrupted, fuel pumps weren't working, the electricity was off, all kinds of things, trees were across the roadways and so on. And so it took three weeks to put it all back together. Well, we find here that when there's civil war, natural.
Systems that men depends upon to be able to feed himself and so on are going to be interrupted.
Then it says the 4th seal, that there was a pale horse and so disease comes in, malnutrition, disease, water that's contaminated, all those things and death and hell or Hades. Death for the body and hell or Hades is really for the spirit and the soul. There will be people dying because of the as the spirit, as the Lord begins to crank things up a little bit, He just cranks things up a little bit and doesn't give any relief.
And it may be some of our neighbors that we see that are a part of this company in the Western world, those that live beside us, those that we worked with, those that perhaps we gave a gospel tract to, those that they saw us walk out at the door with our Bibles on Lords Day morning and so on. And they're going to experience these judgments. And then there was the this pale horse really speaks of disease and so on. And.
But then it speaks of the sword, hunger, death, or pestilence, and the beasts of the earth. So he's going to use the Spirit of God records here that he's going to use the beasts of the earth to punish man, and there are going to be those.
That have.
Being environmentalist, if I could put it that way, that have protected the wildlife of this world, I'll just give you 1 little example in Hammer Bay for in parasound area, the rattlesnake went extinct and the.
Frog lovers and the tree lovers and tree huggers and so on. They reintroduce these rattlesnakes and so they've been a problem ever since and they ran out of venom, anti venom one year and had to fly stuff in and so on. But God is going to allow.
Different things to take place like that and those beasts of the earth are going to be used in judgment. Then we see the 5th seal and there are those that are under the altar, those that are martyred.
00:50:04
Who can be murdered?
During the beginning of Sorrows.
The Jews will be martyred. Which ones? Those that are preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. God is going to raise up godly men that read the Scriptures. They've read the Old Testament and you know what they're waiting for? They're waiting for their Messiah. And they understand by the reading of the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel, that there's going to be an agreement signed. And they read it in the book of Isaiah as well, prophecies of Isaiah. And they read that when that agreement is signed.
Then approximately 7 years later, the Messiah is going to appear and they're going to go and preach the gospel of the Kingdom is good news. The King is coming. He's going to set up his Kingdom. You better repent. He's coming.
And the Roman Church is going to say, no, no, wait, we wrote, we ruled. The Pope rules Western Europe. You can't say these things. They'll still preach the gospel, the Kingdom. They'll start in Jerusalem, they'll start in the land of Israel, and they'll go out, They'll continually go out from the land of Israel in the world, throughout the entire world and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. Some will receive that gospel and be blessed.
But many of those dear ones are going to be slaughtered.
Maybe in America, I don't know. We're not told those details in Europe. The Roman church slaughtered those that preached the truth of the gospel, of the grace of God during the Reformation, and even up leading up to the Reformation. They were persecuted to death, burned at the stake.
And just because the Pope, Francis is a popular man today.
Let's not be swept into thinking that this is a good system and this is a good time and this is a good man. And so on this system, Roman Catholicism is going to rise up and slaughter the Saints of God in the future. And they're going to cry aloud saying how long? Verse 10, O Lord, holy and true to thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. And so a believer Christian doesn't cry for vengeance.
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay you, and I commit our cause to Christ, don't we? When we're wronged, we ought to. But the Jews, their prayer in the thumbs, you know, the Psalms are all written for the Jews as they go through that time of trial and difficulty.
They they rightly pray for vengeance. They're going to pray for vengeance and they're going to they're seen figuratively in heaven there and they're crying out for vengeance and they're the Spirit of God records. He says just wait a little season in verse 11 until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled. Now there's a second group of martyrs and they're martyred after democracy ceases.
There's still going to be a semblance of democracy during the first part of those three 3 1/2 years, but there's going to be a military coup that takes place and Satans man, the beast, the corrupt, satanically empowered.
A beast, the Roman ruler, the ruler of the revived Roman Empire, the United States of Europe is going to take. He's going to have there's going to be a military coup where he's going to depose the Roman Catholic Church.
And he's going to have the Prime Minister in Israel, the Antichrist, and by the two of them will impose.
Idolatry upon the Western world and they're going to seize the empire and then they're going to rule.
And the Gospel of the Kingdom will continue to go forth.
God and mercy is going to send those men forth and they're going to preach that he's coming, he's coming, he's going. He's only perhaps a 3 1/2 years off, but he's coming. He's going to assert his rights. He's going to rule.
And that we slaughtered that the beast and all of his proselytes, all those that have apostatized, given up the knowledge of God, are going to say we don't believe that message. And those people are going to be slaughtered in Western Europe and in Israel. Those godly remnant is going to be slaughtered.
Many will be escaped and so that's what we have here in Chapter 7 and we might as well pass on to this. I just might make a comment though before I comment on that. In the 6th seal is really that convulsion that we're talking about. The from verse 12 down to verse 17 is really the military coup that takes place in the middle of the prophetic week 3 1/2 years and the Roman Catholic Church is deposed.
00:55:03
And it says there was a great earthquake. Now you know what happened with a great earthquake. It's a type in Scripture is that things are never going to be the same ever again. Do you remember the earthquake at the cross?
There was an earthquake.
And man had done his most wicked.
Acts of cruelty and wickedness in the sight of God. He'd taken the Son of God and crucified the Lord of glory and God had set aside, as it were judicially really the system of religion called Judaism. And there was a great earthquake that day was never ever going to be the same. And so he gives us type that the rocks rent the earthquake and the rocks rent and.
You could never go back and glue up all those rocks and make it just like it was before the temple. The veil of the temple was rent and says in Mr. Jarvis French translation and says from above to the bottom, it wasn't the earthquake, but it was God himself that rent that veil that was never going to be the same again.
And So what he says here in verse 12 really with this great earthquake, is that the Western world.
In this world that has usurped the rights of Christ is going to be brought in subjection. Things will never be the same again. And what we are living in, in the days that we live in now, we're seeing the beginnings and perhaps midway through the collapse of Western society.
Where perhaps at the very most, maybe within a very few years from the time of the rapture, Western economies will be brought to collapse. That's really what we're we're seeing here in these verses. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places in verse 14.
So mountain is a power in the earth, the political power there are all those political systems that are prevalent in the Western world are going to be brought to naughty and there's going to be.
An absolute dictator that rules satanically influenced, and I don't know if he's satanically indwelled with Satan, but you know that Judas was. It says that Judas was indwelled with Satan. Satan came and dwelled within him.
Didn't trust any demons to do that work. Judas himself was indwelled. But this man and his officers are going to create a system of things that excludes God and the Satans worship of Satan and so on will take place. And then it speaks of this. All the kings of the earth and so on. They're just escaping for their lives as if were to hide from the Lord, from the land.
The wrath to come.
Not one that's going to be able to escape. We could read some other verses in Matthews Gospel, but not one of them. It's going to escape. It's like a wildfire, like a forest fire. Some of us have seen wildfire. And you see the rabbits running, you see the foxes running, you see the deer running, you see the bear running, you see them all running. They're all running away from the fire. And sometimes they're able to escape. But in this case, there's not one that's going to escape the judgment of a holy God.
Many have Chapter 7. I'm not going to read it here, but perhaps you can read it tonight when you get home or tomorrow morning.
There are two groups, it looks this little bit of an interruption. That's a parenthesis chapter really. And you might say as you read verse 17, the great day of his wrath is coming, who shall be able to stand? You think you know, this whole planet is going to be wiped out. No ones going to survive these judgments. But the Chapter 7 is an encouragement and the Spirit of God just inserts it here in an appropriate way and he says you know there's going to be.
Figuratively, it says.
144,000 of the.
That are sealed in verse four I heard the number of them that were see which were sealed and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel and he names ten of the tribes.
Doesn't mention Dan and I don't believe he mentions Ephraim here because they were connected with idolatry.
In the Old Testament times and but they're going to be brought into blessing as well. And so he says, you know, no, not all the Jews are going to be destroyed. No, there's going to be there are those that are sealed and God has appointed that there's going to be.
A provision for those of his people, his of the Jews, of the children of Israel that are going to be preserved. I remember when I was a boy, my father and mother had television in the home and we watched the newscast during the Vietnam War, 1968, perhaps 19691970, and the carpet bombing that took place. So you sent over B50 twos full of bombs and carpet bomb Hanoi and those cities and so on and.
01:00:28
You drop all thousands of bombs and you hope to hit something.
That's not how God judges.
And today they say, well, strategic bombing and they do it with laser lights and they have bombs that follow laser lights and go to a building and so on. God is going to judge the Lord Jesus is going to be very specific in how he accomplishes his purposes. And so he's going to save some of the the Jews and then he speaks of the Gentiles.
In a second company here in verse nine, and be held below a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palms in their hands.
Cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood around about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell down before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.
Well, you know, God is going to have those of the Gentiles among the Gentiles who believe the gospel of the Kingdom. They're going to be brought into blessing too.
So he inserts this in Chapter 7, a little glimpse of the grace of God, the love of God, and in spite of judgment, there's going to be blessing. His purposes will never be worth it. Heaven is going to be full and the millennial earth is going to be filled with those that have a new song in their hearts, a new song, and God's going to have His rightful place. Let's just commend ourselves.