The prophetic outline of Revelation, distinguishing between the rapture and the revelation, and detailing the judgments of God as revealed in Revelation chapter six. The passage identifies the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: the white horse representing a conquering leader, the red horse signifying bloodshed and the removal of peace, the black horse symbolizing famine and economic collapse, and the pale horse bringing death and Hades. The sermon also touches upon the persecution of saints under the fifth seal and the cosmic disturbances of the sixth seal, emphasizing God's sovereignty and wrath against a rebellious world. The core lesson is that these judgments are God's direct actions upon the earth following the church's rapture, serving as a warning and a prelude to the great day of His wrath.
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Well, we thank you for coming and return today to the sixth chapter in the book of the Revelation. We come to the section of this wonderful book that may be perhaps the most difficult to interpret and understand. but it is also one solemnity, as we do consider the chapters we begin with today, chapter six and onwards, toward the end of the book, we have a prophetic outline of this book. Let me just repeat again, while we have noted in the beginning, and repeat it often, and do so once more, the outline of this precious book, in chapter one and verse nineteen, where John was told to write the things which thou hast seen, second, the things which are, and third, the things which shall be seen after.
As we approach the chapter today before which chapter six and on, I would like to state there are those in past centuries, and even perhaps today, who have given to me an interpretation of this portion of the book of the Revelation to the present time. There is no question of doubt. There have been occasions of catastrophes and judgments and providential dealings with the world that God has permitted that can be interpreted from this section of the Book of the Revelation. But that's not the final conclusion of the section which we now begin.
And your key verses, chapter one and verse nineteen, is the most important subtational interpretation in its final application as one should. For John in chapter one wrote what he had seen, the vision of the Lord Jesus, as we have noted, in chapters two and three, he then wrote the prophetic and spiritual history of the church, and it seems to from his day and onward, and even today as it is, and shall be till the rapture. that in chapter four very definitely we found we began with things which shall be hereafter.
Now look your paragraph on your lesson sheet before we read the scripture. I want to read the introduction that we have. We now commence the prophetic section of Revelation which reveals the coming judgments of God. May I emphasize that word again? The coming judgments. What we shall do We shall seek to follow the future application of these judgments to be poured out upon the earth during the interval between the rapture and the revelation. Now may I again be reminded with you of the distinction, and I think I name it, but I would like particularly to distinctly state the difference between the rapture and what is called here the revelation.
The raster we know is that blessed event pertaining to the coming of the Lord for His sake. And the occasion when he descends from heaven, the dead in Christ rise. We which are the lightning and the angel shall be caught up together with him to meet the Lord in the air. That is what we call the raster. And it is the occasion of the coming of the Lord for His sake. That the revelation... And the word revelation in the Greek word apocalypse, it means the unveiling. And please remember this. Chapter one and verse seven is the theme of the whole book, in its prophetic context, particularly for the greater part.
Behold, he covered with clouds, and every eye shall see him. And the distinction between the rapture and the revelation is the fact that at the rapture the world does not visibly witness the coming of the Lord for its sake. But it's coming to the earth with the ascending judgments that proceed, and then it's coming, that will be visible to all. So that we can shudderly say and must that when it comes to the interpretation of the future aspect of the book of the Revelation, we must indeed recognize they are in the future following the translation of the faith.
And what we have already seen when we have... It's thought, chapter four and five, we saw the church in heaven. In fact, last week we were with all of us, I think, but we're here, we wish we were there. But we recognize the precious fact chapter four and five, viewed the regime's saints in heaven. And then the cross successively follows. As we begin now, the breaking of both seals. Let me finish the reading then of that paragraph. The rapture is the coming of the Lord for its saints, and the revelation is the coming of the Lord with its saints. And the judgments, as we shall see them, they are called the seal judgments, and then the trumpet, and last of all the final judgment.
May I read with you in chapter six then? I would like to read the first seal as it is broken, beginning in verse one. Let me read down through verse two. And I saw then the Lamb, hold in one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four living people saying, Come. May I omit the last two words of the verse. For you will find them in the better translations of the clearer. Omitted. And I think in the context as we study it, we shall see why. But a voice sent one of the living creatures, Christ, come.
And then we read in verse two. John said, And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sent on him had a pole. and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. Now may we look at the outline in our lesson sheet, please. Now just what we must note particularly, as you have on your outline, number one, the first deal, covered by verses one and two, please note the prominent character that dominates And it's presented in this revelation of what John saw in the vision.
Not the rider on the white horse, but the white horse itself. As you note in the verse, John says, I saw and behold a white horse. So we have that before us. But now let's perhaps first of all note, as we have noted in verse one, this is the beginning of those judgments. that God is to pour out upon the world when the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, becomes the executor of those judgments. Now may I again refer to it, for the heart certainly rejoices in the precious title the Lord Jesus has in the book of Revelation as we noted last week.
The Lamb. And how we may recognize that he alone is the executor of God's judgment. Let me link John fine twenty-two with the thought again, when Jesus said, The Father judges no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. May I again repeat, and I believe I need it for my own heart's good and my conscience, and it is solemn to realize That blessed one who is the Lamb of God is the Savior of the world, is also going to be the judge of the world and the executor of all that God intends to do with the ungodly conditions that prevail upon the earth.
Now as we go down the chapter, we're going to notice particularly what takes place is not in heaven. nor even in relation to the things in heaven. But what actually takes place in the judgment is completely in relation to the earth. Can I solemnly think again with you? What we are going to see is what God is going to do with the earth. Now, if you were to ask what men are going to do, well, you can hear that every day on the news, what they say they're going to do. But the thought that you and I as believers are going to enter into is this. we are going to see what God is going to do with the earth.
And we need to recognize that solemn fact. We cannot trust, we cannot even listen to the thoughts of men, their proposition, their attempt, and all that they may seek to do and all seeking to do. But here we are taken on divine ground to realize This is what God is going to do. And it's a solemn realization of that which follows his judgments are going to be manifested. Now, how he performs those judgments may certainly be true instruments that are upon the earth.
The one I wish to emphasize is this, the source is heaven. The source is the Lamb. The source is the one who is the executor of the judgment. And whatever the... And you please note, note in verse one particularly, as soon as the Lamb opens the first seal, just as I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, a voice of the four, one of the four living creatures, Christ, come. Now here you can link. The Lamb is the source. Then instrumentally... One of the living creatures has given the order to give the command. Come.
And then what follows in verse two is without question of doubt what John sees appears upon the earth in the first form of judgment, which we can call the field judgment. Now look at your notes, if you please. I want you to note again, as we emphasize under number one, the first field, letter A, The executor of the judgment is the Lamb who opens the first seal. Then the thundering response by the command of the living creature, when he cries, Come, as in what appears, the white horse with a rider, an unnamed person, with power to conquer the earth by peaceful means, bloodless victory, and crowned with honor.
Now look at verse two in particular. Now may I also again remind you as we come to this particular section and what may follow on many chapters. We have many symbols. In fact, the book of the Revelation is full of symbols. Many things are figurative. In other words, we may not always be able to interpret them actually as being literal. But symbolic. And for the symbolic meaning of what we may read, we certainly need an understanding of the Bible. In fact, it may take sometimes the knowledge of the whole Bible to understand some of the things in the book of the Revelation.
And particularly the symbolic meaning of things that are revealed in the book of the Revelation. And so we recognize the first thing that John saw was a white Now, why white? As we know, we'll see in the others that followed, there were other colors. But a white horse, which is emblematic of victory, emblematic of victory. Sometimes the leaders of armies, the conquering armies of the world when celebrating their victories. The one who would be the conqueror would ride upon a white horse. Napoleon was well known for doing that.
And others have been well known for doing that. I think of General Pershing, if I may recall, after World War I. He had a special horse that he used in connection with the celebration of victory when the war was finished. And so it's an emblem of victory. And then the rider is upon it, as we well know, this side upon it, and note he had a bow. Now, when you think of the instruments of warfare, you have, well, you don't have guns in the Bible, but you have swords and stains and steers, and you have bows.
And here's the emblem of a bow. Not even an arrow is mentioned. But one can recognize, well, with a sword, you would draw blood. But I think the suggestion is this. that the one who is riding upon a white horse is conquering chiefly, not by bloody attempts, but by bloodless attempts and conquering to thus be recognized as being the conqueror of the world. Now, let me please state this. Sometimes some make the mistake of interpreting the white horse as the Lord Jesus riding on it.
No, no. You've got the Lord Jesus in chapter nineteen coming from heaven on a white horse. And out of his mouth went what? Sharp two-edged sword. He didn't have a bow. So we can rule that out and recognize this is in relation to the earth and a person that will be on the earth following the rapture. And then you note the words go on to say, a crown was given unto him. Now here is a person without question in town. Well, let me try and make it in a very practical application and come down to the conditions of today.
When you look at the world today in all of its worldwide turmoil, the nation, as they are thrashing, as it were, in unrest, Well, I remember years ago, even after World War II, a lawyer friend of mine was speaking about the need of the world. He said, we need a Moses, the leader's out of the wilderness. The world is looking for a leader. The world is looking for a leader. Well, you go with me to John chapter five and verse forty-three. I want this, I think of the words of the Lord Jesus, which I believe in John chapter five and verse forty-three.
I want to bring out a thought relative to what we have just stated, what the Lord Jesus said. Look in verse forty-three. He speaks of himself, and in the fifth chapter of John, chapter five, six, seven, and even eight, the Lord Jesus is dealing with the leaders of the nation of Israel, particularly the Pharisees and Sadducees. But know what he said. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not. And that is indicative not only of the nation, but it is indicative of the whole world. I've come in my father's name, and you receive me not.
He's the rejected one as far as the world can see. But I don't know what he says in following. Another shall come in his own name. Him, ye will receive. And may I give a suggestion. The rejection of Christ by the world. will subject that whole world to be naive enough to believe one who claims to be a conqueror and will lead the nations in victory and give peace. Well, if I listen rightly, the whole world says, we want peace, even though they may have a gun in their hand.
And you recognize the crime. Peace, peace, peace, peace. Thessalonians, second Thessalonians chapter five, rather first Thessalonians chapter five, the Lord right through the Apostle Paul. When they shall cry peace and safety, sudden destruction shall come upon them. Now what we can recognize, even from this, the world itself will readily accept a person who will train to lead them into peace. And I believe this is the character of the one who will appear after the church is gone. Whether I should call him the Antichrist, I could not be done mad at it.
I will say this. You look in Revelation thirteen, please. Let me give you this thought in Revelation chapter thirteen. Here you can recognize the appearance of one great world leader at the end time. Let me read verse one only. I stood upon the sand of the sea, and in this typical vision the John Sea, the sea, typical of the nations of the earth. I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beat rise up out of the sea. If I may transliterate it, I saw one rise up out of the nation, having seven heads and ten horns. and upon his horns, ten crowns, upon his head, the name of blasphemy.
And it's not questioned that we will be the literal leader of the nations at the end time, whether perhaps it's the same one, but what we can recognize, the world will accept some world leader after the rapture of the saints, who will seek to lead then and offer to lead them into peace. But please note, a crown was given unto him. He didn't have it to begin with. It was given unto him. It was given unto him. It was given unto him. So how the world is waiting for that.
And beloved, the result of the first fear will be that he will appear. And then if you please note, He went forth conquering and to conquer. And one may recognize whether by peaceful efforts, whether by negotiation, and so on, he conquers and gets to the place where he presents himself and is accepted by the world as a victorious leader. You know, it's amazing, but it is so true The world follows such, even in the days of Napoleon, Charlie Maine, another great conqueror who sought to conquer the world too.
And so easily does the world follow men who propose as well as present themselves in the power of being a world leader and a world conqueror. And the Lord Jesus made it very clear. I came in my father's name and you refuse me. Another has come in his own name. You'll follow him. You'll follow him. Now let's go to the next field. For then we can see what follows. Now there's no question that in sequence we go to the next field and read verses three, going down if I may. When he had opened the second field, I heard the second living creature say, Come.
There went out another horse that was red. Power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword. Now one may recognize from this scripture we quoted in verse Thessalonians five, when they shall say peace and say things, Southern destruction shall come upon them. But I want you to note something very specially. I think you got it in your note there.
The rider is given power to take peace from the earth. Can I give you this thought? Please recognize it. As you look, please. In verse four, there went out another horse that was ran. First of all, you think of the color of the horse? One can recognize indeed how typical it is of bloodshed, a red horse. In the book of Zechariah you've got the same expression describing the providential and deemings of God as he uses his agency to either give peace or to take away peace, and a red horse is certainly typical of bloodshed.
We can see that. But please note these words as he comes. It was given to him that sat there on their note to take peace from the earth. Now let me give you this thought. When we go further in the trumpet judgments and the vile judgments, we may find them more restricted in their evidence of destruction or the portion of the earth that may be involved in particular. But when you look at the seal judgments, they involve all the earth. He will take peace from the earth. Now I believe, now I'm not, don't want to be fanatic, I don't think I am, but I believe I'd like to be emphatic.
He'll involve all the earth. Then please know what follows. Strange words, they fascinate me in this way, that they should what? Kill one another. Now let me give you this thought. In the expression, it doesn't suggest global warfare, it doesn't even suggest any particular warfare. The word is, what it says all over the earth, men will be killing one another. Then he asks you something, don't you feel greed over the fact you can't turn the news on today without hearing the fact somebody's murdered in Charlotte? Why are people killing one another?
Sometimes you wonder why. But under the seal of judgment, it will be universal. Men will be killing one another. There's nothing implied other than the plain statement that men shall kill one another. It does not seem to imply, as we shall see in some of the other judgments they come, warfare. Nations against nations? Remember in Matthew, the Lord Jesus said, Nation shall rise against nations, kingdom against kings. This statement doesn't imply that. It will come later. We're now questioning the doubt.
But what is suggested, my humble opinion and thinking, there's going to be universal killing. Beloved, we all, we must be on the threshold of it. And I said, Lord Jesus, why don't you come now and take us home? How near we must be to the coming of the Lord. If this be the case, it's coming to the very people. So under the seal judgment, the second seal judgment, there is universe of slaying of men against what... Listen. Please listen carefully. This is just the beginning of the judgment. For may I add, As they come along, sealed judgment, prompted judgment, and finally the vile judgment, successively they become more intense.
They become greater in their intensity. And things become worse and worse upon the earth for the conditions that will be, finally, what is called the Great Tribulation. Beloved, can I say this? I'm glad I'm saved. I'm looking for the Lord to come and take me home by the rapture. But the earth, oh how it will suffer. And great will be the slaughter even upon the earth. That follows. But then finally as we go on, it is also written there was given unto him a great thought.
Say, I'll give you this suggestion. This writer, whoever, as he thus is pictured as a writer, he has the authority. Look, the land is behind it all. Here's a man he's using to bring judgment about upon the people of the earth. And he's given the authority of using his own personal power to cause men to hate and kill one another. Oh, may I say lovingly as well as seriously, God moves behind the scenes of us.
He's always got his hand upon the condition, even when they're bad. Back in Ezekiel chapter one, if you may recall, we have referred to it in the past. And Ezekiel's great vision, he saw in the first part of his vision the turmoil, the whirlwind, the storm, and the clouds that were over and hovering over Israel as a nation. And then he saw behind that the living creatures that he describes there, wheels within wheels. who are undoubtedly the heavenly agency that carrying out the providential work of God upon the earth.
But at the end of the vision, at the end of the chapter, he sees a throne with a man upon it. Now may I say lovingly, earnestly, please, you may not understand it and may not, and I may not, that God is behind all the scenes controlling. Ephesians one, I think it's verse twelve, said, He works of all things after the counsel of His own will. Beloved, we have to confess it. The sovereignty of God we cannot deny. And He is all sovereign in His dealings with the earth.
One thing we just must say, He's very long suffering too. Forget not. Could yet not. He has suffered long with the earth and its rebellion against it. If you want one of the greatest examples of his long suffering, all you have to do is read the Old Testament of the history of Israel. How he suffered the rebellion and the hardness of his own earthly people before he came into it. some of the most serious condemnations you can read against Israel and Judah from the book of Jeremiah.
Poor Jeremiah, the weaking prophet. He had the worst mission that any prophet ever had, perhaps. It was nothing but doom and gloom. He had to prophesy against God's own people. They hated him for it. They wanted to kill him for it. They said he wasn't patriotic. And they attempted... to take his life. But God said he would preserve him and God did preserve him. But when you read the language of Jeremiah and the language that God had to use when he came to the fight, he said, My anger is against my people. Now let me put it this way. If God could and did get angry with just his nation of Israel, what's he going to do with the whole earth?
Go to Psalm chapter two. Please. Psalm chapter two, Citrix said, Revere set themselves, the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, against his anointing, which is Christ, the Son of God, saying, Letters break their bands of thunder and cast away their cause from it. And in those three verses, you've got the voice, the language of the nations today. Please let me say this. I don't want to be considered gloomy. But I said, must be spiritual. The attempt to clean up the earth, Christians will never make it. With all due respect and appreciation for what some Christians are trying to do to clean up, they still never make it.
Do you know your Bible? The language of the earth, out of Christ, we don't want God. We don't want God. Away with him. And let me say frankly. It's bad now. It's going to get worse. Now read the next three verses. He that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sword its pleasure. Yet have I fed my king upon my holy hill of Zion. And you've got the voice of God the Father in those words. His wrath is to be tingled against the nation. I'm going to I've got my man for the king of the earth.
Do I need to ask you the question, who's trying to get control of the earth today? You know. That's right, sure. And he's got the man that he wants to use. Worth in time. Worth in time. And yet you can realize the father knows that. And because that day is coming, and the language of this Psalm is very similar to what we are seeing in the Revelation. And he says, I'm going to put my finger. Then then you've got verse seven, eight, and nine, and you almost hear the voice of God the Son. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, thou art my son.
This day have I begotten thee after thee. I shall give thee the nations of thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth of thy society. Thou shalt break them. with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a father's vessel. If you love us, then you've got the language. Even there's a book of Revelation back here in Psalm two. And the nations are to be dashed in pieces. Timothy did this thought. Remember the study we had in the book of Daniel. I want to finish reading the Psalm. But remember the book of Daniel. Remember Nebuchadnezzar's dream. the great image of gold and silver and brass and copper and then legs of iron and feet of iron and clay.
The whole scope of Gentile history from Nebuchadnezzar's day to the coming again of Christ to the earth in his second appearance. And you remember what happened at the end? A stone cut out without hand, multi-image on its feet, the last phase of Gentile empire and reign. Please let me say. the nations of the earth. I can't near the end of their earthly power. And Christ was mighty. And you know what happened? The holy me. Smash. And let me just say this humbly. And don't call me on patriotic. But first of all, the Lord Jesus is going to smash the nations to smithereen.
Praise the nations. Like a father's message. And if you want my humble, candid, C-A-N-D-I-D, not I-E-D, opinion, they deserve it. And even our own preciousness. As we see the decline, morally and spiritually of the world today. Now, my thought was at the end of the psalm, where we have the anger mentioned, look, the last three verses. Ten, eleven, and twelve, the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be wise now, therefore, O ye king, be instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, and note the next word, let thee be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are happy all they that put their trust in him. And the present voice of the Holy Spirit is saying into the world, Get reconciled to God through which Son, lest he be angry. Was it not Jonathan Edwards that is reported, made that spectacular sermon that brought so many souls to the Lord, a sinner in the hands of an angry God? And beloved, please let me say, When the judgments begin, as we begin in Revelation chapter six, it's the angle of God and the angle and the wrath of God.
We'll find it at the end of chapter six, mention, and know how we can realize what the earth is going to experience. You know, I'm glad God's not going to be angry with me. Nice to be sheltered under the blood of Jesus. Say this. Let's go back to Revelation then. Let's see. As we have noted at the end of the seventh, second field, slaughter and bloodshed are certainly continue to prevail. Now let's look at the third field. First five. When he had opened the third field, I heard the third living creature say, Come, and I beheld and lo a blind horse.
And he that sat on him and a pair of balancers, a scale in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures say, A measure of wheat for a penny, three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou heard not the oil and the wine. Now look at your lesson sheet. Here comes a rider on the third horse, black, with scales and a balance in his hand. And one can recognize, if I may, give you the suggestion. As you see the black horse, one may indeed well recognize and realize that what we have suggested, perhaps the blackness of famine, as we find in the context of this seal being broken, and he has a scale in his hand, and by suggesting weighing, valuating, evaluating the economic conditions that prevail upon the earth and realizing the...
Well, may I say, we thought about inflation. Let me say that inflation on the earth is going to get worse. It's a trend that God's bringing in. Now, beloved three, let me give this thought. Though we cannot see the final fulfillment of these prophetic scriptures in the present time, we can recognize the trend beginning. We can realize the trend is beginning. What shall we say? I could not help but think, as we all well know, perhaps, the famine in Africa, the famine in India, the famine in other places.
Beloved, let me say, I wonder if anyone asked a question. Why? In real sincerity. Back in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel the prophet living also in the days of Jeremiah. He forecasted. Even for his earthly people. How the sword. And wild beast. And famine. will be God's hand of judgment. For God said, For these things shall I visit them, as he describes their sin.
For these reasons I will visit them. God's visitation of judgment. And beloved, may I say, the visitation of God's judgment upon the world is overdue. But it's coming. And as a result, first is a false peace. Second, then there's bloodshed. Third, inevitably follows famine. And that which is spoken of, wheat and barley. Wheat was the most expensive to buy in the churches in the days of John. Barley was cheaper. It was usually the food of the poor people. And wheat was the food of the rich.
And one can recognize with the scale there, You've got the economic inflationary value of food to such a degree that suffering. And the oil and the wine don't hurt it. And I think that could possibly suggest the oil and the wine, usually in the days of the Lord and the days of the army and so years ago, that was an indication of wealth. And what you find, you find the rich. They'll be able to get by. They're poor. Can I say this too? You see it in life today. You hear it upon the news.
There's a great cry today in our own land for the hungry, for the starving, for the souls that don't have a place to live, to sleep. They sleep on the street. They sleep in any place they can. Listen, you go over to India, you find it all over the country. You find even Christians are so persecuted. And there was one young follower over there trying to preach the gospel, driven out of his home because of the Muslim he embraced Christ. And she can just tell Christ to others. He sleeps in the mosque every night. And many of them sleep openly in the streets.
And poverty. May I say, the Lord Jesus said, the poorest you have with you always. And may I pray, with all due respect to the social services, if you want to call them a son, they'll never make it to correct the condition. Never. They will become worse, according to the word of God. Yes. The only time, go in it is a seventy-second psalm. Will you please Psalm seventy-two. And I want you to notice another messianic psalm, please. And precious are some of the words in this seventy-second psalm. It depicts the Lord Jesus when he reigns upon the earth.
It's a psalm that David spoke regarding the reign of Solomon. But it typifies the reign of the Lord Jesus when he's upon the earth. But I just want to refer to a couple of verses there. If I may, let me go down to verse, verse eleven to get the connection. Ye all kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him. And that was not only true of Solomon, in partial truth, but it will be completely true of the Lord Jesus in his messianic way. But now note the next word. For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor also and him that hath no helper.
He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence And pressure shall their blood be in his sight. There's only one person here. Take care of the poverty situation. Perfectly. That'll be the Lord Jesus. My one can say, please come, Lord Jesus. Oh, don't recognize. Man cannot. Man fails. Men are the best. And only men are the best. But near man. And now we can recognize man's failure. And so when you look at the scenes following the rapture, you have the white horse, the red horse, and then comes the black horse, symbolically following, manifesting for the earth, kinds of great drought, famine, hunger, terror.
Now let's go to the next field, if you please. The fourth one, as we have it in verse eight, verse seven, and he had opened up, when he had opened the fourth field. I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And this is the only rider that's named. And his name that sat on him was Death and Hades, the better translation, followed with him. Now you can imagine that. Look, put it this way. Successively, the white, the red, and the black, produce the fourth condition.
Here comes the writer that takes the souls of men as they die from these conditions into eternity. Death and the place of the soul when it goes into eternity. Waiting to take them. And we read on in the verse please. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. to kill with thorn, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Note in letter, you note if you please. We read in fourth seal, the name writer was Death and Hades, for the preceding judgment bring the death of many.
Death and Hades naturally follow, for Hades is the abode of the dead. Pestilence and death will prevail over much of the earth, and of course I mentioned the reference to Ezekiel, and you've got the chapter and verse there, where God refers to these four sore judgments that he puts upon the earth. Great disasters, great taking the way of life. Oh, beloved, may I say once again, how terrible the visitation of God's judgments will be upon the earth. But let's take it on. We're with me as a fifth seal, please. A strange one here. Verse nine, when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God.
Now, if you never saw a soul, here's John looking at him, a disembodied spirit. The moment you die, you'll see better. You'll see better. All those Well, for instance, let me give you the scripture to prove it. The Lord Jesus in Luke chapter sixteen tells of two men, one rich man, the other the beggar, Lazarus. He tells two men in life, two men in death, two men in eternity. And bearing the abode of the lot, where he was tormented, the rich man could watch.
Who deceived, Lazarus, Abraham, I'll tell you one thing, you've got better eyes in eternity. And John saw in the vision the souls of them, and please note, that had been beheaded under the altar of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And may I again repeat, surely we can recognize as we come to this fifth judgment. that the souls upon the altar declare something, that some of the strength of that time will give their lives for the Lord Jesus, for the testimony of God.
Oh, beloved, may I say, we'll see in a later chapter, we'll have more description regarding those strengths of that coming day. But may I point it out, now, don't forget this, no matter the condition, no matter the time, No matter what part of the nation it may be, God has always had a few that belong to him. Poor Elijah cried, as he wanted to die. I only, I am left. Okay, wait a minute, Elijah. There's seven thousand in Israel that never bowed beneath a nail. And may I add, please remember, and we see more of them when we come to chapter seven, but may I add, God always has a remnant.
of dear ones that belong to him that stand for him in such times. Always. Always. They're small in number, but we shall find... And may I go further to say, please, personally, I believe the saints in the period to come, probably the rest of the saints, will have more courage than the Christians have today. Absolutely. Then we go further through the book of the Revelation. And the evidence is given right there, right at the commencement. John sees some give their lives for the testimony of God. And now let's go on and see what happens. They cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true?
How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge? And I think sometimes the translation is, O sovereign ruler, dost thou not judge? And avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. They're praying for vengeance. Note your outline, if you'll see. As we got it under the fifth seal, the persecution of saints will be severe. We've got other scriptures to refer to. And these imprecatory prayers of the saints cry for vengeance in verse ten. Now, may I point out something? Very carefully now. Realize these are not church saints. You can't call them Christians.
They're believers, yes. Now what should the Christian do when somebody wants to chop his head off, have her head off? Did not the Lord say in Book of Romans chapter thirteen, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, that's the Lord. When thine enemy saw us, we're told not to seek revenge. These people are seeking revenge. Now I want to give you a thought. If you read the book of the Psalms through, you know that word please, and the letter B on your outline, the imprecatory prayers.
Now what does that mean? Let me say this. In the book of Psalms, and you that have read the Psalms, I'm sure most of you may have, you have noted again and again, the psalmist cried for God to give for vengeance on his enemies. Kill them, Lord. Kill them. Take vengeance on them. Well, you know the Christian is not supposed to do that. For those imprecatory psalms, they belong to God's earthly people. And they cried for vengeance against their enemies who were persecuting them. Now be frank without question of doubt. They are, if you want to call them tribulation saints, who give their lives.
Their prayers cry out for abandon upon their enemies. They're scriptural. Today it wouldn't be right. Ah, you know what the Lord Jesus said. You know one of the things. Even today, those that are not Christians, if you don't forgive anybody, don't think you're a Christian. Because according to even the knowledge, the superficial knowledge the world may have, they believe a Christian should forgive. And that's true, Christians should forgive. Not always may they. And one year old fellow, he had trouble with his fellow believers, and some of his Christian friends, they tried to get them together, and so they did.
Jacob and so they won't even apologize to one another. But the poor old fellow that was so stubborn after he apologized, he said, but he said, I forgive you, but I still think the same way. Well, you know, that's not real forgiveness. But these saints of the coming time, they'll be praying for vengeance. And it'll be a scripture of prayer. And those Psalms that are praying for vengeance, they're called imprecatory Psalms. May I give you this thought? I believe with all earnestness that those saints, especially those Jewish saints that will be the faith, we'll see that in chapter seven. We'll see the true Jehovah's Witnesses in chapter seven.
And those true Jehovah's Witnesses, they certainly will be using the Psalms. If you have one, then a Jew, he knows much about the book of Psalms. It's one of the favorite books of the Jews. The Psalms. In fact, remember the Lord Jesus when he walked through Emmaus with his two disciples. He took the scriptures and the beginning of Moses and the Psalm and the prophet. They divided the scripture, the Old Testament. Moses, the prophet, and the throngs. They had a distinct teaching. And the throngs were precious to the heart of a Jew. And in those coming days, there's no question that now they'll be praying those very throngs, crying for vengeance.
And they cry. And if you please note, I think the original scripture said they cry, Oh Lord, oh Lord, what has put it? King of nations. some ruler, holy and true. Why don't you avenge our blood upon them, upon the earth? Now look at verse eleven and see what we find. White robes were given unto every one of them, to have said unto them that they should rest, yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren, that should yet be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled. Yes. It wasn't a time, but they had other brethren yet who would be slain.
And of course they were told, they were given these rooms, their prayers were heard, but they had to wait until later on the others would be slain. And we'll find that as we go through the book of the Revelation later on. There were others, and there are others yet to be slain. And the vengeance will yet come. But it's nice to recognize that in the midst Of all these conditions, God is going to have some faithful witness. And a great cost to many, even to the laying down of their life. And then last of all, if I may go to verse twelve, and read quickly.
I behold, when he had opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, the sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood. The stars of heaven fell onto the earth. even as the thick tree cast with her untimely face when she is shaken of a mighty wind the heaven departed as the scroll when it is rolled together every mountain and island were moved out of their places please let me let me give you this suggestion universal chaos we'll come back next week and touch in more detail but universal chaos takes place and the kings of the earth the great men rich men chief captain mighty men Every bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand with? Our time has gone, but let me just close by saying, and we'll take it in detail as we come together, God will in exodus. One can recognize. the sequence. Here comes the white horse, here comes the red horse, then comes the pale horse, bright horse, and then comes the pale horse. They've often been called the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. And then we see the suffering saints put to death. And then the sixth seal is open. We're feeling practically anarchy over it. But I don't know. I think there's a lot of anarchy already in the world.
And even in our own country you've got the spirit of it. And what we have read symbolically suggests worldwide convulsion of human conditions, chaos, and many things. It's the day of God's wrath. Well, it's only the beginning frame. So they may think it's the day of his wrath. The great day of his wrath is fine. Who should be able to stand? Beloved, how we can indeed solemnly think what faces the world. I sometimes, you know, the Lord reduced me.
He said, John, what do you think of your neighbor? What do you think of the people you meet at the store wherever you go, you know, day by day, casually you deal with them, meet them, talk to them, and yet they've not saved. And the rapture took place. What conditions are coming upon all the earth? Again, I'm glad I'm saved. To realize the Lord's coming for me before these events take place upon the earth. My, what a joy it is to know. Christ is one thing.
Shall we pray? Oh, Father, we bow in thy presence. We can only ask one thing, please, by the Holy Spirit, solemnize our hearts and our minds as to the exact depth of these truths that we have sought to cover. They are without question of doubt beyond our comprehension, holy. For, Lord, how could we conceive? We see enough locally.