Study In Revelation 14 The Seven Seals Series

STUDY IN REVELATION 14

The Seven Seals

Rev. 6: 1-17

Christ has taken the book, that spells out the events of the end of time, from the hand of God. Before He can open the book He has to break all seven seals. These seals are not the end of history but events that lead up to or precede the end. This is what Jesus meant when He answered the question, His disciples asked, in

Matthew 24: 3 READ. They wanted to know what to look for and Jesus gave them nine signs in Verses 5-14.

What were nine signs of Mt. 24?

1.v.5 False messiahs.

2.v.6 World violence.

3.vs.7-8 Natural disasters.

4.v.9 Severe religious persecution.

5.v.10 Terrible apostasy, betrayal & division.

6.v.11 Rising up of false leaders offering false hope.

7.v.12 People falling away, sin increasing, love growing cold.

8.v13 Some enduring and even being saved.

9.v.14 World evangelism.

Jesus said that after these signs, or what He called “the beginning of sorrows” the end would come.

By the end He meant what He called the great tribulation that would be coming at the end.

The First Four Seals Are Broken: vs. 1-8

1.vs. 1-2 When the first seal is broken there is an explosive appearance of a white horse and rider. Who is this rider?

There are a number of ideas but we will look at just two.

1. Some say he represents the victorious Christ or the proclamation of the gospel. The argument that those who believe this use is that the color white is always associated with Christ. Not only this but the rider is given a crown.

Some say that since Christ can not be commanded by heavenly creatures that this is not actually Christ but the representation of the conquest of the Word of God as prophesied in Mark 13: 10.

2. There is the argument that the rider is conquest in general and the antichrist in particular. Notice several things.

a. Since he is a deceiver he is wearing white. Mt. 24: 5 * 2Th. 2: 11

b. The crown he wears is different from the crown that Christ wears. His crown is the crown of the conqueror Christ wears the royal crown of a King.

c. The rider of the white horse is given his crown. Christ has always worn His crown.

d. The rider shows up with a bow a weapon of war or conquest. The bow has always symbolized military power.

Ps. 46: 9 * Hos. 1: 5

e. The rider sets out to conquer. Christ has always been about the business of conquering the hearts of people.

f. Finally the argument is that in order to be consistent, we must relate this horseman with the other three. The four give us the picture of “the four horsemen of the Apocalypse that are to descend on the earth in the last days with terror and destruction.

How will the antichrist conquer the world?

Scripture tells us that it will be through deception and because the hearts of the people will move from God to sin and evil. 2Th. 2: 8-10

Because people will care less about salvation, they will not receive the love that Christ offers.

2Th. 2: 11 * Rev. 17: 17

But aren’t we smarter than that? Think about what you are seeing right now in 2008. Look at the economy, the # of jobs being lost every day. Businesses closing down, families devastated by things that we seem to have no control over. WE NEED SOME ONE THAT CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!

AND

Suddenly along comes a world full of false messiahs that are saying they have all the answers.

They prepare the way for the antichrist. When all seems hopeless, people will turn to those who offer hope,

even if that hope is false. Mt. 24: 5

In a world filled with violence an war, where lives, homes and families of millions are destroyed, people will turn to any one who seems to offer peace. Mt. 24: 6-7

Look around at the number of natural disasters we see today and understand that this is just the introduction of things to come.

Fear will move people to accept a world leader who can promise economic and medical help and aid. Mt. 24:7b

The world will be torn apart religiously and this will open the door for the antichrist. The will be severe religious persecution and many will abandon the faith. Family against family, neighbor against neighbor until people will accept the one who seems to be able to bring peace between religions. Mt. 24: 9-10

We see new religions starting almost weekly. In the end, false religions and false preachers will open the way for the antichrist. False religion will leave people empty and hungry, spiritually. Many will be ready for the promises of the antichrist. Mt. 24: 11