God's War Against Satan Series

Revelation 6:12-17; 13:1-10

Purpose: To describe Satan’s futile efforts to rule the world.

Aim: I want the listener to wait confidently for Christ to return.

INTRODUCTION: Up to now, the effects of the first five seals, although unparalleled in their impact on the world, could still be explained away as having natural causes like war, famine, disease, drought, earthquakes or hurricanes.

The sixth seal begins to demonstrate God’s direct intervention into world affairs.

All of this is just part of God’s plan. The Lord is in the process of fixing what is wrong with our world as only He can do.

Let me share a story with you that illustrates what God is doing in here in Revelation. In a remote Swiss village stands a beautiful church. It was so beautiful, in fact, that it was known as the Mountain Valley Cathedral. The Cathedral was not only beautiful to look at - ¬with its high pillars and magnificent stained glass windows --but it was beautiful to hear. You see, this church had the most beautiful pipe organ in the whole region. People would come from miles away to hear the majestic tones of this organ.

But that’s what the problem was. The columns were still there -- the windows still dazzled in the sunlight --¬but there was an eerie silence. The mountain valley no longer echoed the glorious fine --tuned music of the pipe organ. In fact, the valley was either totally silent or worse yet, filled with organ music that was unbelievably off tune.

Something had gone wrong with the pipe organ. Musicians and experts from around the world had tried to repair it. Every time a new person would try to fix it the villagers had to endure loud music that was off key.

One day an old man appeared at the church door. He spoke with the church janitor and after a time he reluctantly agreed to let the old man try his hand at repairing the organ. For two days the old man worked in almost total silence. The janitor was, in fact, getting a bit nervous.

Then on the third day -- at high noon -- the mountain valley was filled with the most glorious music you would ever want to hear. Farmers dropped their plows, merchants closed their stores -- everyone in town stopped what they were doing and headed for the church.

After the old man finished playing the organ, someone got up some courage and asked him how he could have fixed the organ, how could he restore music and harmony when even the world’s experts could not? The old man merely said it was an inside job, "It was I who built this organ 50 years ago. I created it -- and now I have restored it."

So it is with God and this world. It is God who created this world and He is the only one who can, and will, fix it.[1]

REVIEW:

1:1-20 I. John’s Vision of the Past "the things which you have seen"

2:1-5:14 II. Christ’s Vision of the Present "the things which are"

2:1-3:22 A. The testimony of the church on earth

4:1-5:14 B. The throne of God in heaven

Ch.6-22 III. John’s Vision of the Future "things which will take places"

6-7; 12-14 A. Satan’s war against God’s creation

1. The first seal

6:1-2 a. Heaven’s view: a white horse "a bow and a crown"

12:1-2,6a b. Earth’s view: Israel deceived "the woman fled"

2. The second seal

6:3-4 a. Heaven’s view: a red horse "slay one another"

12:3-4a b. Earth’s view: a red dragon "third of the stars"

3. The third seal

6:5-6 a. Heaven’s view: a black horse- world famine

12:4b-6 b. Earth’s view: a dragon-Israel’s oppression

4. The fourth seal:

6:7-8 a. Heaven’s view: a pale horse-a bloodbath

12:7-9 b. Earth’s view: a dragon-Satan’s demotion

5. The fifth seal

6:9-11 a. Heaven’s view: martyrs

12:10-17 b. Earth’s view: war on Christ’s followers

LESSON:

➽6. The sixth seal

When will these events take place? Many false Bible teachers have tried to pin down the exact time that Jesus will return and judge the earth, but the truth is that nobody knows.

Christ can return at any time. Matthew 24:43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (NAU)

Luke 12:37-39 37 "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (NAU)