Part I
Revelation 6:1-2; 12:1-2,6a
Purpose: To show Satan’s true nature.
Aim: I want the listener to see Satan as he really is and avoid his allurements.
INTRODUCTION: Having taken the scroll from the Father, the Lamb now begins to open the seals. As each seal is opened, (think of it as different chapters in a book) a new judgment comes upon the earth. Remember, it is only the Lamb who is worthy to open the book. He is the only One who has the right to judge the world because Jesus endured the Cross. Hebrews 12:1-2 1 ... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NAU)
Jesus gave us the outline for this book in Revelation 1:19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. (NAU)
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
LESSON:
➽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
Let me remind you that the seven persons and the seven vials that we will come to later, repeat from an earthly viewpoint what the seven seals (which includes the seven trumpets) show us from heaven’s viewpoint. The seven seals prove God’s sovereign control over the universe. The seven persons display man’s responsibility for his own sin.
So, today we begin looking at a long passage (Chapters 6-18) about the judgments of God on this earth. John will see many devastating judgments that this world has never seen before and they are associated with the first six seals.
Why all of this talk about judgment? What’s the big deal? Isn’t God a God of love? Our problem is that we are in the habit of looking at sin through rose colored glasses. The editor of a small-town newspaper grew tired of being accused of shading the truth so that everything looked positive so one day he announced that he would only tell the truth from now on. So the next issue contained the following item: "Married -- Miss Sylvan Rhodes and James Collins, last Saturday at the Baptist parsonage, by Rev. J. Gordon.The bride is a very ordinary town girl, who doesn’t know any more about cooking than a jack-rabbit, and never helped her mother three days in her life. She is not a beauty by any means, and has a gait like a duck. The groom is an up¬-to-date loafer. He has been living off the old folks at home all his life; and is not worth diddily-squat. It will be a hard life for both of them."[Rotary Magazine. (printed in 1929), submitted by Bruce Rowlison, Gilroy, California]
We smile at this open honesty, but at the end of the age the Lord will allow the human race to be exposed for what it really is. Mankind will finally experience life without any of God’s protection from the results. Satan will be unmasked for what he is really like and the depraved nature of the human heart will be obvious for everyone to see.
By the way, I believe that all true Christians were raptured to heaven at the beginning of chapter four because the church is never mentioned again in the book of Revelation. The focus now shifts to the Jews, God’s chosen people. Isaiah 9:6-7 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. (NAU) God’s promises to the Jews that they would have an eternal kingdom and an eternal King are about to be fulfilled.
➽ 1. The first seal
➽ 6:1-2 a. Heaven’s view: false peace
Jesus arrives in chapter 19 on a white horse, but this is not Jesus here because (1) Jesus is the One opening the seals and it wouldn’t make sense that He would be sending Himself and (2) the crowns are different. Jesus wore many crowns like the ones that kings would wear. The rider here wore a crown woven from leaves ("stephanos") that an athlete would wear for winning a race. The crown that Jesus wears is given to recognize Him as king--that is not a position that He earned, that is who He is.
So, it is no surprise that the anti-Christ would try to look like a real king. But, he is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the real thing. Jesus warned us about this: Matthew 24:4-5 4 ..."See to it that no one misleads you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, ’I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. (NAU)
Paul told us that the anti-Christ would be a counterfeit: 2 Thessalonians 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (NAU) 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (NAU)
1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (NAU)
I think that the four horsemen may represent events or movements more than just actual people, so this first horseman may represent the anti-Christ’s government as well as him personally.
Vs.2. The "bow" represents military conquest, but since there are no arrows he probably wins mostly by intimidation and persuasion. This man appears powerful and persuasive so that governments decide to follow him without fighting him.
"The horse archers were the "atom bomb" of the ancient world. No one knew how to defend against their attack. The Scythian horse archers were dreaded (Col. 3:11). These savage nomads conquered whole empires. ... The horse meant that they could overtake any enemy; the bow enabled them to strike at a distance and remain out of reach of sword or spear. The Roman Empire, relying on the foot soldiers of the legions, fell in A.D. 455 to the Vandals, but the eastern empire in Constantinople, relying on the horse archers, lasted a thousand years longer. The use of gunpowder ended the advantage." [Custer, S. (2004). From Patmos to paradise : A commentary on Revelation (76). Greenville, S.C.: BJU Press.]
The rise to power of the anti-Christ was predicted in Daniel 9:24-27 24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks[490 years] and sixty-two weeks;[434 years] it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (NAU)
Daniel 11:21-23 21 "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 "The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 "After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. (NAU)
It is possible that a Muslim could be this anti-Christ. It’s well-documented that the leaders of Iran (old Persia) are expecting "al Mahdi"--the Islamic Messiah to come. Ahmadinejad, Iran’s leader said he spoke with al Mahdi.
Muslims believe he will conquer the world in the name of Islam & rid the earth of infidels like you & me (namely, Jews & Christians).
The coming of "al Mahdi" is interesting as we see the broken first seal, because Islam also embraces this rider on a white horse.
Muslims believe there are some "uncorrupted" Scriptures that they accept, Rev. 6:1-2 being one of them.
Two well-know Egyptian authors, Muhammad Ibn ’Izzat and Muhammad Arif, in their book Al Mahdi and the End of Time, quote Ka’bal Ahbar as saying, "I find the Mahdi recorded in the books of the Prophets...for instance, the Book of Revelation says: ’And I saw and behold a white horse. He that sat on him...went forth conquering and to conquer.’" ’Izzat and ’Arif then go on to say, "It is clear that this man is the Mahdi who will ride the white horse and judge by the Qur’an (with justice) and with whom will be men with marks of prostration on their foreheads [marks on their foreheads from bowing in prayer with their head to the ground five times daily]." All Islamic leaders allegedly have a white horse at the ready, in case they get the call.Their own spiritual writings in the Qur’an confirm their hate for Jews & Christians. "O ye that believe. Take not the Jews and Christians for friends. They are friends to one another. He among you who taketh friends is (one) of them. Lo, Allah guideth not wrongdoing folks." Koran, Surah 5-51
"Then when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush." Koran, Surah 9-5
"Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believeth not in Allah nor the Last Day, and not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the religion of truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low". [Surah IX-30 Perry Stone, Breaking the Code of Feasts, pg. 144]
➽12:1-2,6a b. Earth’s view: Israel deceived
This woman represents Israel back when Jesus came to earth. This mimics Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-10 9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, "Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?" (NAU)
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem Israel was reeling under the oppression of Rome and after His birth Herod ordered the violent death every child in Bethlehem under the age of two.
Vs.6 Because of the conquests of the rider on the white horse, Israel had to flee into the wilderness for safety when the seven year peace treaty was broken after 3 ½ years.
The word PREPARED is only used one other time in Scripture: John 14:2-3 2 "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (NAU) So Jesus is also going to prepare a place of safety for the Jews in the wilderness.
The prophet Daniel gave us a lot of detail about this false Christ. Daniel 8:23-26 23 "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, #1 Insolent and skilled in intrigue. 24 #2 "His power will be mighty, but #3 not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. 25 "And #4 through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And #5 he will destroy many while they are at ease.#6 He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But #7 he will be broken without human agency. 26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future." (NAU)
"There is no question among expositors that Antiochus is in view in this prophecy. What was prophesied was fulfilled literally through him. However, the prophecy looks beyond Antiochus to a future person (the Antichrist) of whom Antiochus is only a foreshadowing. This coming one is said to "stand against the Prince of princes" (Dan. 8:25). This can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the prophecy must go beyond Antiochus and look forward to the coming of one whose ministry will parallel that of Antiochus. From Antiochus certain facts can be learned about the forthcoming desecrator:
(1) He will be intelligent and persuasive (Dan. 8:23).
(2) He will achieve great power by subduing others (Dan. 8:24 )
(3) He will be controlled by another (Dan. 8:24), that is, Satan.
(4) He will rise to power by promising false security (Dan. 8:25).
(5) He will be an adversary of Israel and subjugate Israel to his authority (Dan. 8:24-25).
(6) He will rise up in opposition to the Prince of princes, the Lord Jesus Christ (Dan. 8:25).
(7) His rule will be terminated by divine judgment (Dan. 8:25).
So it may be concluded that there is a dual reference in this striking prophecy. It reveals Israel’s history under the Seleucids and particularly under Antiochus during the time of Greek domination, but it also looks forward to Israel’s experiences under Antichrist, whom Antiochus foreshadows." [J. Dwight Pentecost, “Daniel,” in John F. Walvoord, and Roy B. Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton, IL: SP Publications, 1983), Dan. 8:23.]
"So before the terrors of the Tribulation break loose and lead to the battle of Armageddon there will come a period of world peace. But it will be a deceptive peace, as the world is lulled into a false sense of security followed by war, famine, and death. The world’s desperate desire for international peace will serve as the bait for the satanic trap. That longing for security and safety will play into the hands of Antichrist, Satan’s ruler, who will convince the world that he can provide them. He will particularly deceive Israel, whose people have for so long desired peace, and he "will make a firm covenant with the many [Israel] for one week" (Dan. 9:27).
"Antichrist’s peace pact and protection of Israel will not last, however: ’in the middle of the week [the Seventieth Week of Daniel’s prophecy; the Tribulation] he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate’ (Dan. 9:27). The false peace that Antichrist brings will come to an abrupt halt at the midpoint of the Tribulation when he desecrates the temple in Jerusalem, betrays the Jewish people, and launches deadly attacks on them (cf. Mtt. 24:4-10). There can and will be no peace until the Prince of Peace sets up His earthly kingdom (Rev. 20:1-6+)." [John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), Rev. 6:2.]
CONCLUSION: What do God’s judgments teach us?
➽ #1 God hates sin
Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. (NAU)
Psalm 5:4-5 4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. (NAU)
➽ #2 God controls everything
Notice (Vs.1,3,5,7) that none of these four horsemen come on the scene until they are called by one of the four living creatures. Also notice that the enemies of God only had what God allowed them to have. Vs.2 "a crown was given to him" Vs.4 "it was granted" Vs.8 "authority was given" God controls all things.
It was Satan who afflicted Job, but Satan had to ask God’s permission each time.
Isaiah 37:29 "Because of your raging against Me And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came. (NAU)
➽ #3 Not everything supernatural is from God
Matthew 24:23-25 23 "Then if anyone says to you, ’Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ’There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 "Behold, I have told you in advance. (NAU) Remember, magicians were able to duplicate some of the miracles that Moses performed before Pharaoh.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (NAU)
➽ #4 Not every promise of peace is good
Jeremiah 6:13-14 13 "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. 14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ’Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (NAU)
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. (NAU)
Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the [mocking] of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love. John Bunyan [Thomas, I. (1996). The golden treasury of Puritan quotations. Includes index of authors. General index created by Christian Clasics Foundation. (electronic ed.). Simpsonville SC: Christian Classics Foundation.]
