Revelation 6:3-4; 12:3-4a
Purpose: To expose the awfulness of sin.
Aim: I want the listener to hate sin and forsake it.
INTRODUCTION: At first glance, it seems odd to us that the glorious worship of chapters 4 & 5 is immediately followed by the awful judgments that begin in chapter 6. But, the Bible constantly ties these two ideas together. For example, Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. (NAU)
If God’s judgments sound strange to us it’s because we do not fully understand the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Man’s purpose for living is to glorify God and every person will ultimately glorify God. Philippians 2:9-11 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NAU) Some people glorify God by surrendering to Christ’s payment for their sin. Others will glorify God by paying for their own sin.
God’s grace glorifies His love and God’s judgment glorifies His purity. So, it is important that we pay attention when God warns that judgment is coming.
On Sep. 28, 1986 heavy rains flooded many low-lying areas of the Mid-west. Two years before, there was a flood that many remember as the "Memorial Day Massacre" that claimed the lives of twenty people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as small creeks and drainage ditches became killer currents. As the heavy rains fell on this September night, one such area began to flood. With the memory of that tragic evening of two years ago in their minds, law enforcement officers blocked off an exceptionally dangerous street where several had been drowned 2 years before. An officer parked his car in front of the rising waters to prevent any from risking their lives. Still several cars drove around the police car into the swift water. No regard was given to the danger involved or the warning of the officer. [Submitted by O. L. Nixdorf, Glenville Bible Baptist Church, Wichita, Kansas.]
Those stubborn motorists took their safety into their own hands and proceeded to do as they pleased. In the same way, the vast multitudes of mankind are headed for eternal destruction because they ignore the danger of sin and the urgent warnings that God has given us in His Word that are meant to barricade their path to ultimate destruction and detour them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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: false peace
12:1-2,6a b. Earth’s view: Israel deceived
LESSON:
➽ 2. The second seal
➽ 6:3-4 a. Heaven’s view: a red horse
The word for RED is not the common Greek word meaning the color red. This Greek word is only used here and in 12:3: purrhos (πυῤῥός, 4450) denotes "fire colored" (pur, "fire"), hence, "fiery red," Rev. 6:4; 12:3, in the latter passage said of the Dragon, indicative of the cruelty of the Devil. [Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine’s complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:515). Nashville: T. Nelson.]
So, this word pictures bloodshed and violence.
➽ (1) Satan’s nature is revealed "take peace"
The first rider, the Antichrist, appeared and offered the world peace and safety. He had great power, but didn’t have to use it. That peace didn’t last long, though. The second rider has to use great force in order to stay in power. Jesus said that before He came back to earth: "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. (Matthew 24:6 NAU)
Beware of those who promise peace without the Prince of Peace! Jeremiah 6:14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ’Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (NAU) I recently saw a large poster of our president with the word "hope" under it. We should never place our hope in a man. Only Jesus can bring real hope: John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (NAU) John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (NAU) Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NAU) Today we need a hope and peace that only Jesus can give.
Satan, on the other hand, shows that he wants to destroy God’s creation. Jesus told some religious rulers, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning... (John 8:44 NAU)
➽ (2) Human nature is revealed "slay one another"
The killing here is caused by people killing each other. This would be crime out of control and/or mass war. The word SLAY is sometimes translated SLAUGHTER because it "is a stronger word than just kill. It is used for beheading people (II Kings 10:7 LXX)." [Custer, S. (2004). From Patmos to paradise: A commentary on Revelation (77). Greenville, S.C.: BJU Press.]
Ezekiel 38:21 "I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord God. "Every man’s sword will be against his brother. (NAU)
Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. (NAU)
In verse 8 one fourth of the people on earth are killed. In chapter 9 verses 15 & 18 one third of the remaining people are killed. By today’s standards that would amount to over 2 billion deaths.
These awful events unmask what the heart of man is really like. Today the wickedness of mankind is being restrained by Christians and by governments. Christians: are the salt of the earth... (Matthew 5:13 NAU). The lives we live hold up a standard of righteousness that pricks the consciences of the average person.
God is also using government to hold back man’s sin nature. The Bible says that governments don’t, "bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil." (Romans 13:4 NAU) During the tribulation, though, the restraining power of government and the influence of Christians will be lifted and then man’s sinfulness will be open for everyone to see.
Paul has already told us how wicked the heart of man really is when there are no restraints in Romans 1:25-32: 25 for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (NAU)
The tribulation period will expose what is really in the heart of man. Is it any wonder that God has to purify this world of all its sin?
➽ (3) Destructive power is revealed "great sword"
"Sword. Not the long, broad sword, [like the one that is seen coming out of Christ’s mouth] but the shorter, more easily maneuvered one that assassins often used and that soldiers carried into battle. It depicts assassination, revolt, massacre, and wholesale slaughter. cf. Daniel 8:24 "His power will be mighty, but 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. (NAU)." [MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Re 6:4). Nashville: Word Pub.]
"The Personnel Journal reported this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. Moreover, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made--and broken."[10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press. Moody Bible Institute’s Today In The Word, June, 1988, p. 33]
Although the world has experienced very little peace, it is only going to get worse. Jesus said, But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:8 NAU)
➽ 12:3-4a b. Earth’s view: a red dragon
What looks like just a horse from heaven’s view appears as a large frightening dragon from man’s perspective. Remember that RED pictures violent bloodshed.
There is no question that this dragon is Satan. Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (NAU)
"The great red dragon portrays the hideously deforming power of evil. He who had been the anointed cherub, magnificent in beauty (Ezek. 28:13--15), is now the horrible, monstrous dragon." [Custer, S. (2004). From Patmos to paradise : A commentary on Revelation (136). Greenville, S.C.: BJU Press.]
➽ Vs.3a (1) Satan’s ultimate kingdom "seven heads...diadems"
"The heads may represent successive world empires--Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the final kingdom of Antichrist (see notes on 17:9, 10). The final one is made up on all the kingdoms represented by the horns." [MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Re 13:1). Nashville: Word Pub.]
This is Satan’s final attempt to overthrow God’s creation. Psalm 2:1-3 1 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" (NAU)
➽ Vs.3b (2) Satan’s united kingdom "ten horns"
Horns always represent power like they do in the animal kingdom. They are used to attack and to defend.
Daniel 7:7 "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (NAU)
Daniel 7:24 ’As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. (NAU)
➽ Vs.4 (3) Satan’s spirit kingdom "third of the stars"
The stars here may refer to actual stars, if so then this is a picture of Satan causing destruction through an unprecedented meteor shower.
On the other hand, stars in the Bible sometimes refer to angels. For example, Isaiah 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! (NAU) If the stars refer to angels, then this is recalling Satan’s original rebellion when he led one third of the angels in heaven to follow him.
CONCLUSION: The pride of our human heart will lead us to believe that the Judgments in the book of Revelation must surely be for someone else and not for us. Are you sure that you are safe in Jesus as your protector, and that He will not be your Judge?
On the Day of Judgment many will feel like the eager but somewhat crooked salesman written about in Reader’s Digest who was delivering a bid to an engineering firm. While the man waiting on him stepped away from the desk for a few moments, he noticed a competitor’s bid on the man’s desk, but he couldn’t read the amount of the bid, as there was a juice can on top of the part of the bid that showed the total amount. The temptation was just too big and so he reached over to move the can to see what the competition was bidding. As he lifted the can his heart sank as he watched thousands of BB’s pour from the bottomless can and scatter across the floor. When the Judgment of God falls it will be too late to make things right.
In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need. So can we![10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
His will is the rule of righteousness, and righteousness is the rule of His will. Elisha Coles [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.]
