Revelation 6
I. Introduction
A. The Lamb has taken the scroll
1. The Title deed to creation
2. The price to redeem creation was paid 2000 years ago
3. But, Now the time is ripe
B. The Lamb breaks the seals to the deed
1. And as He does things begin to happen
2. The first four seals reveal the four horsemen of the Apocalypse
C. This morning, let's take a close look at these horsemen
1. Turn to Revelation 6:1 & 2
II. Body
A. The first horseman - the Antichrist
Revelation 6:1-2
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" (2) I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
1. The very first question we must try to answer is, "Who is this horseman?
a. We have a quite a few clues
(1) First, he rides a white horse
(a) Let's look at other instances of white horses in the Scriptures
(b) There are mentioned in Zechariah, white horses; but, their meaning is rather obscure, except that all four color horses are mentioned
(c) But, a white horse in mentioned in Revelation 19:11 and the meaning of this horse is in no way obscure
Revelation 19:11
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
(d) If we read on to verse 16, we will see without a doubt that this horseman is Jesus Christ
Revelation 19:12-16
His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. (13) He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (14) The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (16) On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(e) One might conclude that the rider on the white horse then is Christ; but, there are differences between the rider in chapter 19 and the rider in chapter 6
b. The differences
(1) The rider in chapter 6 is given a crown as He goes out to conquer
(a) This is the Stephanos crown
(b) Not the rulers crown; but, a conqueror's crown
(2) The rider in chapter 19 already has many crowns
(a) And these are diadems, Kings crowns
(3) The rider in chapter 6 has a bow which is strictly a weapon of war
(4) While the rider in chapter 19 has a sword, the sword of His mouth, which is the word of God
(5) In every passage where John sees and describes the Lord, there is no question as to who John is describing
(a) The lion of the tribe of Judah
(b) The lamb that was slain
(c) The Lord of Lords and King of Kings
(6) But, the rider in chapter 6 is not clearly identified
c. Because there are many difference and because of the many other things which follow, we can conclude that the rider in chapter 6 is a pretender
(1) A counterfeit of Christ
(2) An Antichrist
2. John is called to heaven and he sees the one on the throne and the one who claims the Title deed to creation and as soon as Christ takes the scroll, He begins to break the seals and the very first event is the revelation of the rider on the white horse, the counterfeit Christ - the Antichrist
a. Let's turn for a moment to Matthew 24:3 ff
Matthew 24:3-5
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (4) Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. (5) For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.
(1) Jesus' disciples are asking the Lord for something concerning the signs of the coming of the end on this dispensation
(2) And the very first thing Jesus mentions is the Antichrists
(a) There has been Antichrists in the world since the very first
(b) In 1 John 2:18, John in this little epistle even uses the title antichrist
1 John 2:18
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
b. When is the Antichrist going to ride?
(1) Well, if we return to Matthew 24, in verse 8, Jesus tells His disciples that the signs He just detailed are only the beginning of sorrows
Matthew 24:8 KJV
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
(2) The first event of the beginning of sorrows is the coming of THE Antichrist
(3) Let's turn to 2 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, (2) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. (3) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (4) He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (5) Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? (6) And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. (7) For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. (8) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
(a) Paul is telling the Thessalonians not to worry, the Day of The Lord will not come until
i) The rebellion comes, the KJV says the falling away - the mystery of lawlessness which is under divine restraint will come when the one who is restraining it is removed
ii) The man of sin, the son of perdition must be revealed
iii) This is the one who, in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel, will set himself up as God.
iv) This is what Christ calls the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet
v) Turn to Daniel 9:27
Daniel 9:27
He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
(b) The man of sin will ride out conquering at the beginning of the last 7 years of this dispensation, Daniel's 70 week
(c) And He will be recognizable because of His conquests and His treaty with Israel
c. We could go on in our description of this rider
(1) He will conquer 3 kingdoms
(2) The other governments of the revised Roman Empire will turn the reigns of government over to him
(3) He will bring about the illusion of peace
(4) The in the middle of the 7 year period, he will break his treaty with Israel and will come to conquer
(5) He will put a stop to the daily temple sacrifices
(6) And with the help of a false prophet, he will establish himself as God
3. The first seal is the Antichrist, ruler of the revised Roman Empire
a. And He rides forth conquering
b. Turn to Revelation 6:3 - 4
B. The second seal and the red horse
Revelation 6:3-4
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" (4) Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
1. The second rider is mounted on a red horse
a. This horse and rider is war
b. Notice, John says that this rider was given power to take peace from the earth
(1) He had the power to make men slay each other
(2) And he was given a large sword
2. Turn to Matthew 24, again.
Matthew 24:6-7
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (7) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
a. Jesus says there will be wars and rumors of war
b. Where the NIV says Nation will rise against nation, the Greek says, ethnos against ethnos
(1) Racial strife
c. Kingdoms against kingdoms
(1) International war
3. The rider on the red horse is war and he takes peace from the earth
a. World wide warfare
b. Racial strife
c. Gang wars in the cities
d. We could go on and on
e. He causes people to kill others
(1) What happened in the restaurant in Denver while our Julesburg High School kids were there is nothing compared to what will happen when Christ breaks the second seal
(2) Turn to Revelation 6:5 & 6
C. The Third seal and the black horse
Revelation 6:5-6
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
1. The black horseman is famine
a. The penny was really a Roman deaneries - a days wages in John's day.
(1) A days wages would normally have purchased eight measures of wheat or twenty four measures of barley.
b. The scale represents rationing
(1) An entire days wages to buy one meal, 1 measure of wheat
(2) Or if one wishes to eat more but poorer food, three meals of barley
2. The phrase, hurt not the oil and the wine means that luxury foods will still be available
a. But, the average Joe will not be able to afford such things
b. Only the rich will
(1) And probably only on the black market
3. The extent of the famine will be world wide
a. Now, this does not mean that there will be a real shortage of food
b. But, it means that the governments may create a shortage in order to force people to do as the government wants
(1) In a country such as the USA
(2) There are so many hyper independent people that the idea of a cashless society would not work
(3) Neither would universal marking such as will be done marking every one with the mark of the beast
c. But, if people were lead to believe that these things were the only way to fair distribution of limited food
(1) They would soon capitulate
(2) And receive the mark that means they can buy something to eat
(3) Hunger is a very powerful weapon
4. The third seal reveals the rider on the black horse
a. The black horse takes food out of the mouths of the common people
b. World wide famine
c. Turn to Matthew 24:7
Matthew 24:7
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
d. Another of Jesus' signs of the beginnings of sorrow
e. Now, turn to Revelation 6:7 - 8
D. The fourth seal and the pale horse
Revelation 6:7-8
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" (8) I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
1. The word we see as pale, the color of the horse, actually means ashy pale more like a bloodless corps - this horseman is death
a. Unbelievable pain
b. One quarter of the worlds population will be killed
(1) By the sword - war
(a) Whether formal war
(b) Or urban street fighting
(2) By famine
(a) People by the millions starving to death
(3) By plague
(a) Unchecked sickness
i) Many believe AIDS is the plague
ii) But, the stupidity of man has also placed such plagues as small pox in storage waiting for this time
iii) The world health organization has told us that small pox is a thing of the past
iv) And so Vaccines are no longer manufactured
v) And children are no longer immunized
vi) But, I know from the word of those who know that small pox is not dead, it is alive and well in 3rd world countries like Zaire; but, it is not reported because of human vanity
(b) I don't know about you, but, I have noticed that the strains of flu have gotten much worse over the past few years
i) Bubonic Plegue has seen a resurgance
a) The black death that killed over a quarter of the European population in times past
b) Has begun to claim more lives in our time
ii) In the news has been reports of many sicknesses with the potential to devistate whole populations
(4) But, also, may will be killed by the wild beasts of the earth
(a) When there is a shortage of food, world wide
(b) The animals will begin to hunt what ever they can find, and humans are very tasty and very easy to catch and kill
c. One quarter of the earth's population will die
(1) Today there are 5 billion people on the earth
(2) If this horse were to ride today; one and one quarter billion people will die
(a) The population of the USA is only 300 million
(b) Those who die would populate the USA more than 4 times
2. And John tells us that riding with death will be hell
a. One and a quarter billion people will go into hell
b. Without hope
c. Death claims their physical being
d. Hell claims their spiritual being
E. I'd like to pause a moment and bring in another passage from the Old Testament
1. In Zechariah 6, there is a group of horses like these
Zechariah 6:1-5
And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
a. There are four chariots drawn by various colored horses
(1) red horses - Revelation 6:3 - 4, war
(2) black horses - Revelation 6:5 - 6, famine
(3) white horses - Revelation 6:1 - 2, the conquering Antichrist
(4) grisled and bay horses - possibly Revelation 6:7 - 8, death and hell
b. These chariots come from between two brass mountains
(1) Brass is judgment
(2) brass mountains, great judgment
c. Note that they come from before God himself
(1) This means that God has ordained these events
(2) Zechariah's horses and chariots ride the whole earth
d. Bringing conquest, war, famine, death and hell to the entire world
e. Then, after this passage Zechariah goes on and writes a prophecy concerning the coming messiah, the true king of Israel
2. In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us that this is only the beginning of sorrows
a. That which follows these signs, Jesus says, in verse 21
Matthew 24:21
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.
b. The King James calls it, great tribulation
III. Summary
A. When Christ begins to break the seals on the Title Deed to creation some very terrible things begin to happen
1. This morning we have looked at the first four seals
a. The four horsemen
(1) The white horse - the Antichrist
(2) The Red horse - War
(3) The black horse - Famine
(4) And the pale horse - death and hell
b. There are still the fifth, sixth, and seventh seals to break
2. And Jesus tells us that this is only the beginning of sorrows
a. What comes after the seals is distress such as the world has never seen and will never again be equaled
b. In other words after the horror unleashed by these four horsemen the showman says, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
3. Why do we bring this up? Why did John write about these things?
a. John wrote because Christ instructed him to
b. We bring this up because Christ has promised a blessing to those who read and hear and heed the words of this prophecy
B. As we look at our world today - we can see the hoof prints of these horses
1. Last night as we slept, 40,000 children starved to death
a. We live in a country that can grows so much more than it can eat
b. And millions of good people's dollars go to feed the hungry of the world
c. And yet, 40,000 children starved to death just yesterday
2. As we go about our daily lives in relative peace
a. Thousands are dying in the former Yugoslavian Republic
(1) We ask our selves why, the answer is because of racial hatred
b. Many more are dying in numerous African countries
(1) Why, because they belong to a different tribe
c. Hundreds are dying in our American cities
(1) Some from privation
(a) Need of the basics of life
i) Food and shelter
(2) Some from abuse
(a) Parents who have abandoned their natural affections
(3) Some from crime and gang warfare
3. Many more have been deprived of food and shelter
a. Some by international blockades, which have hurt the poor much more than those in power
b. Some by "Natural disaster"
(1) Earthquakes
(2) Floods
(3) Droughts
4. And these seem to be growing worse each day
C. But, our purpose is not to fret about what is happening
1. We are to take heart - God ordained these things
2. Our part is to hold out a cup of cold water to those in need
3. And to engage in the spread of the gospel of hope
D. We can see that the time is growing short
1. Instead of sitting back on our Laodicean back sides
2. We should be reaching out with our Philadelphian hearts
3. Praying for the lost around us
4. And living Christ, daily
