Opening for Message Rev'd Up pt. 12:
Start with prayer on your knees to the Lord and have a time of silence before giving message.
Then repeat the following prayers and declarations from Revelation:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
“Amen”
“Come!”
Lord Jesus have your way in this message today! Give us the spirit of wisdom and Revelation today – change our hearts and implant in us the spirit of revival.
Rev’d Up pt. 12
Thesis for series: We need to receive a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ every single day so we do not fall asleep at our assigned mission. We need to know He is coming back soon! Having a vision of Jesus will also give us the inner strength to stand for the Gospel in a hostile world even to the point of death. But we also need to see God’s Throne in Heaven and see His glory, majesty and power. He holds the throne of absolute power over this world – no demon – no ruler – no Caesar – no person – no angel – He is the one with the authority to determine the future of this church, school and of your life.
Key verse of Revelation: Revelation 12:11: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
Introduction to Series:
The book of Revelation—Means to be able to see something clearly which once was hidden from sight. This is what the book of Revelation does for us. It takes off the veil and reveals more than any other book in the Bible - JESUS CHRIST. It reveals to a suffering persecuted church a victorious Jesus Christ. It's the climax to the entire Bible fueling HOPE AND FAITH! It challenges the church to be ready because He is coming back very soon!
Time is spoken of in this book – it references the past – deals with the present and looks into the future. We need to take to heart the message of this apocalyptic book and prophecy because it will give us inner strength, joy, perseverance even in the midst of persecution or hardship.
This revelation wants us to see Jesus – if we see Him – as He is, was and will be in the future - it will change us, encourage us, revive us and it will “Rev us up” to stand up for the Truth! Seeing Jesus will also enable us to smile through the trial as we face the persecution for standing up for truth in a world filled with lies and a battle for the soul of mankind!
In chapter 6 we discover the Lamb is the one who opens the seals to release their wrath on evil in the earth. The wrath from the one who sits on the throne and of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - the slain Lamb is being unleashed. No one will be able to stand against their power and judgment which is being released to avenge the injustice of evil on the earth from the past-present- future. In the end all will run for cover who do not know the Lamb personally but they will find no protection.
Illustration: James Weldon Johnson, The Judgment Day
In that great day,
People, in that great day,
God's a-going to rain down fire.
God's a-going to sit in the middle of the air
To judge the quick and the dead.
Early one of these mornings,
God's a-going to call for Gabriel,
That tall, bright angel, Gabriel;
And God's a-going to say to him: Gabriel,
Blow your silver trumpet,
And wake the living nations.
And Gabriel's going to ask him: Lord,
How loud must I blow it?
And God's a-going to tell him: Gabriel,
Blow it calm and easy.
Then putting one foot on the mountain top,
And the other in the middle of the sea,
Gabriel's going to stand and blow his horn,
To wake the living nations.
Then God's a-going to say to him: Gabriel,
Once more blow your silver trumpet,
And wake the nations underground.
And Gabriel's going to ask him: Lord
How loud must I blow it?
And God's a-going to tell him: Gabriel,
Like seven peals of thunder.
Then the tall, bright angel, Gabriel,
Will put one foot on the battlements of heaven
And the other on the steps of hell,
And blow that silver trumpet
Till he shakes old hell's foundations.
And I feel Old Earth a-shuddering --
And I see the graves a-bursting --
And I hear a sound,
A blood-chilling sound.
What sound is that I hear?
It's the clicking together of the dry bones,
Bone to bone -- the dry bones.
And I see coming out of the bursting graves,
And marching up from the valley of death,
The army of the dead.
And the living and the dead in the twinkling of an eye
Are caught up in the middle of the air,
Before God's judgment bar.
Oh-o-oh, sinner,
Where will you stand,
In that great day when God's a-going to rain down fire?
Oh, you gambling man -- where will you stand?
You whore-mongering man -- where will you stand?
Liars and backsliders -- where will you stand,
In that great day when God's a-going to rain down fire?
And God will divide the sheep from the goats,
The one on the right, the other on the left.
And to them on the right God's a-going to say:
Enter into my kingdom.
And those who've come through great tribulations,
And washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb,
They will enter in --
Clothed in spotless white,
With starry crowns upon their heads,
And silver slippers on their feet,
And harps within their hands;--
And two by two they'll walk
Up and down the golden street,
Feasting on the milk and honey
Singing new songs of Zion,
Chattering with the angels
All around the Great White Throne.
And to them on the left God's a-going to say:
Depart from me into everlasting darkness,
Down into the bottomless pit.
And the wicked like lumps of lead will start to fall,
Headlong for seven days and nights they'll fall,
Plumb into the big, black, red-hot mouth of hell,
Belching out fire and brimstone.
And their cries like howling, yelping dogs,
Will go up with the fire and smoke from hell,
But God will stop his ears.
Too late, sinner! Too late!
Good-bye, sinner! Good-bye!
In hell, sinner! In hell!
Beyond the reach of the love of God.
And I hear a voice, crying, crying:
Time shall be no more!
Time shall be no more!
Time shall be no more!
And the sun will go out like a candle in the wind,
The moon will turn to dripping blood,
The stars will fall like cinders,
And the sea will burn like tar;
And the earth shall melt away and be dissolved,
And the sky will roll up like a scroll.
With a wave of his hand God will blot out time,
And start the wheel of eternity.
Sinner, oh, sinner,
Where will you stand
In that great day when God's a-going to rain down fire?
The challenge from 2 weeks ago was, “Whose side are you on?” Have you locked arms with the Lion of The Tribe of Judah --- the slain Lamb or with evil – with Satan?
Sermon 12: Revelation Chapter 7:1- 8:5
Introduction:
Story Illustration from Charles Swindoll:
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to receive his daily medical treatment. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, and where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by the description of activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a beautiful lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers held hands and walked amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man described his view from the window in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing through the park. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see the parade in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window developed a detailed picture with his descriptive words.
One morning, the nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. To his surprise the window faced a brick wall.
Have you had a revelation of Jesus and Heaven yet from our series – are you seeing with your spiritual eyes or with your natural eyes – are you sharing to others about the beauty of Heaven and Jesus? Are you encouraging others in this life? Are you bringing them down or up with you? What do you see when you look out the window of Life?
Thesis: Chapter 7 of Revelation speaks of what is happening between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal at the throne of God. There is a sealing or a marking of those who belong to God and there is a Great Multitude which appears before the Lamb – they are thanking Him for their salvation, they are waving palm branches in praise and worship to the Lamb – they all wore white robes which were bleached with the blood from the slain Lamb before the throne of God. It’s a great time of rejoicing for being delivered from the great judgement and wrath of God on the earth at the throne. Then in Revelation 8:1-5 the 7th seal is open and there is silence in Heaven. Then trumpets are handed out to the angels and the prayers of the saints are offered up on the altar and there is a hurling of those prayers to the earth with great force.
Scripture Text:
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Chapter 8:1-5
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
T.S. – Let’s look at the main sections of Chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8:
I. Being sealed marked by the Lord as His!
a. Tribulation on the earth has now started to peak in chapter 6. The seals on the scroll are being opened by the Lord and judgment is being released on the earth. With full out judgment and wrath being commanded to go forth there is a command to not touch those who are sealed by the Lord on the earth because they belong to Him and they are not to be touched by the 4 Horsman, so we see God placing a seal on those who belong to Him for their protection at this time of Great Tribulation.
i. Are we sealed today when we become a Christian? If so what does it look like?
1. Scripture refences being sealed by the Lord Jesus.
a. Jesus bore the seal of God’s approval on Him see John 6:27:
i. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
b. The following thoughts are from gotquestions.com and being “sealed by God:”
i. There are five verses in the Bible that refer to a “seal of God” or an object or person sealed by God – we looked at John 6:27 about Jesus but let’s look at the 4 others:
1. 2 Timothy 2:19: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his, and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
2. Revelation 6:9: ‘When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained.”
3. Revelation 7:2: “Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God…”
4. Revelation 9:4: They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”
ii. The word sealed in the New Testament comes from a Greek word that means “to stamp with a private mark” in the interest of keeping something secret or protecting or preserving the sealed object.
iii. Seals were used for official business: a Roman centurion, for instance, might have sealed a document that was meant only for the eyes of his superior. If the seal were broken, the one receiving the document would know that the letter had been tampered with or read by someone other than the sealer.
iv. Those who trust in Jesus also possess the seal of God, which is the Holy Spirit: “You also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13–14). It is good to know that God’s children are sealed, secure, and sustained amid the wickedness of this transitory world.
c. Our text in Revelation 7:3–4 and 9:4 refer to a group of people who have the seal of God, and thus His protection, during the Great Tribulation. The following from Gotquestions.com:
i. We will see that during the fifth trumpet judgment, locusts from the Abyss attack the people of the earth with “power like that of scorpions” (Revelation 9:3). However, these demonic locusts are limited in what they can harm: “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4). The individuals who are marked by God are preserved. The seal of God during the tribulation is the direct opposite of the mark of the beast, which identifies people as followers of Satan (Revelation 13:16–18).
2. No harm is to come to those who are sealed by the Lord which totals 144,000 in this time frame. This group represents the church as a whole?
a. Steve Gregg from His commentary: Revelation: Four Views – A Parallel Commentary states, “The number 144,000 is symbolic, derived by multiplying 1,000, the basic military division in the camp of Israel (Numbers 1:4-5), by 144 (twelve squared), symbolizing the faithful remnant of the Old Israel and of the New Israel-thus forming the true spiritual Israel, the church. In any age, it is the church that is preserved from God’s judgments upon nations, though this does not mean the church does not suffer at the hands of sinners (6:9) (Page 131-132).
b. These 144, 000 whether they are Jewish or (spiritually just God’s chosen) or not but will definitely part of the Kingdom of God will be the prophets and preachers telling the world to repent in these last days (See Zech. 12:10-13; Rom. 11:26-32).
i. Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
ii. These prophets and preachers have been called various names by writers:
1. Hal Lindsey calls them, “144,000 Jewish Billy Grahams”.
2. Ray Stedman calls them, “Christ’s Commandos.”
II. The Great Multitude at the throne of God and the Lamb:
a. We have a countless number of individuals appearing before the throne and the Lamb – How many are there ran across my mind when I read this? Are these all from the time of Christ’s death and resurrection?
i. Dave Benedict makes this observation: “How many Christians have lived on the earth since the Church was born 2000 years ago? In your imagination, total up the number of Christians who have ever lived. How many has it been? Including you. What's your guess? I'm not aware that any official estimates of this kind have ever been made, and, it's true that only God knows who has honestly accepted Christ's work of salvation, so any figure would be a guess. But, go ahead. Make a guess. How would we even start? Here’s a place: Best estimates are that 61 billion people have been born into the world since Christianity began in the 1st century. And, about 7 billion people are alive right now. So, that’s a place to start. OK, here’s another piece. According to Wikipedia, 2.2 billion Christians are alive right now. If we’re talking about authentic Christians, that figure might be a bit optimistic. But it’s a start. Mission agencies estimate that over 150 million Christians are living in China right now and maybe half of that living here in the United States right now as well. That makes a quarter of a billion Christians alive today in just two countries. Well. Your guess is as good as mine, and my best guess is that the total number of authentic Christians who have ever lived would be 3-4 billion. Give or take a billion or two. What is the point of this random speculation? Just this question: How did the Christian Church grow from a handful of people at its beginning to include several billion people in the two thousand years? And the answer is: Somebody told somebody else about Jesus. And then they told somebody else. Since not one of us 3-4 billion Christians was born as a Christian, somehow, each of us heard the message of God's salvation through Jesus Christ and embraced it through faith. How can they believe if they haven’t heard? And how can they hear if they’ve not been told. (Romans 10:14)
b. So how many? No one could count there is so many of them! But most likely between 3-4 Billion Christians since Jesus – think about that for a moment - does that blow your mind? It started with Jesus and 12 apostles! Yet there are this many followers in 2,000 years – that is amazing!
i. Notice a little more description about this multitude:
1. They came from every nation!
a. How many nations in the world today? Answer: 195
b. How many nations in history? 1,000 of them and some have vanished.
2. They came from every tribe?
a. How many tribes in the world? Answer: 150 million tribes worldwide today
b. How many tribes throughout history? A lot!
c. How many uncontacted – unreached tribes left in the world today there are less than 100!
3. They came from every people group.
a. How many people groups are there in the world? Answer: There are 24,000 in the world today
4. They all spoke numerous languages.
a. How many languages in the world? Answer: There 6,909 languages in the world. 1 language dies every 14 days. 100,000 is best guess that have been lost.
ii. Notice --- They were standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb!
1. They were all wearing white robes.
a. Thoughts from http://dentonpbc.org/color_white.htm “White – Righteousness”
i. This, perhaps, is the easiest association for people to make. The color white is found many times in the scriptures and is often associated with white garments, white manna, white fields, white horses, white stones, white cloud, and white robes. However, even though the association is easy to conclude, yet the color white is clearly defined in Rev. 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
ii. Furthermore, light and righteousness are also associated and many verses of scripture show this association.
2. They were all holding palm branches.
a. This parallels what happened when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey on Palm Sunday:
i. Matthew 21:1-11: The Triumphal Entry
1. 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5“Say to the Daughter of Zion,‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
2. The big difference here is judgment is being unleashed on the earth more so then when Jesus cleansed the Temple!
3. The crowd in Heaven will not be shortly crying “Crucify Him” instead they will enjoy heaven while the rest of the world will be running for cover in the earth.
b. The meaning of Palm branches:
i. Easton's Bible Dictionary - Palm tree - (Heb. tamar), the date-palm characteristic of Palestine. It is described as "flourishing" (Psalms 92:12), tall (Cant 7:7), "upright" (Jeremiah 10:5). Its branches are a symbol of victory (Revelation 7:9). "Rising with slender stem 40 or 50, at times even 80, feet aloft, its only branches, the feathery, snow-like, pale-green fronds from 6 to 12 feet long, bending from its top, the palm attracts the eye wherever it is seen." The whole land of Palestine was called by the Greeks and Romans Phoenicia, i.e., "the land of palms." Tadmor in the desert was called by the Greeks and Romans Palmyra, i.e., "the city of palms." The finest specimens of this tree grew at Jericho (Deuteronomy 34:3) and Engedi and along the banks of the Jordan. Branches of the palm tree were carried at the feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40). At our Lord's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem the crowds took palm branches, and went forth to meet him, crying, "Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 21:8; John 12:13).
ii. What is the essence of Worship? See Charles Swindoll’s quote page 626-627 from Ron Allen, Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel.
3. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.”
a. As a result of what the great multitude was saying all the angels, all the elders, and the 4 living creatures fell down and worshipped God.
4. They then said the angels and elders: “Amen! Praise and Glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
a. Amen means - The Hebrew word used for amen in the Old Testament is “ei men” and means “so be it, verily, true,” or “truly” (literally “truth”) and is a declaration of your affirmation of what was just spoken or written. It is like the pastor saying, “Jesus is God” and some in the congregation say “amen” or “truly.” Amen is frequently used at the end of a prayer or a statement that is true. To Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/10/07/what-does-amen-mean-in-the-bible-why-do-christians-say-amen/#AvLHYcSXFKCC9YsQ.99
c. Then one of the elders asked me John a question in this glorious moment of time before the throne: “These in white robes -who are they, and where did they come from?” John answered “Sir, you know!”
i. Then the elder said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…”
ii. Then the elder adds: “They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
III. The Great Tribulation: Greek word is thlipsis!
a. Here is a good perspective on persecution and tribulation.
i. Understanding persecution from a biblical perspective the following from http://theologyofpersecution.blogspot.com/2008/12/understanding-persecution-from-biblical.html, Posted by Glenn Penner at Saturday, December 27, 2008
1. A helpful place to begin when trying to define persecution is to see how the term is used in the Scriptures themselves. The Greek and Hebrew words often translated as "persecute" typically carry a sense of serious violence, aggression and hostility or the threat of such. There is an intent to injure and is carried out in a hostile, antagonistic spirit. In such passages as Jer.29:18 and Ps. 71:11-13 to “persecute” carries with it the idea of "to follow after or pursue." The Greek word dioko and its derivatives used in the New Testament (e.g. Matt. 5:12; Acts 22:4; 1 Thess. 2:15) has virtually the identical meaning of "pursuing or driving away." The term thilipis, means to "oppress or afflict" (Matt. 24: 9; Acts 3:14; 2 Cor. 1:5; 4:10).
2. A large part of the problem of defining persecution has to do with a common misunderstanding as what exactly it is. To many, persecution conjures up images of extreme violence, martyrdoms, imprisonments and torture. They think of what they imagine the early church went through or the church in the former Soviet Union. Immigrants to Canada think back to their own experience in their homeland and while they may have faced societal discrimination and the like, they took it in stride as everyone else did and saw it is just a part of life; unpleasant perhaps, maybe even annoying or slightly humiliating, but hardly persecution.
3. Persecution as a term needs to be understood in its biblical sense. Persecution in the Bible manifests itself within a broad spectrum ranging from mildly hostile to intensely hostile actions. These actions range from ridicule, restriction, certain kinds of harassment, or discrimination on one end of the spectrum to torture, imprisonment, ostracism, or killing on the other (see Matthew 6:11-12, Luke 6:22; 2 Corinthians 11:23-29; James 1:2 and others.
a.
4. Persecution, hence, from a biblical perspective, must be understood to encompass actions spanning the full range of hostility whether they are violent, physical, psychological, or social. We cannot define persecution strictly on the basis of the level of harm it might cause or the level of hostility in which it occurs. To do so would be inconsistent with Scripture. The issue that missions like The Voice of the Martyrs must consider is at what point on this spectrum do we see our involvement as necessary?
5. To summarize, we need to see persecution as the Bible sees it, within a wide spectrum of hostility. It need not involve violence, although it may. This is not to say that all persecution should be treated as equally grievous. Nor is all persecution a violation of our basic rights as a human being. To be despised, hated, and ridiculed is not a violation of one's rights, as unpleasant and unjust as these things are. Hence, persecution might be best defined, from a scriptural perspective, as:
a. Any unjust action by authorities, individuals, or crowds of varying levels of hostility perpetrated primarily on the basis of religion and directed at Christians, resulting in varying levels of harm (ranging from ridicule, restriction, certain kinds of harassment, or discrimination to torture, imprisonment, ostracism, murder, and execution) as it is considered from the victim’s perspective. (see Charles Tieszen, “Towards redefining persecution” International Journal for Religious Freedom Vol 1:1 2008: 76).
b. Ronald Boyd-MacMillan suggests a similar (though simpler) definition: Christian persecution is any hostility experienced from the world, as a result of one's identification with Christ. This can include hostile feelings, attitude, words, or actions (from Faith That Endures. Revell, 2006: 114)
IV. The 7th seal is opened by the Lamb – silence follows for about ½ hour.
a. Silence follows the opening!
i. How well do you do with silence?
1. “Be still, and know that I am God” - (Psalm 46:10).
ii. Lessons to learn from silence:
1. God fights on our behalf when we are silent - We are too weak to fight our enemies ourselves. We will be wounded, but in times of temptation if we remain in faith in God's presence, He will give us His strength.
a. “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” - (Exodus 14:14).
2. We find God in a deeper dimension - In silent prayer, we develop the art of looking at God.
a. “’You will seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” - (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
iii. So, what was everybody at the throne doing in this period of silence?
1. Can you imagine this scene that John saw?
b. The Trumpets are then handed out to the 7 angels of the church.
i. Silence is coming to an end is the symbolism represented here.
c. The prayers of the saints pictured as incense are offered up by another angel to God on the altar.
i. Then those prayers and their answers are hurled to the earth with great power and impact.
ii. There is a shaking that hits the earth from all these prayers of the saints!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
Answer: We need to know we are sealed by God if we have forsaken wickedness and embraced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ then we get sealed by God. This relationship comes with the protection of God the Father and it’s provided to us through the Lamb. This gift of mercy and grace should compel us to be praising The Lamb – we should be waving Palm branches because He has delivered us from the great judgment of God and Him. We need to know God listens to our prayers and responds in time.
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: We need to know who we are in Jesus! Many people don’t understand who they are today and who their Father in Heaven is – He is majestic – holy and all powerful. We belong to the family of God if we have asked Jesus to be our Savior and with that comes Gods seal of protection. With that also comes deliverance from Gods wrath and judgement in the end times. We need to know we are part of something greater than just our current lives and we need to look at The Lamb Jesus with respect and honor.
What do we need to do?
Answer: We need to praise and thank the Lamb for His great sacrifice and salvation – have you done that this week – we are not to take Him for granted or dishonor His name. We have to do our part to continue to fight against evil and tell people about Jesus. We need to see the throne of God see that judgment is coming and be His voice to the lost people of this earth. Yes, a time is coming when all of our tears and pain will be wiped away but that’s not the time we are in.
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: If we tell others about Jesus’s salvation and His power to deliver us from evil and bondage of evil we will see others set free and welcomed into the Kingdom of God! We will see our loved ones find Jesus and be made new! We will see our families delivered from the judgment and wrath of God in the end of time.
