Seals And Trumpets And Bowls, Oh My! (Revelation 6-16) Series

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to Revelation 6.

Some of you may find this hard to believe, but back in the olden days—the 1970s—there was no streaming, no DVDs, and definitely no pause button.

VCRs existed, but they cost over a thousand dollars, so nobody you knew actually had one.

If you wanted to watch a favorite movie, you had to wait for one of the three channels on your TV to show it.

Fortunately, there were a few you could count on every year.

One of them was The Wizard of Oz.

I remember how much it scared me as a kid. I’d run and hide behind the couch when the flying monkeys showed up, only to find out my brother and sisters were already there.

And when Dorothy and her friends crept through the haunted forest, do you remember what they were chanting?

“Lions and tigers and bears—oh my!”

But here’s the thing: Dorothy couldn’t get home without walking through the scariest part of the journey.

That’s what Revelation 6–16 feels like.

It’s the part of the Bible most people would rather skip. Only instead of lions and tigers and bears, we’re facing seals and trumpets and bowls—oh my.

But just like Dorothy, we find that home is on the other side of the scary parts.

When we reach the other side of these chapters, John will show us our true home.

We’ll see that God’s judgment isn’t chaos—it’s justice.

The seals, trumpets, and bowls aren’t about destruction; they’re about redemption.

They pave the way for a new heaven, a new earth, and a new you.

And when we get there, we’ll say what Dorothy said:

“There’s no place like home.”

So we are going to read Revelation 6:1-8 together— one of the scary parts— to begin our teaching time . Let’s stand to honor the reading of God’s Word.

[READ REVELATION 6:1-8]

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray.

[pray]

Father, even in judgment, You are just. As we open Your Word, open our hearts. Help us to see Your control, even when the world feels out of control.In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. The Seals: God’s Justice is Measured (Revelation 6-8)

Each time the Lamb breaks a seal, one of the four living creatures thunders a single word: “Come.”

The first four seals unleash what we’ve come to call the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The first rider appears on a white horse. He carries a bow, wears a crown, and goes out “conquering, and to conquer.”

Many see this rider as a counterfeit Christ—a spirit of deception that foreshadows what John elsewhere calls the spirit of the antichrist.

Then comes the rider on the red horse. He represents war.

He’s followed by the rider on the black horse, who carries a pair of scales—symbolizing famine and economic collapse.

Finally, there’s the rider on the pale horse. His name is Death, and verse 8 says a fourth of the earth’s population perishes.

A few things to keep in mind as we look at this:

First, this has been the pattern of human history. A conqueror rises up, promising peace—but it’s a counterfeit peace because it isn’t grounded in the Prince of Peace. Then comes war. War brings famine. Famine brings disease and death.

So yes, Revelation points toward a final fulfillment, but it also describes a cycle that has repeated again and again throughout history.

Rather than looking for clues about the end of the world, look for evidence that God is still in control.

Heaven is perfectly ordered. The Lamb opens the seal; the creature cries “Come”; and the rider appears.

Even the forces of chaos move only at heaven’s command.

Every seal reminds us that nothing happens until heaven says so.

God’s justice isn’t chaotic—it’s choreographed. Measured. Precise. Purposeful.

And notice: these are all permitted judgments.

• Verse 2: “A crown was given to him.”

• Verse 4: “It was granted to take peace from the earth.”

• Verse 8: “Authority was given to them.”

Each rider acts only by permission. Nothing gallops free of God’s authority. Even when evil seems to run unchecked, God still holds the reins.

In verses 9–11, we see the martyrs under the altar crying out,

“How long, O Lord, before You judge and avenge our blood?”

And heaven’s answer is simple: “Rest a little longer.”

That delay is not neglect; it’s mercy.

God’s judgment is sure, but God’s mercy delays it.

Then comes chapter 7—a pause between the sixth and seventh seals.

Four angels stand at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of judgment, waiting for the order to unleash the storm.

But the order doesn’t come—not yet.

First, God seals His servants—144,000 from the tribes of Israel.