Will God Judge The World, And Make Things Right? (Revelation 6:1-17) Series

Over the past two weeks, in Revelation 4 and 5, we've read about what happened in heaven, after Jesus ascended into the clouds. Jesus rises up, disappears, out of the sight of his disciples. And he rises up into the heavenly throne room, into the midst of the four living creatures.

And when we saw Jesus in God's throne room, it made us stop and reflect on Jesus has accomplished through his life and death.

What exactly has Jesus done? One of the beautiful things about Revelation, is the way it broadens our perspective, and helps us appreciate how much Jesus accomplished.

Part of the answer, is that Jesus has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1:5).

Another part of the answer, is that Jesus has purchased us, making us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, who serve God.

A third way to explain it, is that Jesus has conquered Death and Hades, and now has the key to both (Revelation 1:18).

A fourth way to explain it, and this idea is central to much of what follows, is that Jesus has received this sealed book/scroll. He alone, because of his life, death, and resurrection, was worthy to receive the scroll. And this scroll contains God's plan for the world. So you can say, basically, that God's plan for the world was on pause. Heaven and earth were a bit stuck. And Jesus, as Lion-Lamb, hits the play button. God's plan for the world can now make progress.

Now, there's a lot of debate about how we should read these next several chapters in Revelation. Almost everyone would say that they show God's plan being carried out. But people disagree on how to interpret it.

We are about to read three different sets of visions (adapted from Louis Brighton, Revelation, 151, with one huge difference-- he thinks 6:12-17 IS the end):

First Vision: Seven Seals Second Vision: Seven Trumpets Third Vision: Seven Censers

Scenes 1-5: Seals 1-5 Scenes 1-5: Trumpets 1-5 Scenes 1-5: Censers 1-5

(6:1-11) (8:6-9:12) (15:1-16:11)

(no battle scene) Scene 6: Sixth Trumpet, Great Battle Scene 6: Sixth Censer, Battle

Scene 6: Sixth Seal, Almost Scene 7: Seventh Trumpet, End Scene 7: Seventh Censer, End

End of This World? (6:12-17) of This World (11:15-19) of This World (16:17-21)

Scene 7: 7th Seal Introduces

the 2nd Vision (8:1-5)

The question that's debated, is how these three different sets of visions fit together. I grew up in an evangelical tradition that tries its very best to read Revelation as a chronological timeline, with one thing happening after another. The trumpets chronologically follow after the seals. The censers/bowls, chronologically follow after the trumpets.

But when you read NT scholars, there is a broad consensus that this is a mistake. It doesn't work. So it's better, probably, to think of these three visions as broadly [but not completely] overlapping. Each of these three visions paints a picture of the time between Jesus' ascension to heaven, and Jesus' return. Other parts of what we are

going to read, have happened in the past. It's complicated.

But what we will see, is that we are living in the time of Scenes 1-5. The church, for almost 2,000 years, has been living in the beginnings of the birth pains, that mark the end of this world. We are not living in the end. The end is still in the future (Mark 13:7-8). But we are very close to the end.

As we read, we are going to hear about things like earthquakes, and famines, and wars, and disease. And some of you might be tempted to read Revelation in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. You'll find yourself thinking about the Ebola virus, or Covid, or earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, or the war in Ukraine. You might assume that these things are evidence that we are living in the last days before Jesus' return, in a way that the church for 2000 years has not.

But the picture Revelation paints for us, is the common experience of the church that's run for 2000 years. We will see ourselves in the book, to be sure, but we will do so in the same way that church has seen itself over since Jesus ascended.

Now, if I'm right, what's the goal of this section of Revelation?

Let me read something from Louis Brighton:

"The events displayed in the three visions are not given for the purpose of predicting particular events in human history. Rather, they are presented so as to portray conditions, circumstances, situations, environments, and contexts in which people find themselves during the time period covered . . . The purpose is to move all people to repentance and faith before the End" (Louis Brighton, Revelation, 150-51).

If we think about these visions in light of the introductory letters, we will see that some Christians need to repent. Some need to recommit themselves to Jesus as King. Some, simply need to be encouraged to hang on, despite all their hardship, and conquer through obedience, and faithful testimony about Jesus. Every Christian, and every church, needs different things. And these visions give us what we need to hear, to be faithful and committed to God, and to the Lion-Lamb.