[Thus far in this study we have examined,]

 ·        [Calvary and the Dividing of Time]

·        [Hades and God’s revealed plan for mortal death in our time.]

·        [The Church Age and God’s revelation concerning this dispensation of grace.]

·        [The Judgment Seat of Christ or the Bema of Christ, the accounting we will make, and the rewards we can receive.]

·        [The Glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb – A celebration that every human being should want to attend.  A glorious, radiant event.

[We are now looking into,]

·        [The Great Tribulation Period – A Time unlike any other time in human history according to The Word of God.]

·        [The Seven Seals – And the terror they release upon mankind.  A full quarter of our world’s population destroyed during these seven seals.]

A.   [The Seven Seals of Redemption - The Scroll of Redemption - The scroll of redemption accomplishes three things:]

 1.     [It records the truth - It records the transfer of property from one owner the next.] 

2.     [It reveals the dispute - It is only used when there is a dispute concerning ownership.  Through the ages there has been a dispute about the ownership of creation:]

 a.  [Mankind would claim ownership through his haughty mind.]

 b.    [Satan would claim ownership through his pernicious pride.]

 3.     [It reconciles the authority - By revealing the true owner is settles the account.]

 B. The Opening of the Seals [- as each seal is opened there is corresponding event in the affairs of mankind.  These events reveal that mankind does not really have authority in creation.  Mankind is really out of control when it comes to creation.]

 1.     The First Seal - The White Horse (Rev 6.1-2) – And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. ² And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

 a.     A Redeemed Authority - [Who is in control.] 

[As Christ opens this seal the dispute is revealed on earth, in the realm of mankind.] 

·        [Most scholars agree that this is the Anti-Christ and he is the instigator of the dispute over the authority of Almighty-God.] 

·        [He comes on a white horse as a deceptive angel of light ]

 [2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.]

b.    [Who is the final authority?] 

[Jesus Christ (Isa 45.20-24)] 

[Isaiah 45:20-24 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. ]

 c.      The Purposes of the Anti-Christ. 

1)    He Comes To Connive (Rev 13.8; Matt 24.5) [He comes to deceive. He desires to be the authority.] 

[Rev. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.]  

[Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.]  

2)    He Comes To Conquer (Rev 13.7) [He comes to conquer.] 

[Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.]  

3)    He Comes To Control (Rev 13.7) [He comes to establish his dominion.] 

[Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.]  

2.     The Second Seal - The Red Horse (Rev 6.3-4) 

a.     [A Redeemed Sovereignty. The one and only King.] 

[Red is the color of lawlessness.  Lawlessness often follows a change of authority.] 

b.    This horseman comes to: 

1)    Disrupt (vs 4) [- And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, . . .    

 2)    Devour (vs 4; Joel 2.30-31) [- And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: . . .   

[Joel 2:30-31 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.]  

3)    Destroy (vs 4; Ezek 38.21) – And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  

[Ezekiel 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother.]

3.     The Third Seal - The Black Horse (Rev 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. – Severe famine.]  

[A Redeemed Providence.  The guide for destiny.] 

This horseman comes to: 

a.     Ration (vs 5) [- . . . and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.] 

[Can a man make his own way?] 

[Can Satan make a way?] 

b.    Repress (vs 6) [- . . . And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, . . .] 

[The penny represents a days wages.] 

[The measure represents enough food for one person for one day.] 

[A man will work one day for enough food for just himself.  What about his family?] 

c.      Revel (vs 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.] 

[What good are the luxuries of oil and wine without food?] 

4.     The Forth Seal - The Pale Horse (Rev 6.7-8) [- And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. ⁸ And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.]  

[A Redeemed Righteousness - As this rider is followed by hell, the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed.] 

This horseman comes to: 

a.     Separate (vs 8) [- And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. - Death is a separation, not an ending.]

 b.    Severe (vs 8) [- . . . And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. - He will kill with:] 

1)    [Sword]

2)    [Hunger]

3)    [Death]

4)    [Beasts] 

c.      Saturate (vs 8)[- . . . And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. - He will fill hell with a quarter of all mankind.] 

[According to the World Population Clock, Jan 24, 2014 the world's population was 7,290,288.972. 7 1/4 Billion.] 

[A quarter of mankind would be 1,815,072,243.] 

5.     The Fifth Seal - The Altar (Rev 6.9-11) [– And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.]  

[A Redeemed Patience - As Christians and creation groan for the completion of God's plan, their patience is nearing its end and its fulfillment.] 

These souls are: 

a.     Slain (vs 9) [-And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: - They reveal the severe persecution that will take place during the Tribulation Period.] 

b.    Saying (vs 10) [- And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?] 

c.      Suffered (vs 11) [- And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled – They must endure until all is fulfilled.  That’s what we must do whenever we are suffering for our Lord, endure patiently until all is fulfilled, trusting our Lord as we wait.]  

6.     The Sixth Seal - The Worldwide Catastrophe (Rev 6.12-17; Zech 13.3-5) [–  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? – Folks this is when Christ sets foot on this earth, the second advent (Joel 3).] 

[Zechariah 14:3-5 ³ Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. ⁴ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. ⁵ And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. ]

[A Redeemed Holiness - As mankind has refused to bow to the holiness and worthiness of Jesus Christ, at His return His purity will not be denied.] 

This catastrophe reveals:  

a.     The Corruption of all creation (vs 12-13) [- And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. - The earthquake, sun, moon, and stars.  None the less the corruption of mankind.] 

b.    The Coronation of the King of Kings (vs 14-15) [- And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; - As the heavens roll back as a scroll and Jesus comes riding through to set up His Millennial Kingdom.] 

c.      The Condemnation of Mankind (vs 16) [- And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: - As they are unworthy of His presence.] 

7.     The Seventh Seal - Silence In Heaven (Rev 8.1) [– And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.]  

[A Redeemed Deityship - The dominions of God are now fully His without any dispute.] 

[This silence represents the rendering of the verdict – There is nothing left to be said or done.  The dispute is fully settled.]  

[With the opening of the seven seals we see the full redemption of all creation to our Lord Jesus Christ.  What does this revelation say to us?]

[Be on the Lord’s side when all of this comes to pass.  You may think that if you just believe that things are going to happen differently then none of this will happen.  If you think this way you are thinking wrongly and you will endure all of these events for the perspective of this mortal world and you will suffer unimaginably.] 

[All of this is revealed to persuade you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior today, before it is too late.] 

CrossRoads Baptist Church, Jan 25, 2015 evening