12/9/2013 Revelation Week FourScriptures: Revelation 6:9-17, Matthew 24, Revelation 13:15, Revelation 12: 17, Revelation 21:5-8, Revelation 22:15 Today we will look at the fifth and sixth seals, which came after the four horsemen. The fifth seal is opened and is explaining religious persecution. This time John is not told to come and see, because he had a personal understanding of the events of this seal. John sees the martyrs, souls slain for the Word of God, they are under the altar: a place of mercy and not judgment. In Matthew 24:9-12 Jesus had spoken of the persecution that the church would face. At the very beginning of the early church persecution set in and John could relate to what he was seeing. Most of the apostles met a violent and early death. Brutal persecution Jesus said will happen again. In Matthew 24:21-22 is says: "And unless those days were shorted, no flesh would be saved (alive)." What will be cause of this great persecution? Revelation 13:15 says that there will be people who refuse to worship the image of the beast. Revelation 12:17 shows us that the dragon's primary target is those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This type of persecution exists in our world today. The sixth seal is opened: signs in the skies. In Matthew 24:29-30 we see the sequence of events: first comes tribulation as described in the fifth seal, next the heavenly signs described in the sixth seal and finally comes the day of God's wrath: the Day of the Lord. A great earthquake, the sun becomes black, the moon turns to blood and the stars of heaven fell the earth. In Revelation 6:15-17 we notice that these events awaken the world to the reality that there is only one true and living God. Mankind has not learned that you cannot hide from God. All of the seals have pointed to one event: The great day of God's wrath. Our God is a just God and He will avenge His church and the martyrs. There are insiders and outsiders, because the modern mind excuses itself for what we call "little things." To God any sin has the capacity to corrupt the soul and pollute God's creation. The goal is to one day wear the white robe God has prepared for us: an eternal insider! Comments are closed.
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