1 REVELATION BIBLE STUDY Fall 2011 Week 4 The 7 seals are the first of the 3 stages of judgment. Many see these as judgment man brings on himself through sin. The 7 trumpets are judgment through demons. The 7 bowls are the wrath of God. These series of 7s may be overlapping like this: Seals- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Trumpets- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bowls- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Some believe the rapture of the Church comes at Chapter 4 the vision of Heaven. Reasons for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture 1. Encouraged to wait and watch for the Lord, not tribulation and death. 2. The Suffering Church in our Day. 3. If preserved through Tribulation, why a Rapture? 4. No warnings to believers to prepare for Great Tribulation. 5. The Church is cleansed by the Holy Spirit. 6. 24 Elders = People of God completed. 7. Matthew 24:37-39 coming of the Lord as in the days of Noah - righteous were delivered. 8. Ekklesia (the Church) 19x s in first three chapters; is not used again in reference to believers on the earth. 9. The Church returns with Christ at end of 7 th bowl.
2 Chapter 6 - The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse Revelation 6:1-4 1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, Come! 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come! 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. 6:2 First Seal: White horse is 6:3-4 Second Seal: Red horse is Matthew 24:3 8 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? 4 Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
3 Revelation 6:5-8 5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come! I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, Two pounds of wheat for a day s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine! 7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come! 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. 6:5 Third Seal: Black Horse is 6:7-8 Fourth Seal: Pale Horse is A fourth of the earth killed by these four Ezekiel 14:21 21 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments sword and famine and wild beasts and plague to kill its men and their animals! Revelation 6:9-11 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 had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. 6:9-11 Fifth Seal:
4 Revelation 6:12-17 12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it? 6:12-17 Sixth Seal: Isaiah 2:19 People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. Haggai 2:6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. Matthew 13:25 26, 30 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner s fire or a launderer s soap. Hosea 8:10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king. The wrath of God is the response of God s holiness to persistent and impenitent wickedness. -- Mounce
5 Joel 2:11 The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? Zephaniah 1:14-18 14 The great day of the LORD is near near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. 15 That day will be a day of wrath a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. 17 I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD s wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth. Chapter 7: Interlude. 144,000. Worship. Revelation 7:1-8 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.
6 7:1 The four winds are final Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Some believe this represents the salvation of Israel during the Tribulation. Revelation 7:9 17 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 before 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 shelter them with his presence. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on 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. 7:14 Who are these?