REVELATION LESSON 13 THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE 6:1-17 CAN YOU HEAR THE HOOFBEATS?

REVELATION LESSON 13 THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE 6:1-17 CAN YOU HEAR THE HOOFBEATS?

LESSON REVIEW OUR PERSPECTIVE RELATIVE TO LOCATION: CHAPTERS 4 AND 5 TAKE PLACE IN HEAVEN OUR PERSPECTIVE RELATIVE TO TIME: CHAPTERS 4 AND 5 TAKE PLACE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SEAL, THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OUR PERSPECTIVE RELATIVE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST: THE BODY IS RAPTURED PRIOR TO THE TRIBULATION AND IS IN HEAVEN WITH THE LORD I THESS 4:16,17 IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE, THEN, THAT THE CHURCH THE BODY IS REPRESENTED AROUND GOD S THRONE IN EVENTS JUST PRIOR TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OPENING ON EARTH.

LESSON REVIEW CONTINUED IF THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NOT WITH THE LORD IN HEAVEN AT THE TIMING OF THE EVENTS IN CHAPTERS 4 AND 5, THEN WHERE IS THE CHURCH? IF THE CHURCH THE BODY IS A PART OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST (WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED IN AN EARLIER LESSON), IS IT NOT NATURAL, THEN, FOR THE CHURCH TO BE REPRESENTED? HAVING THE CHURCH MENTIONED IN SYMBOL (ELDERS) IN NO WAY DIMINISHES THE JEWISH APOCALYPTIC NATURE OF THE BOOK, NOR THE FACT THAT THE PROPHECIES INVOLVE ISRAEL. IN FACT, HAVING THE CHURCH IN HEAVEN REINFORCES THE FACT THAT THE TRIBULATION IS A TIME FOCUSED ON ISRAEL.

WHAT IS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION? WE SHOULD NOT THINK SO MUCH IN TERMS OF PRACTICAL APPLICATION AS WE SHOULD IN TERMS OF PRIVILEDGED REVELATION. THE EVENTS OF REVELATION CHAPTER 6 AND FORWARD INVOLVE THEY THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH. THE BODY OF CHRIST IS IN HEAVEN. ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS ARE ON THE EARTH THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS A DIFFERENT DISPENSATION, WITH A DIFFERENT GROUP UPON WHOM GOD IS FOCUSED: ISRAEL, NOT THE CHURCH

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF CHAPTERS 6-19 DOMINION WILL BE RESTORED AND ISRAEL REDEEMED THROUGH TRIBULATION THE BOOK OF REVELATION LAYS OUT A PATTERN OF THAT OF THAT PERIOD THE PATTERN INVOLVES SEVENS THE PATTERN INVOLVES PARENTHESIS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FOUR HORSEMEN PARENTHESIS

THE FIRST FOUR SEALS THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS 6:1-8 1 ANTICHRIST 6:1,2 2 WAR 6:3,4 3 FAMINE 6:5,6 4 DEATH 6:7,8 THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS, MATTHEW 24:4-8

1 THE FIRST SEAL 6:1-2 ANTICHRIST 1 THE WHITE HORSE: ANTICHRIST (HORSES: THE TRIBE OF DAN?) THE BOW : POSSIBLY A COVENANT THE CROWN: FOR A CONQUEROR, NOT A REIGNING SOVEREIGN. CHRIST WILL WEAR A DIADEM NOT A STEPHANOS (REV. 19:12) THE CROWN GIVEN: A PEACEFUL RISE TO POWER DAN. 8:25 THE CONQUERING: HE WILL BE A MILITARY GENIUS, KEEPING ALL IN LINE WITH HIS POLICY SEE MATTHEW 24:3-6 (NOTE: THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS 24:8) MORE ABOUT ANTICHRIST

SNAPSHOT OF THE ANTICHRIST Old Testament Allusions (from 33) Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3:15 Idol Shepherd Zech. 11:16, 17 Little Horn Dan. 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25 Prince that shall come Dan. 9:26 Willful King Dan. 11:36 New Testament Allusions (from 13) Beast Rev. 11:7; 13 False Prophet Rev. 13 Antichrist (Pseudo-Christ) 1 John 2:22 Lawless One 2 Thess. 2:8 Man of Sin 2 Thess. 2:3 One come in his own name John 5:43 Son of Perdition 2 Thess. 2:3

SNAPSHOT OF THE ANTICHRIST CONTINUED His Characteristics An intellectual genius Dan. 7:20; 8:23; Eze. 28:3 An persuasive orator Dan. 7:20; Rev. 13:2 A shrewd politician Dan. 11:21; Dan. 8:25; A financial genius Rev. 13:17; Ezek. 28:4, 5; Ps. 52:7; Dan. 11:38, 43; A forceful military leader Dan. 8:24; Rev. 6:2; Rev. 13:4; Isa. 4:16 A powerful organizer Rev. 13:1,2; 17:17 A unifying religious guru 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:3, 14, 15 Cf. Ps 10, 52, 55; Isa 10,11,13,14; Jer. 49-51; Zech. 5; Rev. 1. His Physical Description Woe to the idol shepherd Zechariah 11:17

2 THE SECOND SEAL 6:3,4 WAR 2 MATT. 24:6,7 SPEAK OF WARS AS A PART OF THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS (V.8) THIS MAY INCLUDE EZEKIEL S BATTLE OF GOG-MAGOG. IN THE EZEKIEL CONJECTURE, RUSSIA, IRAN, SYRIA AND OTHER ARAB NATIONS WOULD RISE AGAINST ISRAEL WITH AMERICA AND A WESTERN CONFEDERATION COMING TO HER DEFENSE. WESTERN ALLIES RUSH TO AID ISRAEL

3 THE THIRD SEAL 6:5,6 FAMINE 3 BLACK: OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH FAMINE LAM. 4:4-8 (MATT. 24:7) A PAIR OF BALANCES TO EAT BREAD BY WEIGHT IS A JEWISH EXPRESSION MEANING SCARCITY A MEASURE OF WHEAT FOR A PENNY: A DAY S WAGE FOR ONE DAY S FOOD THE WORLD LEADER WILL SET PRICES AND CONTROL MARKETS (REV. 13:17) OIL AND WINE SOME LUXURY GOODS WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE (FOR A PRICE) A FOOD LINE IN MOSCOW: THE FRUITS OF COMMUNISM

4 THE FOURTH SEAL 6:7,8 DEATH AND HELL 4 DEATH WILL BE CAUSED BY ALL THE CALAMITIES INCLUDING PESTILENCE (MATT. 24:7) PALE A GHASTLY GREEN COLOR INDICATIVE OF DECAY AND DISEASE THE JUDGMENTS OF 6:8 PARALLEL THOSE MENTIONED IN EZE. 14:29 THE GRIM REAPER RIDES AGAIN!

5 THE FIFTH SEAL 6:9-11 MARTYRDOM MATT 24:9-14 DETAIL THE SUFFERING OF THE TRIBULATION SAINTS THEY ARE SLAIN FOR GOD S WORD AND THEIR TESTIMONY V.9 THESE MARTYRS ARE IN HEAVEN AWAITING GOD TO AVENGE THEM V.10 THEY ARE REDEEMED (WHITE ROBES) V.11 THEIR FELLOW SERVANTS STILL ALIVE WILL SUFFER THE SAME FATE V.11 WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

6 THE SIXTH SEAL 6:12-14 VARIOUS UPHEAVALS THE SIXTH SEAL EVENTS HAPPEN DURING THE FIRST 3 1/2 YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION. THEY ARE REPEATED AT THE END, JUST BEFORE CHRIST S RETURN. (MATT. 24:29-31) HERE IS THE FIRST OF THREE EARTHQUAKES MENTIONED IN REVELATION (11;13; 16:18,19) EARTHQUAKES OFTEN ACCOMPANY SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS (JOEL 2:2,10,30,31; MATT 24:39) SUN AND MOON CHANGED (BLACK, BLOOD RED) STARS PROBABLY A METEOR SHOWER ALLOWED TO PENETRATE THE ATMOSPHERE HEAVEN DEPARTED A PROBLEM IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE (ISA. 34:1-8) MOUNTAINS AND ISLANDS MOVED AS A RESULT OF THE EARTHQUAKE SUN MOON

THE EARTH-DWELLER S LAMENT 6:15-17 SEVEN CATEGORIES ATTEMPT TO HIDE FROM THE RAPIDLY UNFOLDING EVENTS V.15 APPARENTLY, WHEN THE HEAVEN DEPARTS AS A SCROLL (V.14), IT REVEALS GOD S THRONE IN A FEARFUL WAY. (CF. ACTS 8:54-60) V.16 THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME THE TIRBULATION PERIOD, DANIEL S 70 TH WEEK.

NEXT TIME NOT THE SEVENTH SEAL YET. REMEMBER OUR STRUCTURE: --SIX SEALS (PARENTHESIS) SEVENTH --SIX TRUMPETS (PARENTHESIS) SEVENTH --SIX VIALS (PARENTHESIS) SEVENTH CHAPTER SEVEN DEALS WITH AN UNUSUAL EVENT: THE SEALING OF THE 144,000 AND THE GATHERING OF TRIBULATION SAINTS BEFORE GOD S THRONE. AN ANGEL SEALS THE 144,000

NEXT LESSON: OPENING THE SCROLL, REVELATION 7 144,000 WITNESSES