As we are left in awe and in worship of the Lamb at the end of chapter 5, we now experience His revelation of human history as the One in full command of our destiny. We are invited to come and see how Jesus has shaped the course of human events and will answer the cries of the martyrs for vengeance of their suffering and persecution.
The first four seals bring us images of Zechariah’s prophetic vision of the four horsemen who patrol the earth. The complexity of interpreting these seals challenges us with many different perspectives, which I will not discuss in these writings. Instead I offer how I see these impact us today. Again I do not claim to have all the answers; only that we know Jesus is in charge and we are in the season of preparing for His return.
The first seal is a white horse and the one who sits on it has a bow and a crown given to him. He goes out conquering and to conquer. Is this Jesus? I do not think so. I believe it symbolizes the power and corruption of humanity since our fall in the garden. Our history is one of war and conflict. History demonstrates there is always an empire out to conquer the scope of their world. Today, this means a global conquest of all nations, as in Islam’s aim or communism or secular humanism to submit us to their rule.
This is in contrast to Jesus’ kingdom that will ultimately triumph not by war but by His love and the power of the gospel to capture the human heart to save our souls.
The second seal is opened and we are invited to see a fiery red horse. The rider is granted the power to take peace from the earth, “and that people should kill one another and there was given to him a great sword” (Rev. 6:4). I see this as the history of mankind ,from Cain killing Abel to the civil unrest we see throughout history.
We desire peace but can never achieve it in our own power struggles. Even those who demonstrate for peace come to blows and kill their brother. They produce revolutions that are supposed to free the oppressed but end up killing and oppressing many of the same people they claim to liberate.
Civil strife and unrest are rampant in our global community. Everyone is claiming they have the answer to peace and equality. This is in contrast to the Prince of Peace who is truly the only One who can bring peace to the human heart and to nations in His ultimate rule.
The third seal presents a black horse with a rider who holds a pair of scales. This portrays the economic woes that have plagued human history. No matter how we try, there are always the poor and suffering. We will never devise a perfect system because those in power often are driven by their sinful corruption.
Only Jesus when He returns will restore the perfection of God’s creation and establish His justice and truth that all people will be satisfied and have their “mansion”!
The fourth seal brings forth the pale horse with Death as its rider, followed by Hades. They are given power over a “fourth of the earth to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8). We live in a world of constant death as the wages of sin. Physical and spiritual death has been the destiny of humanity since Adam sinned.
Jesus came and conquered sin and death. He alone is the answer to the ever-present fate of our bodies and souls since the fall. In this section, He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, as opposed to the later introduction of the beast who brings the promise of Utopia but brings death and suffering to the world. He is the tool of the dragon/Satan who seeks to usurp the Lamb’s authority and power. Yet there is no comparison as the Lamb will destroy the beast and Satan and all of their evil and corruption.
The Fifth and Sixth Seals
The Lamb has opened the first four seals that portray the result of humanity’s sin and rebellion against God. Our history is one of war, civil strife, economic woes and ultimately death. These unfold from the banishment from the garden to local tribes, to city states to nations to empires and finally to a global community unable to save itself from its own destruction.
We see this tragedy today as our leaders hopelessly try to solve the world problems, only to produce more suffering and death. Our secular cultures offer a multitude of worldviews and answers but we experience no solutions to the sinful effects of our desire for power.
Only the Lamb can save us. Thus, the fifth seal opens to the cry of the martyrs, “slain for the word of God and for the testimony they held. They cry with one loud voice, saying, “How long O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:9-10, NKJV).
Within the world system of Babylon are the followers of Jesus, both Jew and Gentile, who have helped establish the good of God within this evil system of men. They have been His light and salt in the world. The evil of humanity has persecuted and killed them for their faith.
The answer they receive is that the Lamb will avenge their murder. They must rest for a little while until all the believers, both Jew and Gentile, are completed in God’s plan. Make no mistake; chapter 7 makes it clear that Jew and Gentile will fulfill the number God has designated for salvation.
The sixth seal presents Jesus’ answer to the cries of the martyrs. A worldwide cosmic catastrophe strikes the earth with terrible effects. This is the Judgment Day promised throughout the Bible. I see it as the holiness of God coming with Jesus in the cloud of glory He promised in Matthew 24 and 25.
This is the great day of His wrath. All that is unholy will be shaken by the spiritual and physical power of the Lamb. All seven classes of humanity will hide themselves in the dark caves of their sin. Their cries contrast the prayers of the martyrs for these seven classes fear the Lamb and His justice.
They ask that 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! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'” (Rev. 6:16-17).
Thus the ways of sinful humanity will come to an end as Jesus arrives in answer to the cries of His persecuted people. The rest of Revelation will now unfold for us the events of God’s plan to restore all things in holiness and righteousness. No evil or unholiness or unrighteousness will be allowed to remain.
Chapter seven will tell us who will stand at the end of this day. It is the complete number of Jews and Gentiles in fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to send a Savior to deliver us from our sins and from death to an eternal life with Jesus and the Father!
Despite the judgment of Jesus, we have the hope of glory. We need not fear in this season of preparing for His return but wonderfully accept our call to be servants in preparing the way of His return. When you discover your place in God’s plan, you will know tremendous joy and victory in this life.
In Greater Love, author Blake Lorenz shares a captivating story of one man’s journey through time after God has chosen him to prepare Israel and the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. All the proceeds will go to our mission and evangelism work around the world and in Central Florida. blakelorenzministries.com {eoa}
Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.