Chapter 6

This world has come under some cruel times but never such as will happen when the Seal Judgments begin!

This 7 year period decreed by God is for the primary purpose of shaking man loose from a false sense of security

Chapter 6 sets out the first of three judgments: (seals, trumpets and bowls)

All the judgments build in intensity.

The opening the seventh seal introduces the trumpet judgments; the blowing the 7th trumpet introduces the bowl judgments and so forth.

Each is worse than the one before but each period between gives people a chance to come to Christ.

HE NEVER GIVES UP!

The seal judgments cover approximately the first quarter of the Tribulation or 21 months.

The first four seals reveal horses and riders. They represent world conditions and not specific persons.

White horse ... The beginning of the reign of the Antichrist and his kingdom.

The purpose of the rider is to conquer ... the bow in his hand is symbolic of aggressive warfare but there is mention of an arrow. He will conquer by diplomacy rather than by war.

He will be the superman who promises to solve all the world's problems. The crown on his head is symbolic that he will be victorious for a time.

This will probably introduce the time of the beginning of the one world government. The Antichrist will accomplish this through the promise of peace and prosperity to mankind worldwide.

Ezekial 38/39 tells us that a nation will conceive of the idea of conquering Israel. God will supernaturally destroy this country.

the Antichrist will offer peace to all men in order to avoid further wars between nations.

Although all world leaders promise peace to the masses, man does not have the capacity to fulfill that promise.

2nd rider ... Red Horse ... WAR ... he has the ability to take peace from the earth ... he has a sword which is a weapon to kill. The nations who do not want the one government nation will revolt agains tthe Antichrist. This will bring about a world war the likes of which have never been seen as will be seen with the opening of the next seals.

3rd rider ... Black horse ... famine

Jeremiah 4:28

Famine often follows war as it did after World War I. Inflation also grips the world after a world war. The scales indicate the scarcity of food or the worth of things. Food will be worth more than silver or gold during this time.

The rich will not be hurt so much which is indicated by the instructions "not to hurt the oil and wine" which are traditionally foods of the rich.

4th seal ... Pale horse ... death.

1/4 of the earth's population will due during the tribulation. The fact that Hades follows indicates that these are unsaved dead.

Rev 20 ... Hades is the holding place of the unsaved dead.

5th seal --- The Martyred Tribulation Saints

These are the souls of the ones who had not accepted Christ prior to the Tribulation but realized it and were saved after the rapture!

John says he sees the souls of those. They are visible

Read Luke 16.

they are under the altar ... a place of sacrifice covered by the blood of Jesus!

THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE 144,000!

tHIS WILL BE THE GREATEST TIME OF CRUELTY EVER TO CHRISTIANS.

6th seal -- total catastrophe on earth ...

God will show His anger to the mass murders of his Saints.

The sun will be blackened ... maybe an eclipse which could cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Volcanic ash seems to make the moon look red and blots out the sun.