The End of the World

A Timeline: Revelation 6-11

Last week we ended our time right before Jesus is about the open the seals to the scroll.

What is this sealed scroll?

• We can infer the more seals a document had, the greater its importance.

The seven seals of the heavenly scroll signify both its importance and perfection, with seven symbolizing God's perfection.

Why is this any of this important?

Think of the scroll as a form of deed/contract. If a contract has been sealed, its contents have yet to be read, and therefore yet to be completed.

In this scroll is the deed to the the world.

• Currently satan has been given hold over the earth.

1 John 5:19
“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

• Additional Scripture: Hebrews 2:14, 2 Corinthians 4:3, and John 12:31

Christ has "purchased" the deed to the world by His blood.

• Hence why in Revelation 5:9 it says,"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Through the opening of this deed, Jesus will restore His reign on Earth forever.

• However, it is through the opening of this scroll that the "Great Tribulation" is brought upon Earth.

What is "the Great Tribulation"?

• To paraphrase Matthew 24:21, A time of distress beyond any before or after it.

Think of the tribulation like giving birth. Lots of pain and suffering that leads to beautiful new life.

What happens during the tribulation is important. However, for the sake of time in this study I am going to give you the spark notes...
For today we are going to cover the seven seals and the seven trumpets.

• The seven seals are in chapters 6 and 8 and the seven trumpets are in chapters 8, 9, and 11. There are also seven bowls which we will read about in Revelation 16.

• My view is that all of these events mentioned in the three sevens all lead to the same ending; God's final judgement and Christ's reign.

• My view is also that the Great Tribulation has not come yet. Although times are rough, I would not describe them as "A time of distress beyond any before or after it."

Let's begin...

The Seven Seals Rev. 6:1-8:5

1. White Horse is released: It desires to conquer.

2. Red Horse is released: It takes away peace and makes people kill each other.

3. Black Horse is released: Presented as a food merchant, represents famine.

4. Pale Horse is released: Its rider is “Death” and Hades is close behind. They bring death to one fourth of the world by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts.

5. The souls of martyrs call out to God to ask when He will begin His new kingdom.

6. Huge Earthquake, Sun turns black, moon turns blood red, stars and the heavens disappear from view, and mountains and islands are removed.

Now the 6th seal ends with those in hiding verse 17 saying, "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

Revelation 7 answers this question...
Revelation 7:1-3
"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. 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: “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.”

• Notice we have this "seal" terminology again.

• This time it is not seals being removed, but rather seals being added to "the servants of our God."

• Here God puts a seal of protection over His servants to not be touched by what is to come.

Revelation 7:4-5
"Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,"

• This 144,000 often gets confused and worries some that Heaven is limited to a 144,000.

• The use of numbering each tribe is highly referential to a military census like we see in Numbers 1.

These verses put John in a similar situation from Revelation 5.

• In Chapter 5, John is told "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David" is the only one worthy to open the scroll. Then when he turns and sees this "Lion," it is a bloodied lamb.

  • We said that Jesus subverts Israel's expectations of the messiah through this picture.

• So now, John hears those being sealed by God are a finite number only including those of Israel.

What does he turn and see this time?
Revelation 7:9
"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."

• There was an expectation of a limited, specific group being God's sealed people.

• Instead we see, people of "a great multitude that no one could count, every nation, tribe, people and language" including Israel.

After this the people worship worship God and the lamb. (7:14-17).

We then resume the final seal of the scroll...

What happens during the Seventh Seal:

• Silence in Heaven for half an hour.

• Seven angels are given seven trumpets.

• An angel offers up prayers of God’s people to the altar.

• An angel takes the fire of the altar and sends it to Earth in the form of "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

  • Remember how this ends.

Out of the seventh seal, seven angels sound the seven trumpets...

The Seven Trumpets Rev. 8:7-11:19

1. Hail and fire mixed with blood thrown down to Earth. A third of the Earth is burned.

2. “Something like a mountain” is on fire and thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turns to blood which destroys a third of the ships and sea creatures.

3. A star falls upon the rivers and makes a third of the water poisonous to drink.

4. A third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck and turned dark.

5. First Woe: A star opens the abyss on Earth and locust like creatures came out and tortured those without God’s seal. People will seek death but will not find it. \

6. Release of the four angels to kill a third of mankind by plagues. People on earth will not repent.

Here we have a intermission before the seventh again with Revelation 10 and 11:1-18.

It begins with John seeing an angel holding a "little scroll."
Revelation 10:5-7
"Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

• The angel is saying that once that final trumpet is sounded, there will no longer be any wait.

  • It is like telling someone who is in line to purchase a new iPhone that when an alarm rings the store doors will be opened.

• The followers of God have been waiting since the fall of man, this is reassurance that the time will come. We even see the souls of martyrs in Chapter 6 asking God when will it come.

After this...
Revelation 10:8-11
“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Weird imagery right?

• Well, this is not the first time we have seen someone eat a scroll in the Bible.

• In Ezekiel 2-3, Ezekiel eats a scroll that is also sweet to taste and is told to proclaim its contents.

• In both cases, Ezekiel and John are being told of great pain and suffering to come .

• This is why it is sweet to the taste, because they both get to partake in hearing and taking in God's prophesy. The bitter part is that that prophecy is of great pain and suffering.

After this we have...

The Events of Revelation 11:1-14  

1. Jerusalem will be trampled by the gentiles for 3 1/2 years.

2. There will also be two witnesses that will proclaim the testimony of God for 3 1/2.

3. They will have the power to preform miracles and prophecy.

4. After the 3 1/2 years, they will be killed by the beast that will come out of the pit after it has been opened at the 5th trumpet.

5. Their bodies will be broadcast to the world and the world will celebrate.

6. After 3 1/2 days they will be revived by God and be brought into heaven.

7. This is all the second woe.

Finally we end with...

The Seventh Trumpet:

Revelation 11:15-19
"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm."

Notice how both the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet end in the same way.

• There seems to be a correlation here, which we will talk more about when we get to the seven bowls.

• This final trumpet marks the beginning of God's full reign on Earth, the coming judgement of the dead, rewarding of the saints, and destruction of those who destroy.

So where does this leave us?

To summarize what we has happened so far in Revelation 1-11:

1. Jesus appears to John to tell him "what is now and what will take place later."

2. Jesus gives seven messages to seven churches about what was presently happening.

3. John is invited into Heaven to be told of what is to come.

4. John sees angels and elders surrounding God's throne and praising Him.

5. There is a scroll that no one worthy to open except Jesus.

6. Jesus is praised for being worthy, and is about to open the scroll's seals.

7. The six seals are opened. Each with a consequence.

8. John sees servants of God sealed and protected, praising the name of the Lord.

9. The final seventh seal is opened, which ushers in the seven trumpets.

10. Six trumpets are sounded. Each with a consequence.

11. John is told to eat the "little scroll" and tell the world of what is to come.

12. John is told of two witnesses that will preform miracles, be killed, and be raised to heaven.

13. The final trumpet ushers in God's full reign on earth and the coming final judgement.

Homework:
Read Revelation 12-14.