Well, thank you once again for listening to this Bible Study Podcast. I’m Randy Duncan and we’re about to enter into a new phase of Revelation, as we now tackle chapter 6. In the first three chapters, we covered the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Chapter 4 was a scene from the throne room in heaven, and in the last chapter, we covered the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Chapter four was a scene from the throne room in heaven, and in the last chapter, we covered the scroll and the lamb. And so these first five chapters have basically been setting the scene for what will follow.
And what follows, beginning with this chapter, is what most people think of when they think about Revelation, is what most people think of when they think about Revelation. What we see now is just as many people imagine, and, for lack of a better term, all hell’s about to break loose and be unleashed upon the earth. Now we spent the last chapter discussing the scroll and its seven seals, as well as the fact that the only person found worthy to open the scroll was Jesus Christ. And in this chapter, jesus will open six of the seven seals. And remember, john saw that Jesus went and he took the scroll from the right hand of him, who was seated on the throne, which is where we pick up the action, as John continues in verses one and two, saying Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals and open the first of the seals, and you’ll see that the first four seals share a common image, which is that of a horse and its rider. And so this is where we get the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse which represent and bring these terrifying judgments. The riders appear to be angels of judgment, but their exact identity it shouldn’t be pressed too much. More important is what they represent and the judgment that they bring. And it’s really amazing how short and concise these first four seals and the visions are, especially considering the significance of what each represents.
Speaker 1: 2:16
But we begin with the first seal, the first horse and its rider. John says it was a white horse. Now, this white horse and its rider have spurred all sorts of different interpretations, but the two primary views I’ll discuss could not possibly be any more different, because one interpretation sees the white horse as representing the Antichrist, while the other sees it as representing Christ himself. So let’s talk about this for just a moment. For those who see this representing Christ on the white horse, they point to Revelation 19, 11, which says Then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Now that one is clearly an allusion to Jesus, as we’ll see when we get there.
Speaker 1: 3:06
But does that mean that this rider on a white horse is also Christ? Well, others argue that no. This isn’t Jesus. It’s an imitation of Jesus, who is later referenced as being a rider on a white horse. In other words, this is the Antichrist doing what he does best, trying to imitate Christ.
Speaker 1: 3:26
As Donald Gray Barnhouse says, he’s going to seek to fulfill the world’s idea of what the Messiah should be, since the world has rejected God’s word as to what the Messiah must be, and it’s sort of in line with Satan attempting to imitate God and the Trinity. With the Trinity we have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and with Satan’s attempt to mimic the Trinity, you end up with this unholy Trinity of Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet. And I find it interesting that, and as we’ve discussed, the number seven is the number of completion and perfection, the number six representing something incomplete or completion and perfection, the number 6 representing something incomplete or less than perfection. And so with the Trinity you have the number 777. But with Satan’s unholy Trinity you end up with the number 666, which we’ll see later on is the number of the beast. And so that’s just an observation there.
Speaker 1: 4:22
But getting back to those who believe this rider on the white horse is Christ, remember, john said Behold a white horse and its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him and he came out conquering and to conquer. So some people would argue that this symbolizes Jesus’ conquest of the world through the proclamation of the gospel. Now the rider is on a white horse, with white being the color most often associated with Christ, symbolizing spiritual victory. This rider on the white horse is also wearing a crown, so they argue that it represents royalty, and they make the argument that this represents Christ’s kingship and the preaching of the gospel over the whole earth during the end times. The writer also carries a bow, which is used by the prophets as a metaphor for conquest, just as the sword was used as a metaphor for war.
Speaker 1: 5:15
Now, when it says that the writer went out conquering and to conquer, the way that’s written in the Greek. It’s a little bit odd. It’s the Greek phrase Nikon Kai kai hena nekise, which tells us that the purpose of this rider is to go out and to prevail, to conquer. And so they argue that the gospel has indeed conquered, that the gospel is victorious and nothing can stop its march throughout the world and it will overcome any opposition that it faces. March throughout the world and it will overcome any opposition that it faces.
Speaker 1: 5:48
Now, this is the first interpretation of the white horse and its rider. But, remember, many people have an entirely different interpretation of this rider. As I mentioned, they believe the rider on the white horse is not Jesus at all, but that it actually represents the Antichrist. They argue that this rider on the white horse is a parody of Jesus, who later will be riding a white horse, and that this beast, or Antichrist will use weapons to conquer the kingdoms of the world. This use of weaponry, it’s seen in the fact that the rider is holding a bow, which again is a symbol of conquest. Another thing adherents of this view point to is the crown that this first rider is wearing. Remember, john says its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him.
Speaker 1: 6:32
Now, the word for crown that’s used here is the Greek word Stephanos. It refers to a garland or like a circlet that was usually made from some natural materials like leaves or flowers. In ancient Greece it was used to honor victims in games like the Olympics or other celebrations. It symbolized victory or honor. In Revelation 19, 11, and 12, where we see the other rider on a white horse, which is no doubt Jesus, it says Then I saw heaven open and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many diadems. Diadem is another, a different Greek word for crown, but this word specifically refers to a royal crown, as in a symbol of royalty or a sovereign monarch. And so the point is that these are not the same types of crowns described here in Revelation 6 as we see Jesus wearing in Revelation 19. The crown worn by the rider here in chapter 6, it’s not a legitimate crown of sovereignty, but a crown acquired through conquest. One other comparison to the rider on the white horse here versus the rider in Revelation 19. Here the rider carries a bow, but in Revelation 19,. That rider, who again we know is Jesus, fights with a sword, but we’ll talk more about that when we get there.
Speaker 1: 8:03
Another point that’s made about trying to interpret the rider of the white horse here as Jesus is to simply look at the company that’s with him. We haven’t gotten to the other three riders yet, but, trust me, they’re bad news and terrible things are coming. And so some people say it seems a bit awkward to place Jesus as one of these four riders when you see all the destruction that’s coming in their wake. And furthermore, they will also argue that Jesus is the one opening the seals, he’s the one bringing all of this about, he is calling these riders forth and so it doesn’t make any sense that he would call forth himself. And so we see, in the first rider on the white horse, the most likely interpretation is that it represents war and a warlike conqueror is on his way. Which brings us now to the second seal and the second rider, which John describes in verses 3 and 4, saying when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say Come and rider this one on a red horse. So right after the first rider on the white horse, who represents conquest.
Speaker 1: 9:23
We see here a clear suggestion of bloodshed. Conquest is followed by bloodshed, and we’ll see in a moment that those two will be followed by famine and then economic destabilization. But the rider on the red horse presents sort of a gruesome image. The red described here uses the Greek word puros, and it’s a fiery, flame-colored red. But the writer here will take peace from the earth. John tells us that its writer was permitted to take peace from the earth so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword, and so the red color is perhaps a reference to all the blood that will be shed. John tells us he was permitted to take peace from the earth. Well, if you don’t have peace, what do you have? You have war, and so this is not necessarily depicting a scene where the writer himself is roaming about killing people, because it says that he takes away peace from the earth so that people should slay one another. In other words, it’s not the writer necessarily killing the people himself, but people killing one another, and humanity’s been doing that since the dawn of time, haven’t we Going all the way back to Cain? And sadly, war is one of the characteristics of human history. But when he says that people should slay one another. That word slay, that’s the Greek word spazo, and it means to slay, to slaughter, butcher or to put to death by violence and savagery, and so it’s fairly clear that this is a reference to a warlike environment with people butchering one another.
Speaker 1: 11:01
John also says that the writer was given a great sword and once again let me reference the Greek here, because sometimes the details paint a clearer picture in your mind. But the word used here for sword is makera. Now, this doesn’t refer to what we sometimes think of when we think of a sword. It’s not a sword like you think of when you picture the three musketeers or that’s used in typical sword fights, and it’s also not a broad sword, the type that’s about three feet long and broad and curved at the end, like you sometimes might associate with Arabia. This word is referring to a much smaller sword. It’s about 18 inches long, something much closer to like a dagger or a large knife. It’s the kind that assassins would most often use or that soldiers would often carry into battle.
Speaker 1: 11:46
Now, just so you’re aware, and in case you’re interested, there are some who interpret the red horse and the sword much differently. For example, some prophecy teachers, people like Hal Lindsey, for example. They interpret the red horse as being Russia and the large sword as representing the awesome power of nuclear war, that sort of thing. Now I’m not getting into end-time prophecy conjectures here. I’ll leave that for Hal Lindsey and John Hagee and whoever else you find to listen to specifically for that. I just wanted to mention it, just so you’re aware.
Speaker 1: 12:18
But regardless of which interpretation is correct, what we can agree on is that the rider on the red horse is bad news for people of the earth. It represents war and bloodshed. People are going to be slaughtered. There will be an untold amount of bloodshed because in the Old Testament alone, the sword it’s used over a hundred times as an idiom representing the judgment of war and violent death. But Jesus told us In Matthew 24, when the disciples asked him about the signs of his coming and the end of the age, jesus answered them and said and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet, for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.
Speaker 1: 13:07
One other thing that’s noteworthy here the color red in Revelation. It seems to be associated with something that’s feared, with terror and death, whether it’s the red horse here or later on, when we see the great red dragon in chapter 12, or the red beast in chapter 17. I just want to alert you to that for future reference as we move through the book. But John continues as Jesus now opens the third seal, saying in verses 5 and 6, and when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say Come, and I looked and behold a black horse and its rider had a pair of scales in his hand and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the third seal brings forth the third horse and its rider, but this time it’s a black horse. Now, in ancient times, the color black had this special negative connotation because it was often associated with darkness or death. In fact, it still carries some of that symbolism even today. But as we’ll see, this black horse doesn’t represent death itself, but is definitely a contributing factor to the death that will follow.
Speaker 1: 14:23
Now we’re told that the rider here is carrying a pair of scales and a voice cries out a quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine. Well, what in the world is that all about? Well, the balance, or scale, was normally used in the marketplace to weigh out the amount of food a person could buy for the going rate, and so, in short, this third rider is ushering in economic hardships and famine conditions. A voice cried out a quart of wheat for a denarius. Now, this quart or sometimes you’ll see it translated measure of wheat, it’s not that much, and it says that you can buy a quart of wheat for a denarius.
Speaker 1: 15:03
A denarius at this time it represented the wages that would be paid to a laborer per day. That was the pay. You work. All day you get a denarius. So what this meant was that, for a day of labor, you would earn just enough to buy one quart of wheat, which would feed you for the day. But what if you had a wife to support? What if you had a family? Then you couldn’t buy enough wheat to feed everyone. But remember, the voice that cried out also says that you could buy three quarts of barley for a denarius. So, for that same price, one denarius, instead of buying one quart of wheat, a laborer could also buy three quarts of barley.
Speaker 1: 15:43
So if a person had a family to support, they would be forced to purchase the barley instead of the wheat. Not only that, but depending upon how large your family was, even if you were buying barley, you were going to be eating less of it, simply because there wouldn’t be as much for each person in the family. As a result, people would quickly become undernourished and would be susceptible to deadly diseases. And, considering the average family size at that time, many of the younger children in poorer regions they would die or suffer from malnutrition. And these famine conditions are a natural consequence of the previous two riders that we saw, bringing with them war and conquest and tremendous bloodshed. Famine and pestilence often accompany war, but what we also see here is significant price inflation, possibly even some sort of hyperinflation scenario where wheat and barley now cost anywhere from 5 to 15 times the normal price. Not only that, but wheat and barley were the staple food items in Roman society, so the scarcity and high price of those items means that food was hard to come by. And again, these are the types of situations that follow war and widespread death.
Speaker 1: 16:56
But the writer says something interesting after announcing the price of staple food items, and he says and do not harm the oil and wine. Well, what does that mean? Well, there are a couple of different thoughts on this. First, there’s the thought that in ancient Mediterranean warfare, there was this practice of destroying the crops in the field of the enemy, but not destroying the vines and the olive trees. The thought was that by destroying the wheat and the barley, even as their conquerors, you would experience hardship for about a year, or at least until the next harvest came. But destroying vines and olive trees, that would result in a more long-term hardship, because they took much longer to grow. Olive trees took about 15 years to grow, and so what’s the point in conquering the land if you were going to experience these long-term difficulties?
Speaker 1: 17:44
But another thought around not harming the oil and the wine is that the message is being conveyed that these luxury items will still exist even though there’s widespread famine. In other words, the oil and the wine will not be in short supply, but most people won’t be able to afford them. They’ll be spending all of their money on trying to just buy enough to feed themselves and their families. There’s no way they’re going to be buying anything not considered staple food items, and so what this shows is that in some ways, at least in the area of food, the rich will not be impacted like the majority of the people will be. They’ll still enjoy their oils and wines.
Speaker 1: 18:26
And you know, regardless of the historical time period that you look at, throughout history and even today, the rich are always going to be less impacted by inflationary pressures than the poor are. That’s just simple economics. They have the money and the means to pay more for those basic items, and the same thing is true today for wealthy people. It doesn’t matter how much milk and bread and gas go up. They’re not impacted like the masses are, and so they might be able to avoid some of the pain associated with this extreme inflation.
Speaker 1: 18:51
That’s described, but it says nothing about them avoiding the conqueror and war and being killed with the onset of the first two riders. And so what we see here with the third rider is that war is followed by famine and death. And if you’ve somehow managed to survive through the first three riders, then hold on, because the fourth rider is now on the way, as John continues in verses 7 and 8, saying when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say Come, and I looked and behold a pale horse and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him, and they were given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence, and by wild beasts of the earth. Now this may be the most frightening of the four horses, the pale horse whose rider’s name was Death. Now we read here that the color of the horse was pale, but the actual word used in the Greek for the color of the horse is chloros. It’s where we get our word chlorophyll. It means green, but it’s not referring to a healthy green color of grass that you may think of. This is referring to a pale green, a sickly color. It’s associated with the faces of the sick or the color of a corpse, the sort of yellowish, pale color. Some argue that it’s the color of leprosy described in the book of Leviticus, but it should be considered the color of a corpse. And, more importantly, is the rider who sits upon the horse, because his name is Death and Hades follows him. It’s interesting that the first three riders each had some sort of symbol or emblem. The first rider carried a bow, the second carried a sword, the rider of the black horse carried scales, but this rider is death, and he doesn’t need an emblem or a sign, which definitely lends credibility to this deathly ghastly color of the horse, because it’s the color of death.
Speaker 1: 20:51
Now, this death may come as a result of the culmination of the first three riders, but if those alone weren’t enough, this rider is given power over a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine, and with pestilence and by wild beast of the earth. And a fourth of the earth, that’s a lot of people. If the current population is 8 billion people, are we talking about 2 billion people here? And so, just when you think it can’t get much worse, it does. Because not only does this writer continue the killing by the sword and famine, he also adds to it death by pestilence and by the wild beast of the earth.
Speaker 1: 21:29
Now, before I forget, it’s important to note who follows death here Hades. John says the writer’s name was Death and Hades followed him. Death and Hades appear to be in partnership here. And remember, it says that they were given the authority over one-fourth of the earth. Well, who’s granting them this authority? God is Death and Hades are not operating on their own. They represent God’s judgment on the earth. Now, the word Hades is a translation of the Hebrew word Sheol, which in the Old Testament often refers to the realm of the dead, and there’s this thought that death claims the body but Hades claims the soul.
Speaker 1: 22:50
And so what we see with these four riders the four horsemen of the apocalypse, as they’re called is that they are essentially four agents of death, each bringing an additional component as we see death by the sword, famine, pestilence and beasts of the earth. And I would point out here something that may not be immediately obvious, but something worth considering Some of the most dangerous beasts in the world are microscopic. But even though we’ve covered the first four horses and their riders, the four horsemen, we’re not done yet. We still have more seals to open. We’ll see two more seals opened in this chapter, and so John continues in verses 9 through 11, saying when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
Speaker 1: 23:38
They cried out with a loud voice O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed, as they themselves had been. And so the fifth seal brings something different than the first four did. The first four brought horses and riders, but with the fifth seal, john sees under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. These were people who were put to death because of their devotion to Jesus. These are martyrs who have suffered under the persecution of people hostile to the message of Jesus Christ, and they’re crying out to God for vindication, for justice.
Speaker 1: 24:28
Now John sees them under an altar, but that’s most likely a reference to the place where priests in the Old Testament would pour the blood of their sacrifices, and the thought is that these martyrs share in Christ’s suffering and sacrifice. They were, in a way, sacrifices offered to God, and even though they were slain on earth, their sacrifice was really impacting heaven, where their souls were offered at the heavenly altar. In the meantime, they’re given white robes, which we’ve already discussed represents their righteousness, and they’re told to wait a little longer, which is an undetermined amount of time, especially considering that God’s not limited to time. But notice that John doesn’t see the bodies of those that were killed. He sees their souls, and so this reference to souls likely points to an intermediate state, maybe a period of time before the believers will be raised from the dead, a sort of an interval when they’ll exist apart from their bodies.
Speaker 1: 25:27
And John says they were people who were slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. And that word used for slain is the same Greek word we looked at before, which means slaughtered, butchered or put to death by violence. The Lamb, jesus Christ, was slaughtered, and these people were also slaughtered. They were slaughtered because they held to God’s word and the witness of Christ. The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that under the Roman emperor Nero, christians were torn apart by wild animals, they were nailed to crosses, they were used as human torches to light the streets, or they were doomed to the flames and burnt. And all of this they suffered for their testimony of Jesus.
Speaker 1: 26:11
I wonder if we would have had that same courage in those times. I mean, it’s easy to say that we would have, especially looking back from the comfort of our lives in America in modern times. But what if you were literally risking your life and the life of your family? What if you were in certain parts of the world, even today, where you’re literally still risking your life? Many people won’t even risk offending someone with their belief in Jesus, and so it’s hard to imagine that sort of timidity and cowardice actually risking their lives for their beliefs.
Speaker 1: 26:43
All too often it just seems like we just don’t have the appetite for potentially suffering for our faith. We become too comfortable with our lives in the West, and one of the dangers of becoming too comfortable is that you also stop growing. You become soft, and we should never become too comfortable with the world. This isn’t our home. But that brings us back to their question how long, lord, until we’re vindicated? And what was the answer? To rest a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed, as they themselves had been. In other words, there are more martyrs coming. There are more believers who will also give their lives for their testimony of God. Their faith will cost them their lives, and you think you have it rough because someone might be offended. So how long, lord? You know it may be, and I’m convinced that it is the case. You know it may be and I’m convinced that it is the case, that God knows perfectly the timing of and the events that will ultimately produce the greatest number of believers to be saved and enter into eternity in heaven.
Speaker 1: 27:50
But we continue as Jesus now opens the sixth seal and John describes what he saw in the last six verses of the chapter, with verses 12 through 17, saying when he opened the sixth seal, I looked and behold there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit. When shaken by a gale, the sky vanished like a scroll that’s being rolled up. The sky vanished like a scroll that’s being rolled up. So John sees Jesus open the sixth seal, which is quickly bringing things to an end. We’re at the doorstep of the end of history. The world as we know it is coming to an end.
Speaker 1: 28:31
And John begins by describing a great earthquake and the sun becoming black as sackcloth, the full moon becoming like blood. So how are we to understand what John’s describing here? Well, ancient texts sometimes included colorful or exaggerated language regarding earthquakes, saying that they could make mountains move. But this earthquake, it doesn’t appear to be an exaggeration like that. This is referencing the climactic earthquake that signals the end and that truly does move mountains. And we discussed in the early chapters of Revelation that there were ancient cities that had actually been devastated by earthquakes, and so for them. These words must have been especially troublesome, but we see in Revelation that an earthquake in the Greek the word seismos, where we get our word seismic it seems to always point to the end of history and in the Old Testament it often signaled God’s judgment.
Speaker 1: 29:26
But in addition to a great earthquake, john says that the sun became black as sackcloth and the full moon became like blood. And this is just like the prophet Joel described in the Old Testament, in Joel 2.31, when he said the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible or awesome day of the Lord comes. In Acts 2.20, peter delivers a sermon at Pentecost and he says the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. In Isaiah 13, speaking to Babylon and their pending judgment, isaiah says Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it, for the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light, the sun will be dark at its rising and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity.
Speaker 1: 30:27
Now, one of the things some prophecy buffs like to do is look for signs and predict some of those end time events, and they’ll look for and attempt to make something out of the blood moons. For example, john Hagee wrote a book titled Four Blood Moons. Something is about to change. It became a bestseller, which tells you that people have an interest in this sort of thing. When the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to Jesus and demanded a sign from heaven, jesus said to them when it’s evening, you say it’ll be fair weather, for the sky is red, and in the morning it will be fair weather, for the sky is red, and in the morning it will be stormy. Today, for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. So Jesus implies here that we should be able to look around us and see the signs of the times, the social and political and religious trends that we see.
Speaker 1: 31:23
But I think we can maybe also take that a bit too far in constantly looking for things like blood moons, the fourth blood moon, planetary alignments and whatever other heavenly occurrences we can think of. That might be indicative of some ancient prophecy, and I certainly don’t think it should be the primary thrust of any ministry, because the reality. Reality is that a quote blood moon it’s simply a term that’s sometimes used to describe a total lunar eclipse where the moon appears reddish in color. And so it’s just a scenario where the sun, earth and moon are aligned and the earth moves between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow on the moon. The red color comes from the earth’s atmosphere. As sunlight passes through the earth’s atmosphere, it gets refracted. I mean this is why we see sunsets and sunrises with that reddish color. And so during a total lunar eclipse, only that red light gets refracted around the earth and onto the moon, giving it that reddish appearance.
Speaker 1: 32:16
Now the reason I say that is because it’s not necessarily God actually turning the moon into a blood-red color, it’s just that it appears that way in the night sky, and if that’s the case, there are other ways that that can occur. It may be that what’s described here by John has another explanation. It could be that the great earthquake that’s described here it’s so massive that it impacts the Earth’s great fault lines, like the San Andreas Fault in California or the so-called Ring of Fire in Japan. If this were to happen, it would result in a cataclysmic global earthquake that would also give rise to the eruption of numerous volcanoes. These volcanoes would spew massive amounts of volcanic ash and debris into the atmosphere, which would appear to blacken the sun and give the moon sort of a blood red color. Now, I’m not saying that’s what will happen, but that’s a very real possibility, and so, although it can get interesting for those people interested in those sorts of things, I wouldn’t waste too much time trying to predict how and when this will occur. All I know for certain is that the Lord’s return is one day closer today than it was yesterday.
Speaker 1: 33:24
Now we touched on the great earthquake, the sun becoming black and the moon becoming like blood. But I also want to touch on verses 13 and 14, where John says and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as fig trees shed its winter fruit. When, shaken by a gale, the sky vanished, like a scroll that is being rolled up Because skeptics point to these two verses as being physically impossible, and so they try to discredit the Bible. Well, first, if you know much about astronomy, you know that a star is simply another sun. Our sun is considered a medium-sized main sequence star, but the problem is that it’s 1.3 million times larger than the earth. So how could multiple stars fall to the earth? It doesn’t make any sense from a purely physical and scientific perspective. Well, there are a couple of different options to consider. One is that, if you remember, in Revelation 1.16, we saw that Jesus held in his right hand seven stars and we discussed that those stars were referring to angels.
Speaker 1: 34:27
Now, when we get to Revelation 12, we’ll read about war breaking out in heaven, with Michael and his angels fighting against Satan and his angels. Satan is defeated and, as a result, there’s no longer a place for him in heaven. Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven, thrown down to the earth. But in Revelation 12, verse 12, it tells us therefore, rejoice, o heavens and you who dwell in them, but woe to you, o earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows that his time is short, and so it could be that the stars falling from the sky described here in chapter 6 are an allusion to the angels who fell from heaven. In other words, we don’t have a physical or a scientific problem at all. We just need to understand what the text is actually telling us.
Speaker 1: 35:17
Now there are some who will argue that the Greek word for stars that’s used here can also refer to celestial bodies in a broader sense, and so they argue that the best explanation is that this is actually referring to a large asteroid or meteor shower. Now, another line of thought that some have to interpret what John is describing here is a nuclear war. Nuclear explosions would trigger earthquakes and, and the result in smoke and debris would darken the sun and cause the moon to appear red. And they argue that the following stars described by John are actually nuclear bombs plummeting toward the earth. And finally, there are also those who argue that this entire line of description used by John it’s symbolic meaning.
Speaker 1: 36:01
The symbols he utilizes are written symbolically, but they’re used to represent a genuine reality of what’s to happen. And so, for example, when he describes great earthquakes, mountains, moving stars falling from the sky, the sky being rolled up, etc. He’s using this symbolic language to describe the reality of the unprecedented upheaval and the disruption that will take place in the world, because it’s unlike anything that’s ever been seen Social, political, governmental, all incomplete and utter chaos. In other words, the language is symbolic, but it’s pointing us to the end of the world as we know it. The physical world is falling apart, all institutions are dissolving. Life as we know it is over. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 24, 22. Except, those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh be saved, but for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened. But before we move on, I do also want to touch on verse 14, where John says that the sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up. Because I find that particular verse very interesting, and let me tell you why.
Speaker 1: 37:13
Before we dismiss this verse as being purely metaphoric or symbolic language, consider this the current consensus of most physicists and astronomers, based on a variety of evidence, leads them to believe that the universe is flat, and it’s interesting that in places like Job, psalms, isaiah and others, that God is described as quote stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain. We see this mentioned more than 15 times. Stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain we see this mentioned more than 15 times. We’re told in other places that the heavens can be worn out like a garment. They can be torn, rolled up like a scroll, which is exactly what our modern science tells us as they refer to this fabric of space. Space is not some empty vacuum. But here’s the point If space is a fabric that can be rolled up, then there must be a direction it can be rolled towards. Think of a scroll that you’re rolling up. It must be bent towards some direction. So if space can be rolled up, there must be some other dimension it can be rolled towards.
Speaker 1: 38:16
Now, science tells us that we live in four dimensions Length, width, height and time, which we refer to as space-time. But even though we experience life in these four dimensions, modern science believes that we live in at least 10 dimensions, possibly 11, depending on whether you’re talking about string theory or M-theory. In other words, we live in and experience four dimensions, but there are actually at least 10. But these are inaccessible to us right now because they’re wound up so tightly and they’re so small. Bottom line, there are additional dimensions of space, and it sounds like something out of a science fiction movie.
Speaker 1: 38:53
But truth is often stranger than fiction, and I believe God has sometimes given people a sort of peek behind the curtain in being able to access another dimension Without bringing any modern examples into it. Consider the biblical example of Elisha in 2 Kings. When Elisha’s servant got up in the morning, he saw the city surrounded by an enemy force, which caused him to panic. But Elisha remained calm and he replied don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Elisha then prayed Open his eyes, lord, so that he may see. And the Lord answered Elisha’s prayer, and the servants’ eyes were opened to see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha, revealing God’s protective army. And so was this a case of God granting someone to see a glimpse beyond our four dimensions and into another. I mean, why can’t we always see angels? Why can’t we see demons? Where exactly is the spirit world? I mean, is some of this located in these other dimensions that scientists believe exist but that we just can’t access? And so I mention all of that just to help you think through some of what John is describing. Maybe some of it is symbolic language and some of it is very literal.
Speaker 1: 40:10
But getting back to the text at hand, we finish with the last three verses, verses 15 through 17, which read Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains, and the rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come. And who can stand? And so what we see being described here is an inescapable judgment of God’s wrath. It doesn’t matter who you are or what station in life you hold, from the supposed elites of society to those on the bottom rung, judgment is at hand, and we know God is not a respecter of persons. And I think it’s telling that God first mentions the elites who think they’re secure in their positions or status here on earth. And if you remember what we’ve mentioned in earlier episodes about the number seven, that it represents perfection or completeness, isn’t it interesting that there are seven groups of people mentioned here, which points to a complete and universal judgment of the ungodly in the world? Count them again if you want the kings of the earth, the great ones, the generals, the rich, the powerful, slaves and free. Nobody gets a pass. God doesn’t care about your lofty position in society here on earth because he’s king, but neither is he interested in your lowly position as a reason or an excuse to turn a blind eye to your ungodliness.
Speaker 1: 41:43
One thing to keep in mind here Jesus isn’t coming to simply bring an end to this current world, but to judge the world, and I’m not sure we have a real grasp of what that will be like. But Jesus told us in Matthew 24, for as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. But one thing we do see here is that it strikes terror into people, so much so that they try to hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of mountains. They cry out and beg the rocks of the mountains to fall on them and save them from the wrath of the Lamb. They’re more afraid of God than they are of death. And the prophet Malachi asked but who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears? You see, they realize there’s no escape, but they would rather be killed like this than to face divine anger and judgment. So they cry out to the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the presence of God and the Lamb. They’re terrified because they cannot stand before a holy God.
Speaker 1: 43:02
You know, I often hear skeptics trying to argue that the mean, wrathful, vengeful God of the Old Testament is much different than the peaceful, loving, turn-the-other-cheek Jesus of the New Testament. Well, they obviously don’t know the Bible very well and they certainly haven’t studied Revelation. Some people are just unwilling to pay the price to learn what the Bible actually says. But one of the most important takeaways from Revelation is that God will vindicate the saints and the world will recognize the God they’ve rejected. You know, billy Graham struggled over the years with whether he had preached what’s called a cheap grace and he asked. Well, nobody will have to worry about that when Jesus returns. The day of reckoning has come and there is no exception, there’s no escape. Jesus came the first time as the Lamb of God, but he’ll return as the Lion of Judah