Unit: Revelation (Part 2)
Theme: Spiritual War
Lesson Text: Revelation 6:1-12; 7:9-17
Supplemental Texts: Leviticus 8:30; Isaiah 53:12; Acts 22:16; Ephesians 5:25-27
Aim: Worship your robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
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By Mark Scott
Robert Lowry was skilled at playing various instruments at age 17. By age 22 he had entered the ministry. In 1876 he wrote, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” In the physical world blood does not wash garments clean; it stains. But in the spiritual world blood washes lives as white as snow. The real war heroes in the Book of Revelation made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
We leave the mountain of glory in the worship of God and Jesus (chapters 4-5) and move to the valley of despair in the judgments of God on earth (chapter 6). The contrast is sharp. The Lamb (Jesus) had taken the scroll from God (5:7). The scroll was sealed with seven seals. In the breaking of those seals, so that the message on the scroll could be read, we begin to understand the judgments of God on a sinful humanity. The vision took place in heaven, but the judgments happened on earth. William Hendriksen has identified the structure of Revelation as progressive parallelism (i.e. the visions dealing with these judgments of God progress and are parallel so that they tell the same story over and over). So the seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath move slowly toward the end of time but are parallel. These judgments of God are separated by some interludes (chapters 7 and 14 in particular) which show God’s care for his struggling saints.
Trouble on Earth (6:1-12)
God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness of people (Romans 1:18). Some of this wrath is built into the fabric of the universe. The living creatures, who worshiped God and Jesus in chapters 4-5, assist (i.e. invite) the four horsemen (i.e. symbols of God’s punishments) in revealing this wrath by commanding them to Come! Some suggest that God starts the fight. The rider of a white horse in 19:11 is Jesus. But should we assume the same here? Context suggests otherwise. These horses represent battle (white), bloodshed and murder (red), famine (black), and death (pale). All four affect one-fourth of the earth (i.e. a portion). People and creation were still in need of being tamed (note the mention of wild beasts).
The fifth and sixth seals are different than the first four. The seventh seal is delayed until after the interlude of chapter seven (8:1). The ugliness of the first four seals being broken leads God’s people to ask, “How long…?” When will the world’s madness end, and when will the martyrs’ faith be honored? That won’t happen until the sixth seal is broken (symbolic of the end of time). The earthquake, the sun turning black, and the moon becoming blood red can be used figuratively for the downfall of nations at times, but here it signals the end of the world. God’s people must be patient and allow their white robes to remind them of their cleansing by Christ.
Triumph in Heaven (7:9-17)
John’s vision in heaven allowed him to witness these destructive forces on earth. But when he fixed his gaze back on the heavenly worship scene, he saw the real war heroes. Were they the martyrs who gave their lives for the cause? Yes. Were they the 144,000 mentioned in 7:1-8 (i.e., a symbolic number which constitutes the new Israel)? Yes. But then John looked through the wide-angle lens and saw even a larger picture in heaven. A great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language stood before the throne of God and pushed praise for God to a thousand decibels. Heaven will be a very full place, and it will be quite loud. No one will have laryngitis there.
The great multitude joined the elders and the four living creatures in shouting praise to God. They wore their white robes (honoring the Lord with their purity), and they held palm branches (think triumphal entry). These war heroes had come from the tribulations (“pressed down” places multitudinous in number) on earth. But they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14). The people of the earth had blood on their hands. The people in heaven had blood on their sin-washed robes.
What else could these heroes shout but salvation, praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength to God? Their service to God, day and night, was not forgotten. The Lamb who would be their shepherd would shelter, provide, protect, enliven, and comfort them. God would give to these faithful people a heroes’ welcome.
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