STUDY THEME: VICTORY IN JESUS--NOW AND FOREVER.
"WHAT ABOUT THE PERSECUTED BELIEVERS?"  3-5-00
REV. 4:2--3, 6:9-11, 6:12-17; 7:9-10, 13-17.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO REVELATION 4

Rev. 1:19 stated that John was to write in Ch. 1 of the things which he
had seen, in Ch. 2 & 3 he was to write of the things which are, and in
Ch. 4-22 of the things which shall be hereafter. Ch. 4 & 5 of Revelation
are a prelude to the book's real prophetic content. In Ch. 4, John writes
about a vision that placed him in the presence of God. 

TEACHER READ REV. 4:1.

According to the outline given in Rev. 1:19, this begins the 3rd and
final section of the Book, describing the events that would follow the
church age. Many identify this as the prophetic portion of the Book of
Revelation. "The things which are to be." You will find a variety of
interpretations of the remainder of the Book. There is little
disagreement about the first century setting of Ch. 1-3 and the future
setting in Ch. 21-22. The disagreements come about the intervening
chapters. 

Our lesson closed last Sunday with Jesus standing at the closed door
knocking and seeking entrance that He might share fellowship with the
church of Laodicea. The closing of the Door in Laodicea is the signal for
the opening of the door in heaven and the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Notice, therefore, that Rev. 3 ends with a closed door at which
Jesus stands and knocks, but Rev. 4 begins with an open door thru which
John is ushered. The church age ends and it is a signal for the coming of
the Lord. 

On the final night before His crucifixion Jesus shared with his troubled
Apostles in John 14: 1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And
if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am , there ye may be also."

Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 15:51: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed." In 1 Thess. 4: 16-17 he says
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." At the
rapture or snatching away of the church Christ shall not come to earth
but will call the church to join him in the air. We will study the
triumphant return of Christ to earth to establish his millennial reign in
Ch. 19 on March 26. The strongest certainty in all the world is the
coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1, PLEASE READ REVELATION 4: 2-4.   

The scene of John's vision is the throne room of heaven. We see this
scene several times in Revelation. It signifies God's absolute authority
over his creation. Ps. 47:8 says "God reigns over the nations; God sits
on His holy throne." This great vision seems to remind believers living
in the shadow of impending persecution that an Omnipotent and Omniscient
God is still in control. It reassures Christians that God knows and cares
what they suffer for their spiritual convictions. 

Since John did not describe God in human terms, John obviously understood
that the eternal God is Spirit. John's use of brilliant colors reflected
by precious stones to describe his vision of God reveals that John
understood that God's character is one of brilliant, blinding glory. 

In Vs. 4 John saw twenty four spirit beings or elders sitting around the
throne. They are dressed in white and on their heads are crowns of gold.
Dr. Baily Smith interpreted these to be the 12 patriarchs (sons of Jacob)
and 12 Apostles. Another commentator points out that "only one group will
be complete and glorified at that point--the church." Here the elders
represent the church, which sings the song of redemption recorded in Rev.
5: 8-10."

John, in the vision, sees the actual throne area and records some
important details. Four great spirit beings hover about this throne. John
describes these as being "living creatures." In front of the throne
stands a massive foundation. Revelation 4:6 calls it "a sea of glass,
like crystal." A crystal pavement.  

The throne area manifests incredible energy. Lightning, thunder and
powerful voices issue forth. God the Father sits on the throne. He
appears as a radiant light, diffused, and reflected in all its prismatic
beauty thru precious jewels. The crystal clear diamond, The fiery-red
carnelian or sardine stone which was common in Sardus.  The cool
emerald-green hue dominates the multi-colored rainbow surrounding God's
throne. From the time of Noah, the rainbow became a signal of God's
faithfulness to His word, His promises and His Noahic covenant of Gen.
9:12-17. What John sees in this vision is nothing short of the seat of
government of the entire universe. 

John's vision of God on His throne suggests that God is sovereign over
His creation. He has no equal, and none can challenge Him. Therefore, God
ultimately will triumph over evil. Today's world, inspired by the devil,
will be replaced by the Messiah's just and merciful rule. This theme runs
consistently like a thread through the book. This mighty truth should
give persecuted believers confident assurance. This was true when the
message of the Revelation was first declared and has been true throughout
Christian history.    

Most Christians are unaware of the depth or extent of the persecution of
Christians that is happening even now. They probably would be shocked to
learn that, according to available records, more Christians were put to
death in the 20th century because of their faith than in all previous
centuries of the Christian era combined. Our own International Mission
Board reports that 10,000 Christians in Sudan have been slain by radical
Muslims under the government's policy of forcing Islam on the mainly
Christian and Animist south.  

Those who are being persecuted in any age ask God questions, just as do
those who are enduring other kinds of suffering. Among the questions is
the one asked in Rev. 6:10 "How long, O Lord, before you deliver and
vindicate us?" 

Ch. 5 directs the readers attention to those who will be responsible for
the change in the present world system. John observes God the Father
sitting on a throne, holding an important object. In Rev. 5:1 he wrote "I
saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written
inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals." These seals represent
all the judgments to the end of the book. The 7th seal contains the 7
trumpets. The 7th trumpet contains the 7 bowls of judgment. 

An unexpected problem appears to John's vision. No one seems able to open
and read the scroll's contents. John weeps because no one is found
worthy. Then an angel  proclaims in Rev. 5:5 "Do not weep. Behold, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the
scroll and to loose its seven seals."   John turned to see the Lion and
instead in Vs. 6 saw "a Lamb as though it had been slain." John in his
gospel in John 1:39, has John the Baptist describe Jesus as "the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world."  Jesus is worthy because of
what He did, giving his life for sinning humanity. With the opening of
the sealed book in the hand of the Redeemer, the dramatic movement of the
Apocalypse actually begins. The preceding chapters have been
introductory. the vision of the opening seals describe movements which
will characterize the entire age, from the ascension of Christ until His
return to earth in glory.  

PLEASE TURN IN YOUR BIBLE TO REVELATION 6. 

A motion picture we could title FUTURE WORLD now begins. We are in a
darkened theater, waiting for the opening scenes. Suddenly four
frightening cinematic images gallop across the screen. They are the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse. 

The Four Horsemen have a symbolic message. They represent four strands of
human suffering throughout the centuries. They are followed by the cry of
the martyrs and cosmic disturbances. All these events fall under six
"seals." They are briefly described in a single chapter of Revelation,
the sixth. 

In Rev. 6:1-8 each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is riding a
different colored steed. They are a white horse, red horse, black horse
and pale horse. The horse colors take on specific symbolic meanings. The
white horse represents an unparalleled time of world peace--a false peace
that is short lived. The red horse speaks of the holocaust of war. The
black horse symbolizes famine, the pale horse brings death to 25% of the
world's population.   

In Rev. 6: 1-8 as each of the 4 seals is opened by Jesus one of the four
horsemen are loosed upon the earth. Let's see what happens when the fifth
seal is opened.  

2. PLEASE READ REVELATION 6: 9-11.

As the Lamb opened the fifth seal the scene shifts from earth to heaven.
John saw beneath the altar in heaven the souls of the persecuted and
slain martyrs. John's vision provides an answer to the questions
concerning the fate of those who had died a martyr's death for the cause
of Christ. They died because of their faith--what they believed. They are
in God's throne room in heaven. They are at "rest" like all those who die
in the Lord. 

John gave no hint of the identity of these martyrs except that they had
been put to death because of their faithfulness to Christ. They may have
been Jews, or they may have been Gentiles. Probably both Jewish and
Gentile believers were included in the number. Whoever they were, they
had lived and died as faithful believers in Christ. their presence under
the altar in heaven indicates that finally they were safe from all harm. 

Though they were now safe, they all with one loud voice called out to God
for judgment against those who were killing the believers. Their cry was
for vengeance against their persecutors, and their question to God was,
How Long?  They were told to be patient because God acts in His own time
and way. 

The martyrs under the altar were given white robes and were told to wait
a little longer. The white robes represented purity and victory. The
martyrs possessed these virtues because of their loyalty to Christ in the
midst of fierce persecution. Still, they needed to add one more virtue,
that of patience. 

Only God knows the ultimate answer to the question, How Long? The souls
under the altar had to wait patiently until God was ready to unleash His
wrath on the guilty. Even though we do not know the answer to the
question, How Long, we can understand the admonition to wait a little
longer. We must cultivate the virtue of patience as we wait for God to
act. 

NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH SEAL. 

3. PLEASE READ REVELATION 6: 12-17.

Compare this description of the sixth seal with what Jesus in Matt 24:29
said would follow the Great Tribulation. "Immediately after the
tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not
give its light; the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the
heavens will be shaken." Both in Revelation and in Matt. 24, these
heavenly signs follow the great tribulation. 

John's vision of the opening of the sixth seal reveals God's wrath poured
out on wicked people. The end of the present world order seems to be at
the heart of the opening of this seal. So far, these events parallel
those Jesus cited in the Olivet prophecy.  

John's vision gives no historical information for dating these events.
This is in full accord with our Lord's teachings recorded in the Gospels
concerning the end time. John, like the other N.T. writers, saw that the
end of time could come at any time. Therefore, rather than trying to
predict the time of the end, Christians should live in constant
preparedness for it. 

John's vision of the opening of the sixth seal described catastrophic
events occurring in nature. However, God is directing these so called
natural catastrophes. 

The coming of God's wrath on the wicked did not produce repentance on
their part. They simply tried to hide from His wrath by seeking shelter
among the rocks and caves. God had not been a part of their lives before
the end came, and they seemed to have no incentive to turn to Him when
the end did come. They had not included God in their understanding of the
world order; therefore, He was not important to them in understanding the
dissolution of the world order. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the
hands of the Living God. (Heb. 10:31)

Believers are to interpret all events in the light of their
Christ-centered world view. We believe Christ provides the proper
understanding of history and the world order. As the creator and
sustained of the world order, God in Christ gives meaning to history and
is directing history toward its climax. 

Christians know that God is moving history toward its consummation, which
includes the dissolution of the world order and divine judgment of the
wicked. We cannot  predict the moment when God will unleash His wrath on
a wicked world, but we can take a firm stand on the authority of God's
word and say that God surely will pour out His wrath on wicked people.
Paul wrote in Gal. 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man
reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from
that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Paul's words can be summarized:
(1.) We will reap later than we sow; (2.) We will reap more than we sow;
and (3) we will reap the harvest of what we sow.

The phrase the wrath of the Lamb may appear to be a contradiction of
terms. We tend to think of a lamb as a meek and gentle creature. However,
we should remember that the Lamb in Revelation is also the "Lion of the
tribe of Judah", who is identified as the resurrected and ascended
Christ. Also, we should remember that the same Jesus, who took little
children in His arms, also took a scourge and drove the money-changers
from the temple. 

The wrath of the Lamb is evidence of Christ's love for all that is
righteous and true. It also is evidence of His holy hatred for all that
is wicked and evil. God certainly will pour out His wrath on wicked
people as punishment for their sins. The "day of wrath" draws nigh but
"now is the acceptable time---now is the day of salvation." 

The first six seals represented the calamitous events breaking out in the
world at large. They showed humanity facing the consequences of its own
sinful actions as well as the impending judgment of God. 

Chapter 7 breaks away to a different scene. It picks up the story of
God's people and answers the question of Rev. 6:17: "His wrath has come
and who is able to stand?" John, in vision, now sees the security of the
faithful in contrast to a sinful world facing almost total destruction. 

As the seventh Chapter of Revelation begins, we find the wrath of
God--the day of the Lord--temporarily being held up. John sees "four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds
of the earth."  

Immediately after the "four winds" vision, John hears another angel say
in Rev. 7:4, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have
sealed the servants of God on their foreheads." To be "sealed" is a
symbolic way of saying that these people are identified as belonging to
God. They are "marked" for protection from the afflictions to come. The
144,000 Jews is the first group to be sealed and protected from what is
coming. They become the evangels during the tribulation. 144,000 Hyman
Applemans if you will. These are the "firstfruits" as Rev. 14:4 points
out, of a much greater spiritual harvest to come out of the tribulation. 

In the next vision, John sees a much larger assembly. 

4. PLEASE READ REVELATION 7: 9, 13-17. 

In these verses, back in the throne room in heaven, John was given a
preview of the final state of the redeemed. As John described the
heavenly scene, he noted several things about the multitude standing
before God's throne. He saw a multitude beyond the ability to count and
hey were all dressed in white robes, indicative of their purity and
victory. 

The second thing John noticed about the multitude before God's throne was
that they were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. What an
affirmation of the universal sufficiency of the gospel. No one is
excluded from salvation on the basis of race, class, culture or
nationality. God wants to make sure the gospel is made available to all
people. He wants all nations and language groups to have the opportunity
to hear and respond to the message of Christ. 

In the third place, John noted that this countless throng was standing
before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  The place in His presence
once reserved for heavenly beings had become the privileged place for all
who had been redeemed by the blood of Christ. 

Finally, John noted that the unnumbered throng of the faithful were
holding palm branches in their hands. These victorious saints carried
palm branches in the heavenly throne room to celebrate the ultimate
victory of the Lamb thru whose blood they had been redeemed. What an
awesome sight this must have been. 
 
John's vision of the countless throng standing before the heavenly throne
is a marvelous affirmation of the final triumph of God over the forces of
evil. The N.T. warns that believers will be persecuted by the forces of
evil, but this passage is a clear statement and firm assurance of God's
final triumph. Also, this vision, depicting the ultimate triumph of God
over evil, is a clear statement of the global aspect of the gospel. God
places no barriers before persons who want to be washed in the blood of
the Lamb.

John was at a loss to identify the multitude. The elder's identification
of the great multitude can be divided into three parts. The Elders first
noted that they had come out of the great tribulation. That is to say
they had come thru a time of great persecution and distress. They were
probably singing "Victory in Jesus."  Never again would they hunger or
thirst or be afflicted by the scorching heat of the desert sun. 

The tribulation period is that 7 year period between the rapture of the
church and the beginning of the millennium. The "Great Tribulation"  is
the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period described in Rev. Chs.
11-18, when the Anti-Christ ceases to talk peace and God pours out His
wrath upon the earth. 

During the Great Tribulation the persecuted believers on earth had been
besieged by the powerful forces of evil that had been unleashed on the
earth. However, now in the presence of God and the Lamb they were assured
of complete security and protection forever. 

The elder in John's vision declared that the Lamb would provide continual
sustenance for His victorious saints. He would care for their every need.
In the elder's final statement concerning the multitudes' destiny, God,
rather than the Lamb, became the primary actor. The elder's statement was
"God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Sorrow and a lack of
protection had been their lot during the great tribulation. Now God had
intervened. In addition to the contentment and safety provided by the
Lamb, joy had been added as a part of their destiny in heaven. 

NEXT SUNDAY IN REVELATION 12 LET'S SEE WHAT IS TAUGHT ABOUT SATAN.
A.V. DAUGHERTY   MARCH 5, 2000.,