Yesterday, we posted a picture of a lion laying down with a lamb. The lamb was cute and cuddly, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s an accurate picture of the Lamb of God who is Jesus. In chapter 6 of Revelation, we get to some descriptive imagery that may be difficult for us to understand, but the summary is this: The Lamb begins to break open the 7 seals that were on the scroll that only He could open. In this chapter, we see him open 6 of the seals with dramatic results ending with great fear overcoming EVERYONE as they seek to hide from that Lamb of God.
Seal #1 – The Lamb breaks this seal and one of the four living creatures says, “Come”. A man on a white horse appears with a bow in his hands and a crown on his head. He rode out to win many battles and to gain the victory.
Seal #2 – When this seal is broken, a second living creature calls out, “Come!” Now a red horse appears carrying a rider with a sword that was mighty. This rider takes peace from the earth leading to war and slaughter everywhere!
Seal #3 – The 3rd living creature cries out when this seal is broken saying, “Come!” This time a black horse appears with a rider that carried a pair of scales in his hand. From among the creatures a voice declared, “a loaf of wheat bread or 3 loaves of barley will cost a day’s wages – don’t waste the olive oil and wine!”
Seal #4 – The last of the 4 living creatures speaks up with the breaking of the 4th seal saying, “Come.” This horse was pale green and it’s rider was Death – and Hell came with him. A quarter of the earth was killed with sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
Seal #5 – The Lamb breaks the fifth seal and we are introduced to more of Heaven’s characters – our attention is turned to under the altar where we find all the martyrs that had lost their soul for Christ. They cried out to God for justice asking how long they would be forced to wait until judgment came on those that killed them. White robes are given to them and they are told to wait a bit longer until all the elect are destined to be martyred join them.
Seal #6 – With the breaking of the 6th seal, you have to put on your best sci-fi glasses to get the full picture. A great earthquake strikes the earth – ok, see? That wasn’t so bad… Then, the sun is blackened – maybe think an esclipse? The moon turns red – we’ve seen that with recent blood moons. But then stars start falling to earth like figs falling to the ground when a tree is shaken by a strong wind – Meteors, maybe? The sky is now rolled up like a scroll – this one is harder for me… and the mountains and islands are all moved from their places. Huge seismic undertakings here as the whole world and the whole sky is topsy-turvy. The movie Inception has nothing on this scene and my head swims just thinking about the implications.
Now that cute little lamb from yesterday strikes terror in every person on earth. From king to slave, every person hides in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They cried out seeking protection from the one opening all these seals – they seek to be hidden from the Lamb’s face and from His wrath. They wonder aloud who could survive the wrath of the Lamb…
But for the Christian, that Lamb is our brother. For the Christian, that Lamb is our Kinsman Redeemer. For the Christian, that Lamb is our Lover. For the Christian, that Lamb is our Rock and our Hiding Place.
Where the world will run from the Lamb, we are called to run TO the Lamb. We are called to hide ourselves in Christ in God. With the breaking of these 6 seals, we see the façade of man’s pride stripped away. Battles and wars sweep up even those who are pacifists. Slaughter comes to the most unsuspecting peoples. Famine strikes and there’s no one who has prepared adequately enough. Disease can hit the healthiest of men – Pandemics can overwhelm the best in medical technology and infrastructure. As crazy as it sounds, it’s not uncommon to hear of wild beasts coming and killing people. Religious wars kill the most faithful of believers. Earthquakes shake our foundations and leave us unsure of where to run. Can we control the sun, moon and stars? Nearly all of us can’t even travel to the moon, let alone the sun and stars! If the continents decide to move, can we stop them?
No, in this world our control is merely a fleeting illusion. At any point, life can come and shake us to the core – and that’s when my hope for you is that your core is Jesus and His work on the cross. My hope for ME is that He truly is my core and my foundation. He will never be shaken. He will always be victorious. He will always overcome. And the crazy part is, He promises the same for those that love and trust Him! So, place your hope and trust in Him today – when life gets crazy, double down on trusting the Son of God with your life and your future.
Father, thank you again for your word to us today. Though I may not have all the answers as to when the seals of the scroll will be broken, I know that you are the one to break them. And if I’m with you, you will keep me from being terrorized by what my eyes see. Help me to look to you for safety and protection. Jesus, help me by reminding me that my life is hidden with you in God. Be my Rock – Be my salvation – Be my fortress to which I run. Let nothing on this earth move me except for your voice. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Eleven89 