Revealing RevelationSample

The Judgments of the Lamb
As you read these chapters, let them serve as a motivation to speak to those around you of the hope that is in Christ. There are three series of judgments—the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments. Each successive set of judgments will be worse and more devastating than its predecessor. The seal judgments will kill one-third of the world’s population, the trumpets will take another one-third and will devastate the earth, and the bowls will come as “the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete” (Rev. 15:1). They will bring unimaginable sores and blood and darkness and misery until a voice mercifully calls out from heaven, “It is done!” (Rev. 16:17).

The Seal Judgments
The scroll is in the hands of the Lamb. The seals are about to be opened, and God’s hammer of justice and wrath is about to fall. It is difficult to read about what will be unleashed by the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets and the pouring of the bowls. What John witnessed was the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who were sent out from the throne to bring judgment to the earth. The first rider is a representation of the Antichrist, and the four horsemen will usher in tragic times upon the world. Each horseman will introduce horrific conditions—division and subterfuge and civil unrest will become widespread; peace will disappear within cities and neighborhoods and homes; hunger and famine from skyrocketing inflation and economic disasters will lead to millions dying of starvation; violence due to warfare, civil unrest, or crime will bring about a bloody slaughter; anarchy will prevail and government leaders will be utterly without solutions; and predators of the animal kingdom will be forced to find alternative sources of food. A massive earthquake will darken the sun and redden the moon like blood.

After true Christians are removed from the world, some of those who remain will recognize the error of their rebellion and repent of their sins. God, in His grace and mercy, will accept them into His family. However, along with experiencing the disasters of the tribulation, these new Christians will be hunted and executed for their faith. Other people will recognize the causes of the calamities but will hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful Judge. The Lord will delay final judgment until the full number of converts is completed. But many will choose the darkness of the caves rather than the light of Christ.

The First Interlude
The end of Revelation 6 asks, “Who is able to stand?” Chapter 7 is the first of three interludes in the book of Revelation. During the judgments, just as even greater devastation is about to occur, God calls a time-out. Despite God’s righteous judgments upon mankind, the Lord will continue to give people the opportunity to turn to Him.

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. 144,000 thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed” (Rev. 7:4).

God remains merciful and loving enough to provide 144,000 Jewish evangelists to take the message of salvation to the world and be sealed with God’s mark of protection from those seeking to harm them.