Revelation
The Lamb of God: On His Throne And Among His People
An Eternal Perspective
Revelation 6:9-17

•  Read Revelation 6:9-17. Initial thoughts?
  • How does the fifth seal connect with the first four seals?
  • Does the sixth seal sound like Jesus’ judgment on those who have not believed in him at the Second Coming?
  • Two questions – 1) Why is it not petty for Jesus to judge those who have not believed in him? 2) Could this be judgment that comes early in the Tribulation, or does the placement of this judgment in the sixth seal indicate that Revelation is more cyclical than linear? In other words, is Revelation more a book of patterns that are repeated in the whole world between Jesus’ two Advents, or does everything between Revelation 6-19 prophesy an orderly flow heading inexorably toward Jesus’ Second Coming?

• This (series of) question(s) comes from Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, by G.K. Beale
  • If genuine believers are bound to face suffering for their faithfulness to Christ, how do we measure the fruitfulness of our Christian life?
  • Do we look only for positive results (people favorably affected by our testimony)?
  • Is a negative reaction to our suffering a godly reaction? Have we really understood that God calls us to suffering?
  • Most of us presently in the western world are unlikely to be martyred, but in what other ways may we genuinely suffer?
  • In what ways, even in our outward Christian witness, do we often suffer for our own disobedience or foolishness? (1 Peter 4:15 – and while you are there, contemplate 1 Peter 4:12-19)

• Talk about ways you can rise to the challenge of the application points from the sermon
  • Trust Jesus with your soul, and trust him with the souls of the ones you love
  • Ask God to give you an understanding of what is at stake in this world every single day until Jesus returns
  • Rest in Jesus, even as the world goes mad

Extra Notes

Quote

Louis Brighton: In apocalyptic literature, whenever an author wanted to portray events or personages common to human experience and senses, he would make use of symbols taken from human, earthly life. But when he wanted to portray supernatural events or personages which were beyond human experience and intelligence, he would create symbols which do not exist in empirical human knowledge. For example, in Revelation 9:1-11 when John refers to demons from hell, he pictures them like locusts with human faces, teeth of lions, and tails of scorpions. Such locust-like scorpions with human and animal features do not exist in the natural world. They symbolize real entities – things not of this world, however, but rather of the supernatural. The four horsemen of 6:1-8, on the other hand, are symbols that are taken from common human experience and thus are used to symbolize and represent that which is of this world and understandable within human knowledge and experience.

Scripture associated with Revelation 6:9-17

Revelation 17:5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.”

Exodus 30:1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.”

Leviticus 4:18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

Psalm 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalm 94:1 O Lord, God of vengeance,

    O God of vengeance, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;

    repay to the proud what they deserve!

3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked,

    how long shall the wicked exult?

4 They pour out their arrogant words;

    all the evildoers boast.

5 They crush your people, O Lord,

    and afflict your heritage.

6 They kill the widow and the sojourner,

    and murder the fatherless;

7 and they say, “The Lord does not see;

    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Acts 7:59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Romans 9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them (Jewish brothers and sisters) is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Compare Revelation 6:12-14 with Isaiah 34:4, Ezekiel 32:6-8, Joel 2:31 and 3:15-16, and Habakkuk 3:6-11

John 1:29 The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Luke 23:34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.