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Session 5: “The Seven Seals” Session 5: “The Seven Seals” Revelation Revelation 6 & 8:16 & 8:1

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Seals 1-4)Apocalypse (Seals 1-4)

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

Most of Revelation’s

Imagery, comes from Old

Testament scenes, that

have been changed

slightly, to give a new

message.

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

CompareRevelation 6:8 & Ezekiel 14:21

“For this is what the

Sovereign Lord says: How

much worse will it be when I

send against Jerusalem my

four dreadful judgments —

sword and famine and wild

beasts and plague —to kill its

men and their animals!”

“They were given power

over a fourth of the

earth to kill by sword,

famine and plague, and

by the wild beasts of the

earth.”

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

1. God used the Old Testament “Four Dreadful

Judgments” to bring His people into a loving

relationship with Him.

2. The “Four Dreadful Judgments” were a consequence

of disobeying God and His laws, and were intended to

bring His people into a correct relationship with Him.

“The Four Dreadful Judgments”

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

The White Horse (Revelation 6:1-2)

1. The rider is on a white horse = Christian “Conquest”

The colour white in Revelation is always used in reference to

Christ and His people who overcome

(see Rev 19:11-12 - the kingly Christ riding a white horse)

2. The rider wears a “Stephanos” Crown

= Victory to those who overcome.

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

3. The rider carries a bow = God

God is portrayed in the Old Testament as carrying a bow

(see Habakuk 3:8-9, Psalm 43:3-15, Zechariah 9:13)

Key Word =

The White Horse (Revelation 6:1-2)

Conquering

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

1. The rider is on a red horse = Blood

(see 2 Kings 3:22-23, Isaiah 1:15-23, Revelation 17:6)

The Red Horse (Revelation 6:3-4)

2. The rider “takes peace from the earth” = Rejection of the gospel

Accepting the Gospel brings peace (see Revelation 1:4, John 14:27 &

16:33). Rejecting the Gospel brings a loss of peace (see Isaiah

57:20-21, Matthew 24:9-10).

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

3. The rider carries a sword = Division and Persecution

(e.g. Matthew 10:21, & v34-36, Luke 12:51-53)

Key Word =

The Red Horse (Revelation 6:3-4)

Persecuti

on

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

1. The rider is on a black horse = Absence of God’s

presence

(e.g. Matthew 4:16, Luke 1:79, John 1:5, 3:19)

The Black Horse (Revelation 6:5-6)

3. Note that food is scarce and expensive (Revelation 6:6) - but there

is still some “oil and wine” available.

2. The rider carries a “pair of scales” = Spiritual Famine

(Leviticus 26:26, Ezekiel 4:16, Amos 8:11-13)4

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

Key Word =

The Black Horse (Revelation 6:5-6)“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.”Amos 8:11,12

Famine

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

Key word =

The Pale Horse (Revelation 6:7-8)

3. The rider has power over a fourth of the earth

= Death’s power is limited

2. The rider’s name = Death

1. The rider is on a pale horse = The colour of death

Death (of course!!)

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Period The Christian Experience Horse

31 - 100AD Spiritual ‘Passion’ & Growth Conquering

100 - 313AD Persecuted by Roman Empire Persecution

313 - 538AD Church Compromised by Rome Spiritual Famine

538 - Onwards Dark Ages Spiritual Death

1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

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1. The Four Horsemen of the 1. The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseApocalypse

The message of the four

horsemen is: don’t ignore God

any longer.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not

harden your hearts” Hebrews 3:15

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2. The Fifth Seal: 2. The Fifth Seal: Overcoming PersecutionOvercoming Persecution

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1. Altar = The altar of sacrifice in the Sanctuary

(see Leviticus 4:7, v18, v25).

2. The Fifth Seal: 2. The Fifth Seal: Overcoming PersecutionOvercoming Persecution

3. “The inhabitants of the earth” = The Wicked

That is, those who reject the Gospel and persecute God’s

people (see Revelation 3:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:2).

2. “How long?” = God’s people know that one day He will

act decisively, but they still ask Him “How long?”

(see Psalm 79:1-10; Habakuk 1:1-4; Daniel 8:13; 12:6-7).

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4. White robe = The robe of righteousness given to

the spiritually victorious. (see Revelation 3:4-5; 7:9).

Key Point: An increase in persecution &

suffering are part of the ‘signs’ of Christ’s

return (see Revelation chapters 16 - 18, Matthew 24:1-14)

2. The Fifth Seal: 2. The Fifth Seal: Overcoming PersecutionOvercoming Persecution

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3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

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In the sixth and seventh seals, we see a summary of

the events that bring an end to our planet as we know

it.

3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

The Return of ChristThe Resurrection of the RighteousThe Destruction of the WickedThe “Millennium” of JudgementThe Final Destruction of SatanThe Re-Creation of EarthThe “New Jerusalem”Eternal Life with God

Key Point: The Sixth & Seventh Seals summarise the return of Christ and the

events that follow (the details of these events are explained more fully in

Revelation chapters 19 - 22)

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3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

The Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-14)

i. Sixth Seal = The second coming of Jesus Christ.

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3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

The Seventh Seal (Revelation 8:1)

The Seventh Seal is symbolic of The events that follow the second coming of Jesus Christ.

“Half an hour” = God’s final judgment takes a relatively short period

of time when compared to eternity.

Silence = The universe’s reverence for God’s final judgement

(see Habakuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13)

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3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

Key Point: The Sixth & Seventh Seals summarise the return of Christ and the

events that follow (the details of these events are explained more fully in Revelation

chapters 19 - 22)

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3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: 3. The Sixth & Seventh Seal: The Return of ChristThe Return of Christ

Conclusions from Revelation 61. God uses whatever means necessary to bring us back into a health relationship with Him.

3. History is moving from the death of Christ, towards a definite climactic event - His return!

2. We are in a spiritual battle between good and evil.

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Next session...Next session...

Session 6“The 144,000 & the Great Multitude” (Revelation 7)

Topics include:1. The Sealing of the “144,000”

2. The Link between the “144,000” and the “Great Multitude”

3. Introducing “The Great Tribulation” at the End of Time

4. A Look Ahead in Revelation