Longing, or Dreading, for God’s Judgment Day? (Revelation 6:1-17)                                       2010.02.28                                Pastor Richard Yu  

        If we think of all the troubles in the world in the past couple of decades, the question easily arise: Where’s is God is all this? Is God really in control? Is he really the Lord and King of the world? In John’s own lifetime, he has also lived through grim historical events and the vision of the breaking of the seals in Revelation Chapter 6 is intended to assert Christ's sovereignty over a world as such.

        In this “overture” chapter of God’s executing his judgment in the book of Revelation, the faithful martyrs ask: “How long?” while the perishing asks “Who can stand?” This contrast also reflects our own attitude towards God’s final act of judgment in human history; and such attitude does affect our present living one way or the other.

        It is important to remember that chapter 6 is a continuation of the same vision from chapters 4 and 5. In chapter 4, God the Creator is described as the one who sits on the throne in all his sovereign power and glory. In His right hand was a scroll sealed with seven seals. We have understood that this scroll contains the fullness of God’s purposes of redemption and judgment. In chapter 5, John was weeping because no one in all the world is found to be worthy to take the scroll, to break the seals and to open it so as to bring to pass what is contained in the scroll. Then one of the elders around the throne tells John that the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed and he is able to open the scroll and break its seals. Then John says, “I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne” (5:6-7). Then in the beginning of chapter 6, John says, “I watched as the Lamb opened the . . . seals.” The purposes of God’s blessing and judgment is about to come to pass.

        In the next section of the four colored horses, the appearance of each new rider indicates the release of a new disaster on earth. The white horse and its rider symbolize military conquest. The bow is also standard symbol of military might. So the first disaster is about military invasions. The fiery red horse and its rider symbolize bloodshed in civil unrest. The black horse and its rider symbolize economic scarcity or famine. Here the scale is the measuring instrument for coins and grains. People will not be able to make enough money to feed one’s whole family. One quart of wheat or barley is normally just enough to feed one adult. The pale horse and its rider are clearly identified as death and Hell.

        Notice the expressions “was given a crown,” “was given power to take peace from the earth,” “was given a large sword,” and “were given power over a fourth of the earth.” They indicate God sanctioned actions. God is fully in control. He is in charge.

        The breaking of the fifth seal brought about the cry of the martyrs, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" The point here is not personal vengeance but passion for God’s justice to be done finally and fully – especially when justice and righteousness are seen as done.

        The breaking of the sixth seal unleashed a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red . . . The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

        The seven-fold description of the kings, princes, generals, rich, mighty, slave and free man symbolize all unbelieving people on earth. They would rather hide in caves and among the rocks of the mountains and be buried by it then to face him who sits on the throne and the wrath of the Lamb! They realize they could not escape from it when they ask: “Who can stand?"

         Apparently John has in mind what the prophet Isaiah wrote, "They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when he rises to shake the earth" (2:21). And "though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord” (26:10).

        In that day those who refuse to believe will become so self-deceived that they cannot believe. They will not repent and pray to God for salvation. Rather, they pray to the rocks to fall on them and destroy them in stead of facing the wrath of God. If we are uncomfortable before passages that speak of God’s severe and horrible judgment, then perhaps it is because we know too little of the holiness of God; lost the sense of how offensive our sins are to God; and acknowledge too little of God’s right to judge us in light of all the mercy and grace he has poured out on us – especially what He has done for us with the blood of Jesus Christ His Son.

        This passage shows us the urgency in proclaiming the Gospel to an unbelieving world and the importance of knowing our times. If we do not have within us a heart of unbelief then we shall never have to fear the shaking of the earth or the darkening of the sky because of God's judgment. On the contrary, we look forward eagerly for the coming again of our Lord.