Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

I.

Seals, Trumpets, Bowls - The end- time pattern of God’s judgment A. The Book of Revelation, beginning with Chapter 6 is organized into alternating chronological sections and angelic explanations (explain Revelation note card) i. Chronological sections describe the judgment of the antichrist system ii. Angelic explanations mostly describe what is happening to the Bride (those who have literally responded to Jesus’ letters to the seven churches) B. The seals, trumpets, and bowls increase in intensity. This is God’s plan to reach the greatest number of people, at the deepest heart level, using the least intense means necessary, without ever violating free will C. God judges sin by letting those desiring it actually get what they want. God gives everyone what they desire. The end time world system, orchestrated by the antichrist from end time Babylon GETS WHAT IT WANTS!

1 Genesis 11:6-7 And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." D. Mankind, in its fallen state, wants all of the benefits of God’s leadership: security, provision, shelter, satisfaction, purpose, meaning, love, etc., without the actual leadership of God. E. Satan is offering the world a LAWLESS (absent God’s leadership) counterfeit of God’s kingdom through a counterfeit trinity (Satan, antichrist, false prophet). F. God will incrementally give mankind over to its united desire in three distinct stages called seals, trumpets, and bowls: i. The seal judgments are Jesus letting mankind “taste” the fruit of the antichrist’s plan ii. The trumpet judgments are Jesus letting mankind taste the fruit of what is in satan’s heart iii. The bowl judgments are the final demonstration of what life is like apart from the Source of Life, God. G. The seals, trumpets, and bowls are ordered and numbered and given to the Bride (the end time church) to understand and RELEASE in partnership with her Groom. Each of the seals, trumpets, and bowls are grouped in a similar way: 1-4 go together, 5-6 go together, 7 stands alone i. 1-4 address the physical consequence for the spiritual choice for rebellion, as heaven and earth merge together ii. 5-6 describe the opening of heaven in a significant way, based on the response of the earth to the physical consequence in 1-4

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Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

iii.

II.

7 describes the purpose of God (kingdom) coming down through the open heaven.

The Antichrist’s/False Prophet’s False Promises A. In the most simplistic definition, the Antichrist is a counterfeit “Jesus” part of an “unholy” counterfeit trinity including i. satan as the counterfeit Father, ii. Antichrist as the counterfeit Jesus, and iii. The false prophet as the counterfeit John the Baptist/Holy Spirit B. Antichrist will offer himself to the world as a tangible “messiah” C. The world will be forced into a choice between the tangible “messiah” who has a plan to fix the world by force, and the invisible Jesus who also has a plan written out in the Bible to fix the world by free will. D. In order to get an understanding of what the seals are describing, we need an understanding of what the Bible says the antichrist will promise the earth. i. Peace between many nations/Protection of God’s People (Prince of Peace)

2 Daniel 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." 3 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ii.

Redistribution of wealth (Greatest least and least greatest)

4 Daniel 11:24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. iii.

Advance the Age (Time): Global leadership/Climate change (renewal of the earth)/Healthcare (resurrection of the Body)

5 Daniel 2:20-21 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 6 Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him. 2|Page

Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

7 Daniel 7:23-25 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces. 24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings. 25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. iv.

Unity of Worship (pure and spotless Bride)

8 Daniel 11:36-45 "Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. Daniel 12:1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. 9 Matthew 24:15-22 "Therefore when you see the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

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Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

III.

Seven Seals – The Beginning of the Great Tribulation

10 Revelation 6:1-17 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" A. Seals 1-4 go together (darkness on earth being dealt with by letting it finally bear fruit and experience judgment by being openly seen for what it is): 1. Seal 1 - The freedom promised by the antichrist's global socialistic system results in the intimidation of anyone who won't participate 2. Seal 2 - The peace promised by the antichrist's political (yes, consider Israel, Cuba, Iran, etc) maneuvering falls apart into World War 3. Seal 3 - The economic plan and wealth redistribution promised by the antichrist results in massive inflation and famine 4. Seal 4 - The universal health promised by the antichrist results in disease and pestillence, the climate management promised by the antichrist results in wild animals and "nature" killing people B. Seals 5-6 go together (heaven opening - spiritual realm touching earth):

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Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

5. Seal 5 - The plan of the antichrist to martyr Christians to get rid of divisive religion backfires with the strengthening of a global earthly prayer movement that agrees with heaven's prayer movement (night and day). 6. Seal 6 - The prayer movement results in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the night and day praying church in agreement with Joel 2:28-32 C. Seal 7 stands alone (the eternal purpose of God coming through the open heaven): 7. Seal 7 - God adds angelic ministry to the night and day prayer movement (like Gabriel being sent to Daniel in Daniel 10...only GLOBALLY!) to prepare for the trumpets! IV.

The Seven Seals from a Practical Perspective A. Vs. 1 - JESUS is the one releasing these events. The Lamb is opening the seals. This is not the revelation of the antichrist or satan. This is the REVELATION OF JESUS!! B. Seal 1 (vs 2)– Antichrist’s political aggression (bow and white horse.) He looks peaceful and political, but he turns intense and demands world control and world worship. This is a false Christ, or “anointed one”:

11 Matthew 24:21-27 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. 23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. i. Jesus is saying His return won’t be secret, and won’t include this process of going out to conquer in a natural way. It will be supernatural. ii. This is the beginning of the antichrist’s promises being revealed for what they are, complete weakness and failure to establish what he promises:    

White = “peaceful” aggression Red = Bloodshed/War Black = Famine Pale = Death

B. Seal 2 (Read vs 4)- Many come to the sudden realization (especially in the Islamic world) that they have aligned with an evil dictator who is not for them, but rather for himself,

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Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

and world war breaks out. As people refuse to worship the antichrist, the antichrist system will oppress (make war with) and kill them: 12 Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. i. Rev. 6:4, the rider is given a “great sword.” (for extra study read Jeremiah 25:29-33) ii. Vs. 4 also says that the rider will “take peace from the earth.” This is peace being removed at several levels: 1. civil unrest, 2. governmental oppression, and 3. simultaneous world war. Similar to Nazi Germany or other places where God has lifted His hand of restraint for short periods of time. C. Seal 3 (Read vs 5-6) – Worldwide famine and economic collapse will be associated with this world war. This is judgment on the global provision systems of the antichrist/harlot system, which controls much of the commerce/political power in the global order (Revelation 18). i. This is the collapse and abuse of the economic system many have put their faith in, even at the cost of their relationship with Jesus! ii. The antichrist will oppress through the “mark of the beast” (global currency) system that many trusted would prevent the end time famine and scarcity. 13 Revelation 13:16-17 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. iii. The promise of redistribution of wealth by the antichrist (Daniel 11:24, Daniel 11:39) will result in the greatest famine ever seen on earth. Interestingly, every socialist experiment has ended or is currently resulting in great scarcity (Cuba, Venezuela, Soviet Union, China). 1. Vs. 6 gives us insight into the judgment of the world economic system which many have put their trust in instead of God’s supernatural provision: 2. The buying power of the majority of the world’s workers will be reduced approximately 10-fold. A quart of wheat is enough for one man to live on per day, not a whole family. A man will work all day and not have enough to feed his family. 3. Barley is less nutritious, three quarts of less-quality food for a day’s wages. 6|Page

Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

4. Oil and wine are still obtainable. This speaks of two realities: 1) a ruling class who still enjoys the luxuries of wealth. World history demonstrates that in planned economies, an elite few enjoy extravagant wealth, while the masses literally starve. 2) supernatural miraculous provision. Oil and wine are two clearly miraculously multiplied items in the Bible. 5. God gives those choosing to agree with the antichrist system over to its choice of a man-planned economy, and the consequences of that system. D. Seal 4 (Read vs 8) – Pale horse represents death/decay. Death is the name of the rider, who is followed close by Hades (hell). These are unbelievers dying. Those who belong to Jesus don’t go to Hades. i. ¼ of the earth’s population will die – by 2017 most estimates are that there will be 7.6 billion people on earth. That means, if that great tribulation began in 2017, 1.9 billion would die unnatural deaths in the approximately 2-3 years of the seal judgments. 50 million people died in the 6 years of World War II. Another 1/3 of the remaining population (5.7 billion) will die in the sixth trumpet. That is 3.7 billion people perishing in the 3.5 years of the Great Tribulation. Statistically, more people will die each month in the Great Tribulation than all 6 years of World War II. ii. This series of event is INTENSE. When Jesus allows these things to happen, many believers will “fall away.” Many believers want to tie these events to past, less-intense, events. We want to be VERY careful about “stretching” past regional events to fit in this clearly “global” prophecy. Jesus warned us about watching and being “ready” because the Bride will need great endurance and understanding to keep her heart steady as these events unfold: 14 Matthew 24:9-14 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. iii. The Bride WILL be prepared (and growing!!!). This is the Bride’s greatest hour! E. 5th Seal (vs. 9-11)– the increase in martyrdom and the response of the Bride i. Revelation 6:9 indicates martyrdom will increase as the antichrist attempts to kill those loyal to Jesus. ii. Antichrist desires global dominion, but satan’s strategy is to avoid prison

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Revelation Intensive 2015-16 New City Church Week 17 – Revelation 6: The Seal Judgments

iii. Satan’s main strategy was to exterminate Jews. The “time of the gentiles” prophesied in Daniel, from Nebuchadnezzar through Roman empire, and extending beyond Jesus’ day to the Day of the Lord, is a programmed attempt to prevent  Jesus’ birth (Herod’s assassination of the babies in Bethlehem)  Later, the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise/prophecy in Luke 13 to only return when invited back by the Jews in Jerusalem as Messiah. iv. We learn from the Revelation 12 passage that when God sends 1/3 of the Jews into protective exile in the wilderness outside of Judea, satan will turn his rage to the Church, the offspring of the Jews. 15 Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. v. As satan realizes the Jews are given divine protection related to the prayers of the Church for Israel, He will attempt to wipe out the powerbase of the praying church vi. This increase in martyrdom, like ALL of satan’s plans, will actually be his downfall! The Bride responds to the increase in martyrdom with an increase in intensity of prayer. F. 6th Seal (vs. 12-17) Jesus answers with the release of the 6th seal. This is the “speedy response” to the night and day cry for justice Jesus prophesied: 16 Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" i. While the people of the earth are hiding from the face of the Lord, the end time Bride will be seeking His face and growing in victory to stand for what is next! 17 Revelation 12:7-12 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

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