SERMON TITLE: The Ones Still Standing
TEXT: Revelation 6-7 Sermon (ESV)
SPEAKER: Robert Tansill
DATE: 12-28/29
Good morning, Gateway! I'm Robert Tansill, one of your pastors here on staff, and it is great to be with you this morning. I also want to send greetings to both the North Main and Bowling Green campuses, and to those watching online.
This week I read a quote from evangelist, Franklin Graham, that said, “No matter what storm you face, you need to know that God loves you. He has not abandoned you.” God does love you! Every time Josh preaches, he reminds us of that. And we need to be reminded of God’s love because we so easily question His love for us when we experience, either directly or indirectly, the results of living in a fallen world. In those times when suffering does come our way, we can not only tend to question God’s love for us, but also wonder if this thing called, “The Christian Life”, is worth pursuing. I personally have had close friends who have been so overwhelmed by suffering in their lives that they have given up on their Christian faith. But this morning, I want to encourage you with the truth that God has not abandoned you. Because of God’s great love, which was displayed and proven through Christ’s death and resurrection, you and I have everything we need to face trials and suffering head-on. God has not finished showing us the story of redemption that He has written. And we are part of that story—a story that affects every aspect of our lives.
If you have been keeping up with the news at all then you know there is a lot going on in our world. Every week a new and tragic event takes center stage, grabbing our attention and making us feel like life is even more unstable than we thought. News of nations on the brink of war, conflicts that could lead to a nuclear disaster, questions of whether or not our economy is faltering, abuse of power by leaders of nations, and the list goes on. But closer to home, where we expect to feel safe, we are not immune to the instability. We can experience conflicts in our families that feel devastating. We may experience uncertainty about our personal finances—will we have enough for retirement or to pay this month’s rent? For caring for a sick loved one or an aging parent? We wrestle with feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and deep grief. At times it seems that there is no end to conflict, suffering, and loss in this fallen world.
Is this the way it's supposed to be? Why does there seem to be so much pain in the world around us? Why is there so much pain in our personal lives? How do we as Christians make sense of it?
This morning we are going to explore God's perspective on these questions by looking at two key chapters from the book of Revelation. Even though it might feel like we're eating an elephant with a fork and knife, our hope is to try to make sense of why there is so much pain and suffering in the world, as well as how God plans to help us continue standing even when the world seems to be falling down all around us.
So, if you would, turn with me to Revelation 6. My hope this morning is that when you walk out of here, no matter what you are facing in your life, you will leave with full assurance that God has an already completed perfect plan to enable you to stand in faith in this fallen world.
And, if you’re a guest with us, something we like to do at Gateway is let you ask questions that we answer on our podcast — just know that we’re taking a few weeks off from recording new episodes — but keep sending in questions as we’ll get to them in the New Year. So if you have a question, you can text it in to the number printed on the bottom of the sermon notes sheet or you can submit it on the Gateway app.
In Revelation 6, the Apostle John writes, “1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. 3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. 5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be 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 wine!” 7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild 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 witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. 12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
In our passage this morning, the Apostle John, who has been exiled to the island of Patmos in his old age, is writing to the first century church, and to us, about what is happening here on earth so that we aren't caught off guard by the difficulties in life that might trip us up, or cause us to question the goodness and sovereignty of God. But that's not all.
He also wants to show us what's going on behind the curtain of heaven so we can see the divine drama that is unfolding there which points to what is going to happen. John has no interest in explaining when things will take place because he doesn't know. Only God, the Father, knows that. Rather, John's concern for the early church, and for us as well, is that we are prepared to endure the things that can happen to us in this fallen world. He wants us to know that we are protected by our Redeemer so that in the end we, along with all those who have placed their trust in Christ, will be the ones still standing when the smoke clears. And he does this by revealing two things to us. The first thing John wants us to know is that..
Point 1: The Ones Still Standing...cling to God in the midst of tribulation (6:1-17)
Imagine that we are standing next to John observing all that is about to take place in the passage we just read. We are standing in the throne room of God in the midst of the angelic host and the Lamb is opening one of the seven seals. Who is the Lamb? In the fifth chapter of Revelation, John reveals that the Lamb is Jesus Christ. He is the only One worthy to open the scroll that is sealed by seven seals. Then we read these words in chapter 6, verse 1, "Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals." In opening this first seal and the three that follow, all the calamity of life in a fallen world is explained. Using the symbol of a horse and rider, each seal that is opened releases another calamity during the period known as the Great Tribulation. This period of time, which is between the first and second coming of Christ, is a time of judgment on the world because of its persecution of God's church, and rejection of His sovereign rule and authority. And how is this judgment carried out?
Look again at the four seals. In verse 1-2, the first rider with a bow in hand and wearing a crown riding a white horse, "came out conquering, and to conquer." This rider, which is representative of nations as they war against each other, reveals the tyranny, violence, and a lust for world domination that characterizes this whole period. Even today, we see this on numerous fronts as countries battle against each other, and we wonder why God continues to allow this to happen. Yet, from John's perspective, this is all the result of a world that has turned its back on God and seeks instead to do what it desires; in this case conquering one another. But this is only the first seal.
In verses 3-4, Christ is seen opening the second seal revealing another way God is judging the world. This time not just among distant nations, but even in our own backyard. This seal that reveals a rider on a red horse with a large sword in hand, "was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword." This rider was permitted to take peace from the earth. Is this still happening today? All we have to do is pick up the newspaper to see this lived out on a daily basis. Whether it is a bomb explosion in a distant country that kills scores of people, to a drive-by shooting in a neighborhood in our own country, the rebellion against God that began in the garden continues even today. But as pastor and author, Scotty Smith, reminds us, "God sets the parameters on the extent of the violence. Let not the first-century church, or the church of any century, despair. Our God reigns even over the manifestations of evil from the hearts of men." And it is in this truth that we can take comfort. But we still have two more seals to go.
In verses, 5-6, we hear these words, "When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be 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 wine!'" As conscious as most of us are about war, and the general violence that is all around us, the one thing we seem to be the most aware of presently is the economic state of the world. This is something that we all feel in one way or another. Every day we watch to see what the stock market is doing, and we wonder what impact it will have on our plans to retire. At times we wonder what the unemployment rate is doing, and we feel the urgency to cut back on things in our lives that we once took for granted when things seem to be heading in the wrong direction. And when we feel the economic pinch, we pin our hopes on the fact that if we can just get the right guy in office, or manipulate things enough then maybe, just maybe, we can weather any economic downturns that we might face in the future.
And yet, how often do we acknowledge that the reason we are even in this place is because of the greediness and selfishness of men? We feel the limitations of our buying power, which John draws attention to with the phrase, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius," which is translated in the New Living Translation as, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay." But do we ever wonder where God is in all of this?
He's right there in the middle of it. And even though He is allowing it to happen, he sovereignly limits how bad things will get, which we see in verse 6 with the phrase, "and do not harm the oil and wine!” In spite of how bad things can look on the ground, God will not let all the evil devices of a world in rebellion against Him completely overtake us.
But the question we have to ask ourselves regarding this third seal is, "Where are we placing our hope?" Really!! Are we like the rest of the world, hoping for that silver bullet that will stabilize the economy so that we no longer need to worry about it, and we can get back to business as usual? Or are we able to acknowledge that God, not man, is ultimately in control of all things, including the realm of food and money, which is why He should be the only One we look to for our daily needs? This is an important question for all of us, and one that should make us examine our hearts. But there is still more. Look at verses 7-8 with me.
In these verses, John records Christ opening a fourth seal, which the New Living Translation records with these words, "I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals." And once again, we are confronted with reality in a fallen world that we would rather ignore. Death. It's all around us and promises to impact us in one way or another; either directly or indirectly. All of us know that a day is coming when we will have to face this. And for most of us, we're okay with that as long we don't have to think about it too long. Right?
But how many times have we been in a situation where either someone close to us has died, or we have heard about a tragic death, and we question why God would allow it to happen? We've all been there, or are going to be! When my wife and I were living in New England many years ago, my next-door neighbor and very close friend of ours lost her battle to cancer at the age of 64. She was an incredible woman. She was like a grandmother to my kids as they were growing up, and a best friend to my wife. And the day that she died, it didn't seem right! And yes, I got mad at God. I questioned how He could let this happen to such a wonderful person in the prime of her life, and how he could let her family suffer as a result of her loss. And to this day, I still don't completely understand it.
But this is key! Even though we don't understand how God can allow these things to happen, we still need to cling to Him during times like this. He is our only hope. And in many ways, the tribulation that we are experiencing is all part of life in a fallen world where people, who choose not to honor God by rejecting His authority, live only for themselves. And what is the result? A world where nations war against each other, where there is no peace. A world with lots of pain because people want things their way, where greed is so strong that it can eventually lead to economic crisis and injustice, and where people lose their lives for all sorts of reasons, all which are part of life in a fallen world. This is the sobering reality, and it's a hard pill to swallow.
But in all of this pain and suffering is a message that God wants to communicate to us through the Apostle John. In verses 9-11 as Christ opens the fifth seal, John writes, "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 witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been."
With these words, we are immediately ushered from the earth up to heaven where we find some comfort regarding what we have just seen in the first four seals. As bad as the first four seals are, here we see that God has not abandoned His church. In a plea for vindication, "the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne", cry out asking God how long He will wait to judge the earth. Yet, this is not a vindictive attitude, or one filled with hateful vengeance. Rather, these saints who have been martyred are zealous to see God glorified.
As one commentator writes, "The world mocks and hates the servants of God and, in so doing, God Himself is held in derision and contempt." But in spite of this contempt, God responds by telling them to "rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete." These are powerful words because in them we see that suffering is part of our lives as Christians. We are not immune to it, and we can't escape it. If we have placed our trust in God and in His Son we will suffer because of the testimony we maintain on account of him. And this begs the question.
How do you view suffering in your life? Is it something you will do anything to avoid? Or can you see that because you chose not to live by the standards of the world, but by God's standards, you will face suffering? On this point, one commentator gives us something to think about when he says, "How many of us consider suffering an expression of the grace of God? We live in a day in which the gospel has been so corrupted that some teach that the only reason Christians suffer is because of the lack of faith. What an affront this is to the thousands of Christians who die every year because of their faith!"
He's right! Instead of seeing suffering in our lives as a lack of faith, we need to see it as a testimony to the One we serve. We live in a fallen world full of pain and sorrow, but these words give us the freedom to express our feelings without guilt, knowing that the God we serve is in control and will act in due time. But what will it look like when God decides not to show restraint anymore?
Look at verses 12-14 where, with opening the sixth seal, God unleashes before us what John describes as, "a great earthquake". This earthquake is so powerful that it is, as one commentator said, "unparalleled in magnitude, reaching up into the heavens, blacking the sun, bloodying the moon, shaking the stars loose to fall to earth like figs in the wind, ripping the sky open like rolled papyrus, and then returning to earth to toss the mountains and islands from their places." What a display of power awaits those who have shown contempt for the authority and rule of God! This is how God is finally going to answer all of his critics throughout the centuries who have persecuted His church and mocked His name by living their lives on their terms. And how will his critics respond?
Verses 15-16 tell us with these words from the New Living Translation, "Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.'" What an incredible scene! This day is going to be so tragic and destructive that those being judged cry out to die rather than face the wrath of the One they had spent their whole lives denying. This is the day of judgment; the day most believed would never happen. But it has come, in incredible, earth-shaking, celestial-pounding power. The scope of the destruction will be so terrifying that John is forced to ask the question at the end of verse 17—the same question that is on all of our minds, "Who is able to stand?"
We all want to know the answer to this question. Does it make any difference in our lives if we cling to God in the middle of this period of tribulation, in whatever form it takes, or are we better off relying on ourselves as we try to cope with life in a fallen world? Said another way, does our faith in God offer any comfort at all as we grieve the loss of a loved one, struggle to parent our kids, wait for the phone to ring with a job offer, or even quietly sit with a diagnosis the doctor has just delivered to us? With all this going on in our lives, as we experience on a daily basis the things mentioned in verses 2-8, does clinging to God in the middle of it all make any difference? To find our answer, turn with me to chapter 7, where we'll see our second point, that we'll sum up this way…
Point 2: The Ones Still Standing...will receive the salvation for which they have waited and hoped (7:1-17)
After posing the question of who can survive God's judgment, which is the key question of our passage, once again the scene shifts. No longer are we in the midst of falling stars, a black sun, or a red moon. Now we find ourselves in a completely different situation; a place of peace and calm where we see what life after God's judgment looks like for those who have placed their enduring trust in Him. And who are these people? Look at verse 3. John writes, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” The ones mentioned in this verse are those who have faith in God, and were given the seal of the Holy Spirit, which they received when they placed their trust in Him. It is this seal that will protect them from tribulation guaranteeing entrance into eternity with the Father as they cling to Him and His Son in faith. These, who John hears as numbering 144,000 from every tribe in Israel in verses 4-8, are in fact the benefactors of God's covenant made thousands of years earlier with Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18; a promise where God would make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore, and in which all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring.
And who are these 144,000 specifically? Commentator, Grant Osborne, tells us when he says, "The 144,000 are the 'overcomers' of the tribulation period who remain true to Christ in the terrible persecution instigated by the beast. There will be many martyrs, but they will 'conquer' Satan by giving up their lives. At the level of the book of Revelation as a whole, it is also a message to the seven churches (and to us) to remain faithful to Christ. If we do so, we will be part of the 144,000 as well, whether we are martyred or not."
Now, look at verses 9-10. After hearing the number of the sealed, the 144,000, which is a symbolic number representing completeness, John sees who they are and he describes them as, "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” These are the ones who bare the seal mentioned in 7:3, which include all those who have placed their faith in God and His Son throughout history. These are the ones who have endured the tribulation by remaining faithful to God in the midst of hardship and suffering. These are the ones who are still standing—the ones who have waited and hoped for the salvation that God promised long ago. These are the faithful remnant, both Jews and Gentiles, from every nation, tribe, and tongue—the ones that God has kept as his very own; who have neither compromised their faith, nor given in to the thinking of this world.
From these, who are wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands, will come the cry, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” These are the ones who have endured and are still standing. And because of this, John tells us in verses 15-17, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
And what does it mean for those of us here and now who have placed our faith in God, and long for the day of salvation that is still yet to come? Pastor Scotty Smith tells us, "We will no longer merely 'know in part'. We will 'know fully even as we are fully known.' All of God's providences and sovereign dealing will become clear to us. Even the things which we despised most, the things that have caused us to question the mercy and might of God will be resolved. How I look forward to having a complete understanding. I firmly believe that for the first thousand years in heaven we are going to hear echoing throughout our Father's house, 'Oh, so that's what You were doing! Now I see it. Now I understand. Father, Your ways were not always easy, but now I see Your glory in all that you did, and I praise You for being so immeasurably good and wise.’"
And with all of this in mind, how are we to respond now as we anticipate what is to come? We continue to trust God, neither fearing the things going on around us, or giving in to the world's call to join in. We remember that God, who is our Father, is fully in control, even over the stuff that doesn't make sense to us. And most importantly, we cling to God during these days of tribulation, knowing that they won't last forever. If you have placed your trust in Christ, you have been sealed with His Holy Spirit, and will stand with Him in the last day. This is His promise to you. Rest in that promise. And as always, may God receive all the glory! Let’s pray together.
Father, as we leave this place, I pray that we would go as people who are filled with the confident hope that you are coming again, and a deep, deep trust that You are fully in control of all that is going on in this world, even though we may wonder what you are doing at times. Give us the strength we need on a daily basis to be faithful to Your calling, to endure the trials and tribulations that will come our way, and to live our lives worthy of the gospel. For this is what You have called us to, and to this end we will strive for Your glory. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stories, news, and resources for things happening at Gateway Church.
