Who Is Able to Stand? 

In my previous sermon I talked about what took place when the first four seals of the scroll were broken.  The four different colourful horses appeared; white, bright red, black, and the pale horse.  The white horse represented the pure church which followed Christ, the bright red horse represented the persecuted church, the black horse the church which lost the light of God’s word, and the pale horse representing the dying church.  This represents the Christian history from the time of the apostolic church to the church where the pope seized political power.  But that’s not all.  It warns that if the pure church loses the light of the gospel, it will die away.  

Now, as the fifth seal was broken, John saw a different scene from the previous four.  He did not see any horses. But he saw slain martyrs.  They were under the altar.  What does this scene represent?  The place under the altar was where the blood of slain animals were drained and poured out.  These people/martyrs were there.  So they were all the faithful people sacrificed for the Lord.  Their lifeblood was poured out as an offering to God.  Verse nine says that they died because of God’s word and the testimony they held. 

Strangely however, these people although dead were crying out.  This should be understood symbolically because the entire sixth chapter is described with symbols.  We should not try to understand the fifth seal literally.  Let’s look at verse ten.  Let us see them cry.

Revelation6:10 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?"

These people are pleading for God’s quick judgment.  They are requesting Him to judge their enemies and punish them justly.  Because they witness public unrighteousness on the earth.  They see evil people working fine for a long time.  Let’s look at verse eleven.  There is a response from their cries. 

Revelation6:11 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.

Each of the martyrs were given a white robe.  This is the garment of salvation.  Their eternal life was promised.  But they are told that they should rest for a little while yet to see the judgment on the earth.  How long?  Until the number of their fellow men is completed.  This indicates that more people will be persecuted and killed.  The Lord is counting the number of sacrifices.  And when He has seen enough, He will execute judgment on the enemy.  His divine plan is beyond our human comprehension. 

Now let’s study the sixth seal.  Please open verse twelve and thirteen.  A series of unusual phenomena happens.  First, great earthquakes take place.  Then the sun turns black like a sackcloth made of hair. The moon turns red like blood.  A great number of stars of heaven will fall down to earth.  These phenomenon actually occurred in the late 18^th century, and the early 19^th century.  It took place in Europe and in North America where people were studying the Bible and the prophecies and had enough knowledge to recognize their importance.  Furthermore they took place in the proper sequence as recorded in Revelation. 

First , a great earthquake shook Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 1755, at 9:20 in the morning.  Approx. 100,000 people were killed by the earthquake including 80,000 killed by a tsunami.  Geologists today estimate the Lisbon earthquake approached magnitude 9 on the Richter scale, and it was one of the most destructive and deadly earthquake in history. 

Next, on May 19, 1780 an abnormal darkening of the day sky was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada.  The darkness started in Connecticut at about 10:00 in the morning starting from the southwest. From there it moved rapidly northward over several states.  It was so complete that candles were required from noon until midnight.  And then it finally dispersed and the stars could be seen.  The moon looked like blood.  Many people were frightened at this abnormal phenomenon. 

And on November 13, 1833 people saw stars falling in North America.  Peter McMillman, of the magazine The Telescope, estimated that from 100,000 to 200,000 stars fell per hour.  Toronto newspapers described the event as an ‘atmospheric phenomenon, the most splendid exhibition of meteoric lights perhaps even seen… Those who witnessed the scene were affected differently, some with agreeable delight, others with apprehensions of evil, but all with astonishment.  Some gave character to their feelings by exclaiming, ’The sky was falling to pieces.’’’ 

Now what do you think of the scenes described in verses from 14 to 17.  These have not yet taken place.  They are future events.  We are living in the times between verses 13 and 14.  In the near future the heavens will depart as a scroll, and every mountain and every island will be removed.  All different classes of people from earthly kings to slaves will see the unusual heavenly phenomena, and hide themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.  They will pray to the mountains and the rocks with a loud voice by saying; "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!　For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"  Do you want to be in that prayer meeting?  Do you want to pray to the mountains and the rocks?  Or do you want to be in the prayer meeting where people pray to the Great Creator of the heaven and the earth? 

Here you can see a sharp contrast between people in the fifth seal and the ones in the sixth seal.  Those who appeared in the fifth seal kept God’s word and held its testimony.  Because of their faith they were persecuted and killed.  But they prayed to Him that He would execute judgment on those who dwelt on the earth.  On the other hand those who appeared in the sixth seal tried to hide themselves from the caves and the rocks because of the unusual changes in nature.  They ran away from God, thinking that the disasters were caused by His divine anger.  And finally they could not bear the anger any more and offered a meaningless prayer to the mountains and the rocks for help.  The former believe in Him, and the latter ran away from Him. 

As this history is coming to an end, you will be asked to take one of the two choices.  Because of this I want you to deepen your relationship with God NOW, so that you will be able to stand firmly on His side without any hesitation. 

Brothers and sisters, without trusting in the Lord, we cannot stand fast during the worst of times.  There is no spiritual strength where there is no trust.  Left on our own, we are totally incapable of doing anything.

Just a few days ago I read an article saying that a woman who disappeared in the jungles of Cambodia when she was an 8 year old, was found after 19 years and was reunited with her family.   She lived in the wild, in the jungle.  The local police reported that she looked half human and half animal.  She walked hunched forward like a monkey.  Of course, her language was incomprehensible.  When she became hungry, she patted her stomach.  When they clothed her, she took it off.  If a man is left on his own and isolated, he will not be able to live like a man.  Man is very weak when left to live on his own strength.  So let us always trust in the Lord and live with Him. 

After the Second World War a young American teacher went to Europe to teach small boys in a class.  There was one clever boy who was distinguished among the children in the class.  He was very different from the others.  He didn’t get involved in any fights with other boys.  After school he always helped the teacher with whatever work there was in the classroom. 

One day after school, she called him and said; “Johnny, you seem to be so different from the other boys you must have wonderful parents.  Would you take me home to meet them?”  The little boy hung his head and did not answer.  But after a little while he said with tears, “I can’t introduce you to my parents.  They are both dead.”

Taking this opportunity the boy began to tell her his story.  He had been living with his parents in a castle in one of the small countries of Europe.  His father was a prince.  But the war came, and with it an enemy army marched into the palace, and arrested his father and mother.  They led the parents away, leaving their boy.   

After walking some distance, the father asked permission to talk to his son.  The commanding officer granted him five minutes.  The mother ran to him and swept him into her arms as she wept.  The father came to him, stood at attention, clicked his heels, and saluted.  The boy also stood at attention, clicked his heels and saluted.  The father knelt down and said, “My son, these men are going to take us away and kill us.  But they are not interested in children.  So run away as far as you can.  There is only one thing that I ask of you.  Never forget that you are the son of a prince.  Always act like the son of a prince.”

The parents departed and marched down the road.  As the boy saw the soldiers raise their weapons, he heard the shots.  He saw the father and the mother fall to the ground.  The boy ran away.  For days he traveled from place to place, and met a kind family who took take care of him.  And he never forgot what his father had told him.

Having said all these things, he said in conclusion; “Teacher, now do you know why I am different from the other children?  My father was a prince.  And I can’t dishonour him.”

Bothers and sisters, our true Father is the God of heaven.  He is not an earthly king, but He is the King of Kings who created heaven and earth and is controls them.  We are His sons and daughters.  Let us be proud of this and live a good life as His children. 

Let us keep God’s word and bear His testimony in life, just as the slain martyrs who appeared in the 5^th broken seal.  And let us stand fast before the Lord though the sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places when the 6^th seal is broken. 

When you hear a loud voice saying “Who is able to stand, as the great day of His wrath has come,” let us be the ones who is able to stand there and bear witness to the Lord.