Fourth seal. This is the last
seal. It's introduced by one of the
four living creatures the fourth seal and let's read Revelation
chapter 6 verses 1 through 8 and Then we'll spend a little time
on verses 7 and 8 Revelation chapter 6 verses 1 through 8
and I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard
as it were the noise of thunder and one of the four living creatures
saying, come and see. And I saw, and behold, a white
horse. And he that sat on him had a
bow, and a crown was given unto him. And he went forth conquering
and to conquer. And when he had opened the second
seal, I heard the second living creature say, come and see. And
there went out another horse that was red. And power was given
unto him that sat thereon to take peace from the world, from
the earth, that they should kill one another. And there was given
unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third
seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And
I beheld an old black horse, and he that sat on him had a
pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst
of the four living creatures say, A measure of wheat for a
penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou
hurt not the oil and the wine. Verse 7 and 8, And when he had
opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living
creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale
horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed
with him, and power was given unto them over the fourth part
of the earth. to kill with sword and with hunger,
with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Fourth seal, as
we find it here in the book of Revelation, chapter 6, verses
7 and 8. I'd like to say that the Lord
never delegated his position, power, characteristics, or attributes
to another. And why should he do it on the
fourth seal here with this horse. The three previous seals in the
book of Revelation, we see the revelation of Jesus Christ, and
he owns not only the office of prophet, priest, and king, but
he owns many other offices, and they're quite evident here in
these first four seals that were opened. In the first seal, he's
declared to be the one who overcomes sin and sinners. He goes forth
conquering and to conquer. And he's the one that is seen
in such a powerful office as going forth and overcoming not
just sin, but sinners. And the second seal, he had a
great sword. And with that, he will not let
the truth and error abide side by side. What fellowship does
truth and error have together? And he says, I'll bring, well,
they're in verse, I'll take peace from the earth.
Would you turn with me to the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter
6. 2 Corinthians, chapter 6. He cannot, he will not allow
the truth and error to lay together. He will not allow them to abide
together. There is such a distance between
truth and error. And we never find in the scriptures
when the Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthians or to the
Galatians or to the Romans that the error that they may have
been practicing was almost the truth. You're either walking
with him or you're opposed to him. That's what the Lord Jesus
said. You're either walking with me or you are against me. You're
either with me or against me. There's a broad way, there's
a narrow way. There's not just almost, but there's such a diametrical
opposition between the truth and error. error always centers
around the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice
here in the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14, Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light
with darkness? So the Lord Jesus said in one
of his positions, one of his places that he serves, as we
find he's prophet, priest, and king, but he's also the one that
absolutely will not allow truth and error to rest together. They can't be on the same limb
together. There's going to be error. Error
will raise up. Error will cause the lack of
peace. As we find the Lord Jesus said,
I came not to bring peace, but a sword. There's going to be
variance between mothers and sons, fathers and daughters,
daughters-in-law, and so forth. And this comes as a result of
the gospel of the Lord Jesus. And then we noticed here in the
third seal, he has control of where the gospel is delivered.
Went up to him where it's preached and it's up to him where his
preachers are. There's no extra preachers. And there's none lacking. There's no places that he desires
to have a preacher go that there isn't a preacher. There's no
place in this world where the gospel needs to be preached,
and if there is, he'll make sure a preacher gets there. Now, I'm
not saying it's someone standing in a pulpit. I'm saying it's
someone who knows the gospel. They're gonna take the gospel,
and there's nothing lacking, and there's not an overmuch.
He has exactly the right number, and when the gospel is prevented
from going into a place, it's this one who rides on this horse
with the balances in his hand and brings that famine. And if
he decrees and desires that there be the gospel preached in the
area, nothing can prevent it. It will be preached. He will
get someone there and people will bend over backwards to have
it there. Now it doesn't mean that there won't be a fuss. but
he's gonna win. Doesn't mean that there won't
be people opposed to it, but he will win. We follow the account
of those missionaries down in Mexico, and they fought with
the Mexican government for years, but the Lord won. And there's
been people saved as a result. Why? Because there were lost
sheep down there. Now, there's places where the
gospel isn't being preached. There's only one reason that
there's not somebody there to preach the gospel. God hasn't
moved on someone to be there. And that's he doesn't have any
extras, and he doesn't have any lacking. And it's not up to us
to ever call anybody into any ministry. That's the ministry
of the Holy Spirit. That's what he did when he said,
separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have
sent them. And he set them aside. He had a mission for them to
go to, a place for them to go to. And as we noticed last week,
the Apostle Paul had a desire to go into Asia, and he was prevented. He had a desire to go north,
he was prevented. And then when he received a message
from God, the Holy Spirit, and a dream, a man of Macedonia,
please come over here. That was a clear sign to the
Apostle Paul That's the direction I'm going to go in. Now there
was no doubt a great dearth of famine in the places where the
gospel was not preached, but there's no reason to go there
if God doesn't open the doors and he will prevent people from
going. And when there's a need, there's going to be a flower
bloom. It looks like a dormant place, but God's going to raise
up the flower of his grace, and there will be the preaching of
his gospel, and there will be people gathered around it, and
there will be people saved as a result of it. And then, if
he chooses, like he has in so many places, there will be a
succession of the gospel being preached, but it will be preached
somewhere else. He has his lost sheep in every
kingdom, every principality, every nation, every tongue, everywhere,
and when it's time, he will cause them to bloom. They will be brought
out of darkness into his marvelous light. And so he has the balance,
and he's going to bring famine. Now, it doesn't mean that there's
not going to be famine in the world, physical famine, but it's
a far greater famine when there is no gospel being preached.
And as we look at that second seal that was opened, there's
no greater peace lost than when it's over the gospel. And the
Lord Jesus said, I came not to bring peace, but the sword and
I will bring variance. They cannot stay together in
the same place. It can't and will not be tolerated.
And I just remember when the Lord saved me down there at central
point, I just could not believe that the people I'd been with
for over 10 years would just say. You have 45 days to get
out of the church parsonage. I could, but they did me a favor.
Best thing they could have ever done for me. You have to leave. All right, now let's look here
at this fourth, this fourth great picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. What seems to be out of control
is in his direct control. And that is death. There is a
verse right here at the beginning of the book of Revelation, and
that's found in chapter 1, verse 18. Would you turn there with
me? And that's why I just have to say this about this verse.
This is not about some future phenomena. This is not about
some future pestilence. This is ongoing. This has been
around since Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, and the Lord
Jesus Christ is in charge of it. He has not given up his office
of being in charge of this, the greatest, greatest fear, the
greatest fear of man, and that's death. But notice here in Revelation
chapter one, and there in verse 18, It says, I am he that liveth
and was dead, and behold, I'm alive forevermore, amen, and
have the keys of hell and of death. He is in charge. of this phenomena that every
one of us must go through. Now notice here in this fourth
living creature introduces the Apostle John to this site and
says, and I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that
sat on was death and hell followed after him. So often this phenomena is looked
at with dread. But to God's people, this is
the friendliest of the four horsemen. It is through this that we're
introduced to glory. It is through this that it's
the passage door to heaven. It's through this door, through
the door of death. This phenomenon that is so dreaded
is looked forward to by God's people. Turn with me way back
in the Psalms, Psalm 23. You've read this a thousand,
no, maybe a hundred times. A hundred times. I don't want to be exaggerating.
But Psalm 23, look at this with me if you would. He has the power
over a definite number. It says that one quarter of the
earth shall be slain. He has the power of death over
a definite number. And death comes by many means.
It comes by sword and famine and pestilence and war and even
wild beasts. It comes, but God's in charge
of it. The Lord Jesus is in charge of it. What seems to be out of
control is under his direct control, and that's death and hell. The
Lord is the Lord thereto. He's not lost his position over
death or over hell. He is L, capital L-O-R-D, over
death and hell. He rules over that just like
he does all other parts of this world and the kingdom. Notice
here as this writer is a welcome visitor to the children of God. As he approaches, he is a welcome
visitor to God's people. Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth
me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod
and thy staff, they comfort me. So this is a welcome horse. This is the Pony Express rider
with the best news that a person could ever hear. Can you imagine
what it was like to live out there in San Francisco and get
a mail by a Pony Express rider from some loved one back there?
Now, it cost him a lot. Cost him several dollars to get
that letter on that Pony Express rider. But he's riding a pale
horse, and he has the power of death and hell under his control.
And in approaching his people, he comes in peace and great glory
to welcome his people into his presence. This, his representation
at this point, is the door to glory. The representation of
the Lord Jesus Christ in this verse of scripture is God's door
to His presence. He has purposed that every one
of His saved sheep shall enter into His presence in this way,
and it has happened since Abel down to this very day. Now, if
the Lord should happen by His providence and purpose appear
tonight, He said this, We shall not precede those that have already
passed on, but they shall rise and we shall be with them and
we shall all be together. But more than likely, and I hate
to put it on a gambling position, we will enter into his presence
by this great master, Lord of heaven and earth, riding a pale
horse. and he is in charge of our entrance
into his presence. He knows the day and the hour. There's an appointment that he
has written in a book. It is appointed unto man once
to die, and after that, to be in his presence. Now, to those
without Christ, it will be to judgment. To those that are in
Christ, they've already been judged in Christ. We'll understand
that better than we understand it now. So here he is, coming
on that great horse, sitting, riding in power and great glory,
and introduces us to the presence of glory by what he is. He is in charge of our last breath
on this earth. We spend our lifetime in preparation
for that door. Once the Lord saves us or whether
or not he ever saves us, the whole life of man is in preparation
for that day. And when the Lord saves us, our
whole life is in preparation for when this horse arrives.
Now we've already met three horses. in our life. We've met that great
king sitting on a horse with his power and ability to present
to us the gospel and conquer us and going forth to conquer.
We've already met that great one sitting on that horse. I'd
like to use the word stallion. Great, mighty stallion sitting
there. And he says, when I come, You're
going to see the lack of peace, but I brought it. Don't think
it's you. It's me. They're revolting against
me. We've already seen that. He's
going to come with that. And then we find that one. Oh, Lord, I want to speak up.
I wish Lord I'd have been saved earlier. And we have that great
stallion come up with him who is above all the great amen saying
I'm in charge of where the gospel goes. I'm in charge of who preaches
the gospel. You be thankful. I went to your
house. Don't worry about when I came.
You be thankful I came to your house. And then someday, someday,
it's already struck some. We've already known some that
that great stallion came with the one sitting on him who had
death in his hand. and he entered into glory through
this way." Oh, I just, I think of, since I've been here, the
ones that, it was the easiest, couple easy sermons to preach
for Bob Farrell and for that old preacher, Ben Preston. Just easy. I, sometimes you're
asked to preach a funeral service and, boy, you have to, they want
you to get them into heaven and you just can't. It's not my business. I'll never forget going down
there with Milton Howard to a funeral, and that mama of that boy that
died, she came up to him and took him aside and says, don't
preach him into hell. That's all her request was. He said, that's not my job. My
job is to preach the gospel with that horse and that great one
that sits on it. We've met three already. As time
goes on, we'll meet the fourth one, that great fourth captain,
the captain of our salvation, who is the door of our entrance
into glory. Turn with me, if you would, over
to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is, we
see this great work of grace, great work of grace. For 2 Corinthians chapter 5,
verse 1, I'll tell you Methuselah, Methuselah lived to be what,
969 years old? Oh, can you just imagine how
weary he was with the things that were going on? He was just weary. Oh, he heard tell about how how
that was in the Garden of Eden, and now look at it. Now he lived
to see a lot of generations of his family, and oh my, he lay
his head down on the bed every night and say, my goodness, can
it get any worse? And this horseman came up and
took him out. Second Corinthians chapter five,
verse one, for we know that If our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with
hands eternal in the heavens. For if in this we groan earnestly,
desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven,
if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan. Being burdened, can you imagine
what, 969 years of life? What a burden was on him. I read back 400 years and those
old preachers said, the kids are gone in a handbasket. Life is bad, religion is bad,
everything's bad. Well, we don't think it can get
any worse, just wait a while. In this life, there's not going
to be any peace in this world. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened. Not for that we should be unclothed,
but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought us for the self, same thing as God,
who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit, the down
payment, of eternal life is the regenerated being that's in us,
captivated and held in sway by the Holy Spirit. This rider is
a welcome victor. to the children of God. Now,
as we think about the events that went on here early in the
book of Revelation, have gone on down through the ages, the
dark ages, the middle ages, our ages, the 18th century, 19th
century, 20th century, 21st century, before Christ, the ages that
went down. I've just been reading there
about Israel and how many times After God did a great work for
them, did they turn right around and complain? Complain, complain. Now, they are a picture of the
church, but it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of them knew
the first thing about grace. They're just a whole flock of
lost people. They don't represent the church
when they're complaining. They represent natural man when
they're complaining. They're complaining. Now, there
are five things that will help us as we face the sorrows and
difficulties of this life. As long as we are in the world,
there will be, there will be pain and sorrow. There will be affliction and
persecution. There will be. We don't get an
escape route on that. They will be our constant companions. They will be. Now, rises and
falls, but there will be. Turn with me, if you would, to
Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Oh, what a wonderful
verse of scripture this is. Isaiah 43 at verse 2. Just shares a lot. We have all
the, when that second horse comes along. Says I'm going to take
peace from the world. My goodness, we're out there.
We're just having a grand time rejoicing in the great things
of God in our salvation. And someone comes along and says. I don't like what you're saying. I disagree with you. I don't
like you. Leave. Family friends. Well, look here. Isaiah 43 verse
2, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. So when you pass through the
waters, when you pass through the rivers, when you walkest
through the fire, I'll be with you. Secondly, whatever we suffer,
In this world, we suffer from the hands of a gracious God. It's his prescription. Turn with
me, if you would, over to the book of Revelation, chapter six,
again, in verse four. Revelation, chapter six, in verse
four. And there went out another horse
that was red, and power was given unto him that sat thereon to
take peace from the earth. Power was given unto him that
sat thereon. Whatever happens, happens at
the result of a gracious God. All things are regulated by God's
decree. What happened to John was according
to God's decree. What happened to Saul, Paul of
Tarsus, was according to God's decree. The thorn in the flesh
was according to God's decree. Everything that happened was
according to God's decree. When Paul left a man on an isle
sick was according to God's decree. He's in charge of that just like
he's in charge of hell and death. What happens, he's in charge
of, and he's a gracious God. I was talking to Wayne Boyd the
other day, and he's got more work than he can do. He just,
and it's, his job is cleaning houses that are freshly built.
The contractor that he works for has houses down the road,
and here we are in this great housing recession. He said, I
got more work. We are working more hours. On
and on he went. He says, God is good. And I says,
Brother Wayne, if you weren't working, God is still good. His goodness is not measured
whether we have a job or not. His goodness is his character. It is his goodness that leadeth
us to repentance. Now, I didn't try to correct
him or anything, and he said, you're right, you're right. You
know, we all know that that's the truth. God is not, his goodness
is not dependent on how he treats us. His goodness is his character. That's one thing I really learned
when Jennifer was in that near fatal accident. People said,
God is good, he spared her. It just struck me, God is good
if he'd have taken her. I'm glad he left her, but God
will still be good. He's gracious. God uses sorrows
and afflictions to refine and purify and strengthen. Turn with
me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews
chapter 12, it shares a lot about our position before the Lord.
In fact, when he does these things, it's a sure sign that we're children
of God and not illegitimate, not just, well, I heard a preacher
down there at Florida saying not zombies. Not dead ones trying
to look alive, that's the inference. If we created, we got someone
to be religious, we've got a zombie on our hands. They've never been
resurrected. They're going through the form,
but they have no life in them. So spiritual zombies, that's
all that can be created by religion. But God has resurrection. He resurrects people who are
dead in trespasses and sin. It's the new birth. It is so
powerful. He puts life in. We can only
put life on the outside. We can dress up the outside.
We can put lipstick on and color the hair and all that. We can
do all that stuff. But we can't make life. But God can. And that's the difference. Paul was led to write, we have
this treasure in earthen vessels. And it doesn't take very long
for us after we've been saved to find out how earthen our vessel
is. But thanks be to God, there's
a treasure in it, and it's called the spirit of a thrice holy God. That's our down payment, our
eternal security is based on that. Now notice here in the
book of Hebrews, those who have Christ, he has promised this,
Hebrews 12, verses five through 11. And ye have begotten, excuse
me, you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto
children. My son, despise not thou the chasing of the Lord,
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth,
he chastens." Now, what does he do? I think one of the things
he does so well is he reminds us that we couldn't know the
first thing about sin until we're regenerated. And then he reminds
us every day, we're children of Adam, fail. We're just frail,
frail as the dust. We're frail as stubble, and we
have to depend on him. We're frail in our righteousness.
We have none of our own. He reminds us of those things. We couldn't get it through our
head before we were regenerated, but afterwards, how does he chase
this? He reminds us where we came from. He doesn't want us to get this
head about us that we're more valuable, more important than
our God, that we can do things without him. I just can't help
believe that that's one of the way he just chastens us. You're
dust and I made you into life. Just remember what Adam was before
God breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, a pile of dirt. But when God breathed on him,
he became a living soul. All he reminds us, just read
the scriptures, he reminds us, without me ye can do nothing. The flesh profiteth nothing. If that isn't chastening, our
old pride just loves to get up above that. We want to get above
that, but Christ just continuously reminds us, it is I and not you. It is my righteousness and not
your righteousness. It is my peace and not your peace. It is me and not you. And he
does it in such a delightful way. Oh, Lord. How could I ever
get haughty? And he just, well, then he chases
us, brings us the word. He says, look at the Jews. And then don't ever say, I'd
never do that. He chastens us. He just corrects
us. Now he goes on to say here, verse
six, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourges every
son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? Oh, he just shows us Christ and
shows us the weakness of the flesh. Paul said, when I am weak,
then am I strong. How'd he know that? Chasing hand
to God, kept him down so he could look at Christ. Then he goes
on to say here, but if ye be without chastisement, if you
think more of yourself than you think, you know you are. If you're
a little haughty and high-minded about your position before the
Lord, he says here, where of all our partakers, then are you
bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have much have
had fathers of our flesh, which correct us and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the father of spirits and live? He'll chasten
us. He'll chastise us. He'll correct
us. He does it through his word,
and I just can't help but think he just reminds us. You're a
child of Adam. Don't think of yourself more
than you are. I raised you, not you. I gave
you repentance, not you. I am where I placed you where
you are, not you. And he just keeps reminding us.
And you know, when he does, we're thankful. We're thankful. Another thing I find there with
that horse in the midst of all our trials, when we see death
coming, when we see trials, the Savior's with us. I'll never
leave you nor forsake you. He just puts us on behind him. He just picks us up and puts
us on behind him. And our trials, this I just love,
our trials soon will be over. Either by the intervention of
Providence or him calling us home. Our trials will soon be
over. Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans, chapter 8. Romans, chapter 8. Oh, how glorious, these four
horsemen. They all represent the same person.
They're allegories about the same person. They're the four
gospels in many respects, just like we read Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. We see something in one that we don't see in the
others. This one left this out, these three added, these three
spoke about it. You put it all together and you
get that description and that testimony about the Lord Jesus
Christ that God intended for us to have. Here as we look at
these four horsemen, we see the characteristics and attributes
of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, when it comes to the redemption
of his people. He is the conqueror and he saves
his people. from their sins. He is the one. He says, don't you worry when
divisions come. It's not them hating you. It's
them hating me. What did Samuel, oh man, he just
wept when they wanted a king. And the Lord says, they're not
rejecting you. They're rejecting me from ruling
over them. And that's just the way it is.
And then, Oh Lord, I sure wish you'd have come to me sooner.
He says, I'm the one that's in charge where the gospel goes.
I'm the king of the gospel. If it's dark, it's there for
a reason. If it's light, I'm there for
a reason. If I came, I came for a reason. If I don't go, I don't go for
a reason. And then finally he says, I am
the door. that will pass you between this
life of corruption and this life of problems and this life of
fears and this life and this life of all the stuff we go through. I'm the door that will present
you to glory. I am the king of death. A lot
of people got death blamed on the devil. He's in charge. The
Lord Jesus never relinquished that position. He has the keys
of hell and of death. Now notice here in Romans chapter
8, verse 35, what delightful verses of scripture we have here
that the Apostle Paul was used to write for our comfort. Romans
8, 35, it says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword, all those things that this one riding on
the horse. Shall any of these things separate
us from the Lord Jesus Christ? As it is written, for thy sake
we're killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we're more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So whatever it
is, by the providence of God, by
the intervention of God's providence, or by him calling us home, the
Lord will put an end to our sorrow. And even Methuselah, 969 years,
the Lord opened up the gates of heaven through the door of
death and he saw him in his glory. Now I intended to have a hymn
book out here that had a song mark. One of the old hymn writers
wrote a song about death being a servant of the Lord to be the
door into glory. I'll read that some other time.