in this study of the Book of
Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ. And I just can't
help, when I'm reading this, to stick to the theme of Revelation
1.1. There are many that would cause
us to turn aside and try to figure out when these four horsemen
rode and the conflict that they caused But I can't help but think
that we could do right by looking at Christ in each of them. Now,
I like a statement that Brother Gene Harmon mentioned one time
to me. That may not be the definition,
but that is a good application. And I'm looking for applications. I may miss some of the things,
the theological things, but I do have a center that's right here
in Revelation 1.1, the revelation of Jesus Christ. And when I run
into difficulty, I'm either gonna skip that passage or apply it
to Christ. And that's what I'm gonna do
tonight. I find that some of the old scholars that are not
paid too much attention to anymore, had some of the same views that
I've come to, this is another statement about Christ. But over
the years, the wiser ones have decided this probably applies
to sometime during the Roman Empire and their persecution
of the church. God's people have been persecuted
since Abel was slain by his brother outside the Garden of Eden. And
that persecution continues. And we're going to see here in
this passage of scripture that as we look at this second seal
that's opened up, a scroll of some magnitude, and it has seals
on it. It's written on the front and
the back. And it has some type of seal
on it. And what I get out of that is
it's like sealing wax. when they used to light a candle
and drip it on the envelope and then stick their seal in it.
And people knew if the seal had been broken. You couldn't have
opened, steamed open by accident like our new envelopes. Those
you knew if they'd been broken. And they had these seven seals
on them. Pieces that held him intact and
no man was able to open the book or to open the seals Except the
Lord Jesus Christ And he is the revelation of that book. He is
what's revealed in that book now the second seal I want to
read verses 1 through 4 of this sixth chapter and spend some
time on that second seal tonight and the horseman that's in that
and what he is doing and And I saw when the lamb opened one
of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder,
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 we looked
last week, this is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and
his weapons are not weapons of material things, it's spiritual
weapons. And it's the gospel and he conquers
souls with the gospel. And he goes forth with an intent
and a purpose of conquering every soul that he was given in the
covenant of grace before the foundation of the world. Now
they're unrepentant until he gives them repentance. And they're
unbelieving until he gives them belief. And they will not fall
before him in faith and belief until he gives it to them. But
he gives it to them and overcomes them and overwhelms them and
gives to them regeneration and peace within. And he conquers
them. And in retrospect, looking back
at the facts that occurred when God saves his people, when he
saved me, at the moment it was traumatic and I repulsed against
all the wooings of the Holy Spirit, but he overcame and instantaneously
I was thankful for all that he did to overcome me. I understood,
and I shared this with people, I understand more about grace
now than I've ever understood, and I didn't have to go to Strong's
Concordance to discover it. To overcome my sin, and to overcome
my nature, and to overcome my relationship with Adam, God was
gracious to do that, and he came forth conquering and to conquer,
and he does that. He will not lose the battle.
Now he may apply pressure and pull back and apply pressure
and pull back, but ultimately he will win. And the old fathers
put it this way, it was irresistible grace. And if we know anything about
grace, that's a positive thing. It's irresistible grace. He puts
it in such a fashion, with such power, that it's overwhelming
and irresistible. Now, in the second seal, when
he had opened the second seal, and remember, he's the only one
that has the ability, power, to open up these seals. A great angel called through
heaven and earth, under the earth. Is there any that could open
the book? And not one could open that book. And then, there's
the lamb. Seven horns, seven eyes, which
are the seven spirits. And this lamb came and took that
book. And it was such a giving and
taking at the same time by the father to the son. that we stand
in awe at that transaction. And he took that book and he
has been given, granted the power. Not only has he been given the
power, but he has it innately in himself to open that book. And now he does with no trouble. He doesn't have to go and get
a pry bar. With no trouble, he opens that
book. And with no trouble, he reveals
himself in the word of God. It is his innate power to reveal
himself in the word of God. And he has done it. Now, I have
to remember what the Lord Jesus shared with Peter. Flesh and
blood did not reveal this unto you. What that means is, you
didn't get this instruction from your parents. Now, it's good
to give instruction, and it's good to give good instruction,
but flesh and blood does not reveal Christ. But my Father,
which is in heaven, He's the one that reveals the Lord Jesus.
And it's a triune effort. It's the effort of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and it's a successful effort
in every instance. Now, there's a call that goes
out, general call that goes out, and people They pay no attention
to it, but there is a call. And we've looked at this in the
past, and you know what it is. When your mother or your father
called you, it was an internal call to you. Other kids may not
have paid any attention, but you did, because it was a call
that came from someone who cared. Now that's the call of the Holy
Spirit. It's internal and it is irresistible. Now, the second great event that
takes place here, the opening of this second seal, I heard
the second living creature say, come and see. And there went
out another horse. And that was has been provided
another horse red. And power has been added, and
was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth,
that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him
a great sword. Now it would be easy, and most
people with various views on end times, it's easy to take
this and look at it from a physical sense, but let's see what Jesus
said about this. Let's see what he said about
taking peace from the earth. The Lord had a lot to say about
that issue. He said he did not come to bring
peace. Now that's his words. Turn with
me, if you would, over to the book of Luke. Nothing has divided
a house like the gospel. Nothing has divided a land like
the gospel. Nothing has divided father and
mother like the gospel. Nothing has divided children
from parents like the gospel. Now other things have done that,
but nothing divides like the gospel divides. And there is
no anger like against the gospel. There's just no anger. I was reading about enmity. We're
enmity by nature, we're enmity. Now, a person who is an enemy
may be rectified, but the person used this illustration, but you
can't clean up vice. This is not being an enemy. An enemy can be reconciled, but
this is an item that is not tangible. You can't clean up vice. You can't make it better. It's
always going to be vice, and that's what it is in us. It's
enmity. It's having God as our enemy. And the only way that that can
be straightened up is God comes and rules in our heart and changes
our heart and gives us a love for God. Now notice here in the
book of Luke chapter 12, the Lord Jesus shares with us, and
over here it says, he came, power was given unto him that sat there
on to take peace from the earth. He has the power. to grant the
gospel to people and there's nothing that will take peace
from the earth like the gospel in the hearts of God's people.
In the times of the writing of the book of Revelation, some
of the greatest persecution against Christians up to that time was
noted and it was taking the gospel did not bring peace, it brought
the sword. Now notice this, Luke chapter
12, as the Lord Jesus spoke about this very thing, that second
horseman is granted power to take peace. Here in Luke chapter
12, verse 49, the scriptures share this, I am come to send
fire on the earth, And what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized
with, and how am I straight until it be accomplished? Suppose ye
that I come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, no, nay,
but rather division. For from henceforth there shall
be five in one house divided three against two and two against
three. The father shall be divided against
the son and the son against the father, the mother against the
daughter and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law
against the daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against the
mother-in-law. Now the Lord Jesus says, when I come and I bring
the gospel, it is going to have such an effect on people that
it will not bring peace in that house. It'll bring peace in your
heart. It's going to be a peace that passes all understanding.
It is a peace that is, you just can't paint. You just can't explain. But at the same time, that gospel
that God brings to his people is going to be a line of demarcation,
a line of separation, a line of division, a line of peace
and war. The gospel changes people and
when people find, you can accept religion and you can go from
religion to religion and not bother your family, but when
you are saved by the grace of God, by the grace of God performed in Christ
before the world began, People are going to have a problem with
it. And the Lord Jesus said, I send forth a horse, and on
that horse is a horseman, and that horseman's responsibility
is to take peace from the earth. I am going to show that this
is more than religion. I'm going to show that this is
more than just what has happened in the past. This is a true line
of demarcation. Turn with me, if you would, to
John chapter 7. John chapter 7, we read along
these same lines, and he carries a great sword. His influence
on taking peace from the world is produced by a great sword. I like what it says in the book
of Ephesians. We'll read that in a moment. But that sword of
the spirit, and he gives the definition of it, is the word
of God. The sword of the spirit is the
word of God. That's all he has ever used. He has never used a physical
sword. You cannot. I've had maybe I've
had too much fun with my granddaughter. And she's she's learning math. And I asked her the other day,
do you suppose if I turned you upside down, I could paddle these
math facts into you? And she says, no, granddaddy. No, granddaddy. We're not going to put any information
through by beating. We're going to get information
from God through regeneration. The law never put any positive
information in our brains. It was a beating. No positive
information about God came through the law. Positive information
about God, he said it's the love of God that constrains us. It's the grace of God that works
in us. It is the word of God that regenerates
us, is used to regenerate us. It's the Holy Spirit's activity
in us. God in His positive side is showing
us that this comes not by a sword of flesh, but by the sword of
the Spirit. John chapter 7, read there with
me verse 40, John chapter 7 verse 40. Many of the people, therefore,
when they heard this, said of a truth, this is the prophet.
Others said, this is the Christ. But some said, shall Christ come
out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that
Christ cometh of the seed of David and out of the town of
Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among
the people because of him. And some of them would have taken
him, but no man laid hands on him. Now notice verse 45. Then
came the officers of the chief priests and Pharisees, and they
said unto them, why have you not brought him? And the officers
answered, never a man spake like this man. Then answered them,
the Pharisees, are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of
the Pharisees believed on him? A division among them. The Lord
Jesus Christ said, I came not to bring peace but a sword. And
it's so evidenced here as he works his work of grace in some
and the work of grace not in others. And then they're proud
and boastful of the fact none of us have ever believed on him.
We've not taken him. Why haven't you brought him?
And they said, no man ever spoke like this man. Are you deceived? The division that Christ brings,
the division. He brought peace from the earth.
He took peace from the earth. Now he puts it in our soul, but
he never promised peace in this world. He promised peace within
us. This gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ has brought more division in households than any political
stand has. The country was divided in the
1860s over North and South. We're promoted now that it was
over slavery. It was over states' rights. Slavery was picked up
later. States' rights. We were divided. Households were divided. But
nothing like the gospel has divided. Households have been divided.
Families have been divided. Divorces have been caused over
it. Children have left. Parents have left. when the gospel
takes hold in people's lives. And the Lord Jesus said, I have
a horseman going through this world taking the peace from it. Well, it looks calm, but the
gospel comes and it brings peace and tranquility in the heart.
And I don't know of a Christian that has ever promoted this non-peaceful
attitude. A Christian is the most peaceful
person to be around. But it just sticks in the craw
of people. Christians are not kicking up
about it. In fact, most of the time, we just keep our mouth
shut. We just say, have it your way. The Lord Jesus told a group
of people, he said, you will not choose life. I was thinking about that today.
You will not choose life. Now, unless he works in us, we
won't either. But what a condemnation to a
people. Here is the greatest gift that's
ever been given, the greatest life ever to be lived, the greatest
hope ever to be hoped, and men will not take it. It will be
repulsive, in fact, to the point I will not have you talking about
it. I went home. I had transferred
from one religion to another religion when I was down in Texas
and came home and told my mother about my new religion. It was
Calvinism. And I was driving, I was sitting
in the back seat, she was driving, my grandmother was in the front
seat with her, and I was just driving along, and I mentioned
about this, and she almost had a wreck. She turned around and
says, you do not believe that. Well, really I didn't. But what,
what a opinion she had. I couldn't be so stupid as to
believe in Calvinism. Well, Grace is much more serious. You just don't argue about it,
but people want to argue. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Acts, Acts 13. Now, in this sense, here in the
book of Acts chapter 13, we are the blessed recipients of a whole
group of people not having any peace about the gospel. The Jews
didn't have any peace about the gospel. They were really saying,
we will not have this man rule over us. They were really saying,
we'll not have the gospel. We'll take it if we can demand
that the males be circumcised and keep the temple worship.
We'll take it. Paul just said, that's not going
to work. It's grace and grace alone, or it's works and works
alone. But you can't have them both
in the same sentence. Now here in the book of Acts
chapter 13, verse 45, the apostle was speaking, and he says, wherefore
he saith also in another psalm, thou shall not suffer thy holy
one to see corruption. For David, after he had served
his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and laid
upon his fathers and saw corruption. But he whom God raised again
saw no corruption. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which they could not be justified by the
law of Moses." Now, logically, you'd think this is just going
to have an overwhelming acceptance. They knew they couldn't keep
the law in the Old Testament. They had witnessed it. But now,
the Apostle Paul brings up to you verse 39 there of Acts 13,
and by him, all that believe are justified from all things.
Is there anything better? Forgiveness of sin and justification,
is there anything better to stand righteous with God and to be
just as if you had never sinned before God? Verse 40, beware,
therefore, lest that come upon you which was spoken of in the
prophets. Behold, ye despisers and wander
and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye
shall in no wise believe, though a man declared unto you. And
when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought
that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now,
when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious
proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them,
persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. The next Sabbath
day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of
God, but when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled
with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul,
contradicting and blaspheming. Resurrection, forgiveness of
sin, justification, reconciliation. Is there any negative about any
of those? My goodness. Forgiveness of sin,
reconciliation, justification. We couldn't keep it in the law
of Moses, but it's kept for us in Christ. Is there any better
news that we could ever hear? And here they are, the religious
people, were filled with envy, spake against those things which
were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. But did you
notice up here, verse 40, there is a horse, and on that horse
is a he, and that he is going through the world, taking away
peace. Beware, therefore, lest they
come upon you which is spoken in the prophets. Behold ye despisers,
and wander and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it unto you. He's taking peace from the world. Now notice here,
verse 44, the next, verse 46. Then Paul in Barnabas waxed bold
and said it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you. But seeing you put it from you,
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, What a condemnation. Judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life. The greatest thing that man could
ever have, the greatest hope, the greatest joy, the greatest
forgiveness, the greatest... Men judge themselves unworthy
of everlasting life. He said, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have sent thee to be a light of the Gentiles,
that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was
published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred
up the devout and honorable women and chief men of the city and
raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them
out of their coasts. Peaceful people. Paul and Barnabas just wanting
to get along, preach the gospel. And here are those who are so
tolerant. The most intolerant people are
the people who tell me they're tolerant. And here's those who
believe they're tolerant and they're the most intolerant people
on the face of the earth, and that's religious people. Intolerant. And they chased them out, and
it says here, that they shook off the dust off their feet against
them and came into Iconium, and the disciples were filled with
joy and with the Holy Ghost. Concrete and to conquer but he
also came to take peace from the earth and he does it with
his great sword It's the Word of God His great sword that he
wields was such a and clarity. It's the Word of
God. And these people were only fighting
against the Word of God, not against Paul and not against
Barnabas, but against the Word of God. And then, turn with me
back, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 10. Matthew,
chapter 10, verse 34. Matthew, chapter 10, verse 34.
We read these words about the subject the Lord said, I didn't
come to bring peace. I didn't come to bring peace,
not peace in this world. He never came to give Israel
their homeland. He never came to overthrow Rome. He never came to settle issues
between governments. He never came to put away slavery. He never came, he never preached
on the subject, never preached on the moral issues, never got
involved with the adult shops. He just preached the gospel.
That's the only thing that's ever gonna change anybody's mind,
is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Moral issues, he talked
about morality. He spoke to a woman at the well
about it. And then she went home and says, this man told me all
things ever I did, is not this the Christ? Now notice here in
the book of Matthew chapter 10. Two or three years ago, I went
to a family reunion, and my two older sisters were there, and
they had pinioned Jennifer up against a tree, and were trying
to find out what her father believed. And I came over there and heard
what was going on. I says, what's going on? Jennifer said, they're
trying to find out what you believe. And I says, ladies, if you want
to know what I believe, ask me. And he says, well, we hear you
are. And I says, if you'll check out your history, you'll find
out that almost everybody 200 years ago in America was people
that believed in the sovereignty of God. And they said, you're
probably correct on that issue. And I says, then why did you
change? Come find out from me. Don't
pinion my daughter up against a tree and try to figure it out.
I wasn't going around trying to create hate and discontent.
I wasn't even talking about religion. I wasn't talking about anything.
I was just having a family reunion. And they have to get nosy and
angry and bitter and go away feeling like that. They have
a problem. Matthew chapter 10 verse 34.
Think not that I am come to send peace on the earth. I came not
to send peace, but a sword. I didn't come to settle the issue
between Jews and Romans. I didn't come to settle issues
between Herodians and Pharisees. I didn't come to settle issues
between that group and this group. He came to preach the gospel. He came to wield his mighty sword. He came to call people out of
darkness to light. He called on Capernaum. If the works had been done in
Sodom and Gomorrah that have been done here, they would have
repented in sackcloth and ashes. the mighty works that he did
and didn't convert but just a few by his grace. Now, it goes on
to tell us here, a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of
me. He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of
me. Turn with me if you would to the book of Ephesians chapter
6. Ephesians chapter 6. Here's that sword, mighty sword. It isn't the sword of Rome. It
wasn't the Roman Empire. It wasn't them conquering the
known world at the time. This sword has been in effect
since the creation. This is the sword that Abel used. This is the sword that Adam gave
Abel. This is the word of God, the
sword. In Ephesians chapter six and
verse 13, it says, wherefore taken to you the whole armor
of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and
having done all to stand, stand therefore having your loins gird
about with truth and having the breastplate of righteousness.
When I read down through here, I think of that person who was
taking care of a knight. He helped him dress. Get his
armor on. Now, the knight didn't put his
own armor on. He stood there. And that, what
is it? Squire. The squire put the armor
on the knight. He stood there. Now, our squire
is the Lord. We don't put this armor on. It's
put on us the same as it was put on Adam and Eve when they
had those coats of skins. He is our squire. We're silent
before him, and he dresses us with the whole armor of God.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. It's spiritual things that God's
people wrestle against, in here and out here. 90% of it is here. We wrestle not against flesh
and blood. We wrestle against powers, against
the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. Therefore, take unto you the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore, having
your loins girt with the truth, and having on the breastplate
of righteousness. God exceedingly gives us a great
favor when he shares the truth with us. Pilate said, what is
truth? Jesus said, I'm the way, the
truth, and the life. When he shares the truth with
us, he is sharing with us an exceeding great portion of grace. He goes on to say here, and the
breastplate of righteousness. The right standing with God,
the Lord Jesus Christ is our breastplate. And having our feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. And it is
the gospel of peace. It gives us peace. And it gives
us peace in dark hours. It gives us peace in the night
seasons. It gives us peace. And above all things, take the
shield of faith. My goodness, it's his faith that
is our shield. We don't have the faith to fill
a thimble. But it's his faith that is our
shield. I used to like to watch Star
Trek. They put the shield around their spaceship. It wouldn't be touched by the
enemy. Just think of that. He put his
force shield around us, his shield of faith. Wherewith you're able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked. What's most of the darts of the
wicked? Hath God said. Hath God said. Are you sure he's sovereign? Hath God said. That's what Satan
did in the Garden of Eden. He didn't make Eve fall. He didn't
make Adam fall. He just questioned, put questions. What's the fiery darts of the
wicked one? spreading half-truths, and then he says, and take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word
of God. The sword of the spirit, that's
the only sword God has ever had. Now the conquistadors came into
Central and South America and took all those natives out there
in the ocean and made them confess that they were Christ and then
so they couldn't change their mind. The sword of the Spirit,
which is our peace, we don't need another sword. It's the
sword of the Spirit. It is the most powerful sword
in all the world. It can go deeper, cut cleaner
than any scalpel ever invented. It can go where no man can go. It's the sword of the spirit.
And just look at this fiery red horse. And he that sat on that
horse has the power to take the peace from the earth and carries
a mighty sword. When he comes upon a people and
saves people, it's going to leave a void and a vacuum right there.
What was it that those people, Paul's best friends, tried to
do to him once the Lord saved him? And he started saying, you
know what Moses was talking about over in the Old Testament? Christ,
who was crucified down in Jerusalem. And they set out to kill him.
Set out to kill him. And he took their peace from
them. This one. And they went out another horse
that was red. and powers given unto him that
sat on thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they
should kill one another. And they were given unto him
a great sword. Finally, would you turn with
me over to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel chapter nine. There is
such a delightful verse of scripture, a little passage of scripture
here. Death is coming. And it's sure
and swift here in the book of Ezekiel. But before death can
take place, one is sent out to put a mark on the foreheads of
people to identify them as not suffering death. My goodness,
what an illustration of election. that God would put a mark on
people. Now notice here in the book of
Ezekiel chapter 9 verse 1, he cried also in my ears with a
loud voice saying, cause them that have charge over the city
to draw near. Every man Even every man with
his destroying weapon in his hand. And behold, six men came
from the way of the higher gate, which lies towards the north,
and every man a slaughterer weapon in his hand. And one man among
them was clothed with linen. with a writer's ink horn by his
side. And they went in and stood beside
the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel
was gone up from the cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the
house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had
a writer's ink horn by his side. And the Lord said unto him, go
through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem,
and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that
cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
And to the others he said in mine hearing, go ye after him
through the city, and swine, let not your eye spare, neither
have ye pity. Slay utterly old and young, both
maids and little children and women. but come not near any
man upon whom is the mark. We justly deserved eternal death,
but God in his rich providence has gone before and put a mark
on all his people and has commanded, don't touch them. My gospel will work a work of
grace in them. It goes on to say, just a little
bit there, Ezekiel chapter 9, verse 6. Slay utterly old and young, both
maids and little children and women. But come not near any
man upon whom is the mark, and begin at my sanctuary. Then they
begin at the ancient men that were before the house. And he
said unto them, defile the house and fill the courts with the
slain. Go ye forth. And they went forth and slew
in the city. Now most of Ezekiel is speaking
in figurative language, in spiritual language. He's just sharing with
us what grace is. I'll go forth, I have marks on
people, and they'll not have a second death, but everyone
else. And that said, I'll take the
peace from this earth, and they'll kill each other. And I'll carry
a great sword, and my sword is the word of God, more powerful
than any sword, any weapon that has ever gone forth. It took
a powerful king in the book of Daniel and caused him to say
this, God doeth his will among the armies of heaven and the
inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say
what doest thou? That's what God did with a powerful
king of Babylon. And he continues to do that with
his people. They say, he doeth his will in
the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stop him or say, what are you doing? God goes
forth conquering and to conquer. And the results of it, you can
just watch. The results of it, there's a
whole bunch of people lost their peace when God saves one of his
sheep. It's just like a ripple. We'll stop there for tonight.