Okay, let's find Revelation 6.
And we'll be looking at verse 9 down through verse 17. And
we'll be seeing here the Lord Jesus Christ opening the 5th
and the 6th seals. Remember that book of God's decrees
was sealed with 7 seals. Well, we're going to see in our
study today what happens when the 5th seal is opened and when
the 6th seal is opened. The opening of the 5th and 6th
seals will be the title of the message. The Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Lamb upon the throne has prevailed. continues to open,
fulfill perfectly, to execute all the decrees of God both now
and forever. He said, I've spoken it. I've
purposed it. I'll bring it to pass. I will
do it. God is executing all His will. His will is an eternal will.
His purpose is an eternal purpose that cannot fail, that cannot
be altered. He works all things after the
counsel of his own will. What he has purpose to do, he
will do. He will do. Write it down. In
our study today, we see the Lord Jesus Christ opening those two
seals, the fifth and the sixth seal, of the book of God's eternal,
immutable decrees. That's what that book is all
about. God's immutable, eternal decrees. Known unto God are all
of his works from the beginning. The foreknowledge of God. A lot
of people talk about the foreknowledge of God, and they describe it
as God's foreseeing what the creature would do. That is not
the biblical definition of God's foreknowledge. God has foreknowledge
of all things because God has foreordained and decreed all
things that come to pass. You see, he knows all things
because he has decreed all things from the beginning. Now we saw
in chapter five When the question was asked who was worthy to take
the book and to open the seals thereof, no one else could open
the book of God's decree but the lion, of the tribe of Judah,
who is the Lamb upon the throne, who is our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is Almighty God. No one else was worthy or had
the right or title or power to do so, but our great God. He has all power. He is God,
our Savior. So we see in each of these seven
seals that we'll study It's our blessed Redeemer who has all
authority, power, might, and dominion. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion. He reigns from everlasting to
everlasting power of God. He has all authority to open
the book, to fulfill and control all things according to God's
purpose. and for the glory of God and
the good of His people. You think of everything that's
going on, that has ever gone on in this world that we call
time, our time world, everything comes to pass exactly as God
had decreed it, ordered it, ordained it, predestinated everything. Everything, all things are of
God. Isn't that what Paul writes in
Romans chapter 11? Of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever. And
then it says, you know what it says? Amen. I say amen to that. Aren't you glad God is God? If
He's not Lord of all, as someone said, if He's not Lord of all,
He's not Lord at all. He's Lord of all things. Especially
in creation, especially in providence, especially in salvation. Now let's look at this fifth
seal, verse 9, Revelation 6. And we need to open the fifth
seal. When He, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, had opened this
fifth seal, and I saw under the altar of John's beholding this
sight, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God,
or the testimony of God, which they held, they would not deny
the gospel. They would not recant or deny
the testimony of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true? Dost thou not judge and avenge
our blood, our death on them that dwell on the earth? And
white robes were given unto every one of them. Notice these white
robes were given, they're not earned, they're not rewards,
they're given unto every one of them, all of God's elect.
And it was said unto them that they should rest for a little
while, rest for a little season, until their fellow servants also
and their brethren, that they should be killed, as they were,
and that all things should be fulfilled." Just rest here. Rest
here under the altar of God. Rest here around the throne of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and all things will be well. John, behold
this marvelous sight. The Lord has preserved and given
to us this testimony of His Word that we might behold the same
things that John sees. What a privilege we have. What
a privilege we have this morning to behold what is given here
and what John sees. I'm reminded often when the apostle
Peter was called to the house of that Gentile soldier Cornelius. Remember what Cornelius said
to Peter when Peter came there? He said, we're all here to hear
the Word of God. Isn't that why we're here today?
We're here to hear from the command and word of God. John beholds
those that had given their lives for the defense of the gospel,
who had sealed their death with their own blood. If you turn
over here to Revelation 12, Revelation chapter 12, verse 10 and 11,
And I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now is come salvation,
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ. For the accuser of the brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night,
and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word
of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. many had sealed their testimony
with their own death for the gospel. Notice what it says here
in our text. I saw under the altar the souls
of them that were slain for the Word of God, for the testimony
which they held. They stood firm for the written
Word that testifies and bears the record of the living God."
Remember, turn back to chapter 1, John was also persecuted for
the Word of the Lord. Remember John, Revelation chapter
1, look at verse 9. Revelation 1, 9, who also am
your brother and companion in tribulation in the kingdom and
patient of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos
for the word of God." He took a stand for the word of God and
for the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. But what did they
do to John? They put him in prison on this island. They cast him
out to the Alcatraz of his day. For the Word of God, John would
not deny that God is God, that the Lord Jesus Christ is all
in salvation. For the testimony of the gospel,
these dear saints who gave themselves, they remained, gave their life
for the gospel, they remained steadfast and firm in their conviction,
in their faith for the gospel, and would not compromise. They
would not compromise. not being ashamed, not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation. There's many stories of those
who have given their lives for the gospel.
In Foxe's Book of Martyrs, there's many, many account of those who
were burned, publicly burned at the stake. And all they had
to do to escape that terrible, horrible death, all they had
to do is deny the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You just deny
Him and you can go home. They would often put this man
or this person who was being burned at the stake, they would
often put their children in the way, and their children would
beg Daddy, don't burn. Don't burn. and would not deny the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. They sealed their death. They sealed their life with the
death being killed for the gospel. We should all earnestly contend
for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. Now you think
about that. All he had to do is say, I deny
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and escape the flames
and go home. Could you live with yourself?
I believe I couldn't. To be ashamed to publicly deny
the Lord Jesus Christ? Throughout history, many of God's
dear saints had given their lives, laid down their lives for the
gospel, including all the apostles. Paul, they cut his head off because
he wouldn't deny the gospel. John was put on his island and
cast out of society. All the apostles were killed. You remember John and James?
James was beheaded, remember? All of God's servants down through
the century who would not compromise, not all of them, but many of
them died. We get a sense of this if you
look back at Hebrews chapter 11. Turn over there. Remember
in Acts chapter 7, Stephen would not deny the gospel of Christ
and boldly preached the gospel and they stoned him to death.
But it says over here in Hebrews 11, talking about those who died
in faith, those who died in faith. Verse 32, Hebrews 11, what shall
I say more for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, David, also Samuel and of the prophets who
through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence
of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were
made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight, The
armies of aliens, women, received their dead, raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they may obtain
a better resurrection. Others had trial of cruel mockings,
scourgings, moreover bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned.
They were sawn asunder. They were tempted. They were
slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheepskin,
goatskin, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom this world
was not worthy, they wandered in deserts, in mountains, in
dens, in caves of the earth." Well, I tell you, we don't know
anything about suffering like these early disciples about suffering,
those who gave their very being for the testimony of the gospel.
But notice this. Their death wasn't the end of
them. I saw under the altar the souls
of them that were slain for the Word of God. Their death was
not the end of them. Their body went back to the dust,
but their soul was redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and they went on to be with the Lord. You remember the Apostle
Paul when he writes about And he writes this from death row,
waiting to be executed for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the way he puts it.
In 2 Timothy 4, verse 6, let me just read it to you. He said,
he said, for now, for I'm now ready to be offered the time
of my departure is at hand. Paul, where are you going? To
be absent from bodies, to be present with the Lord. I've fought
a good fight, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith.
Head forth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but to all them also that love His
appearing." These dear saints who died went on to be with the
Lord. And that's true of all God's
people who die in Christ. You remember our Lord told the
dying thief? that he would be, he said, today
you'll be with me in paradise. That's a pretty good place to
be, isn't it? To be with the Lord forever, to be in paradise,
no more death, no more tears, no more sorrow. Those who have
died in faith, those who have died in Christ, those who have
died in faith and for the faith, he says they're under the altar
They're under the altar of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
our altar of sacrifice, is He not? He sacrificed His humanity
on the altar of His deity. He bought us with His own blood. Now look at verse 10. And these
who were martyred for the gospel, they cried with a loud voice,
saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, Dost thou not judge
and avenge our blood, our death on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was
said unto them that they should rest for a little season, and
tell their fellow servants also and their brethren that they
should be killed as they were, and that all things should be
fulfilled. These martyrs of the gospel cried
out for God's just retribution upon their enemies, not for their
sake alone, but for the gospel sake, for Christ's sake. Those
who persecute believers unto death, their hatred in reality
is against the Lord Jesus Christ. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. You remember when Saul of Tarsus
obtained letters to go into Damascus to gather out those who called
on the name of the Lord and to bind them and to put them in
prison. And on the way of his persecution, you remember who
he met? He met the exalted, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. And when Saul
of Tarsus was persecuting believers, the Lord said to him, Saul, why
do you persecute Me? You see, when you persecute believers,
you're persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is holy and true and
eternal, and the day of judgment will come. The day of judgment
will come. Look at verse 11. These white
robes were given unto every one of them. These white robes here
are the very righteousness that believers enjoy in the Lord Jesus
Christ. If you look just across the page,
Revelation 7 verse 13, And one of the elders answered,
saying to me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes,
and where did they come from? And I said to him, sir, thou
knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of a lamb. Therefore are they before the
throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple.
And he sitteth on the throne, shall dwell He shall dwell among
them, there shall be no more hunger, no more thirst, any more,
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. The Lamb
on the throne shall be with them forever and ever." White robes
given, notice, it's the gift. It's not something we earn. The
righteousness believers enjoy is that righteousness that's
freely imputed to every believer. That's the righteousness of God
that's revealed in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed
is that man to whom the Lord would impute righteousness without
works. This gospel verse that we often
quote is so precious. God made him to be sin for us
who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called the Lord, our righteousness. That's what the white robe was
all about. He must have this white robe
of His righteousness on to stand before God. The Lord our God
is holy and true. To stand in God's presence, we
must be as holy and true as God Himself. To stand in God's presence,
we must be as holy and true as God Himself. How can that be?
How can this sinner, vile and wretched as I am, how can this
sinner stand in the presence of a just and holy God only by
being found in Christ? Being found in the Lord Jesus
Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ. That's why Paul said, I count
everything else lost, dung, ruined. that I may win Christ and be
found in Him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said to those who have
died for the gospel's sake, they should rest for a little season
until all the elect of God are called out. Believers have their
rest in Christ. It starts now. and is perfected
forever. We shall rest forever in Christ
our Sabbath rest. Final judgment will not take
place, as we read earlier, till all the elect of God are called
out. The gospel shall be preached in all the world, and then cometh
the end. Oftentimes, when I would send
Pastor Mahan that sermon audio report, he would often right
back to me quoting those words. The gospel shall be preached
in all the world. Usually, in that monthly report,
usually 60 foreign countries. He said, we're getting close
to the end. The gospel shall be preached
in all the world and then come at the end. The end is near. The end is near. How long, O
Lord? How long? That day will come
in the Lord's due time. Let's look at the sixth seal,
verse 12 down through verse 17. The Lord is pleased here to paint
a vivid and true picture of what the final end of this earth will
be like. It will be a final, complete
destruction of this entire universe as we know it. And I beheld the
sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake like never
before. The sun became black as sackcloth
of hair, no light. The moon became as blood. The stars of heaven fell to the
earth even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is
shaken by a mighty wind. The heaven departed as a scroll.
The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together in
every mountain, every island, removed out of their places. Now this is a total annihilation
and complete destruction of this world. Peter writes about it.
Turn over here to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. I know the environmental people
are always all concerned about what they call global warming. You ever heard about that? They're
all concerned about global warming. They're not concerned about global
burning. Are they? I don't hear anybody
talking about global burning. But the Lord is going to burn
this place up. I don't believe in global warming.
I believe in global burning. 2 Peter 3, look at verse 10. The day of the Lord will come.
Our Lord is coming back. Behold, He cometh. The day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall
melt with a fervent heat. The earth also and the works
therein shall be burned up." Burned up. "...Seeing then that
all these things shall be dissolved, What manner of person ought you
to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and
hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens
being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with
a fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to
his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. What would it be like to live
in a heavenly paradise where there is no evil and no sin,
no corruption? To be one with the Lord, to be
perfect as He is perfect, to worship Him and truly in spirit
without any destruction of this sinful, sinful flesh. And notice
the terrible things that he mentions here. Six things that he mentions
here. Six elements of the universe.
The sun, black. No light. Total darkness. Total
darkness. The moon becomes like a bloody,
bloody ball. The stars move out of their orbit
and fall upon the earth. These stars are big stars. The
earth violently shakes to pieces. Every mountain and island suddenly
disappears. Total annihilation, total destruction,
total wipeout. Where do you want to be found
when the Lord comes back? I don't want to try to hide in
the rocks and the mountains. Do you? I want to be found in
Christ. Now notice, All that terrible
destruction and terrible judgment coming from the righteous, holy,
true God. And notice what the kings of
the earth do. This is a description of those
who are unbelievers. Unbelievers. We know what happens
to believers. The Lord shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and we shall
be caught up together to be with the Lord. So shall we ever be
with the Lord. Comfort one another with these
words. But notice this strange prayer meeting. When this great
calamity and total annihilation and destruction comes, the kings
of the earth don't cry out for mercy. The wrath of God does
not drive men to repentance. It's the goodness of God that
brings repentance. The kings of the earth, the great
men, the rich men, the chief men, the chief captains, the
mighty men, every bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the
dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains
and rocks, fall on us, fall on us, and hide us from the face
of Him that sits on the throne from the wrath, the wrath of
the Lamb." Now what a strange prayer meeting. They pray to
be hidden from the wrath of the Lamb, instead of praying to be
hidden in the Lamb. Strange prayer meeting. The Lord
Jesus Christ will justly deal with every enemy of the gospel.
You cannot hide in any false refuge, any rocks, any false
refuge is not sufficient. to hide from the all-knowing
God. They prayed unto God, but they
did not pray unto God for mercy, but rather they looked to the
rocks and the mountains. Someone said they looked to the
idols of stone and rock to deliver them. There was no deliverance. They prayed for death and could
not die. What a sad thing. For the great
day of His wrath has come. Look at verse 17. The great day
of His wrath is come. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him. Now the question is asked there, verse 17, the great day of His
wrath is come. Now here's the question, who
can stand? Who can stand in that day? Who
shall be able to stand? Only those found in the Lamb. The Lord has delivered us from
the wrath to come. He delivered us from the wrath
to come. Remember in our study, if you want to turn with me,
you can. In 1 Thessalonians 1, 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 9, For they themselves show of us
what manner of entering in we had unto you, how you turned
to God from your idols, to serve a living and true God, to wait
for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even
Jesus, who delivered us." Oh, he delivered us from the wrath
to come. Aren't you glad for that? that He turned you to God
from your idols. And then right here in this same
book, 1 Thessalonians, look at chapter 5 verse 9. Chapter 5
verse 9. For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. He's
not appointed His children to wrath. But He's appointed us
and ordained us, as many as were ordained to eternal life, believe
the gospel. For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together unto Him. Now, who shall be able to stand? Can we answer that question?
Let's turn to Psalm 24. Turn over to Psalm 24. Who shall
be able to stand in that day of His great wrath and judgment? Psalm 24 is the answer to that
question. Look, verse 3. Psalm 24, verse
3. Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath
clean hands, clean hands, a pure heart, who has not lifted up
his soul to vanity, has never sworn deceitfully. He shall receive
the blessing from the Lord, and the righteousness from the God
of his salvation. This is the generation of them
that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Lift up your head,
O ye gates, be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, the King of
glory, he's coming in. Who shall stand? Who shall stand? He that has clean hands and a
pure heart, who has never lifted up his soul to vanity, never
sworn deceitfully. That's a description of the Lord
our righteousness. That's His description. Now watch this. Who is this King
of Glory? Verse 8. The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your head, O ye gates.
Lift Him up, the everlasting door. The King of glory is going
to come in. He's going to stand there, isn't
He? Who is this King of glory? Now watch it, verse 10. He's
the Lord of hosts. He's the Lord of hosts. He's
the King of glory. He's the Lord of the people.
You see, what's through the head is through the body. The Lord
Jesus Christ came as a representative man, lived so as a representative
man, earned perfect righteousness for us as a representative man,
honored the law of God in every precept, in his death satisfied
the penalty of the law. That is imputed and given to
us as our righteousness before God, Christ our righteousness.
When he ascended to glory, when he died, we died. When he was
buried, we were buried. When he ascended to glory, What
does the book of Ephesians say? When He ascended, we ascended
in Him, and we're seated in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's the Lord of hosts. He's
coming in, not as a private man, as a public head, as a federal
head representing all the elect of God. The forerunner for us
has entered in, and He's seated. And we're seated in the heavenlies
in the Lord Jesus Christ right now. Now the question, who shall
stand? Who shall stand in that day,
that great day of Israel? Only those in Christ, the Lord
Jesus Christ. May God give us grace. He said,
I'm the only just God and Savior. Look unto me and be ye saved.
All the ends of the earth, I'm God, beside me there is no other,
no other way, no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby
we must, we must be saved in Christ.