Cecil A. Fayard
Elliott Baptist Church
May 2, 2004
The Seal of the Martyrs and the Seal of Cosmic Calamities
Revelation 6:9-17
INTRO: In Revelation 6:9-17, we have the fifth and sixth seals.
1. The Seal of the Martyrs vs 9-11
2. The Seal of Cosmic Calamities vs 12-17
I. VSS 9-11, FIFTH SEAL- THE MARTYRS
A. Vs 9, When Jesus broke the fifth seal, John the Apostle saw "the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held." This seal is the martyrs seal; it is the seal of persecution and martyrdom (Mt 24:9).
1. With the fifth seal, the scene shifts from earth to heaven.
2. These martyrs are tribulation saints.
a) In 4:4, the twenty-four elders represent the saved of all ages up to the beginning of the tribulation. After chapter four, everything that takes place is after the rapture and resurrection of the believers.
b) These martyrs are a separate and different group. These are those who were saved during the first part of the tribulation. They were saved after the rapture.
c) Their bodies will be resurrected at the end of the tribulation (20:4-6).
3. After the tribulation begins, there will be a number of folks redeemed; and there will be a great time of personal persecution for the saved.
a) Many will be "slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."
b) They will be martyred for their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Christ.
c) During the breaking of the first four seals, many will die at the hand of the anti-Christ.
d) Revelation 6:11b indicates that many others will be saved during the last half of the tribulation and many of them will also be killed.
4. They are slain "because of the testimony which they held."
a) "Slain" is the Greek word spazo meaning, "the slaying, the cutting, the terrible slaughter of a sacrifice."
b) They gave their lives for the word of God, for God Himself and for "the testimony which they held."
(1) They testified not only of the Gospel, but also of the fact that all that was happening was the judgment of God.
(2) The world believes that things just happen, but not so. God judges sin by judgment. This testimony will anger the humanistic, atheistic world lings.
5. Note that their souls were "under the altar."
a) The sacrifice had been made and accepted; for these are accepted in the beloved, Christ.
b) In the Old Testament after the sacrifice, after life has been given, the excess blood was poured under the altar.
c) These are at rest under the altar (Rev 14:13).
6. Some may ask why do they have to die? Friends, God knows even now who these martyrs will be. It is all in His plan and all in his hands.
7. All of this tragedy happens in the elective purpose of God. God has His book and in His book are the names of these who are going to be martyred. The list reads down to this point in Revelation 6:9, but it does not stop there. From there God's list continues and does not cease until that last martyr has been slain. What a mysterious thing! That God holds all of this in His hands- the blood fury, furor, holocaust, and the suffering and the offering of the lives of God's people- all of it is in His plan. I do not understand why. Why does not God do all this without the suffering of His people? Why martyrs? Why martyrs? Why their blood? Why this suffering? I do not know. There is a mystery of evil that is known but to God (Criswell 110).
B. Vs 10, From this verse, we have the certainty of life after death. There had been slain, yet they are alive, alive in a different place. They are alive in heaven. Those who would kill the body cannot kill the soul (Mt 10:28). These souls are conscious and know what's going on.
1. They are not calling out for revenge- they call out for God to avenge their martyrdom.
a) God must judge evil
b) There is a moral necessity that God avenge their deaths.
c) "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom 12:19).
2. Their cries will not stop the oncoming waves of persecution and violence against God's elect (6:11b).
C. Vs 11, All of the martyred believers are given white robes.
1. White- victory and purity. Their robes are symbolic of justification.
2. They are told to wait a little season.
a) They are guaranteed a resurrected body.
b) They must wait; trusting God.
II. VSS 12-17, THE SIXTH SEAL- COSMIC CALAMITIES
A. Vs 12, With the opening of the sixth seal, great cosmic disturbances are the result.
1. Thousands will be killed by a great earthquake. How extensive this quake will be, we do not know.
a) In 1970, earthquakes in Peru killed 67,000 people.
b) There are more earthquakes now then ever before.
2. Luke 21:11 tells us that along with this great earthquake, there will be others that will bring great destruction (note Luke 21:25-26)
3. These earthquakes will cause volcanic eruption and the ash of these eruptions will cause the sun to become black to the sight and the moon red as blood.
B. Vs 13, Fiery balls will fall to the earth as unripe figs fall from a shaken tree.
1. The word for stars used here is asteres referring to actual stars and any heavenly body other than the moon and sun.
2. The earth will be pelleted with stars, asteroids, meteors, etc.
C. Vs 14, This is prophesied in Isaiah 34:4.
1. The firmament above begins to dissolve.
2. "Every island and mountain were moved....."
3. The crust of the earth will be so unstable that it will begin to shift about terribly.
D. Vs 15, Heads of state, high ranking government officials, military leaders, financial and business leaders as well as slaves and free men will be terrified. They will hide out (Isa 2:11-12).
E. Vs 16, They will cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on them.
1. They want to be hidden from God and the Lamb.
2. They refuse to believe (Rev 16:10-11).
F. Vs 17, The world, it seems, will understand that the wrath of God has arrived.
1. "Who shall be able to stand?" The answer is found in I Thes 5:3.
2. The ungodly, the lost, will not escape the wrath of God (Nahum 1:6).
CONCLUSION: Friend, you don't want to face the "wrath of the Lamb." Trust in the grace of the Lamb.
For additional copies of the sermon CD's, please contact the church office:
Elliott Baptist Church
566 Nat G. Troutt Road
Elliott, Mississippi 38901
Phone: 662-226-4425
Pastors Email: cecilafayard@msn.com