Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Revelation of Christ – Part 17: The Fifth Seal


The Revelation of Christ – Part 17:
The Fifth Seal – HOFC
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org, or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION
The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of Christ, is the most difficult book in the bible.

Because of this fact, many avoid it, or ignore it all together. Some fear lack of understanding, others afraid to misinterpret, which I guess it is better to avoid than dive in and get it completely wrong.

Many times, when a new believer comes to me for direction, they want to jump right into Revelation and find out what’s to come.

This is equivalent to deciding one day to learn Mandarin and sitting down to author a novel in Chinese that very same day.

Or, a kindergartener learning how to count, and then trying to calculate quantum mechanics calculations.

The words in Revelation have caused much debate on rapture, judgement, even some who claim John was writing about the events in his day in code rather than Jesus Christ revealing to him about the coming events and Judgment.

A special blessing is promised to those who read Revelation.

Although it may be a difficult book, we could all use a special blessing, reading this is good for us all, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will take the Revelation of Christ in small portions and gain understanding, little by little.





SERMON SERIES

THE THINGS WHICH ARE – The Church Age (Age of Grace)
Part 3 – Ephesus The Backsliding Church

Part 4 – Smyrna The Steadfast Church
Part 5 – Pergamos The Immoral Church
Part 6 – Thyatira The Careless Pagan Church
Part 7 – Sardis The Spiritless Church
Part 8 – Philadelphia The Favored Church
Part 9 – Laodicea The Church God Hates

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment
Part 10 – The Throne of God
Part 11 – The Scroll and Seven Seals
Part 12 – The Lamb is Worthy
Part 13 – The First Seal

Part 14 – The Second Seal
Part 15 – The Third Seal
Part 16 – The Fourth Seal


TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment
Part 17 – The Fifth Seal


SCRIPTURE READING
Revelation 6:9-11
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.

          I.      I saw under the altar
a.   The third seal
                                     i.   Spoke of the bread, oil and wine
                                    ii.   These were the offerings on the altar in Leviticus 20 that represent Jesus (bread of life, manna from heaven), oil (the Holy Spirit anointing), and the wine (blood of Christ and His sacrifice giving us the New Covenant, forgiveness of sin and Salvation)

                                   iii.   The third seal speaking of death and famine, famine of the Bread of Life, spiritual death is everywhere during the Tribulation.

                                   iv.   However, the Lord puts a limit, and says not to harm (or touch) the oil and wine, meaning the Holy Spirit can still convert a soul, the Blood covenant of Christ is still available!  People can still be saved during Tribulation; they are called Tribulation Saints!


b.   When the Fourth Seal is broken
                                     i.   A pale horse and death is its rider

                                    ii.   He is given the power over ¼ of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague and the beasts of the earth.

                                   iii.   Many of these the antichrist chooses to kill will be those who refuse to serve him, and those who became Tribulation Saints as mentioned in the Third Seal.

                                   iv.   Now we see those who Tribulation Saints in heaven, beneath the altar when the Fifth Seal is broke

c.   Under the altar, the souls
                                     i.   Of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the Testimony they had maintained.
1.   We know they were slain because of God’s Word and keeping it

2.   We know this happens during Tribulation (because that’s what Christ is revealing to John right now)

3.   We know it happens during the Second, Third and Fourth Seals, and will continue to happen because of vs. 11

                                    ii.   Vs. 11 “…they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”

                                   iii.   These are the Tribulation Saints who died because they turned to the Word of God and “maintained” the testimony.


         II.      They called out in a loud voice
a.   Called out in a loud voice
                                     i.   Probably means it was loud because there were so many of them, or perhaps loud because they were crying out to God
                                    ii.   Sometimes we cry out in a loud voice in desperation, grief or despair.


b.   They called out in a loud voice
                                     i.   “How long, sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”


c.   Sometimes we can feel this very same way
                                     i.   Sometimes we may even look at the world and all its wrongs and cry out to the Lord for the rapture.

                                    ii.   We may say “how long?”

                                   iii.   I believe the Lord’s answer to us would be the same as we read here in verse 11, “…they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
                                   iv.   However, instead of awaiting them to be martyred as in Tribulation, we await them to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.


        III.      The each one was given a white robe
a.   The white robe is the covering of Christ
                                     i.   Their reward as martyrs, as remaining true to the Word of God and even maintaining the testimony though facing death, they fought the good fight until the very end!

                                    ii.   The covering of Christ before Judgment Day is their reward

                                   iii.   Because when we face judgment, it is NOT our righteousness that will be evident, but the righteousness of the Lord which covers our imperfections because we belong to Him!


b.   The white robe
                                     i.   Luke 9:28-29 “…he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.”
1.   Jesus praying during the Trans configuration

                                    ii.   Revelation 3:4 “'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

                                   iii.   Revelation 3:18 “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”

                                   iv.   Revelation 4:4 “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.”
                                    v.   Revelation 7:9 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;”

                                   vi.   Revelation 3:5 “'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”


c.   Wait a little longer
                                     i.   The Tribulation Saints were told to wait a little longer

                                    ii.   There were more who would be killed for the Word of God and keeping His testimony until the end

                                   iii.   And then, our Sovereign Lord, who is holy and true, will judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge the blood of those who had been killed for the Word of God and keeping His testimony.

CONCLUSION –
Next week we will look at the Sixth Seal!



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