Today we are going to explore together Revelation 6. We have already looked at Revelation 1-5 in brief, let’s do just a quick review. Remember Revelation 1:19 gives us the outline of the book of Revelation when it says, “Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and the things which are and the things which will take place after these things.” In Revelation 1 we have the “things which you have seen.” In Revelation 2-3 we have “the things that are” – in particular, the seven churches of Asia. Revelation 5-6 can be included in with the “things that are,” or maybe in the future, but they are kind of a transitional section of Scripture either way. We looked at Revelation 4-5 and saw this wonderful scene in heaven of the greatest worship service ever recorded. In Revelation 4 the focus was on the Father, and in Revelation 5 it was on the Lamb, Jesus Christ. We have the whole universe, in a sense, the whole heavens, and all the creatures in heaven glorifying and praising the Father and the Lamb.
That leads us into Revelation 6 which begins in what we call the Tribulation Period. This is the time of the greatest judgment that has ever come on the earth from God. God is going to come against all humanity that has rebelled against Him and has rejected Him and bring great judgments. So, Revelation 6-19 deals with that great subject. We are so happy, and it is so good to have the balance of Revelation 4-5 as those two chapters show us the love of God. The provision of God for our salvation. The worship of the Father and the Son in the heavenly realms. We have this glorious picture of God’s beauty, God’s sovereignty, God’s love and God’s provision. It is so good to have that before we jump into a section that is going to be about God’s wrath and God’s judgment. We need to have that balance in Scripture if we are going to have a right picture of God and how God operates.
We come to Revelation 6:1 that says, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals.” Remember in Revelation 5:7 there was a book, or a scroll, in the hand of the Father that the Lamb takes. It has seven seals on it and no one except Him is worthy to open those seals to reveal the content of that scroll. Now as we start Revelation 6, those seals are being broken, and as they are being broken by the Lamb, then the content of that scroll is revealed, and that content is going to be what we find in the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Let me mention that coming from that scroll are three sets of judgments. We have the Seven Seal Judgments that we will look at today in Revelation 6 and the final one is mentioned in Revelation 8. Then we have in, Revelation 8-9, the Seven Trumpet Judgments. In between the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments we have an interlude. A scene that God wants us to know about in Revelation 7. Then after Revelation 9, we have another very long interlude. These interludes are not necessarily in chronological order, so we want to be careful there, but they are scenes that God wants us to have. He wants us to know of some things that are taking place either in heaven or on earth, so He gives us these interludes. Then He picks back up in Revelation 16 with the final set of judgments known as the Seven Bowl Judgements. So, we have these judgments that will be coming along and as we look at these different judgments, we find that the Lord is now going to bring wrath upon the earth because of the sinfulness of humanity . . .
