April 28, 2024
Series Intro: It doesn’t take much to see that we are living in what the bible calls - The End Times. With every world news event or report, it’s like bible prophecy is being fulfilled in real time. But, what do we do with this information? How should we be responding to it all as believers? And where exactly are we in the timeline of the end of the world? This series will serve to take us on a biblical journey through the book of Revelation that greatly detail the events, timeline and purpose to the End of the World as we know it and help us understand it with great sobriety, faith and encouragement.
The Timeline of the Book of Revelation
- The Age of the Church (Revelation 1-5)
- The Tribulation Period (Revelation 6-16)
- The New Beginning (Revelation 17-22)
The Age of the Church
- The Authority of Jesus (Revelation 1)
- The Command of Jesus to the Church (Revelation 2-3)
- The Rapture of the Church, The Judgement Seat of Christ and the Introduction of the Great Tribulation Period (Revelation 4-5)
REVELVATION 5:1-6 NIV
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Seven Seals: Each of these seals hold within it a unique moment or season of judgement that will be poured out on the earth during the 7 year Great Tribulation Period.
Lamb with Seven Horns & Seven Eyes: Seven is the number of wholeness, totality and completion, biblically. Horns represent victory, biblically. Eyes represent sight. The symbolism provided showcases Christ, the Lamb of God as the One with total and complete victory, power and authority in this season of judgement and has His eyes on every single moment taking place in this time of judgement.
Seven Spirits of God: Most theologians interpret this to be a beautiful description of the 7-fold nature of the Holy Spirit as revealed by the prophet Isaiah.
ISAIAH 11:2-3 NIV
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Scripture has predicted the Great Tribulation Period all throughout it’s existence…
ISAIAH 2:12 ESV
For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low.
JOEL 1:15 ESV
Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
DEUTERONOMY 4:30 ESV
When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice.
MATTHEW 24:21 ESV
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been
from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Seal #1: The White Horse. The Arrival of the Anti-Christ.
REVELATION 6:1-2 NLT
As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
Seal #2: The Red Horse. War.
REVELATION 6:3-4 NLT
When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
Seal #3: The Black Horse. Famine.
REVELATION 6:5-6 NLT
When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
Seal #4: The Pale Horse. Death.
REVELATION 6:7-8 NLT
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” 8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
Seal #5: The Martyrdom of Believers.
REVELATIONS 6:9 NIV
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.
Seal #6: Utter Destruction.
REVELATION 6:12-17 NIV
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Revelation Chapter 7 is a rewind back to Seal #5 with more detail on what happens with the believers who are martyred.
REVELATION 7:9-10 NIV
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
REVELATION 7:13-14 NIV
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
REVELATION 7:16-17 NIV
‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Seal #7: Seven Trumpets of Further Judgement.
REVELATION 8:1 NIV
When he opened the seventh seal, there was
silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Summary on the Seven Trumpets of Judgement…
The First Trumpet: A moment where hail, fire, and death (blood) will rain down on the earth and wipe out one-third of all plant life.
Revelation 8:7 NIV
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
The Second Trumpet: A moment where a ‘burning mountain’ (meteor) falls into the sea, turns one-third of the ocean to blood, and one-third of all sea life dies.
Revelation 8:8 NIV
The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
The Third Trumpet: A star (meteor) called ‘wormwood’ or ‘bitterness’ poisons one-third of the world’s fresh water supply.
Revelation 8:10 NIV
The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
The Fourth Trumpet: A season of disaster with one-third of the moon, stars, and sun darkens is not visible from the earth.
Revelation 8:12 NIV
The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
The Fifth Trumpet: A season where locusts with the power of a scorpion sting plague and sting nonbelievers for five months. Those who are stung will wish for death.
Revelation 9:3-11 NIV
Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
The Sixth Trumpet: A season of sulfur and fire (possible volcanic activity) that manages to wipe out one-third of the population of mankind.
Revelation 9:12-18 NIV
The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths.”
The Seventh Trumpet: Provides a temporary break from the plagues, and then moves onto the seven bowls of judgment where the 24 elders in heaven declare it’s time to destroy those who destroy the earth.
Revelation 11:15 NIV
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
JOHN 14:6 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
MATTHEW 24:35 NIV
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The purpose of the Great Tribulation Period is to shake the earth to an awareness of the judgement of God and witness the soured taste of what life without God looks like. In all of it, He wants people to come to Him! He is truly our refuge in all times of trouble (Psalm 46:1) and promises eternal life for all who choose Him.
Need prayer? Want to make Jesus your Lord? Want to share a praise? Is there a need we can meet? Click here and allow someone from our leaedership to reach out to you and stand with you in prayer or strive to help with whatever your need may be. Or allow us to celebrate what God has done in your life recently. We’d love to hear from you!
Online Giving Click here to submit your financial gift today. Thank you so much for standing witht he minsitry reach of Journey Church!