Revelation 6:1-11

September 29-30, 208 • Pastor Netz Gómez

GOD’S PROTECTION AND THE VICTORY OF SAINTS

I. INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW (6:1-11)
The previous teaching we talked about the first five seals; When Jesus opens
the first one, the Antichrist enters the world scene promising peace and security
but at 3 years and a half he breaks this pact and the consequences of man’s sin
begin to happen one after another. When Jesus opens the fifth seal, those who
died for Jesus crying out for justice are seen in heaven, which unleashes the
earthquake of the sixth seal that announces the great day of the Lord’s wrath.
II. THE SIXTH SEAL: COSMIC DISTURBANCES (6:12-17)
Rev. 6:12-17 “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there
was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair,
and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the
earth… 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every
mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the
earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men,
every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the
rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and 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 His wrath has come, and who is
able to stand?”
A. The opening of the sixth seal takes us back from heaven to earth where a
great earthquake will be unleashed with signs in the sky. This seal initiates
God’s specific answer to the prayer of those who have given their lives for
Jesus and are crying out in heaven; which will be followed by the unleashing
of the trumpet judgments and the bowls of wrath over the Antichrist’s empire
(Rev. 8-9 and 16).
B. Great earthquake: There will be a great earthquake or a global geophysical
shaking (Hag 2:6). Every mountain will be moved, more than destroyed, the
mountains continue to exist in the seventh bowl (16:20). This earthquake does
not refer to something metaphorical but literal, Jesus used this same language
in His Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24:7; Mr. 13:8) and never gave any indication that
it was something symbolic.
C. the sun became black: What makes the sun go dark? This will be a
supernatural sign sent by God and possibly include the natural effects of the
ashes and debris from volcanic eruptions or smoke.
D. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth: The Greek word for stars used here
is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid and refers to any bright mass in
the sky, including meteors or flaming debris that hit the earth.

**PAG. 2**

E. “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,
the mighty men, every slave and every free man”: When these calamities
occur the reaction of all kinds of people in the world is to hide in caves
because they not only fear what is happening on earth but the heavens opens
and somehow they perceive the anger of God. We cannot know how it
happens globally or for how long, but it will certainly be a generalized
visionary encounter with the wrath of God for the unbelievers of the earth in
this opening of the heavens to the point that all of them can perceive it.
F. “and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face
of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”. They want
the rocks to fall on them and hide them, closing the entrance to the caves.
Some think they are shouting: “Let’s shatter ourselves with rocks” but they are
really saying: “Hide us completely from that terrifying presence of God that is
going to hurt us”. These people will not turn to God in repentance, but will
turn away from Him in terror (Isaiah 2:19, 21; Hos. 10: 8; Luke 23:30). At the
end of the judgment of the sixth seal, they will know that what they are
experiencing is the outpouring of God’s wrath. It seems that what most
sinners fear is not death, but having to appear before a holy and just God.
Is. 2:10 “Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the
Lord And the glory of His majesty.”
G. v.6:17 “For the great day of His wrath has come” This day has been
announced by the prophets of the Old Testament and includes: the seventieth
week of Daniel (seven years); the judgments of the seals, trumpets and bowls;
the return of Christ to the earth and the beginning of His Millennial reign. It
includes what is known as the Great Tribulation (Jer 30:7, Dan 12:1, Jl 2:2, Mt
24:21). Some have tried to limit the “day of the Lord” to the battle at
Armageddon for Jerusalem only, but this view does not take into account all
the data of the “Lord’s day” in Scripture.
Dan. 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your
holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make
reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal
up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.”
2 Pet. 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in
which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will
melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be
[d]burned up.”
Jer. 30:7 “Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the
time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”
H. The cosmic disturbances before the beginning of the Day of the Lord and the
Second Coming of Christ immediately after the Great Tribulation are not the
same as those of the sixth seal. These will occur at the end of week 70, but
those in the sixth seal will occur and end considerably before that “great and
terrible day” (Mal. 4:5).

**PAG. 3**

III. FIRST ANGELICAL EXPLANATION: WHO IS ABLE TO STAND? (7:1-17)
A. Angelic explanations are like pauses or parentheses that come after the
chronological sections and answer difficult questions such as Why are the
judgments of God so severe? And what will happen to the saints?
B. This first angelic explanation answers the question of v.6:17 “who is able to
stand” Affirming the security for God’s people, both of the remnant of Jews
and Gentiles saved, it reveals that 144,000 Jews will rise in victory (7:1-8) and
a multitude Very large of Gentiles (7:9-17) will remain strong without
hesitation in the midst of persecution.
C. John sees a divine seal in the people of God that gives them physical and
spiritual protection.
Rev. 7:1-4 “After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners
of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not
blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried
with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the
earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till
we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard
the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four
thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed…”
D. The 144,000 servants of God of the people of Israel paint us a portrait of
victory at the end of the age; they receive a protective seal before God hits the
earth, the sea and the trees (7:3). They are not the only Jews who are saved
but have a special call and consecration during this critical period.
Rev. 14:1-5 “Then I looked, and behold, [a]a Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s
name written on their foreheads… 3 They sang as it were a new song
before the throne… 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with
women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb
wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being
firstfruits to God and to the Lamb…”
E. We believe that we will see the story of Exodus again, God will protect His
people as He did in the days of Moses. The principle of Goshen speaks of God
protecting His people from judgment (Ex 8:22-23, 9: 4-6, 26, Ps 91, Ez 9:6,
2:3). Israel received a mark of protection on its doors that saved its firstborn in
Egypt.
Ex. 8:22-23 “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which
My people dwell… in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the
midst of the land. 23 I will make a difference between My people and your
people…”
Rev. 9:4 “They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any
green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of
God on their foreheads.”

**PAG 4.**

F. Gentile believers (7:9-17) will also be protected and will stand firm spiritually
during that time of shaking and persecution.
Rev. 7:9-14 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude
which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,
standing before the throne… 10 saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who
sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!… 13 Then one of the elders answered,
saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they
come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These
are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
G. Here the angel continues to answer the question about those who can stand
firm in the midst of the commotions of the final time: A great multitude of
believers from all the nations that came out of the great tribulation are around
the throne praising God. They did not surrender to the threat of persecution
or difficulties. Although some die because of the persecution of Antichrist,
they are victorious before God and live forever.
H. The judgments of the sixth seal seem to be a foreshadowing of similar but
even greater judgments that will come at the end of the Tribulation, just
before Jesus Christ returns to earth (Rev. 16:17-21; Matthew 24:21).
I. The message of hope for us is that even the weakest saints, who are all of us,
can know that we will be saved and we do not have to fear.
Psalm 46:1-10 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in
trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though
its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its
swelling… 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His
voice, the earth melted… 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be
exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Why do you consider that people, despite seeing the judgments of God, do
not repent of their evil but rather hide from God?
2. To whom do the 144,000 refer and what security is there for those who are
not Jews?
3. What is it that allows you to feel secure in the midst of all the things that will come?

Other Sermons In This Series

Revelation 1:1

May 21, 2015

Revelation 1:4-8

April 19, 2018

Revelation 1:5b-8

April 19, 2018