Seal Judgments and the 140,000 / Revelation 6-7
An Awards Banquet in the Heavens
Well, if you are new to The Well, welcome. We’re glad you’re here. We are cruising through Revelation, and we’re going to be in Revelation chapter six tonight. So if you have your Bible, turn to Revelation six.
But before we get into it, this is a big week. Especially for those of you who are my age, which is over thirty. How many of you saw the original Star Wars in the theater? Not like this remade, redone version—I mean, raise your hand high. Be proud of the fact that we are old! I’ll never forget it. I went and I got my little Mike and Ikes, and I remember sitting down and all of a sudden this movie started and it just captivated my heart. It also captivated my parents’ pocketbook because I had to have all the action figures. How many of you took a bath with action figures? Don’t look at me like that. Every one of you did. I know it. I had my action figures, and I’d be playing with them, doing the Vader voice and choking them and all that cool stuff.
This is a very special week because the new movie just came out. I’m going tonight at 10:15. If any of y’all want to come, we’re going to meet at Edwards. I’m not kidding—10:15. Come join us! My wife and daughter are out of town, so I’m like, “Woohoo! Grow a beard, let’s go to the movies!” Come and join me; we’re going to have fun.
In all seriousness, you remember in the first movie, at the very end after the Death Star gets blown up—which, by the way, I don’t mind spoiling because if you haven’t seen the first one, meaning Episode IV, then you deserve to have it spoiled anyway because it was so good. But remember after they blew up the Death Star, they had that awards banquet deal? You had Princess Leia with her little donut hair, and here comes Chewbacca and Han Solo and Luke. They’re walking down that long processional with military men on either side standing in ovation for those who had fought the good fight. They walk up and they get the little garland wreath with the really cool, “bling-bling” medallion thing happening. Do you remember that scene?
It’s a powerful scene. I’m not sure why, but that scene and the panicked guy who was like, “Red Leader standing by!” right before he got blown up, those two scenes stand out to me. But the awards banquet was powerful because they received an award for a job well done. Did you know as a believer that you and I are going to have a similar scene? Have you ever thought about the fact that you and I are going to stand before Christ and we’re going to receive a reward for the faithfulness of our life?
The Bema Seat Judgment
As we talk chronologically about the end times, there’s a very fascinating thing that takes place after the rapture of the church and before the beginning of the tribulation period. It’s called the Judgment Seat of Christ, where we will stand before Christ and receive a reward. Paul said this to his young apprentice, Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
He told the church at Corinth to build their foundation using materials that would endure testing. Any of you ever seen a house burn? It’s fascinating to me. You drive by a home that burned and it’s just shocking how quickly something catches fire. Paul says when you’re building a foundation, build it with materials that are imperishable.
1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (NASB)
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is [to be] revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
This passage suggests that as we build upon the foundation, which is Christ, and invest our lives, the question is: What is the work of your hands? What does it look like? Is it temporal, or is it eternal? Is your life consumed with the things that will perish, or is it consumed with the things that will be eternal?
Paul says we’ll each have to stand before God to receive our reward. He notes in verse 15 that if we build for the rest of our lives on perishable materials, it’s not that we lose our salvation—salvation was a gift given by God to us, and we can’t lose it. He says we will lose our reward. There is going to be a reward someday for us as we stand before God to give an account of all that we’ve done for Him. It’s not an issue of sin, but an issue of commendation.
Think about how that crew felt in Star Wars as they walked down that long aisle surrounded by men who had fought, and they received their reward. They were credited for the work they had done which was good. There are really only two things in life that are worthy materials to build with, because they are the only two things that will endure the test of time: the Word of God and the souls of men and women.
To the extent that we invest our lives into those things, that will be the extent of our reward when we stand before our Lord. We can say to God, “God, I did great things! I’ve got a souped-up car, a beautiful home, a gorgeous wife, and 2.5 kids. Life is good!” But if we haven’t invested our lives into the things that are eternal, when the testing comes, all of those things are burned away and really amount to nothing for us.
Romans 14:10 (NASB)
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Now, that can be a very intimidating thing, so I want to make sure we’re clear: for a believer, the sin issue was dealt with on the cross. This judgment seat is a reward judgment. In fact, we know that by the name given to it. In 2 Corinthians, Paul says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
The word for “judgment seat” in Greek is Bema. This is what is commonly called the Bema Seat Judgment. When you and I are raptured and taken to be with Christ, we will stand before Him, walk the aisle of our own awards assembly, and He, with an ear-to-ear grin, will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The degree of our reward will depend upon our degree of service in the things that are eternal. It is the Bema judgment for commendation, reward, and encouragement.
The First Four Seals: The Four Horsemen
I wanted to lay that out because now we’re going to start in Revelation chapter six, and chronologically, that Bema judgment has to take place before chapter six starts. In chapter six, verse one, the first seal is broken. The scroll that was in the right hand of the Father in chapters four and five is now being opened. John had wept because no one was worthy to open it, until the Elder said, “Look! The Lamb standing as if slain takes the seal.” He is worthy not only to open it but to execute what’s inside.
In chapter six, the scene switches from a heavenly scene down to the earth. To be honest with you, this is a very difficult text. It represents the ultimate paradigm shift. You’re going to see things happen in chapter six that are completely different than anything we’ve ever seen. The destruction will be grander and more spectacular than anything we can imagine.
That’s why Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 that there would be wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, famine, and earthquakes, but that it was just the beginning of birth pangs. As we move through the seal judgments, which introduce the trumpet judgments, which introduce the bowl judgments, it’s going to go dark very quickly.
If you remember in Daniel chapter nine, we talked about the first thing that needed to happen for the tribulation period to begin. The Antichrist will make a firm covenant for one seven-year period.
Daniel 9:27 (NASB)
‘And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.’
When that peace treaty is signed—that false peace—that is the sign that the tribulation has begun. Anybody who has studied their Bible can start their stopwatch and say, “Seven years from now, Christ returns.”
Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
The first four seals are announced by the four living creatures. You’re going to see a horseman come, and the horse he rides brings the destruction that follows. This first seal is a very interesting fellow. Do you know of another man in history who will ride in on a white horse with a white robe and bring destruction? In Revelation 19, we see Jesus Christ coming. Yet, this man in chapter six comes to conquer and a crown is given to him. Authority is granted to him. This isn’t Christ, but someone who looks very similar. Christ comes to conquer and then rule in peace; this man comes to conquer and to wage war.
This is the Antichrist. He comes on a white horse with false holiness. Notice he has a bow but no arrows. Why? Because he comes as a world dominator who doesn’t have to fire a shot yet. He signs a peace treaty. It’s a false peace. As the church is taken away, the Restrainer—the Spirit of God in us—is removed, and there is no check against sin. The dam has broken loose. If you’ve seen the San Joaquin River lately, you know that when the waters rise and the dam breaks, it brings great destruction. For the first time in human history, Satan has full reign because the seal has been broken.
Revelation 6:3-4 (NASB)
When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that [men] would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The second seal is war. This red horse represents blood and vengeance, giving us a picture of the conflict that will take place in the first three and a half years. Men will take one another’s lives with the sword. Then comes the third seal.
Revelation 6:5-6 (NASB)
When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard [something] like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’
This is the seal of famine. The black horse carries a rider with scales. In the ancient marketplace, you’d balance your money against the food. This seal represents economic meltdown. A quart of wheat for a denarius—that’s a full day’s wage for about three meals. Dads, think about this: if your family is starving, do you buy one quart of wheat or three quarts of barley? You’d do whatever it takes to feed your family. But notice that even in judgment, God sets boundaries: “Do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Revelation 6:7-8 (NASB)
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The fourth seal is death. An ashen horse—literally a pale green horse—comes, and the rider’s name is Death, with Hades following right behind him. Hades is the resting place for the wicked dead. If someone dies without faith in Christ, they go to Hades until the end of the millennial kingdom. It’s interesting that Death comes and Hades follows after like the grass-catcher on a lawnmower, scooping up the dead.
Notice the means of death: the sword, famine, pestilence, and even the wild beasts of the earth. After the flood, God put a supernatural fear of man into animals to protect us. You’ve probably experienced this without thinking about it. When I was living in Denton, Texas, I used to go for runs. In Texas, they don’t just have dogs; they have “cow dogs.” They’re huge. One day I’m running and I see this big booger walk into the road. I thought, “Is that a cow or a dog?” Then I heard him growl. It was a big Rottweiler.
I realized I wasn’t fast enough to outrun him and I’m too big to hide behind a tree. I said, “I’ve got one shot.” I bowed up real big and started charging him, yelling, “Get out of here! Get out of here!” I figured if I’m going to die, I’m going to die fighting. I was thinking, “Oh, please run away!” The dog looked at me, surprised that anyone would yell at him like that, and he actually backed off and ran away. I was so thankful! I recognized that the covenant God put between animals and man is real. But in verse eight, that fear is removed. Wild beasts will kill in massive numbers.
A fourth of the earth will be killed. To put that in perspective: in the 9/11 tragedy, 2,749 people died. In the great tsunami, about 164,000 were killed or missing. A fourth of the earth’s population today is about 1.6 billion people. That is like the entire continents of Africa and South America being gone. This is not a small thing.
The Fifth and Sixth Seals: Martyrs and Cosmic Chaos
Revelation 6:9-10 (NASB)
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
The fifth seal is a cutaway shot to heaven. We see an altar, which implies a temple. John sees the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God. These are “Tribulation Saints”—people who put their faith in Christ after the church was raptured. They are crying out, “How long, O Lord?”
Have you ever cried that out? Psalm 13 is one of my favorite passages because it asks, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” These people are asking when God will finally judge. People have denied God’s existence for years because of His patience, asking why He lets evil happen. Trust me, there is a day coming when God will judge.
Revelation 6:11 (NASB)
And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
God tells them to rest a little longer until the number of martyrs is completed. I don’t need to know “why” everything happens. If something happened to my family while they were traveling, I wouldn’t need the explanation for the “why” as much as I would need to know that God is sovereign. I need to know there is someone at the switch. If God is still God, I can make it. If He’s not, I have no hope; I only have luck and consequence.
Revelation 6:12-14 (NASB)
I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
The sixth seal brings us back to earth. A great earthquake, the sun goes black, the moon turns to blood, and the stars fall. People from the South always ask me how I can live in California with the earthquakes. I tell them I don’t mind earthquakes; it’s the whole funnel cloud thing in Texas that freaks me out! But this isn’t just a shaky ceiling fan. This is an earthquake where mountains and islands disappear.
Can you imagine the sun just shutting off at noon? Or looking up at the sky and seeing it roll back like a sunroof? I have a sunroof in my car, and on a beautiful day, I hit the switch and the sun warms my face. Imagine the heavens opening up so that you can see the crystal sea and the throne of God. If you love the Lord, that’s a great sight. But if you don’t know Christ, it’s a terrifying day.
Revelation 6:15-17 (NASB)
Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’
The kings, the commanders, and the strong men all hide in caves. They aren’t just hiding; they are begging the mountains to fall on them. They would rather die than look at the face of God. The most terrifying place in history is to be in the presence of God without Jesus.
Mercy in the Midst of Wrath
One of the things I love about God is that even in the midst of judgment, He always brings mercy. But it is His provided mercy. You can’t just “tap out” and ask Him to back off. He says, “You want mercy? Here it is. Put your faith in My Son.”
Revelation 7:1-3 (NASB)
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.’
God pauses the wind and the destruction to seal His bondservants. A “bondservant” was a willing slave—someone who was freed but chose to stay with their master. They would have their ear pierced with an awl against a doorpost to mark them as a willing servant. These are Jewish believers in Christ.
Revelation 7:4 (NASB)
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
God preserves 144,000 Jewish men and seals them. They are the “Billy Grahams” of the tribulation. Their job is to proclaim Christ to a generation that has shaken its fist at God for centuries. As a result of their ministry, we see a multitude from every tongue and nation standing before the throne.
Habakkuk 3:2 (NASB)
LORD, I have heard the report about You [and] I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
How can God be just and punish sin, while also being the Justifier who declares people like you and me righteous? The only way is through faith in Jesus. God pours His wrath out on another—His divinely provided means of mercy—so He can declare us righteous.
I should make a quick note because this might cause some of you to stumble. There is an organization that might knock on your door and tell you they are Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have a specific doctrine about the 144,000. Originally, they taught that only 144,000 people would be saved. When their membership passed that number, they had to change the doctrine to say only the 144,000 are “born again” kingdom heirs, and everyone else is a secondary class. But the Bible is clear: these 144,000 are Jewish men sealed during the tribulation. Don’t be confused by other doctrines.
The Hope of Glory
As we finish, look at what life is like for those who put their faith in Christ during this time:
Revelation 7:16-17 (NASB)
‘They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’
Friends, that is the hope of a relationship with Christ. Our intent in working through this book is to simply lay out what it says. I understand people here are at all kinds of places. I talked to a gentleman today who has decided he wants to walk away from God. I told him, “I respect where you’re at, and I’d love to walk with you through that journey.”
I am absolutely convinced this Book is true. If you aren’t there yet, I hope that in the process of hearing it unpacked, you will grapple with it. If we can help you understand who Christ is—the mercy provided in times of wrath—we would love to do that. Fill out an info card and we’ll find someone to sit down, have a cup of coffee, and talk it through with you.
If we read these things and just marvel at how “cool” it will be to see a sunroof in heaven, we’ve missed the point. It will be spectacular, but if you put your faith in Christ, your perspective will be different because you’ll be in glory with the Savior who purchased you at a great price.
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank You for this time. Father, we are so privileged to have a Book we can study, a Savior who is sovereign and holy, and the opportunity to recognize the times that are coming. I pray that You would be pleased with our worship tonight as we respond to You. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.