The Fifth Seal

Temple Baptist Church - 11-15-2020

Revelation 6:9-11

Introduction:

 

A.  The First Seal is the introduction of Antichrist, The Great Pretender.

 

2 Corinthians 11:13-15  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  (14)  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  (15)  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

The Great Pretender’s Acceptance.  I believe that man’s delusion from God will be the acceptance of the Antichrist, the “god of this world.”  Look at the delusion taking place in America that Socialism is the answer to the needs of the people and the Socialistic Democratic Party will lead our nation right.  When Antichrist comes, he will be lauded as the greatest, wisest man on earth.  These people are being conditioned.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:8-11  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  (9)  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  (10)  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  (11)  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

 

B.  The Second, Third, and Fourth Seals are the Rise and Effects of Socialism.  The one world government of the end-time will be both a Dictatorship and Socialism.

 

The Effects of Socialism will be a totalitarian state with all power manifested in Antichrist.  There will be the starvation of the masses and suppression of all opposition.

 

C.  The Fifth Seal.

 

Revelation 6:9-11  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  (10)  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  (11)  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

 

D.  The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs for Christ.  Who they are not:

 

1.  I want to clarify who these martyrs are not.  They are not people who have heard the Gospel and rejected before the Rapture and chose to be saved under the persecution by Antichrist. 

 

2.  Many years ago, a man came by our church and showed me a booklet that he was giving out that taught the false doctrine of people getting a second chance to be saved after the Rapture of the Church.  The title was “What To Do In Case You Miss The Rapture.”  The booklet was written by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman.  The booklet was full of doctrinal error, and I believe that its errors still needs to be dispelled in our day.  There were several major points in the booklet concerning what to do if you miss the Rapture:

 

1.  Don’t get excited.  Teaching a second chance.

2.  Start working your way to heaven.  Teaching a mixture of faith and works.

3.  Don’t take any mark or any number.

4.  Get fanatical.

5.  Support the Jewish people.

 

3.  Those who have heard the Gospel and will not come to Christ before the Rapture will receive Antichrist and ALL will be eternally damned.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  (11)  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  (12)  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

Luke 23:30-31  Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.  (31)  For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

 

4.  I want to make a spiritual application of verse 31.  While on the way to Calvary, our Lord asked, “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”  In the context of the above verses, Jesus was speaking of the Tribulation Period: “For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.  (30)  Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.”

 

5.  If they would crucify the Son of God who walked among them and graciously spoke His Word to them, would they accept Him when He was gone, and Great Tribulation prevailed?  People who will not come to Christ “in a green tree,” or when it is so simple to trust Christ with little or no persecution for doing so, will certainly not confess Christ when it will cost them their lives.

 

E.  The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs for Christ.  Who they are:

 

1.  These are Tribulation Saints.  Every believer has been raptured out in chapter 4.  Every rejector of Christ receives strong delusion, believes a lie, and is damned.  There are two things that a person needs to be saved in the Tribulation Period:  The Word of God and the Spirit of God.  The MUST have both!

 

a)  The Essential Word of God - Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Luke 16:27-31  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  (29)  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

 

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 

b)  The Essential Holy Spirit of God - John 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

John 3:5-6  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 

c)  The Methodology is Different.  As ALL believers are raptured out, we will see that God implements other ways for the unbeliever to “hear.”  The Word of God is available as it “abideth forever.”  The Spirit of God still draws through the Word of God.  They will have both the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

 

2.  These are Martyred Saints.

 

a)  Their Sacrifice.  Their souls are now under the altar in heaven.  They are a part of the 2,000,000,000 plus who have either opposed or failed to obey Antichrist and his Socialistic System of government.  Remember, socialism always silences all those who oppose it.

 

b)  Their Service.  Through the millenniums, saints of God have always died for the same two reasons.

 

Revelation 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

 

Revelation 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

1)  Their Conviction: For the Word of God.  These martyred saints love the Word of Truth, the Word of God.  Compare with those who accepted Antichrist instead of Christ.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

 

2)  Their Confession: For their Testimony for God.  These martyred saints both lived for and confessed to others Christ.  They became witnesses.

 

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

3.  These are Resting Saints. 

 

a)  They cry out for Vengeance.  In verse 10, we find them crying out to God from under the altar for vengeance. 

 

Revelation 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

 

Romans 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

b)  These are ordered to wait and rest.

 

Hebrews 4:9-10  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  (10)  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

 

Revelation 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

 

c)  These are clothed in white robes.  Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before His throne.

 

Revelation 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

d)  The prospect of multitudes of martyrs to come. 

 

Revelation 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.