What I Noticed Today (Revelation 6-11)
Revelation 6
Seal 1.
In verses 1-2, John describes the Lamb (Jesus) opening one of the seven seals, and one of the four creatures said, “Come, ” and John saw a white horse and the horseman who had a bow and a crown went out as a victor to conquer.
Note: Some believe the rider of the white horse is Christ, but the timing is wrong. Christ returns as a conqueror at the end of the Tribulation period, not before. Also, note there is no mention of an arrow. It is more likely this rider is the Antichrist.
Seal 2.
In verses 3-4, He opened the second seal, and a second living creature said, “Come,” and a fiery red horse went out, and its horseman with a large sword could take peace from the earth so that people would slaughter one another.
Seal 3.
In verses 5-6, He opened the third seal, and a third living creature said, “Come, ” and there was a black horse, and its horseman had a set of scales. Something like a voice from the four living creatures said a quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius but did not harm the olive oil and the wine.
Note: This horseman represents famine, which often follows war. The price for the wheat and barley was very high, indicating severe famine and food shortages.
Seal 4.
In verses 7-8, He opened the fourth seal, and the fourth living creature said, “Come, ” and there was a pale green horse, and the horseman on it was named Death and Hades followed after him. Authority was given him over a fourth of the earth to kill by the sword, famine, plague, or wild animals.
Note: Death is a reference to the physical body. Hades is a reference to the Spirit/Soul of man.
Seal 5.
In verses 9-11, He opened the fifth seal, and I (John) saw people under the altar slaughtered because of God’s Word and their testimony. They cried out for the Lord to avenge their deaths. A white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest until their number was fulfilled.
Note: This is a description of the martyrs during the Tribulation period. The word translated “people” is literally the word for “souls” in Greek. The souls of the martyrs were under the altar. The white robes given to them are a symbol of their righteousness.
Seal 6.
In verses 12-17, He opened the sixth seal, and a violent earthquake shook the earth. The sun turned black, and the moon turned red like blood, and the stars fell to the earth. The sky separated like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
Everyone hid in the caves in the mountains, and they called on the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
Note: All elements of society; rich and poor, free and slave who had not accepted Christ hid themselves to try to avoid the judgment of God and the wrath of Christ.
Revelation 7
Revelation 7 includes two visions that appear to John after the opening of the sixth seal and before the opening of the seventh. It answers the question from Revelation 6:13, “Who is able to stand [before God]?”
In verses 1-8, John describes four angels standing in the four corners of the earth restraining the wind. Another angel with the seal of God rose up and cried out to the other four angels not to harm the earth, the trees, or the sea until they seal the slaves of God on their foreheads. The number of those sealed was 144,000 (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel).
Note: A seal placed on a person indicated ownership. In this case, they are “owned” by God. The 144,000 are Jewish believers (not members of a modern-day cult of Christianity). The order of the tribes listed is interesting; Judah is listed first because it was the royal tribe of Israel, Reuben is next and was the firstborn of Jacob. Dan and Ephraim are not listed, perhaps because of their idolatry. Joseph (taking the place of his son Ephraim) and Levi are listed, although neither were listed among the military tribes of Numbers 2.
In verses 9-17, after this, John looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and carried a branch in their hands. They cried out, “Salvation belongs to our God…and to the Lamb.”
The angels stood around the throne. The elders and the four living creatures and fell down and worshiped God.
One of the elders asked, who are these people robed in white, and where did they come from? John answered, “Sir, you know.” The elder explained:
- They came out of the Great Tribulation.
- They had washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.
- Because of this, they are before the throne of God serving Him day and night.
- The One on the throne will shelter them.
- They will no longer hunger or thirst.
- The sun will no longer strike them.
- The Lamb will shepherd them and guide them to springs of living water.
- And God will wipe away their tears.
Note: In John’s first vision, righteous Jews from every tribe are sealed with God. In the second vision, believers martyred during the Tribulation are given comfort and protection by God.
Revelation 8
In verses 1-6, He opened the seventh seal, and there was silence in heaven for half an hour. Then seven trumpets were given to the seven angels who stand before God. Another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of the saints. The smoke of the incense was the prayers that went up in the presence of God. The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire, and hurled it to earth. There was thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. The seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
Note: The seventh seal is important, covering all the events from Revelation 8:1 through 19:10. The angel with the incense burner is thought to be Jesus because the prayers of the saints come before God through Him (Ephesians 2:18). Jesus is called the angel of Jehovah in Genesis 16:13, Genesis 31:11, Judges 6:22, Hosea 12:4. From the order of the text, it appears the prayers of the saints caused the angel to throw the fire upon the earth to punish their enemies.
Note: Verse 6, as the angels prepare to blow their trumpets, signifies the middle of the Tribulation period.
First Trumpet.
In verse 7, the first angel blew his trumpet and hail mixed with fire, and blood was hurled to the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned, and all of the green grass.
Second Trumpet.
In verse 8-9, the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a mountain on fire was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Note: Perhaps a massive volcanic eruption.
Third Trumpet.
In verses 10-11, the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star blazing like a torch fell from heaven onto a third of the rivers and springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the water became wormwood, so many people died from drinking the water.
Note: Wormwood is a non-poisonous plant that is extremely bitter. However, in this case, the water became poisonous. Wormwood is an analogy for bitterness, sorrow, and injustice (Jeremiah 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, Amos 5:7).
Fourth Trumpet.
In verses 12-13, the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day and night were without light.
I (John) looked up and saw an eagle crying out in a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining three trumpet blasts that are about to sound.”
Some additional thoughts for consideration:
- The Antichrist begins by declaring peace. He has weapons of war but no arrows with which to fight. It is not long before Christians are persecuted during the Tribulation.
- During the Tribulation, two groups, one of the Jews and one of Christians, maintain their faith and are sealed in righteousness.
Revelation 9
Fifth Trumpet.
In verses 1-12, the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and a star fell from heaven to earth. The key to the abyss was given to him. He opened the abyss, and smoke came up, so the air and sun were darkened by it.
Note: The star that fell from heaven earth is referred to as a “he, ” and it is Satan. The abyss is the home of the demons.
Locusts came out of the smoke with power like scorpions. They were told not to harm anything except those who did not have God’s seal on their foreheads. They were not permitted to kill them, only torment them for five months. People will seek death; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
The locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. They had something like gold crowns on their heads, faces like men, hair like women, teeth like lions, chests like iron breastplates, and their wings sounded like the sound of chariots rushing into battle. They had tails like scorpions that could harm people for five months.
Their king is the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek, Apollyon.
Note: The names Abaddon and Apollyon both mean “destroyer.”
The first woe is passed; two more woes will come.
Sixth Trumpet.
In verses 13-21, the sixth angel blew his trumpet. From the horns of the altar, a voice told the sixth angel to release the four angels bound at the Euphrates river.
Note: The four angels that were bound are demons because angels are not bound.
So the four angels were released and killed a third of the human race. The number of mounted troops was 200 million. The horsemen had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like lion’s heads, and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur. A third of the human race was killed by them. They had a tail, resembling snakes with heads, and they inflict injury with them.
Note: A fourth of the earth’s population was killed in the fourth seal, and now a third of those who remain are killed, so to this point, half of the earth’s population has been killed.
The rest of the people who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of their works and stop worshipping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. They did not repent of their murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, or their thefts.
Note: While the sixth trumpet may have produced fear, it did not result in repentance!
Revelation 10
Note: Revelation 10:1-11:14 is the second interlude that falls between the sixth and seventh trumpets. The first interlude was Revelation 7:1-17 between the sixth and seventh seals.
In verses 1-11, John describes the mighty angel and the small scroll.
A mighty angel came down from heaven in a cloud with a rainbow. His face was like the sun and his legs like fiery pillars. He had a small scroll open in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left hand on the land and cried out with a voice like a roaring lion. Seven thunders spoke, and I (John) was about to write it down when a voice from heaven said to seal up what the seven thunders said and not write it down.
The angel raised his right hand and swore an oath that there would be no interval of time. The seventh angel will blow his trumpet, and then God’s hidden plan will be revealed.
The voice I (John) heard before told me to get the scroll from the angel and eat it. It will be bitter in the stomach but taste sweet as honey in your mouth.
And I (John) was told you must prophesy again to many peoples, nations, kings, and languages.
Revelation 11
In verses 1-14, John describes two witnesses who were martyred and then resurrected.
I was given a measuring rod with the words, go and measure God’s sanctuary, and the altar, and count the people who worship there. But exclude the outer sanctuary because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.
Note: This means to measure the area of the Holy of Holies but not the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard would be under the control of the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for 42 months (3-1/2 years).
I will empower my two witnesses for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and lampstands that stand before the Lord. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. These men have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. They also have power over the waters to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with any kind of plague they want.
When they finish their testimony, the beast will come up out of the abyss, make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city (prophetically called Sodom and Egypt), where the Lord was crucified.
Note: The beast that comes out of the abyss is the Antichrist. The great city referred to in verse 8 is Jerusalem.
People will view their bodies for 3-1/2 days and not be permitted to be buried in a tomb. People will gloat over them and celebrate with gifts because these two prophets brought judgment on those who live on the earth.
After 3-1/2 days, the breath of God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. A loud voice commanded them to come into heaven. They went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched.
A violent earthquake shook the city, and 7,000 people were killed. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to God in heaven!
The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming.
Seventh Trumpet.
In verses 15-19, the seventh angel blew his trumpet. Loud voices proclaimed the coming of the coming of the kingdom of the Lord, who will reign forever and ever.
The 24 elders seated before God fell down and worshiped God, thanking God for who He is, for His great power, and for beginning to reign. The time has come for the dead to be judged and to give rewards to Your servants the prophets because the time has come to destroy the earth.
God’s sanctuary in heaven opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder, an earthquake, and severe hail.
Note: The events of the seventh trumpet will be concluded in Revelation 16.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- We do not know who the two witnesses are that prophecy for 1,260 days. They are killed by the Antichrist, but resurrected and brought to heaven by God. Satan seems to win a battle, but in the end, the Lord is victorious!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
