The Seven Seals (Revelation): Why is the world how it is today? If Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, then why is his world still such a mess? It can’t be that he is uncaring or unaware. So why does God delay his judgment? To save a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Recorded on Jun 7, 2026, on Revelation 6:1-8:5 by Pastor David Parks.
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This sermon is part of the Revelation: All Things Made New series. Christians live in incredible tension. In Christ, we’re already saved, but we’re not yet delivered from this broken world. We’re being made holy, but we’re not yet perfected. We have love, joy, and peace, but we still long for justice, healing, and the death of death. How can we endure all this without giving in to complacency or compromise? In our series, we’ll pull back the veil of reality, exposing both a cosmic spiritual battle and the truth about how this story ends. One day, Jesus will return and bring a final end to evil. He will defeat his enemies and vindicate his people, wiping away every tear. Jesus will finally, fully establish his kingdom on the earth, making everything new. “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Sermon Transcript
If Jesus is the risen Lord of heaven and earth, as we believe that he is, then why is this world (his world!) such a mess? Is he not a very good king? Or does he not really know what’s going on? As long as we’re asking big questions, how about this one: How could it be that Christians, if we’re right about who the ultimate authority is, and we serve him and love him, how could it be that Christians suffer for being Christians? How could our king allow that kind of suffering or even death for the faith? In other words: Why is the world how it is today? Have you ever wrestled with this? I have. Even recently, back before Christmas, I shared with several of you that I was just personally wrestling with why isn’t it that the more faithful you are, the better your life goes? Why can’t that be how it works? How could Jesus be the King and his world still be such a mess?!? Well, today, as we continue our series on the book of Revelation called All Things Made New, we’ll see if we can find some answers to those big questions. Revelation pulls back the veil of reality to show us what’s really going on in the world from a spiritual perspective. If you missed our series introduction, I would encourage you to go back and watch or listen online, because we give a lot more information about Revelation’s unique apocalyptic style and the wild visions the Apostle John had, some of which we’ll consider today in chapters 6-7. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Rev 6:1. Let’s jump in.
Revelation 6:1–8 (NIV), “1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. 5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” 7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” Last week, we saw that the Apostle John was invited to come up and walk through an open door into heaven. And he had this apocalyptic vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Lamb on the throne, and a heavenly response of worship for God being the Creator and Savior of the world. John’s vision continues here with the Lamb opening a series of seven seals on the scroll that only he was worthy to open. We said that the scroll was God’s plan for salvation, something that only Jesus could accomplish. But a difficult question for anyone reading Revelation is often, “Wait, when is this happening?” And the truth is, sometimes we don’t know. But I believe the worship we saw in chapters 4-5 took place when the Lamb returned to heaven after his resurrection and ascension. It was the celebration of his triumph over sin and death and all the spiritual powers of evil. Either way, I believe the opening of the seven seals is best understood as an apocalyptic way of characterizing the span of history between the resurrection and return of Christ. To be honest, there are many other theories about the timing of these events, but I think it’s clear that the first five seals describe events that are common in our current age, between the resurrection and the return of Christ. While the end of the world and our current age seem to begin with the opening of the final two seals. The first four seals call what are known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Now, there is some disagreement about the first rider on a white horse, because later in Rev 19, it’s Jesus who rides on a white horse. But here, I believe the four horsemen represent the general brokenness of the world. First, we have a rider carrying a bow who is bent on conquest, which would include war, the corrupted desire for power, and all the senseless destruction that accompanies both. The second rider carries a large sword and causes conflict, rage, and violence among mankind. The third rider carries a pair of scales used in business/commerce, and John overheard that the price of wheat and barley was 5-10 times higher than it should have been. This represents a famine or economic exploitation, or possibly both. And the fourth rider, of course, is death and grave personified. Basically, John’s vision here is that between the resurrection and the return of Christ, the world is a mess and will remain so. All people, regardless of their faith, will have to continue to endure the pain and suffering of war, violence, famine, economic exploitation, and death. Welcome to Appleton Gospel Church. Isn’t that an uplifting message? Maybe not, but it’s important for us to know that this is part of God’s plan. Not because God causes the evil in the world, but because his plan is to continue to allow it for a time. “But why, and how could a good and loving God allow all this suffering to continue?” We’ll see one answer as we continue.
Revelation 6:9-17 (NIV), “9 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. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. 12 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?” When the fifth seal was opened, John saw the souls of the martyrs, those who had given their lives for their faith. Stephen, a deacon in the early church, is honored as the first Christian martyr. We have the account of his death by stoning in Acts 7. James, John’s older brother, had been executed by the sword by King Herod Agrippa. Peter and Paul both died in Rome during the reign of Nero, with Peter reportedly having been crucified upside down, because he didn’t think he was worthy to die in the same manner as the Lord Jesus. Thomas Schreiner quotes the Roman historian, Tacitus, who wrote that during the time of Emperor Nero, many Christians were “torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt” (Schreiner, p. 274). By the time John saw this vision (90AD), all the other apostles had been martyred; he was the only one left. But countless Christians have been martyred over the last 2,000 years. Today, almost 5,000 Christians are martyred every year in places like Nigeria, Somalia, and North Korea. It may not show up on your news feed, and we probably won’t see widespread protests, but it happens all the time. Nigeria is especially bad, accounting for more than 70% of the global total (reference). But why does John see the souls of the martyrs, not their bodies? Because the dead won’t receive their new resurrection bodies until the return of Christ. So for now, when a Christian dies, their soul is immediately in the presence of Christ, but this is an intermediate state, not eternity. When Christ returns, we will receive our new resurrection bodies and will live forever bodily in the city of God in the new heaven and earth. But in this intermediate state, the souls of the martyrs cry out, “How long, Sovereign Lord…?” How long before justice is done? How long before we are vindicated? But they are told to wait a little longer until the full number is done. This points to one answer to why God allows the brokenness of this world to continue. Because the full number of his people has not yet been saved. We’ll especially see this in chapter 7, but there are still more people to be saved, so these faithful souls will have to wait a little longer. But then, with the opening of the sixth seal, we have what can only be described as the end of the world. And John pulls in language from about fifty places in the Bible, all of which describe the end of our current age. Jesus taught about this in Mt 24, and much of what John sees in his vision is similar to what Jesus described. These are the birth pangs leading up to the return of Christ. But v. 17 is another big question. If this is where history is headed, then who can withstand it? On Judgment Day, who will be able to stand? Chapter 7 gives us the answer.
Revelation 7:1-12 (NIV), “1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel…[12,000 of each of the twelve tribes—let’s skip down to v.9]…9 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.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” This is such an awesome vision! But Chapter 7 seems to be something of an interruption, doesn’t it? The seventh seal isn’t opened until the beginning of chapter 8. So why does John have a vision of this great multitude, seemingly interrupting the opening of the seven seals? Well, the answer is because we needed an answer to the question: On Judgment Day, who will be able to stand? Well, the answer is a vision of a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language who are doing what? They’re standing (v. 9) before the throne and before the Lamb. Here, we have a vision of all of God’s people, including the martyrs who had to wait a little while longer for their vindication and for justice to be done. Now, there are different opinions about who the 144,000 of Israel are and how they relate to the great multitude in the second half of chapter 7. Some think they are ethnic Jews who are saved in the last generation alive before the coming of Christ. But I believe these are two different ways of describing the same group of people. Just as in chapter 5, when John heard about Jesus being the Lion of Judah and then saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain, so here, John hears about the 144,000 and then sees the great multitude. The lion and the lamb are two different images that both describe Jesus. In the same way, these are two different images that both describe all of God’s people, including the believers of both the old and the new covenants. This doesn’t mean that the church replaces Israel, but it is a fulfillment of Israel, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles. There is one body of Christ, just as there is one olive tree that Gentile believers are grafted into. As the Apostle Paul argued in Galatians 4, believing Gentiles are also children of Abraham, not by birth, but because of the gracious promise of God. This scene is also a fulfillment of the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. Because here, we have people from every nation, tribe, people, and language welcoming the return of the Lamb and (v. 12) joining in the new worship song the heavenly court sang when the risen Lord Jesus ascended to his throne in chapter 5.
Revelation 7:13-8:5 (NIV), “13 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. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘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.’” 1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” This is God’s word. So John has a conversation with one of the elders of heaven about who all these people are. And the elder says these people came out of the great tribulation, the pain and suffering, the mess of this broken world represented by the four horsemen of chapter 6. In other words, these are the covenant people of God, who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. They will serve God, enjoy the unfiltered presence of God (no longer separated by sin), and God himself will comfort them, wiping every tear from their eyes. But then, with the solemn opening of the seventh seal and the Exodus imagery of lightning, thunder, and an earthquake—what happened when God came down on Mount Sinai—we have God coming down on the earth at the end of time. So chapter 7 wasn’t an interruption; it was John giving a clear answer to one of our big questions of the day: On Judgment Day, who will be able to stand? The answer is anyone who has trusted in the person and work of Christ and therefore has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, sealed by God as a people for his own possession, and will enjoy life/work/relationship in God’s presence for ever and ever. Amen! So we’re finally ready to come back to our first big question: Why is the world how it is today? If Jesus is the risen Lord of heaven and earth, then why is the world still such a mess? How could he let all this pain and suffering continue, especially for his own people? How could he let his martyrs wait for justice and vindication? The answer is rooted in God’s love for the lost. As the Apostle Peter wrote, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pe 3:8–9). God is patiently waiting because there are still more people who need to be saved. And if there are more people who need to hear the gospel and find salvation in Christ, then the tragic mess of this world will continue—but not forever. Why does God delay his judgment? To save a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. This broken world is such a mess, and it will continue to be until the return of Christ. But don’t forget: the Lamb is alive, salvation is offered to all, and one day, Christ will bring all this pain and suffering to a final, eternal end. Therefore, even in the face of suffering, persecution, or even martyrdom, we still have hope. Believe it or not, everything is going according to plan. So when we suffer, especially for our faith, and we cry out, “How long, Sovereign Lord?” don’t think that God isn’t aware or uncaring. He knows what you have to endure. Christ suffered these things himself. But he walks among the lampstand of our church. He hears your prayers; they are like a pleasing aroma to him. He is with you, no matter what. This is what it means to be sealed as one of his. But one day he will do justice. And he will vindicate his people. And the mess of this world will be over once and for all. And oh, what a day that will be. Let us pray.
