Who Can Stand? (The 6th Seal) | Revelation 6:12-17 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Well, before we go to Revelation six and continue in our teaching of the seven seals, that Christ will break in the tribulation period, I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 17 for a brief moment to look at a few verses. The gospel of Luke chapter 17 beginning in verse 26. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the son of man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all, so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Isn't it interesting that in Christ's teaching about the last days, the world appears to be going on as usual? There will be the routine of feasting and fellowship. There will be business deals made, romance blossoming, families coming together, construction projects underway. It seems quite interesting that these things will go on.

And though these activities are not inherently evil, Jesus Christ highlights them in order to show us humanity's general and unfortunate response to the trials and the turmoils of the tribulation period. It makes me wonder, how can there be this level of normalcy maintained, especially after we learn about the emerging of false Christs? Wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, earthquakes, the mass death of Christians across the globe. We looked at that when we saw these first five seals being broken, and yet my mind came to this passage to remind me that there will still be buying and selling. There will still be weddings.

There will still be buildings being built and trade happening. And I believe the reason for this is largely because of the great indifference that most people will have in that final generation. And that's startling. Chances are the reason for this is because they will brush off these occurrences as things that humanity has always known. Sure, what we're seeing is awful here, but it's nothing new.

Man speaks like that today. And in addition to that, we have to understand that in the tribulation period, the events preceding the return of Christ, there will be an intense disdain towards believers. Even the believers who will be there during the tribulation. And so the message of the tribulation saints will largely be ignored and even mocked just as Noah and Lot were dismissed as they were trying to warn their generation of coming judgment. And I say all of that to mention how whatever normalcy will be realized and protected.

I'm sure it will be very difficult to manage after the breaking of the sixth seal. Something is going to shift What God is going to do and what we're about to study will surely captivate the world's attention unlike the previous seals. Now I invite you to Revelation six and begin with me here in verse 12. When he opened the sixth seal, I looked and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth.

The full moon became like blood. And the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the Kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone's slave and free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?

Father, we ask that you help us with these verses, and inspire awe in each of us as a result. And more than that, Lord, we pray that you would draw this sinner to the throne of grace, And that there would be salvation while it is still available. In Jesus name we pray. Amen and Amen. At first, it really seems like what we just read is the end of the end.

The end of all things. I mean this description seems to suggest that this is the moment of Christ's bodily return to the earth to rule and reign forever. But I find that difficult to accept. For the simple reason that this is the sixth seal and there's still one more. And once we see the seventh seal breaking, it will set into motion the seven trumpets.

And after the seven trumpets, we're gonna have the seven bowls of God's wrath. And so to say that this is a snapshot of the savior coming down and wrapping all things up is a little challenging to conclude. However, there are those who would say that that is the case. Those who hold to alternate views of the book of Revelation would suggest that what you have here indeed is Christ's return. Because the way they understood the book of Revelation is as follows.

We have the seven seals, then we have the seven trumpets, and then we have the seven bowls of God's wrath. And some understand these sets of judgments as cyclical. They're not a linear thing. They're not sequential. They're not advancing in a timeline, but they're replays of the same events, though with slightly different details.

So there are some who understand it in that way. What you find here with these seals is gonna be repeated with the seven trumpets and it's gonna repeated with the seven bowls of God's wrath. And although the book of Revelation is not strictly chronological in every detail, I'm persuaded that a plain reading of it would lead anybody to understand that it is indeed a steady progression. Even with the differences of the judgments, when you come to the trumpets and the bowls, you can't deny that they become more intense. In fact, by the time you get to the bowls, it's total destruction.

There's nothing left. Everything is being cleaned up under God's wrath. And if that's the framework of interpreting this book, at least the most beneficial and realistic one. Then what do we do with this seal that reads like a finale? I mean, what follows this?

Well as dramatic as the scene is, I'm persuaded that when you consider the whole book, this is merely a preview of God's full wrath. This is not the conclusion. This is just a hint. And you're gonna see that in the coming weeks that things are only gonna get worse and worse. So rather than this being a concluding curtain drop, understand it more as a signal flare.

Reminding and telling this final generation, God's judgment has come. Be prepared for eternal justice. And the primary purpose of this terrifying display of power is to awaken this generation to the realization that God has been behind all the calamities that they endured, and he is soon approaching now to give his final verdict. I understand the sixth seal to be a major warning sign for a crowd of people who go on eating and drinking, marrying, building, selling and buying. You can't dismiss that God is behind this.

Look what I'm doing here. And as I was meditating on this passage thinking how we can benefit from it, staring at these verses praying and wondering how how can we make this digestible, I realized something. Something stood out to me. The word great shows up a total of three times. Did you notice it?

Look again here at verse 12. When he opened the sixth seal, I looked and behold, there was a great earthquake. Not just an earthquake, great. Look at verse 15. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones, significant people being mentioned here, the great ones.

And look at verse 17. For the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand? That's helpful. Let's consider these things separately. I wanna talk to you today about the great earthquake, the great ones, and the great day of God's wrath.

Let's look here at verse 12 again. I remember one of my professors in seminary mentioning in class that he was preparing to do a deep study. Ready? A deep study on earthquakes in the Bible. I don't know if he ever got through with it.

But when he said that, I mean, you can only remember so much in school. Right? For whatever reason, that stuck with me. What an interesting subject to study. Earthquakes in the bible.

They're everywhere in the scriptures. Have you noticed that? And they are more importantly brought up at key moments in redemptive history. In fact, whenever God shows up at a very pivotal time, he loves to make his presence known on the earth by shaking it. So you remember in Exodus 19 when the Lord meets with his people Israel at Mount Sinai, we read there in Exodus 19 that when he arrived, the mountain greatly trembled.

Think now of our precious Lord Jesus in Matthew 27 as he's there hanging suspended on a cross. And as he was absorbing the wrath of God, bringing it to completion, we read there that the earth shook and the rocks split. And now as we are examining the final moments before the return of Christ, we find more than one account of earthquakes. This is not the only earthquake in the book of Revelation by the way. There are a handful of them mentioned and we'll see that down through Revelation chapter sixteen sixteen.

Now, some who don't want to take this too literally will say that this description of cosmic disturbance is symbolic. It's symbolic of the fall of empires and governments, and the reason why they would say that is because when you go to the old testament, similar imagery is often used to define just that, the fall of rulers and their kingdoms. But listen, you always have to work with the context. I believe that the context suggests otherwise. There should be no doubt in any of our minds that we're reading about a real prophecy, about real people who are responding to a unprecedented yet very real earthquake.

One that will occur on a global scale. And the aftermath of this will be so great that it will affect the atmosphere. Perhaps through volcanic eruptions. And if that wasn't enough, it's gonna be accompanied by the showers of meteors and stars crashing into our world. This is terrifying.

This is frightening, and it should be. But what's the point? What's the point of all of this? And it helps to remember the earlier seals and what they entailed. Think now.

Think. Think. Think. Careful student of the scriptures. What's different about this seal with the previous ones?

There's one important difference. When you looked at the first four seals, what you see is God's judgment being released but through human agency. The rise of the antichrist. Wars and rumors of wars. And because of those wars, you have a famine.

A man made famine. And following that, you have disease and pestilences and all these things. God in those previous judgments act indirectly on the earth. But now when we come to the sixth seal, he's not working through humans. He is directly interacting with human affairs.

He is showing up himself. He's not just removing his hand and letting us in our sinful nature destroy each other. No. He is pressing his hand and he's showing all humanity that he is the coming judge. That is the main difference that we see here.

Natural disasters have a way of humbling us. They never fail to remind us how puny we are and how fragile we are. And to the honest, in response to these things, no matter the scale, they will acknowledge that man is not really in control. Oh, we borrow from the resources of the earth and we think that we can establish our own territories. Sure.

Sure. Sure. Sure. But when the world shakes, it never fails to remind us you're not really in control. If you're honest, some are so proud they dismiss these things.

And to the discerning, not only will they confess that we are not really in control, they will acknowledge that someone else is. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the psalmist says. That's what God is proving here. I'm in control. And as frightening as this great earthquake in this chapter maybe, I don't believe it's the Lord trying to say through it, I am God, don't mess with me.

Though he does do that sometimes. I'm persuaded in my reading of this book that even in this, I see and I hear God saying, I am God, come to me. Surrender. Give up. Stop fighting.

Stop resisting. Stop ignoring. Realize that this world is mine. Realize that this world is not permanent. Realize that I'm coming back to this world.

That truth will become more clear as we look at future disasters in Revelation. In fact, in your own time, you go to these chapters following and you'll realize that with some of these disasters, you have an interesting commentary. We're talking about the final lap of all things. And yet, with some of these catastrophes, the Holy Spirit writes, and they still did not repent and give glory to God. So even though this window of grace is soon to be shut, we see God still wanting to use these events to draw men unto himself.

And they will refuse. And this truth of God using even things like this to draw sinners is found in other passages in scripture. So last night, I got thinking about earthquakes. Not gonna do a deep study on it. But I thought of another one.

Let's turn there in act 16. This is when Paul and Silas were imprisoned in act 16 verse 25. And I had to be careful because what I read here kept me there for a while. I was just relishing in it and I thought, we're preaching on revelation here. I can't stay in acts.

But look at acts sixteen twenty five down to verse 26. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's bonds were unfastened. I've heard this passage preached so many times. Maybe you have as well.

And what's often emphasized is, do you see what prayer and praise can do in the midst of your pain? Right? God came through. God invaded the space. God answered.

And that's right. You can you can preach it. You can teach it that way. You can find consolation from this passage. But here's what dawned on me.

God shows up with a great earthquake. And you know what he didn't do? He didn't deliver Paul and Silas and kill their oppressors at the same time. He didn't do that. Moreover, he didn't just shake that prison and release only Paul and Silas.

That's where it got good for me. Look again at verse 26 carefully. Read your bible slowly. The last sentence. And immediately, all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds weren't fastened.

Come on. Those of us who know this story, how have we imagined it? The earthquake came, Paul and Silas were set free, the door swung open, and the jailer says, ho ho. And then, they, you know, preach the gospel to them and he gets saved, they go to his house and the house will get saved. That's not what happened.

The sounds of chains falling to the ground was universal in that prison. It wasn't just Paul and Silas, it was every prisoner. Every prisoner after this earthquake were freed. Well, hold on. So I read again, I'm like, did the prisoners pray?

Did they sing praise? No. They were just listening. They were just absorbing and trying to make sense of these two crazy guys that were singing at midnight. And when God decided to vindicate his missionaries, in his mind, he chose to set free the other prisoners, not just his servants.

You see why I I stuck here? I was just relishing in this. I was basking in this. God, you had in mind these other jailers. You had in mind these other folk.

I understand Paul and Silas being freed, being rescued, but you're giving an opportunity to these other criminals? And if I don't be careful, I'll get carried away here. So let me just say this. What can we take from this? That God's mercy can be found even in earthquakes.

No matter how traumatic or tragic they are. The great earthquake that will get the world's attention. What makes the sixth seal different? It's God showing up directly and the world will understand it. But let's come now to the great ones in Revelation six.

In verse 15, how will the inhabitants of the earth respond to the great shaking here? Well let's consider it. Verse 15 reads, then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone slave and free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains calling to the mountains and rocks, fall on us. This verse teaches us something incredibly important. Beyond demonstrating that this earthquake was so massive that it will impact everyone.

That's obvious. Take note of the different social classes mentioned. Kings, generals, the rich and powerful, and even slaves. It's so obvious here that there is a diversity of social classes and occupations and status. But here's what moved me, when God stepped on the scene, none of those distinctions mattered.

None. They all fled for the hills. They all stuck their heads between clefts, between rocks. They all flung themselves into caves. None of these things made a difference when God showed up.

Listen. Who you aspire to become. How men recognize you. Your accolades. Your achievements mean nothing if you are not right with God.

Zero. Because at the end of the day, let me remind you and you're gonna be reminded of this frequently in the book of Revelation. Everything. Everything. Everything.

Your most prized possession. The thing that you sweat so much for EV even if you sweat blood, whatever it is that you invested in, no matter it is that you are passionate about, listen to me very carefully. It will all be stripped away. And the only thing that will truly count is what you did with Jesus Christ. What did you do with his message?

What did you do with the person of Christ? That's all that matters. If you're a king or a slave, regardless, they were all found on equal ground when God showed up. It seems as though John borrowed from Isaiah. Listen to these words from Isaiah two because I just gave you an application for the unbeliever.

But this is something for the believer. In Isaiah two verse 20, you don't have to turn there, but tell me if this sounds familiar. The prophet says in Isaiah two twenty, in that day, mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship to the moles and to the bats. And people worship these kind of things? Yeah.

They still do today. Verse 21. To enter the caverns of the rocks, and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of his majesty when he rises to terrify the earth. Sound familiar? But Isaiah gives us an application in the final verse of this chapter.

Look at verse 22. Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath for what account is he? So Isaiah wants you to see men of all kinds of status, of all kinds of achievements and accomplishments, of all kinds of power, men who sit in palaces, and men who are also paupers. No matter who they are, understand that in the presence of God, they're nothing. So why are you afraid of man?

Why are you so obsessed with people's opinions? They're borrowing their next breath from God. They're weak. Why do we make so much of pastors? Why do we elevate them too much?

Why do we think that they're cherubim with a tie on? They're humans, and they're borrowing their next heartbeat from God. Why do you fear your enemies? The threats, the intimidation. Who cares?

Because in light of God's presence, they're nothing. They're nothing. So So I look at Revelation six and I see all these great ones cowering, dropping everything, and flying to the mountains. This is the fate of those who oppose God. So why am I to fear if God is on my side now?

God will show up in a great earthquake but as we read in Acts sixteen sixteen, he can show up with a great earthquake now and he can localize it to your home. He can localize it to the local church. He's in charge. He can do everything. And I serve this God.

You serve this God. But what I find more fascinating than this wide range of people not only fleeing from this massive disruption is that they also prayed because of it. Did you notice that? However, their prayers weren't quite what we hope for. Look at verse 16 again of Revelation six.

Calling to the mountains and rocks. Not to the creator, but to creation. Not to the rock of our salvation, but to literal stones. God can save anyone. We need to have that hope.

He can rescue and redeem any person no matter how wicked they are. At the same time, we have to be willing to acknowledge that there are some who will still refuse to surrender to the savior even in the face of undeniable power and authority. You would think that with these who survived this disaster, that they would finally realize it and call out to the Lord. But they don't. They're more willing to call out to inanimate objects.

More than that, listen. There are some people that hate the truth and love darkness so much that they rather face a horrible death than bend a knee to Jesus Christ. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine praying to a mountain? Fall on me.

This is how warped man's heart is. This is how dark the soul is apart from Christ. That even as he is undeniably shaking the very foundation beneath our feet, people will still deny him and refuse him. This is sobering, but it's true nonetheless. And if calling to mountains and rocks wasn't strange enough, what's even more remarkable is the belief of this people that they can actually escape judgment.

What are they asking the rocks to do? Fall on us so that we can hide from the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. I mentioned this a few weeks ago. I've never seen a lamb angry. Have you?

I was so curious when I realized this that I had to Google it and it was the cutest thing I've ever seen. A lamb angry. Look it up at lunch. You can't find anything. They don't have horns, they don't have fangs, they don't have claws.

They're clouds with feet. And yet here we realize the wrath of the lamb. I understand the wrath of a lion. Why this imagery? To show that the same one who laid down his life in great love for us as a lamb will also one day come in wrath.

I mentioned to you this last week, be careful of those who present and preach a Jesus who is empty of wrath. He doesn't exist. He does not exist. He may exist in cartoons or in popular TV shows that try to represent Christ. It's not the Christ of the Bible.

The wrath of the lamb will come one day. And they thought they can hide from it. What a foolish thought. They failed to realize that the only way to evade the wrath of God is to hide in Christ himself. We don't use that language frequently when we talk about salvation, but it's in the word.

One of my favorite pictures and language used is in Hebrews six eighteen. Can we turn there? In Hebrews six eighteen. Hebrews. What an amazing book.

One of the reasons why it's so enthralling to me is because it's dripping with old testament references and illusions including this. Hebrews six eighteen. So that by two unimaginable or unchangeable things rather, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. You see what he's saying? This author, this mastermind, this brilliant theologian who put together the book of Hebrews by the spirit.

He tells his audience, we who have fled for refuge. Now you can take that at face value. Yeah. We we flee for refuge in Christ, but he's referring to the cities of refuge in the old testament. That if you committed involuntary manslaughter, God had determined allotted cities accessible at any point.

No matter where you are in the promised land, these cities have been designated that you can actually find your way there. And that you had a chance to run to the cities of refuge, less the avenger of that person's blood find you and justly deal with you. Now the author here talks to Christians and he says, we who have fled for refuge. Applying what? That Christ is the greater city of refuge.

And notice this, he says, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement. Encouragement is tied to the experience of Christ being our refuge. He's talking about us possessing an immovable, unshakable, firm, constant trust that no one will avenge me. No one will come after me. No one will destroy me.

And if you are here precious believer, and you can't say with confidence that I know strong encouragement in the redeemer being my refuge, all that signifies is that you have yet to learn just how safe and secure Christ is. Can I tell you one reason why he's greater than the cities of refuge in the Old Testament? The cities of refuge in the Old Testament were only for the innocent, but Jesus is for the guilty. The cities of refuge were for those who accidentally killed someone. But even if you are here today and your hands are stained with blood and nobody else knows about it, you can flee to Christ and he will protect you.

You repent, you run to him, he will shield you. You will be hidden in Christ so that even when this great earthquake comes, even when these final judgments are unleashed, you'll be untouched. Which brings me to my final point. As great as the wrath of the lamb will be, it can be escaped. Let's talk about the great day of wrath.

We just talked about the great ones. Look at verse 17. For the great day of their wrath has come. Notice that. God is one but in a plurality of persons.

For the great day of their wrath has come. And who can stand? I don't want to spend the remaining time before we break bread here to discuss the greatness of God's wrath. We'll have much more revelation to to explore related to that. I just wanna simply answer the question that these kings and great ones and slaves and free asked in response to it.

Who can stand? It's a rhetorical question. It's so clear. No one. Not one person, no matter how powerful or wealthy they are, no matter how loved, no matter what kind of lawyers you have, will be able to endure the wrath of God.

Every person will be consumed. God does not judge impartially. He will faithfully vindicate His name and faithfully deal with those who've denied His son and denied the blood. But there is one group of people that can stand. Paul tells us in Romans five.

This is our final passage. It's worth turning there in verse one and two. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Who can stand and face the great day of their wrath? Paul says, you don't have to worry about standing before God's wrath because in Christ, through faith, because of grace, you stand firmly in grace, in his forgiveness, in his refuge. And nothing can change that. Can I ask you a question using this idea of standing as an image? What line are you standing in?

Just imagine with me two lines. Here's line number one. Being prepared to face the great day of God's wrath. Are you in that line? I'm not really thinking about it.

I got a wedding coming up. That's not gonna change this appointment. I'm not really thinking about it. I'm so caught up with business and my building projects. Okay.

You think that's gonna change anything? I'm popular. Who cares? Look at the kings and the generals. They're gonna find themselves in caves one day.

I'm a celebrity. I feel bad for you actually. What does it matter what people say about you or write about you? You're dependent upon another breath and only God can grant it. What line are you standing in?

Are you in line number one today? Is your appointment to face this unthinkable experience of the fury of God's holy justice? Or are you in line number two? You're saying, what's in line number two? The opposite of line number one.

That you are prepared to face his immeasurable love and to receive not wrath, but fellowship. Not holy anger, but overwhelming affection. Are you in that line? You're saying, well, look, I don't know which one I'm in. In fact, I'm inclined to think I'm in line number one.

Well, if you're in line number two, you you know you can actually be removed from that. And find yourself in the line that I'm speaking about here saying how do I get there? The bridge, the transfer is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting that he is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Trusting that you are deserving of his wrath but also a recipient by faith of his love if you were to believe it.

And you have nothing to worry about. In fact, when you find yourself in this line, this sacrifice is so great that God will put guardrails and keep you in that line. And no matter who's here, no matter what force, nothing can separate you from standing there. Nothing can take you away from the destiny of being in his glory forever and ever. That's the greatness of the sacrifice.

And I find it exciting that the way we do communion here is that we get in the line take a piece of that bread and a small portion of that cup. To remember Romans five verse two, through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. I want you to think about that believer as you are ready to partake this afternoon. You are coming here and rejoicing in the truth that wrath is not for you. I I don't wanna face this right you don't have to if you're listening to me.

If you're trembling there, I'm trying to keep yourself together. You don't have to know this wrath. You don't have to face the wrath of the lamb, but what am I to do that? You must embrace the lamb of God. And if you have not done that, do it today.

Don't you dare mindlessly participate in this, not knowing where your salvation lies. More than you participating in any ordinance, call out to the Lord. Ask Him to forgive you. Repent of your sin, and He will flood your heart with an assurance that will provide strong encouragement. Believer, I encourage you to, as we sing, to reflect on your own heart.

Are you truly living for Christ? I know all of us in here feel unworthy if we think about it long enough, that we're not as faithful as we can be. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about justifying disobedience. I'm talking about you ignoring something that the Lord has been convicting you about and you have not dealt with it.

I I if you are holding onto something, don't grab these elements yet. Do business with God. That will please him more than this. But believer, this is a time of celebration. We're reading about these judgments, and we're gonna stand in line and say, that's not my portion.

That's not my future. I stand in the grace of God. Let's pray. We thank you, father. You were so kind to us.

How even in these prophecies about the future, we can learn about who you are today. And, Lord, we have come to rejoice in our redemption. We've come now to obey what you have instructed your church to do, and that is to take these elements and to reflect on what you have done and what you will do. Lord, thank you that because of your love for us, what we can anticipate is a feast. You told us that you would not drink of this cup again until you drink it with us in your kingdom.

And so, Lord, we thank you that what we saw here in Revelation six is not for us. And, Lord, for the one who is not sure what their future holds, may today be the day of salvation. And may they receive Christ wholeheartedly and experience this great love that we are rejoicing in. Continue to be with us, Lord. Move our hearts as we taste and see your kindness once more.

In Jesus name. Amen. The praise team is gonna come and join us and to lead us in a reflective song as that's taking place. Sing these lyrics and tune your heart to the sacredness of this moment. Don't think about your sin unless you need to repent of it.

Think about the savior. Think about his obedience, his perfection, his righteousness on your behalf. You're not coming here because of your performance. You've come here because he has done all the work. And you're a recipient of his mercy.

That's why you're coming here. Okay? Well, let's stand now. Let's celebrate.