The Christians in the Roman Empire were challenged by foes within (doctrinal compromise) and fears without (threat of death and irrelevance in a pagan society). The heart of the message of the revelation is the coming destruction of the nation of Rome. But, in the process of punishing the pagans, especially for their treatment of Christ’s people, God will also be purifying those very disciples.
In the letters to the seven churches of Christ in Asia Minor, Jesus warned them that testing and tribulation were coming (2:10), war with the sword of His mouth was coming (2:16), great tribulation was coming (2:22). Further, He was coming as a thief (3:3), in an hour of testing (3:10), urging fellowship with those who choose faithfulness over compromise (3:20).
That “tribulation” and “hour of testing” are portrayed in chapter 6. This chapter begins the portrayal of God moving against “Babylon” on one hand and the unfaithful Christians on the other but everyone will be impacted for better or for worse. God’s judgment is portrayed as a warrior on a white horse (6:2), bringing war (6:4) and, in its wake, famine (6:5-6) and death (6:8).
Death will touch many people, both saved and non-saved. The saved, the martyrs for the cause of Christ, will cry out for justice, for vindication (6:9-11). God will hear; their prayers have already been presented before the throne of the Lamb (5:8). The non-saved will also cry out but not for vindication. They will cry out to be spared from the “wrath of the Lamb” (6:16-17).
For those saved, God has a special vision for them in chapter 7. Before God unleashes the four winds of wrath (7:1-2), He’ll make sure the saved know that God knows who they are (7:3). Just as we saw in 5:11, there is a multitude in heaven (cf. Hebrews 11 & 12:1-2): 144,000 (7:4-8). This great multitude is clothed in white (see 3:5); they are the ones who have already died faithful to Jesus Christ (7:14).
For those who will “overcome” and will remain faithful to the Lamb, even if it means death, I see eight blessings given in 7:15-17:
- They are before the throne of God;
- They serve Him day and night in His temple (Here is a picture of Christians serving as priests before God – 1:6; 5:10; Exo. 19:6.);
- He spreads His tabernacle over them (fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy from 37:27);
- They hunger no longer (Isaiah 49:10);
- They thirst no more;
- The sun does not beat down on them nor does the heat;
- The Lamb is their shepherd and will guide them to springs of the water of life;
- God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
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Passing on into chapter 8, the seventh seal is broken and there is silence for half an hour. The world waits as God prepares to wreak havoc on the Roman Empire, the prostitute who has abused and killed His faithful children. Have you ever been in the eye of a hurricane? Chapter 8:1-2 are the “eye” of the hurricane which is the wrath of the Lamb. Even so, God blows trumpets (seven to be precise), calling on mankind to soften their hearts, open their ears, and respond in repentance and obedience.
The lesson to give us hope that I offer from chapters 6 and 7 is that “the Lord knows those who are His” (to borrow Paul’s words from 2 Timothy 2:19) and He has awesome blessings waiting for us if we will just stay faithful to the Gospel.
–Paul Holland
