Seven seals timeline – part 4

The Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11)

What should we think about martyrdom?

1. I want the reward of martyrdom, but I don’t want to miss the action on earth.
2. Christians have no fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15)
3. God gives the “martyr’s grace” to those so chosen.
4. There will be a company who walk in Psalm 91 protection (Daniel 3:18).
5. Martyrs experience what we all pledge. Jesus explains the cost of discipleship up front (Matthew 16:24-25).

The souls of martyrs are under the altar in heaven (Revelation 6:9).

1. There lives were poured out like drink offerings (Philippians 2:14-17; 2 Timothy 4:6-8).
2. Why would they want their blood avenged? They want justice to come to the earth. They are interceding for God’s kingdom to come (Revelation 6:10).
3. What will happen after their time of rest (Revelation 6:11)?

• judgment (Revelation 6:10)
• reigning (Revelation 20:4)

Where on the timeline should we place the fifth seal?

1. It must come before the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:10-11).
2. It is likely that their cries trigger a response, placing it sometime before the Antichrist begins his reign of terror, mid-week.

This is a summary of a message brought at Christ the King Church on October 17, 2010. The complete audio is available here:
http://www.mercychristianfellowship.com/html/audio1.html
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Seven seals timeline – part 3

The Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-27)

1. The Abomination of Desolation

• takes place mid-week (Daniel 9:27). The “wing” of abominations could mean “extreme” abomination.
• marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21)

2. God delivers believers in Judea.

• There was a partial fulfillment in 70 AD.
• It was not a complete fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 because it was not mid-week (2 Thess 2:1-4)

Cosmic signs (Matthew 24:29)

1. These signs precede the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20:21; Revelation 6:12-17)

2. In Jewish thought, a “blood-red moon” is a term for describing a total lunar eclipse, in which the earth darkens the moon with its shadow.

Rapture (Matthew 24:30-31)

1. Why does it appear here on the timeline?

• It is immediately after the tribulation (Matt 24:29)
• It cuts short the tribulation (Matt 24:22)
• It leaves time for the wrath of God upon the wicked (1 Thess 5:9)

2. The rapture involves the physical return of Jesus (1 Thess 4:15-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52).

3. The Greek word “harpadzo” means to seize, catch up, snatch away. The Latin equivalent is “rapio”, from which we get “rapture”.

The word “harpadzo” is also used in Acts 8:30; 2 Cor 12:2, 4; Rev 12:5, and it conveys the idea of a forceful sudden seizure (Matthew 11:12; 12:29).

This is a summary of a message brought at Christ the King Church on September 26, 2010. The complete audio is available here:
http://www.mercychristianfellowship.com/html/audio1.html
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Seven seals timeline – part 2

(Matthew 24:9-14) This section of Jesus’ response describes events intensifying to “the end” of the age.

Four things will happen:

1. Tribulation will test the faithfulness of the saints.

• They will be hated by the world. (This is a reminder of what Jesus had told them in Matthew 10:16-25). See also Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12.
• They will be hated by professing Christians (who will be purged out) (John 17:22-23).

2. Deception will test the saints’ love of truth (also Matthew 24:5, 24). How does one know if he loves the truth?

• He loves learning the Word of God.
• He walks in obedience to the Word.
• He humbly receives correction.

3. Lawlessness will test the quality of the saints’ love.

• Our love will either grow cold or it will endure (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
• These three tests are to prepare us for the final end time battle.

4. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world (Matthew 24:14). Because of the previous testings, the church will adequately represent Christ, and the world will believe that the Father sent Jesus into the world (John 17:23).

This is a summary of a message brought at Christ the King Church on September 12, 2010. The complete audio is available here:
http://www.mercychristianfellowship.com/html/audio1.html
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Seven seals timeline – part 1

Most teachers of the end times place the four horses of the apocalypse (Revelation 6:1-8) in the seventieth week of Daniel. However, the effects of the four horsemen are evident in the world now. Therefore, we should conclude that the horsemen have already been released, at least in part.

The primary purpose of the four horsemen is to help prepare the world for the appearing of the Antichrist. This requires that the opening of the first four seals appears on the timeline sometime before the beginning of the seventieth week.

Before placing seals five and six on the timeline, we will look at the order of events presented by Jesus in Matthew 24.

First, the disciples ask Jesus about the end times (Matthew 24:3).

Jesus responds. The first segment of His response corresponds roughly to the activities of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. He calls this the beginning of birth pangs.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Matthew 24:4-8 NASB)

This is a summary of a message brought at Christ the King Church on September 5, 2010. The complete audio is available here:
http://www.mercychristianfellowship.com/html/audio1.html
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