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6. The Sixth Seal: The Beginning of the Catastrophes of the End of Time (Revelation 6:12-17)
Let us Proclaim the Victory of the Lamb! The educational and punishing judgments of the Lamb of God burden and are on the mind of everybody who bears still a spark of compassion in his heart.
Yet the Holy Spirit leads us to understand the reasons of these Last Time developments and in particular not to lose sight of their aim and purpose.
The wickedness of the world is increasing and the hardening against God and his Lamb as well. The rider on the white horse is working day and night in religions, philosophies, in confederations of states, in parties and schools. His power seems to grow. Anti-Christian principles determine the self-redemption attempts of men. The despair in view of wars, famine and epidemic plagues is increasing. At the same time we experience in the industrial countries a naive unconcern.
The wrath of the Lamb is in the air. His love, his substitutionary death, and his atonement through which God reconciled us to himself are being disesteemed. His witnesses have being slandered, persecuted and killed further on.
God said to Jeremiah: My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13).
This startling revelation came to Israel on the verge of the deportation of his elite into the Babylonian exile. Yet the people did not repent. Their temple was destroyed and seventy years of suffering began.
The writing of God on the wall can be seen clearly nowadays again on the wall of the universe. But who repents for himself and for his nation? Who is prepared to speak with his neighbours about the coming judgments, and to accept as a witness of the Lamb resistance, contempt, expulsion from the society, slander, hatred, and betrayal? Who believes in spite of all contrary facts in the victory of the Lamb and proclaim it? Who remains focussed on the Lamb of God and who lets himself send by him in the midst of the Last Time judgments?
The historical developments which are revealed to us in chapter six along with the breaking of the six seals by the Lamb of God push to one goal. The coming of Jesus Christ and his kingdom make everything new. His witnesses, his martyrs and the fathers of faith live forever and will come with the conqueror of Golgotha. The kingdom of God begins already nowadays in those who believe in Christ and follow him. His eternal live pulsates in the gentle and meek. The dawn of a new time has already begun 2000 years ago.
In view of the increasing birth pangs of the Last Time we need to be focused on the Lamb of God so that we do not lose heart. Johannes Seitz is supposed to state at the end of his live: The more I see sickness, hardships and obsessions, the more I become aware of the innumerable miseries and different kinds of dependency of men, so that I only can sigh and pray: Come soon, Lord Jesus!
Yet we are prepared to run with perseverance the race that is set before us and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
His death is our victory. His resurrection is our live. His spirit is our power. His love is our glory.
We know: He is coming so as to judge the living and the dead. He will gather his church out of all states and tongues.
He assures us: blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew. 5:5+8).
If we die, we will live (John 5:25; 11:25-26). If we are killed, we will ascend to him who sits on the throne and to his Lamb. If we are tortured, then the Holy Spirit will whisper the sayings of Jesus in our hearts and assure us: Nobody shall snatch you out of my hand. No one will snatch you out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:28-30).
Hell fears the holy God and his gentle Lamb.
Let us confess the name of Jesus in our families, as we are only safe "in him".
Let us work that the name of Jesus will be glorified in our churches having numerous problems, as only from him will come repentance, salvation, redemption and deliverance.
Let us proclaim the name of Jesus to our nation, as there are no hopeless circumstances for the Lamb of God.
Let us tell the name of Jesus also to the members of other religions so that the accomplished justification of the Lamb of God overcomes and judges the erroneous self-redemption attempts of the founders of religions, mystics and zealots.
Let us also hold to the name of Jesus for all oppressed and pray and exercise faith for all who are bound by spirits, demons, philosophies and cults, so that those who seek for the truth, will be released and set free form their prisons (Luke 4:18-19).
Our faith is the victory that has overcome the world (1 John 5:4-5). The Last Time is still time of grace! Who is prepared to collaborate so that the remaining harvest of God will be brought in in due time (Matthew 9:35-38)?
PRAYER: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God, You live, save, comfort and establish. Help us to serve You in our families and our peoples, and even among the demon-possessed. You are the triumphant victor, and You come soon to our world.
QUESTION;
- How do you declare the victory of the Lamb of God in your surroundings?
To Him who loved us
and washed us from our sins
in his own blood
and has made us kings and priests
to God and his Father
to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever.
Amen.
(Revelation 1:5-6)
QUIZ 2
Dear Reader,
If you have carefully studied this second booklet on the Book of Revelation, you will have gained an everlasting treasure. At the same time, you will be able to answer the following questions easily:
- Why was the door of heaven opened wide to every man?
- What was the reason for calling John the Divine?
- What does it mean that the throne in heaven is not empty, but there is someone on it?
- In what colors did Holy God appear to the seer? What do these colors mean?
- Who are the twenty fours elders on thrones around the throne of God?
- What do the voices heard among the lightnings and thunderings in the throne of God mean?
- Why did the Holy Spirit appear as seven spirits?
- How does God's omniscience appear in the expanses of His throne?
- Who are the four living creatures at the throne of God?
- What did the four living creatures recognize of God's greatness in their midst?
- What does the falling down of the twenty four elders before God signify?
- What is the content of the worship of the twenty four elders?
- Why was the scroll in the right hand of God written inside and on the back?
- Why did John weep bitterly?
- Why was Jesus called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah"?
- Why did the lion appear as a weak lamb?
- What does the slain Lamb of God signify?
- What is the meaning of the seven horns of the Lamb?
- What do we derive from the seven eyes in the Lamb of God?
- How was the authority of God delivered to Jesus?
- How did the elders in heaven worship the Lamb of God?
- Why does Christ's worthiness to rule the world depend on His self-sacrifice?
- Where do those whom the slain Lamb purchased come from as God's own?
- What are the services of royal priests before their Lord?
- How many angels worshipped the Lamb of God?
- Why did the angels magnify the death of the Lamb of God without mentioning His miracles?
- What are the seven characteristics emphasized by the angels? Which one is the most important?
- What touched you most about the multitudinous worship in heaven? What did you accept of it for your own worship to God and His Lamb?
- What does the opening of the seals of the scroll by the hand of the Lamb of God signify?
- Who is the rider on the white horse?
- What did you understand from the relation between Christ's sermon in Matt about the end of time and His revelations in Revelation 6
- What does the rider of the red horse bring?
- What does the rider of the black horse cause?
- What is the significance of Death, who comes personally accompanying the fourth rider?
- How does death attack us through modern wars?
- Why does poverty grow in the world?
- What are the epidemics which the Lord uses to lead us into repentance?
- Why is there no peace among the peoples today?
- Who are the martyrs of the Old Testament at the altar of incense in heaven? What is the obstacle in their doctrine?
- What are the disasters of the last times, which the Revelation of John tells us in advance?
- How do you declare the victory of the Lamb of God in your surroundings?
If you answer 75% of the above questions exactly and sufficiently, we will send you the next booklet of this series. Please write your full name and address clearly, and send your answers to the following address:
Waters of Life
P.O.Box 600 513
70305 Stuttgart
Germany
Internet: www.waters-of-life.net
Internet: www.waters-of-life.org
e-mail: info@waters-of-life.net