Sermon Central
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The Tribulation Judgments
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Jun 23, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: THIS IS A MESSAGE ABOUT THE THREE SETS OF TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS. IT IS THE COMPLETION OF A TWO PART MESSAGE.
THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS
THERE ARE THREE SETS OF JUDGMENTS IN THE TRIBULATION:
1. SEVEN SEAL JUDGMENTS
2. SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGMENTS
3. SEVEN BOWL JUDGMENTS
THE SEAL AND TRUMPET JUDGMENTS MAKE UP THE FIRST HALF OF THE PERIOD AND THE SEVEN BOWL JUDGMENTS MAKE UP THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF OR THE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD. THE SEVENTH JUDGMENT OF EACH SET INTRODUCES THE NEXT SET OF JUDGMENTS. THE SEVENTH SEAL JUDGMENT FOR EXAMPLE CONTAINS THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS.
LETS LOOK AT THE SEAL JUDGMENTS:
THE FIRST FOUR JUDGMENTS ARE HORSES OF DIFFERENT COLORS. WE HAVE COME TO KNOW THEM AS THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE. THESE JUDGEMENTS ARE FOUND IN REVELATION 6.
THE FIRST SEAL: A WHITE HORSE
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.
THE FEATURE OF THIS HORSEMEN IS THAT HE COMES WITH A BOW AND NO ARROWS. THIS MEANS THAT HE WILL DO HIS CONQUERING THROUGH DIPLOMACY NOT MILITARY STRENGTH. HE IS SUCCESSFUL AS HE WEARS A CROWNS. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THIS RIDER IS THE ANTICHRIST.
THE SECOND SEAL: A RED HORSE
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.
THIS RIDER WILL TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH, AND WILL LEAD TO WHAT COULD BE CALLED WORLD WAR III. AFTER THE ANTICHRIST ESTABLISHES HIS TEN REGIONS OF THE WORLD WITH TEN RULERS, THREE WILL RISE UP IN REBELLION AGAINST HIM. THIS REBELLION WILL BE EASILY CRUSHED BY THE ANTICHRIST, AS THE REGIONS INVOLVED SWILL SIMPLY HAVE NO WEAPONS TO COUNTERACT THE STRENGTH OF ANTICHRIST’S FORCES. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT TODAY WE HAVE THE POWER TO WIPE OUT ENTIRE CITIES WITH NUCLEAR MISSILES, IT IS NOT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS DEATH TOLL WILL BE CATASTROPHIC.
THE THIRD SEAL: THE BLACK HORSE
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, N AND DO NOT DAMAGE THE OIL AND THE WINE!”
THIS BLACK HORSE THAT THE RIDER COMES OUT ON IS A SYMBOL OF THE FAMINE AND DISEASE THAT WILL FOLLOW THE UNSUCCESSFUL REBELLION.
TERMINAL DISEASES OF VARIOUS KINDS WILL RUN RAMPANT OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD. WORKERS WILL WORK ALL DAY JUST TO GET ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT. THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP THEIR FAMILY OR THE ELDERLY. IT WILL BE THE EQUIVILENT OF A WHEELBARROW FULL OF MONEY JUST TO BUY A LOAF OF BREAD.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT FOR THOSE WHO ARE WEALTHY THIS JUDGMENT WILL NOT EFFECT THEM. THE CALL IS NOT TO HARM “THE OIL AND THE WINE.”, SYMBOLS OF WEALTH. WHY IS THIS? IT CREATES FURTHER SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS WHERE THE POOR WILL LOOK AT THE WEALTHY WITH GREAT ANIMOSITY. VIOLENCE WILL BE THE ULTIMATE RESULT HERE AS WELL.
THE FOURTH SEAL: A PALE HORSE
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.
THIS HORSEMEN IS KNOWN AS DEATH. I REMEMBER SEEING MY MOTHER SHORTLY BEFORE SHE DIED. HER FACE WAS COMPLETELY PALE, NO COLOR AT ALL. THIS IS THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS RIDER AND HE BRINGS DEATH AS NEVER SEEN BEFORE AS THE RESULT OF THIS SET OF JUDGMENTS.
THE FIFTH SEAL: THE MARTYRS:
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.
