Who Will be Able to Stand?

REVELATION 6:14-17

SUBJECT: TRIBULATION SEAL JUDGMENTS

THEME:  The Lamb breaks the sixth seal, sending God's judgments upon the earth.

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:14–17, King James Version).

INTRODUCTION:

Why doesn’t God do something about all the suffering, wickedness, pain, oppression, and injustice in the world? If He loves us so much…wouldn’t He do something to help and protect us? Surely if He is so powerful, He can simply force everything…fix it all immediately. Right? Why wait to some day in the distant future? Why not change the world for good now? The worldwide hunger is senseless, poverty is also widespread, and the powerful are only concerned about themselves…. Why doesn’t God intervene to introduce some balance in the world?

These questions have been asked by many bewildered souls, and these same thoughts have occurred to many others who would not even dare to mouth them. The shocking truth is God is not primarily concerned with what often misguided people demand of Him. What He values about human beings is quite different than what we value in people and for ourselves. His timing is far more informed then we give Him credit, and His patience is beyond comparison. He exercises patience to give us more opportunities to see things His way. Eventually, He will deal with the big problems of the world and this life more aggressively. Though He will execute perfect justice by doing so, it may surprise you how He will go about it.

The SIXTH SEAL has been broken which introduces significant world chaos— the great day of God’s wrath begins— and catastrophic judgments upon the universe and the natural world occurs in rapid succession with incredible intensity (Rev. 6:12-17). In this paragraph we find that the universe is traumatized, that continents quake insanely, the sun and stars whirl through space unpredictably, and sinners will hide in utter terror. Both the heavens and earth feel the judgment of natural catastrophes while people lose all sense of normalcy and security.

The terrifying results of opening the sixth seal will cause all unsaved people, small and great, to hide in caves, calling for the rocks to crush them rather than face God’s wrath. Who will be able to stand when God finally deals with all that is wrong in the world?

LESSON:

John Hears the Impact of The Lamb’s Wrath on those Who Reject God (Rev. 6:15-17).

Even though John wrote using some symbolic language, these verses describe events that should be taken literally, and these developments should frighten even the most courageous person.  Note that men are so terrified that they cry for the mountains and rocks to crush them alive to escape the multiplied horrors of the Lamb’s wrath.

  1.  The Persons of that Great Day. (Rev. 6:15 a)

Rank and wealth will not deliver anyone in that terrible day. John's list includes kings, captains, warriors, slaves and free men, the rich and the poor. "Who shall be able to stand?"

      A.  Great Fear Will Grip Unbelievers all over the World.

Note the list of those who fear:

          — The kings and rulers of the earth will fear.

          — The great and powerful of the earth will fear.

          — The rich and wealthy of the earth will fear.

          — The military chiefs of the earth will fear.

          — The mighty and the strong of the earth will fear.

          — The slave and insignificant of the earth will fear.

          — The free and independent of the earth will fear.

Every unbeliever upon earth will be stricken with dreadful alarm…a maddening terror. They will be so frightened that panic and pandemonium will sweep the civilizations of the earth.

Isaiah 13:6, Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:8, And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

Fear drives people to extreme and entirely irrational behaviors in the interest of self-preservation. Everywhere people will perceive multiplied threat to themselves and their loved ones…such painful horrors cannot be escaped. Some will literally wither to the point of incapacitation due to the gravity of their situation and associated anxieties. Constant fears stimulate angst, acute stress, fright, and deep sadness. Though many of the individuals described in this passage are powerful people, they will surely be gripped with the realizations they are not in control and their doom is unavoidable. Is there any hope of escape?

      B.  No One Is Going to Escape the Judgment of God, and They All Know It.

          — And there is no partiality with God; God has no favorites.

          — The world of unbelievers will quake in terror and fright before the unusual events happening in outer space and upon earth.

          — There will be a keen sense, a sharp awareness, an aching consciousness that the judgment of God is looming right over the horizon. The very atmosphere of the earth will be heavy with the feeling that the end is at hand.

Zeph. l:14, The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

Joel 2:1, Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

There is no means of escape for those who have rejected Jesus Christ after hearing the Gospel message. The future is expressly marked by horrific judgment from the Almighty for them. If you are among those who believe you will get away with your sin…I invite you to please think again.

  2. The Places of that Great Day. (Rev. 6:15b-16a)

The sound of the cries comes from the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. Pandemonium and panic have driven people to the wilderness regions for hiding and protection from others. Distrust is escalating in all sectors of society…no one can be trusted. Some are driven from their once luxurious homes and pampered lifestyles to the dangers and inconveniences of the wilderness.

     A.  People Will Seek Refuge in the Mountains and Rural Areas.

This makes sense in light of the massive destruction that has transpired in the average cities of the earth. Cities, especially coastal cities, will be in intolerable chaos and devastation. The industrialized world will collapse, and national and international economies will utterly fail, while people begin to leave the cities of the world and seek refuge in the hills, mountains, and rural areas. Generally, these less developed areas will have less devastation by these judgments; people will retreat to these regions perceiving them as safer and more conducive to hiding.

     B.  People Will Try to Hide from the Face of God and from the Face of the Lamb!

Imagine wanting to hide from a lamb! Dr. Vance Havner said that the day would come when the most expensive piece of real estate would be a hole in the ground, and he was right. They know who they are accountable to…God and The Lamb. They understand exactly who is responsible for these judgments upon humanity and the natural world. Finally, they get it! Yet, it is too late for them. Oh, that people will heed God’s warning today and trust the Savior!

     C.  We Will See More of “The Wrath of God” as We Progress Through Revelation (Rev 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15).

     D.  We Will Also Encounter the Wrath of Satan (Rev 12:17) and the Wrath of the Nations as They Oppose God (Rev 11:18).

If men and women will not yield to the love of God, and be changed by the grace of God, then there is no way for them to escape the wrath of God... Why not place your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the forgiveness of sins today?

  3.  The Prayers of that Great Day.  (Rev. 6:16-17)

Despair and hopelessness have now settled upon these refugees. What? Surely with all this trouble they will now turn to God! Right? Well, these displaced souls do not pray to the God on the Throne nor to the Lamb…they cry out to the mountains and hills and beg for death.

     A.  They All will Cry Out to Be Hidden from the Wrath of the Lamb.

They have endured as much as they can handle…they want no more of this dreadful existence…. “Wrath” refers to God’s displeasure with humanity and our actions of unbelief and rebellion. This divine anger is righteous and holy; it is an expression of God’s love for justice and holiness! W.A. Elwell stated the wrath of God is fully consistent with Old Testament and New Testament portrayals of the Almighty. In the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible he says,

Unfortunately, ignorance of the OT and a misunderstanding of the NT have resulted in a heretical view of the biblical canon (Marcionism), in which the OT reveals the God of wrath and the NT reveals the God of love. Contrary to popular misconception the NT, like the OT, also teaches the wrath of God in connection with his love. The biblical teaching on God’s love cannot be appreciated unless it is seen in contrast with the biblical teaching on his wrath. The word “wrath” is a concept represented by many different words and idioms in the original languages of the Bible. The references to God’s wrath are the most frequent—nearly three times as many as any other subject. --(Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Wrath of God. In Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, pp. 2166–2167)).

           1.  The phrase "wrath of the Lamb" seems a paradox, "Wrath of the lion" would be more consistent. We are so accustomed to emphasizing the meekness and gentleness of Christ (Matt 11:28-30) that we forget His holiness and justice. The same Christ who welcomed the children also drove the merchants from the temple.

           2.  God’s wrath is not like a child’s temper tantrum or punishment meted out by an impatient parent. Nor is it like the knee jerk reactions of a poor manager or supervisor who drives his or her people with harshness, cruelty, manipulation and sarcasm.

           3.  God's wrath is the evidence of His holy love for all that is right and His holy hatred for all that is evil. Only a soft and sentimental person would want a God who did not deal justly with evil in the world. The truth is all of us want justice for ourselves and our loved ones, but few are concern with justice for God. The God who made the universe… the Giver of every loving and just law…the Lord of all humanity and peoples whether saved or not. All of us would want justice if our mother was captured, repeatedly raped, senselessly brutalized and finally killed and dumped naked in the streets like worthless trash. Without exception we all would demand for justice to be visited upon the perpetrator of such heinous crimes. Each of us would be correctly offended, horrified, and pursuant of retribution to the extent of the law. There would be rioting in the streets if such vicious crimes go unpunished. So, if a person treated so inhumanely should receive fair recompense under the law then why not the perfect God of glory? God has been offended by our sinful feelings, thoughts, motives, and actions every day since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden until this very moment. He will see to the proper administration of impartial justice. God deals in the realm of pure righteousness, and He will determine what is right and equitable without a single exception.

           4.  Furthermore, the people mentioned in Revelation chapter six are impenitent. They refuse to accept God’s salvation and submit to God’s will. They would rather hide from God in fear (remember Adam and Eve?) than run to Him in faith. They are proof that judgment by itself does not change the human heart. Not only will men seek to hide from God, but they will blaspheme Him as well! (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21).

Is.2:19, And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

     B.  They Will Cry for Death Instead of Facing God.

The terror and fright will be so exasperating that massive populations the world around will degrade into panic. People will be insanely scampering about to hide in the clandestine dens and rocks of the wilderness regions. They will literally beg for death as the only perceived means of escape from their terrors. Their only hope now is to be annihilated in order to keep from having to face God’s eternal judgment. This is how the unregenerate mind thinks! It is not guided by faith, but fears. The Scriptures give this warning many times over with the hope of people heeding God’s counsel.

Lk.23:30, Then shall they begin to say to the mountains. Fall on us; and to the hills. Cover us.

Joel 2:11, And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it.

Hos. l0:8, The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains. Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

The sad truth is death is not a means of escape for the unsaved. It flings them violently into far more severe judgment of an eternal nature. Annihilation is a false hope…it is not fixed in truth and reality. We are everlasting beings who will exist forever somewhere. With God or without God are the options…in heaven or in hell. My friend, it is not all over once we die…after physical death comes judgment from God for the unsaved person. Suffering in the Lake of Fire forever is the clearest teaching of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who refuses God’s gracious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ must face the God they have sinned against and receive their final sentence to hell.    

   4.  The Point of that Great Day. (Rev. 6:17)

The Judgment Day of the Lord: there is the reason for the catastrophes throughout the universe and for the panic of men-the great day of God's wrath is at hand. This “day” refers to the entire period while these judgments endure and not a mere 24-hour time frame.

     A.  What Is the Great Day of God's Wrath? 

        — It is the day when all unbelievers must stand before the face of God who sits upon the throne of the universe.

        — It is the day when all unbelievers must face the wrath of the Lamb; the day when they must face the Son of God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ whom they have rejected, denied, cursed, disobeyed, disbelieved, ignored, and neglected.

        — It is the great day of His wrath, the very day that His wrath is to fall, the very day that every unbeliever must face Him.

        — It is the day when no unbeliever shall stand, the day when all unbelievers shall crumble and be subjected to the humiliation of eternal guilt, condemnation, and punishment.

Jn. l2:48, He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Ro. 2:5, But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Rev. 6:17, For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Is. 2:11-12, The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.

So, the great day of God’s wrath encompasses a season and series of judgments upon the world and lost humanity. It is not capricious or thoughtless nor is it unreasonable. No, it is God giving people what they want. A life and world without His goodness, blessings, grace, interventions, and provisions—life without Him. It is a time of holding people and nations accountable for decisions and actions.

     B.  John Walvoord Puts it in Simple and Striking Words saying:

The Day of the Lord is a period of time in which God will deal with wicked men directly and dramatically in fearful judgment. Today a man may be a blasphemer of God, an atheist, can denounce God and teach bad doctrine. Seemingly God does nothing about it. But the day designated in Scripture as 'the day of the Lord' is coming when God will punish human sin, and He will deal in wrath and in judgment with a Christ-rejecting world. One thing we are sure of, that God in His own way will bring every soul into judgment. — (The Thessalonian Epistles. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1967, p.76).

At this point I must implore you to remember: this passage reveals what will happen in the early portion of the Day of the Lord. These events-the catastrophe in the heavens and on earth and the fright and panic that strikes people with maddening terror-all this transpires before the Great Tribulation Period. This is merely the breaking of the seals of God’s book and the events within the pages of the book-the worst judgments-are yet to come. Beloved, who will be able to stand?

Without any element of exaggeration, the message to all people everywhere is twofold:

1) All unbelievers will stand face to face with God on the great day of His wrath, and that day is right over the horizon.

     — The wrath of God is coming upon the rich and the powerful who thought they were self-sufficient and in command of their lives.

     — The wrath of God is coming upon the religious who thought they could be good enough and do enough good to be acceptable to God.

     — The wrath of God is coming upon the poor who thought they were too insignificant or even thought their oppression would cause God to look upon them with mercy.

     — The wrath of God is coming upon the intelligent who thought they were too knowledgeable to believe in Christ.

     — The wrath of God is coming upon the scientist and technician because they thought they had progressed so far, they could disprove God.

2) We must trust Jesus Christ now to escape the great day of God’s wrath.

Zeph. l:14-16, The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

Mal.4: l, For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Beloved, only Jesus can save us from the wrath that will come upon the entire world. Trust Him today for the forgiveness of sins.

CONCLUSION:

In contrast, the Apostle Paul outlines in Romans 10:9-10, writing, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We cannot simply believe anything about Jesus, we must believe that the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and God raise Him up again the third day for our justification before The Father. That is correct…the Lord Jesus is fully and literally alive forevermore. He has finally triumphed over death, hell, the grave, and sin! It is crucial that we understand that it is faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel that is the power of God that saves us (Rom. 1:14-17).

Christ’s sufferings at Calvary were God providing payment for our sins. This is what Christ’s crucifixion was about—justice was served, and sin was paid for in full. God accepts Christ’s sacrifice completely! Now, sinners like you and me can be saved—born again to enter a relationship with God. It is the Spirit who regenerates us and gives us new life when we trust Christ. We cannot save ourselves no matter how good, sincere, or diligent we are. Being born again means we become a part of a new family, God becomes our Father who shares with us His very own divine nature. All of this is realized the moment we humble ourselves in repentance before God acknowledging our sins while trusting Christ and His payment for them. We must accept sin’s payment personally in an attitude of godly sorrow and a willingness to turn from our former sinful lifestyles. We do not need to make ourselves better and then come to God. We come to God recognizing our sinfulness trusting Him to change us deep within which will result in a changed life. Beloved, we must exercise faith in the Person and Work of Christ to experience a spiritual new birth. What about you? You, like me, cannot stand before a holy God with the guilt of all your sins. Why not accept Jesus’ payment for those sins and ask God to forgive you and change you deep within?

So, is there any hope for believers during this terrible time of judgment? And what about God’s special people, Israel, who will make a covenant with the Antichrist? Certainly, people will trust the Lord even after believers from this age are taken to heaven, but how will they manage? We will turn to Revelation chapter Seven for some of these answers.