When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. [Rev 6:9]

At first glance this fifth seal seems unique in that it doesnt administer any sort of judgment. And they cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? [Rev 6:10, emphasis mine] No judgment per se, but notice their cry! These souls are in fervent prayer for judgment. It is similar to the imprecatory psalms; psalms calling upon God to judge our adversaries. Psalms 64:7-9 and 79:10 are examples.

In this time of grace and mercy, we may not embrace these kinds of imprecatory prayers, but in the midst of the Tribulation, imprecatory prayers will be partnered with the Lamb administering judgment.

The focus of the fifth seal is not martyrdom, because martyrdom could not be judgment from God. [MacArthur] It embraces the context of furthering Gods wrath and judgment through prayer. The fifth seal is a loosening of the prayerful force behind the acts of Judgment administered by the Lamb.

These prayers of martyred Tribulation Saints are a spiritual potency by which the 7th Seal of judgment is fueled. Just as the prayers of the Saints today [during this time of Mercy] partner in the work of salvation; so will be the prayers of those souls under the altar partner in the work of vengeance [during the Tribulation].

The Seals of judgment depict Jesus in a different manner. His posture is one of authority and Judge, no longer Intercessor. And from this position, He will restore all things. Dr. Barnhouse said it well:

There are four things out of place in the universe:

The church is out of place; she ought to be in heaven.

Israel is out of place; she ought to be in the Land sworn to her and possess every part of it.

The devil is out of place; he ought to be in the lake of fire but he is still roaming free.

And Christ is out of place; He should be through with intercession and seated on His throne, reigning, instead of upon His Fathers throne interceding.

This Day, however, is fast approaching when Jesus will put all things in their rightful place.

Genesis 27-28: Jacob and Esau

But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. -Matthew 6:17-18

Fasting is a spiritual practice oftentimes overlooked in our day. Perhaps it is because we are not commanded to fast in the New Testament. Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Him [Jesus], saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? [Matt 9:14]

But in addition, fasting is a privilege, and privileges have a different DNA than commands. It is not the physical act of fasting that is the privilege; it is the result, which is drawing near to the Lord.

Fasting denies self, and the result is that we are set apart from self and drawn to God. He must increase, but I must decrease was how John the Baptist described it. That is what fasting does; it decreases I, and increases Him, which is always a good thing.

But notice the fuller context of Matthew 9:14. And Jesus said to them, Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? You see, Messiah, God Incarnate, was in their very midst. Fasting brings one near but Jesus was right there to behold, in flesh.

That is why Jesus did not call His disciples to fast. because they were as close as they could possibly be [i.e., we beheld His glory John 1:14] But now that He has returned to the right hand of the Father, it is our privilege and joy to fast and draw near. Because He must increase, but I must decrease.

That is the powerful work of fasting. Right fasting is a joy, not a chore. It requires discipline as with any commitment. It is an investment in drawing near to God and a divestment in being consumed with self. That is, too, why fasting goes together with prayer, especially the prayer of intercession.

Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. [Matt 6:16]

If we fast with sad countenance, we are missing the point. While fasting requires discipline, its great blessing is being closer to our Lord. And that should bring a countenance of joy, peace, and strength even in the midst of intercession.

Judges 6: Gideon's Fleece

Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. [Rev 6:1-2]

The Real and the Counterfeit are revealed in these verses. They identify Christ and Antichrist, respectively. It is like comparing real and counterfeit money. The latter looks just like the real. It is even used as such by those who are deceived. But in the end it is a lie, a fake, a forgery; and those holding the counterfeit have been taken and deceived; they have been ripped off.

That will be the unfortunate reality for many in the latter days after the Rapture of the Church. Revelation 6 reveals the beginning of the end, the Tribulation period, the last seven years before Christ returns. The Antichrist will be fully engaged during that time and will appear like Christ while being in total opposition to Him.

This man of sin and son of perdition [ref. 2 Thes 2:3] will deceive even the elect. He will mislead Israel until the middle of the Tribulation and then enter the Temple and demand to be worshipped as God. That will fulfill the abomination that causes desolation prophesied in Dan 9:27 Matt 24:15. Israel will then recognize their error and turn and follow the Real. They will finally see Jesus as their Messiah [ref. Jer 31:31-34; Rom 11:25-26].

This morning we will cross reference to several Scriptures that describe Antichrist and then observe our Rev 6 passage on the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Each horseman comes at the loosing of a seal on the scroll that was introduced in Rev 5. If the scroll is indeed the Title Deed to the Earth, then the seal judgments are the final countdown to Jesus Return.

Can any of the four horsemen be the Antichrist? Can all of horsemen be the Antichrist? I think it is quite possible, but we cannot know for sure. We should, however, note that the judgments of famine and pestilence and death are in line with the work of Antichrist described in Scripture.

Two things we can know, however, are that the loosing of the seals begin the seven year Tribulation, and that the Church is in heaven at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb [ref. Rev. 4] during that time.

Genesis 25-26 "Abraham's Death"

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [Matthew 6:4]

The word pray [proseuchomai]; Strongs; is progressive. Starting with the noun, euche, which is a prayer to God that also includes making a vow, the word expands to the verb euchomai, a special term describing invocation, request, or entreaty. Adding pros, in the direction of (God), proseuchomai becomes the most frequent word for prayer. [Dr. Hayford]

Prayer is therefore communicating in the direction of God ones appeals, petitions, supplications, and even pleas. What this does not include, however, are demands. Websters dictionary lists demands as an antonym (opposite) to these words. Built into the very word for prayer in the original Greek is the idea of asking not demanding.

Most important to observe is the preface pros, i.e., in the direction of God. Our prayers must be in the direction of God. That sounds obvious at first, but upon further observation, especially at some prayer meetings, this might not be so obvious. All prayer, especially corporate prayer, must be in the direction of God. How disappointing it is when prayer meetings become more focused on delivery than direction.

That was a problem in Jesus day, and He touched upon it in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus described real religion as a real relationship with God. And that relationship expresses itself in right giving, right prayer, and right fasting. Last week we looked at right giving, an offering [not a tithe law] that responds to the grace of God. This morning we will look at right prayer and study the model prayer that Jesus provided. Next Sunday we will look at right fasting, i.e., the denying of self that sets us apart to answer the call of God.

An important principle to note in the Lords prayer [Matt 6:9-13] is the order. It starts with God and ends with us. More specifically it begins with glorifying God and then ends with petitions. This, I believe, is the most important aspect of our Lords Prayer. It is not so much a prayer that we need to recite verbatim, although that would be ok. But it is more a model on how we should order our prayers, personally and corporately. Begin glorying God, thanking Him for Who He is and what He has done; and then proceed with petitions. That order will prove effective.

But the greatest insight into Jesus teaching on prayer is the personal aspect. Prayer is not for others to see; it is personal worship; it is for you to intimately draw near to your Maker. And when that happens prayer becomes powerfully effective.

Judges 3-5: Deborah

But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.[Rev 5:5]

The scene is heaven. All eyes are upon the Throne; all attention is upon the One who sits on the Throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. [Rev 4:3] And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. [Rev 4:5]

Also around the Throne are twenty-four lesser thrones with twenty-four elders and four living creatures. [Rev 4:6-8] In one accord this heavenly host worships: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!

Now in Chapter 5, in the midst of the throne, we are introduced to Another. I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, The Lamb is, without a doubt, Jesus. He is the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. His seven horns affirm His complete power; and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God are a reference to the Holy Spirit [see Isa 11:2, Zech 4:1-10]. Johns testimony in Rev 4-5, is the three Persons of the Godhead are in the midst of the throne: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It is the Son, the Lamb, however, who loosens the seals; an important detail to observe.

Identifying the scroll is significant in interpreting the remaining chapters of Revelation. Several Scripture references point to the scroll being the Title Deed to the earth, but the most compelling one is that only the Lamb, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. [Rev 5:5]

When the seals are loosed, judgment is administered upon the earth. Its purpose is to purge the earth of sin in preparation of Christs Return with His Bride, the Church, to rule and reign in the Millennium [ref. Rev 20].

The seven seals set the course of judgment from Chapters 6-19, which describes a literal seven year Tribulation.

Where is the Church during this time? They are in heaven at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb [ref. Rev 4, Rev 19:7-9, Luke 12:37-38]: A glorious hope indeed, and one that should motivate us to live more faithful lives for His Kingdom in the here and now.

Genesis 23-24: A Bride for Isaac