Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 6:1-8.

 

“¹ Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”  I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow;  and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

 

³ When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.”  ⁴ And another, a red horse, went out;  and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

 

⁵ When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.”  I looked, and behold, a black horse;  and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  ⁶ And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius;  and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

                                               

⁷ When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.”  ⁸ I looked, and behold, an ashen horse;  and he who sat on it had the name Death;  and Hades was following with him.  Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.”  Revelation 6:1-8. 

 

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As we start reading the Scripture which describes the breaking of the seven seals, we may focus on the vivid imagery and be alarmed, puzzled, and frightened.  But, we need to remember that those seals need to be broken to open the book of life.

“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.  Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;  and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping;  behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”  Revelation 5:1-5.

Random “helter-skelter” did not break out in the breaking of the seals.  These are no “Pandora’s boxes”.  God is still sovereign and in perfect total control.

The events described in the breaking of the seals are things that must come.  We remember Revelation 4:1:  “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”  Revelation 4:1.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28.

“And they *sang a new song, saying,