I remember the phone call from the doctor after my mom had taken dad to the hospital to figure out why he was still having a difficult time breathing. In the 10-minute conversation, my dad was diagnosed with congenital heart failure, A-Fib, had a silent heart attack, and has a mass pushing on his heart coming from his lungs. Then the words, you dad is lucky to be alive. Now we need to figure out how to keep him alive. In those 10 minutes, my mind started racing to what had happened over the past couple of weeks?but yet, I knew none of these diagnoses had happened over night. It had been years and years of build up, some hereditary and genetic issues, lack of care for his body, being a smoker for most of his life, serving in Vietnam, and probably many more things to be named, but we know what those things could be. We knew his diagnosis didn?t happen overnight, but had happened over many, many, many years. Yet, for most of those years, dad lived a good life, a life that he felt healthy and strong, where he was very present, he worked and provided for his family

Why do I share this story? Because I think it connects us to our scripture lesson from chapter 6 today. When the people would have heard these words from John, they would have remembered that these words of devastation were not based on what they did for one day, or one mistake. Just like my dad?s health did not deteriorate in one day. But these words from John came as a reminder to the way they had lived their lives over an extended period of time. And it was the choices that they had made that lead to upcoming destruction. Just like we knew my dad was not the healthiest guy on the block because of how he had lived his life-smoking, not exercising, not always wanting to eat healthier, etc., it was over a period of time that his body failed him. Yet, the people John wrote to, would have heard the news of devastation from a place of worship, hope, and love for them and for what is to come with God. In a similar way, that my dad new he was loved by God, his family, and friends for who he was, regardless of how he took care of his body. And my dad knew, just as the people this scripture was written to, that God loved him and would be with him until the bitter end, whenever that came. What God was going and what the doctor?s did was to lay everything out on the table, put everything in the playing field, and once all of it was out there, the choice had to be made-do something about it now, or continue to live the way you had?God is saying you have a choice.

So what were the people told about the destruction to come? What would they have heard in these words heard? The theme of chapter 6 is connected to conquest, and how conquest comes from violence, which leads to economic disasters, and too many deaths. These seals are the way to name and deal with the world?s ills. The four horsemen show the judgment of God on human arrogance and rebellion as it has manifested itself in the persecuting of Roman power. Let us listen to these words and the interpretation together.

Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, ?Come!? 2I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer.

??????????? Opening the first seal, we begin to learn of the first 4 catastrophes. This portrays the beginning of the end as the eruption of war, plagues, and death enter into the Roman world. What is to come describes the tragedies that have always terrorized the world, and continue to terrorize us today.

??????????? When the four living creatures, those who represent God?s creation, cry out, the people hearing these words would have known the importance of what was coming. The image of the archer, white horse, crown, and one who conquers, would have evoked a specific and dreaded threat in their minds. Parthians lived on the outskirt of the Roman Empire and were never subdued by the Romans. It is also the image of conquering kings on earth who have charged to and fro, overcoming mighty nations and claiming or conquering them. It is the way of announcing the beginning of the end of Roman sovereignty to be replaced by Gods sovereignty.

??????????????????????? 3When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, ?Come!? 4And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword.

The red horse communicates that there will be internal violence, and that peace will not come. This was true from century to century then, and to us now.

??????????????????????? 5When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, ?Come!? I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, 6and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ?A quart of wheat for a day?s pay, and three quarts of barley for a day?s pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!?

The black horse show the coming of a famine, yet Roman prosperity by the image of the olive oil and wine. It is the reminder that if Rome prospers, then the poor will be hurt. It is the reminder that economic problems lie at the root of violence within and between the nations.

7When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, ?Come!? 8I looked and there was a pale green horse! Its rider?s name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The pale green horse, a sickly pale color, is the horse of death. And it is the type of death that will happen in a violent, way-by the sword, famine, plagues, and wild animals. It is the reminder that when conquering happens, violence, famine, war, that their will be people who will be carried away before it truly was their time to die. As we all know, death is the ultimate threat to the wellbeing of a community?early death is one of the most gut wrenching things that can happen in times of devastation.

??????????? These images are from the prophets in the Old Testament: The Four horsemen-Zechariah, combination of the sword, famine, death, plagues are from Jeremiah, and the combination of the sword, famine, wild animals and plagues is from Ezekiel. In addition to the images from the prophets, there are also many overtones of Christ in these images. Yet these images are to be interpreted in the light of Christ as the Lamb rather than in the violent image of the Lion.

There are two more seals that are broken, yet we are going to move to the second half of chapter 7. Listen to these words:

??????????????????????? 9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ?Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!? 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing, ?Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.?

??????????????????????? 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ?Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?? 14I said to him, ?Sir, you are the one that knows.? Then he said to me, ?These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.?

In this part of the vision from John we are told that pain and suffering will be a part of any Christian life. Those standing ?before the throne and before the Lamb? have ?come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (vs. 14). They are in need of shelter (vs. 15). They have known hunger and thirst and scorching heart (vs. 16). They have tears in their eyes (vs. 17). These words remind us that there is suffering in our lives, our families, and the world. Being a Christian means that there will be suffering, God never promised that we would not suffer. But the great thing is this is only part of the story and never the end. This passage in Revelation includes a story of suffering and redemption, one of death and victory, one of victorious celebration, being made pure, and rescue. And in all of these moments, the importance of authentically praising God through song and worship, singing ?Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen! (Vs.12)?

John is sending the congregations of Asia yet another message of hope. And it is a hope in the heavenly banquet is to come. John reminds everyone of the importance of the priesthood of all believers who are in the great multitude that is so numerous we cannot count the people. The hope also comes in the continual praise and worship of God and remembering the power of God in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the message of hope, comes the reminder that God is the shelter (vs. 15) through all times. That God is pitching a tent over the people, reminding the people of the stories of the Israelites in the wilderness. This will remind the congregations through faith they will be protected and with persevere through this ordeal is happening in their lives. Then John offers these words of hope: 16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.? John is eager to say that as you will have suffering and persecution coming your way, you really need to remember that God will protect you from the elements and from hunger and thirst. With this, there is a role reversal that the lamb will turn into the shepherd, assuming the role of the good shepherd from John 10 and the divine role of Psalm 23 where God is the shepherd who leads the people to the springs of the living water.

As we think through how this passage connects to our lives today, first, we are reminded of the importance of laying out all of the problems to their full extent. Until we do that, real healing cannot take place. Think back to my dad. Once the doctors fully found everything that was wrong inside of his body, were we were able to get him the care and medication he needed to be with us for another 18 months. If he hadn?t gone to the hospital or through the various tests and the doctors hadn?t laid everything out on the table, then there is a good chance he would have died a lot earlier, maybe even that day if he hadn?t gone to the hospital. The people in John?s time had to put everything out there in front of them and hear everything that truly would happen if there were not changes in how they lived out their. Once this happened, the truly healing could take place. Unless the ills of the world were brought out, shown up in their true colors, put on display and allowed to do their worst, they cannot be overthrown. Unless the four horsemen ride out and do what they have to do, the scroll cannot be read. The victory of the lion-lamb will not be completed. Then in chapter 7 we are reminded that these words share the importance of reminding us where we should put our trust and faith. John reminded the people to remember the stories, connect everything with the mercy of God, praise God through all things, and knowing that through every situation, God is offering protection and salvation because of the Lamb and Shepherd who is on the throne.

How much of these message has changed for us today? None of it. Absolutely nothing. In order to be the church of today, we still have to know where we have messed up, individually and as a congregation. We still need to lay out our sin on the table and begin to heal from the ways we have not been faithful to Christ?s call on the church. There are still Christians around the world that are experiencing the effects of being conquered, internal violence, greed and famine, and death. None of these elements have changed for Christians around the world. In our personal context, there have been various elements of these four things, yet not in the extreme. We are encouraged to look at our ills, make the choice to repent and move forward, or to hang on to our sins and let it cause us an early death. For me, there is much hope in these words. Because if we truly put our trust and faith in God, remember the stories of the faith, connect everything with God?s mercy?the Lamb who is our Shepherd will walk this whole journey with us and never abandon us. For me, I find great peace, comfort, and hope in this knowledge. I pray that as you walk through your week, think about what it means to be a Christian now in Port Charlotte. Think about the ills of the past that you need to put out on the table to be examined, reflect on how you are living your life now and how you are showing others Christ by the example you are leading?maybe you aren?t, maybe you are. And as you do these reflections, remember that God is with you through these journeys of self-reflection and is waiting to see you come out on the other side even more faithful and honest and hopeful for the days to come.