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6th Seal 2 - Trying to Hide From an Angry God

6th Seal 2 - Trying to Hide From an Angry God

(Rev 6:12-17 KJV) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; {13} And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. {14} 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?

As we have been studying in the Revelation, Jesus is revealing the methods and strategies of Satan as he attempts to destroy your soul. The seals are likened to opening a series of letters and as each one is opened you understand more and more of the message that your Lord is sending to you. As we have studied in past lessons of the first five seals, we are engaged in a spiritual warfare. It is a battle of righteousness against sin. Jesus is our King. The Word of God is our weapon and as Christians we are fighting the good fight of faith to obtain a crown of righteousness. Satan is fighting against us with his sword (his lies), with hunger (he tries to starve us of God’s Word), with death (he tries to convince us to sin so that our soul will die) and with beasts of the earth (he tries to get us to live after our flesh). Under the 5^th seal we see that he tries to get us discouraged by causing us to think that there is no apparent justice in living righteous.

Today we will examine the 2nd message revealed to us by opening the sixth seal. In the 1^st message explained in the 6^th seal We see a picture of God’s judgement separating righteousness from sin. The day of God’s wrath is come. Sheep are separated from the goats. The precious is separated from the vile and now we see sinners are Trying to Hide From an Angry God!

As we begin our study of this subject today, let us start with the opening statement in our text. Verse 12 says that when he had opened the sixth seal there was a great earthquake_. Now we know that the writer has not suddenly switched from spiritual symbols to literal and so let us examine the Bible to understand what this earthquake represents. Let us begin with:

(Dan 5:1-6 KJV) Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. {2} Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. {3} Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. {4} They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. {5} In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. {6} Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Here we see a spiritual earthquake. When the judgement of God was revealed to King Belshazzar, he was shaken. In fact it shook him so much that his _knees_____ were literally knocking. Another example in the Bible is found in:

(Acts 24:24-25 KJV) And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. {25} And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Again we see an example of the judgement of God being revealed and the earthquake result. Paul reasoned with Felix of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come and Felix being convicted was _shaken___. Remember that you as a human are a piece of this earth, therefore, when you are shaken that is an earthquake. As the Gospel is preached and the preacher reasons with you of your need to live a righteous life and to bring your body under control and of the judgment that is to come upon all sinners, what effect does it have on you? When you are lying on your bed in the night and the Holy Spirit of God visits you convicting you of your sin, what is the effect on you? You that are living in sin, when these revelations hit you, you are shaken to the very core of your being. Rightly so, for it is the mercy of God giving you opportunity to repent while there is time and before you step into eternity to face the wrath of an angry God. God hates sin and He is angry with the sinner every day.

(Psa 7:11 KJV) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Is it any wonder that God is angry with the sinner every day? He has given His only son to die in your place for your sin. He has given His Holy Spirit to empower you, to guide you and direct you into paths of righteousness. He has given the Bible, Preachers, Gospel Workers, Teachers and thousands of Christian witness to help you repent and live right. Yet you reject all this and continue on in your sin; God has every right to be angry with you and he wants you to know that the day of His wrath will come and that there is no place for you to hide. This revelation is sent to shake you and give you opportunity to confess, repent and forsake your sin while the door of mercy is still open. There will come a time when mercy’s door will close and then it will be too late.

When God’s judgment is revealed, the natural instinct of the earthy man is to hide. As if you can actually hide from and all seeing and all knowing God.

(Gen 3:6-13 KJV) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. {7} And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. {8} And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. {9} And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? {10} And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. {11} And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? {12} And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. {13} And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Adam & Eve disobeyed God and immediately they knew that they had sinned. It did not appear to be any great sin as some try to measure sin. It was simply a premeditated action that broke the commandment of God. Now when they heard the voice of God, what did they try to do? _Hide_____ They did not run to meet Him. No! They were guilty of sin and so they tried to hide. From that time until now that is the normal action of the sinner. When you disobey God, you do not want to run into His arms for you know that He will be angry with you. It is futile to try to hide your sin from God and yet that is what the earthy minded does and has done down through the ages of time. Let’s review the account of Achan.

(Josh 7 KJV) But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. {2} And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. {3} And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. {4} So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. {5} And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. {6} And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. {7} And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! {8} O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! {9} For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? {10} And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? {11} Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. {12} Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. {13} Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. {14} In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. {15} And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. {16} So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: {17} And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: {18} And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. {19} And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. {20} And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: {21} When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. {22} So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. {23} And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. {24} And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. {25} And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. {26} And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Achan’s sin and his effort to cover it up is a classic example of how sinners try to hide their sins from God. He had it hidden from _Joshua_ for a time, but it was never hidden from _God_______. You cannot prosper in your soul when you try to hide your sin.

(Prov 28:1 KJV) The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

(Prov 28:13 KJV) He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

(Isa 30:1 KJV) Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

Our text says that they hid in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. What is it that the sinner tries to hide in? They try to hide in false beliefs trying to cover their sins with false doctrine that is contrary to the Word of God.

(Isa 28:15 KJV) Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

To make lies your _refuge_______ and attempt to hide under _falsehood_____ is to try to hide in the dens and rocks of the mountains. Mountains and high places have been places of worship to all kinds of gods since the writing of history began. Worshippers of idols, elements and every conceivable thing have established their doctrines throughout the earth. Christianity is no different than other religions in that within its realm are multitudes of false doctrines.

One of those doctrines is “sin you will, sin you must” which teaches you that you cannot keep from committing sin. This doctrine is not consistent with a holy God that leads in paths of righteousness and tells you to sin not. However, multitudes have been fed this false doctrine for ages of time and when they are confronted with their sin, they try to hide in it by saying that they can not help it and that everybody is in the same fix. Instead of researching the Bible to see what it teaches, believers in this false doctrine pull it up in an attempt to cover their sin. No such rock or mountain will hide you from the face of an angry God. God is angry with the sinner every day. Why don’t you go to the real mountain and learn of God the truth?

(Isa 2 KJV) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. {2} And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. {3} And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; (The mountain of the Lord is a spiritual mountain and the mountains of the devil are in opposition to the mountain of the Lord) and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (He will teach us His ways in His mountain and we will walk in His paths. The devil is teaching his ways in his mountains and the sinners are walking in them. They are false ways that cannot protect you from a God that hates sin). {4} And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. {5} O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. {6} Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. {7} Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: {8} Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: {9} And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. {10} Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. {11} 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. {12} 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: {13} And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, {14} And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, {15} And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, {16} And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. {17} And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. {18} And the idols he shall utterly abolish. {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. {20} In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; {21} To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. {22} Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

Luke 23:26-30 ²⁶And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. ²⁷And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. ²⁸But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. ²⁹For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. ³⁰Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

(NLT) 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ³We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. ⁴We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. ⁵With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. ⁶And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient.

(NLT) Ephesians 6:10-12 ¹⁰A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. ¹¹Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. ¹²For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Jeremiah 16:16-21 ¹⁶Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. ¹⁷For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. ¹⁸And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things. ¹⁹O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. ²⁰Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? ²¹Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

When God’s judgment is revealed don’t run to the devil’s false mountains and rocks, but rather go to the mountain of the Lord. Go to the rock of your salvation, Jesus Christ. Confess your sin, repent of it and forsake it. Learn of Jesus and walk in His ways. Take advantage of His offer while it is yet the day of mercy. You don’t want to step into eternity to face an angry God. Live the way God wants you to so you can come into His presence with rejoicing and thanksgiving.