Revelation 6 famously depicts the opening of the 7 seals. Each opening results in an increase of trouble and despair upon the earth. Specifically, the breaking of the 6th seal ushers in the ominous "Day of the Lord" -  a day of great judgment on those in rebellion to Him, but also God's final call of repentance and surrender before mercy is cut off forever.

Host: Steve, we want to continue in our discussions of the wonderful Book of Revelation. Revelation 6 is a description of the opening of the first six seals. And Steve, I understand that there are some other passages of Scripture that correlate with these seals. Why don't you talk about what that correlation is?

Steve: When Jesus gave His last days discourse in Matthew 24, He really laid out a roadmap of the end times. Especially in the first part of that chapter, we see a fascinating correlation between the first six seals and the different things that Jesus expressed. For instance, the first seal is about deception. And you see it right there at the beginning of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, where Jesus is warning people not to be misled. And then the second seal is all about internal strife and international warfare. That's exactly what you see described next in Matthew 24. And then it goes on, famines and death and so on, all the way to the sixth seal, which you see later on in Matthew 24.

Host: Now, when we look at the opening of these seals, these events, are these one-time events that are occurring here?

Steve: I would say that the third seal and the sixth seal seem to be one-time events, but the other seals seem to be a building momentum as we get closer to the end times. It's really what Jesus said right there in Matthew 24. He said, “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Matthew 24:8, NASB) Now, what is a birth pang? It starts off as a low pain that happens on occasion and grows in intensity and frequency. So, when we start seeing these things start to happen, that's the beginning of birth pangs, which I believe we're in right now. But by the time we get to the end, whenever it is really intensifying, then it's the pains of a woman who's about to give birth.

Host: And what a wake-up call. Just the way that it is intensifying so rapidly. It's got to be a wake-up call from the Lord that the time is near.

Steve: Well, that's the Lord's heart. He is going to send destruction on sinners, but it's always in His heart for sinners to repent and flee from the wrath to come.

Host: Steve, earlier you mentioned the breaking of the first seal, and we read about that being the first rider that comes out at the breaking of that seal. And you mentioned the issue of deception. Why do you believe that first seal and the first rider represent deception?

Steve: Well, if you compare the description of this first rider with the return of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19, you can see that this is an obvious counterfeit of Jesus. It's not Jesus Christ. And I won't go into all the reasons why we know that, but it is not Jesus Christ, so it must be a counterfeit. This rider is going forth conquering and he's doing it through deception. And when you tie it to the Matthew 24 discourse, you see that that's what it corresponds to. So, again, we see this growing momentum of deception in the end times, which will eventually pave the way for the ultimate deception of the Antichrist.

Host: And again, we look at what's going on around us and how great the deception is these days.

Steve: And just think, this is only the beginning. What's it going to be like when the very air you breathe is nothing but a lie? It's everywhere already.

Host: Yeah, and what a warning to us of how much we need the Holy Spirit, because if we can't hear the Holy Spirit, we're sunk.

Steve: Yeah, absolutely. And also, it is a warning for us to be so grounded in the Word of God. The only place we know we're going to get truth is the Word of God.

Host: You've talked about the significance of the martyrs as represented in the fifth seal. Talk about that.

Steve: It's funny, but when you read about the martyrs here in chapter 6, they are crying out, “How long until you avenge our deaths” to the Lord. Then throughout the different plagues that are coming in the future, there is constantly this sense of referencing back to that cry of, “When will you avenge our deaths?” For instance, before the seven trumpet judgments come forth, an angel throws the censer to the earth, which is full of the prayers of those martyrs and the fire of God. So that unleashes the seven trumpet judgments. And on other occasions also, it's referenced.

Host: You know, when we gather together as a staff in the morning times for our prayer, one of the things that God is making increasingly real to us is that He hears the prayers of His saints. I know how it feels sometimes. Sometimes it feels like we're just praying to God and nothing's happening. But man, you read stuff like this, and you see that God has not forgotten the cries of His people.

Steve: The Lord answers prayer. He does it in His own timing when it's best to answer that prayer for the person and the circumstances.

Host: Yeah. Amen. Steve, the sixth seal seems to bring about a different kind of judgment than the first four seals. How does it differ from those?

Steve: Well, the first four seals seem to be a buildup of something going on, and it seems as though the enemy reacts and starts persecuting believers in the fifth seal. And then when the sixth seal opens, something powerful happens. Worldwide, cataclysmic events occur. And you see these same types of events referred to in the Old Testament as “the day of the Lord.”
       For instance, in Isaiah 13, it says, “for the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth the light, the sun will be dark, and the moon will not shed its light, at the fury of the Lord of hosts in the day of His burning anger.” (Isaiah 13:10, 13, NASB) And Jesus also mentions this in Matthew 24. So, we see that this is somehow an inauguration of the great day of the Lord coming upon mankind.

Host: Now, Steve, I know people can listen to that and they can look at it as you appropriately said, it is a day of judgment. But you also mentioned earlier, God's heart. And this must also be like the final throes of God's mercy to sinners on the earth. One more evidence of the truth and the reality of God with one more opportunity to repent and turn from sin.

Steve: Well, that's what all of this is. These are all wake-up calls at this point. Now, you know, we don't know how the timing of these seals relate to the seven-year tribulation period. It seems as though these six seals are broken during the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period. Perhaps the sixth seal occurs about the same time as the Antichrist comes into real worldwide power at the halfway point and then people have to make a choice. They either take the mark of the beast or they completely surrender and submit to the Lord. That's where everything is headed is that great decision.

Host: And you sense that's already happening? You sense that at least building up in the earth now?

Steve: I feel like the gray area is slowly but surely going away and that it's becoming increasingly more black and white. People are either going to be true followers of God or they are going to be totally given over to this world.

Many people want help getting free from lust and sexual sin. However, not many people want freedom over a love of the world. The problem is, if our lives are full of worldliness, we are fueling the very desires that feed lust. That means freedom will be very difficult, if not impossible. The Bible repeatedly gives evidence of this. Look at Lot, Samson, King Solomon, the entire nation Israel…

But there is a way to come out of it and into a life of victory, and that’s what Director of Ministry Outreach, Patrick Hudson, shares about in today’s sermon from Psalm 73.

Ministry is often treated as a title, but it is meant to be an act of service. Continuing the theme of devotion, this episode features Josh Rowand, a man with extensive experience in ministry. Once serving for himself while hiding a life of sin, he now knows that ministry involves much more than image and being busy – it’s about helping others in humility, sincerity, and a faith that is actively lived out rather than merely spoken.

📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

Resources

• At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (Book) By Steve Gallagher

Join us for a special bonus segment where Steve Gallagher teaches on Revelation 4 & 5. We’ll examine John’s vision of Heaven, where seeing the Lord on His throne offers profound comfort—proving God is fully in control before the coming persecution and devastating judgments.

We also explore how God is celebrated as Creator, affirming His authority and right to accomplish His will. Don't miss this essential teaching on divine sovereignty.

Host: Steve, we want to continue our discussions in the Book of Revelation and we're looking today at Chapters 4 & 5. I just want to begin by asking you, as we look at Chapters 4 & 5, is this a continuation of the vision John received in the first three chapters?

Steve: The first words John writes in Chapter 4 is “After these things…” And anytime he makes that statement, you know that there's been some kind of a time gap between what preceded it and what he's about to present. So, this is actually a second new vision that John is about to relate to his readers. But I'll tell you something else. When you go through the different visions John has in the Book of Revelation, it's a fascinating thing because it's obvious that he's going back and forth between heaven and earth on these different visions. So, I don't know what the time gap is, but in the first vision of Jesus Christ and the letters that he sent to the churches, that was one vision. He must have come out of that trance, went back to normal life, then at some point later, all of a sudden, he goes back into this ecstatic trance if you will and now, he's being summoned up into heaven.
       So, John is called up to heaven, and he goes through some kind of a doorway and finds himself overlooking this enormous panoramic scene of God's throne room. And when I started really considering that, the thing that came to me of all things would be like some workmen up in the light bars in a grand opera hall, and he's up there fiddling with the lights or whatever they do, and he's looking down at this whole enormous scene being enacted down there on the stage and all the hundreds of people in the audience looking on. That's kind of the perspective I get of John here. He's up perched in some lofty spot and he's watching these momentous events occurring there in that throne room.

Host: As you looked at Chapter 4, you said that there were really two things that stood out to you in this chapter. Talk about those.

Steve: Well, the first one is that God is seen on His throne. Take that vision in the context of the whole unfolding story presented in the Book of Revelation. The Church is about to undergo severe persecution and there are devastating judgements about to come upon the earth. I believe that the timing of this vision is important in the unfolding of the revelation because it is establishing God's sovereignty over all the affairs on earth. And if you are one of those believers who's entering this time of great uncertainty and fear, you really need to know in your heart that God is on His throne.

Host: Yeah. We really see that in our current culture. The spirit of fear and uncertainty that seems to be enveloping earth is almost hard to escape.

Steve: Yeah, for any human being it is. But for believers, if they will get their focus on God on His throne, they will find the comfort that they need.

Host: Yeah. Amen. You mentioned secondly that God is celebrated as the creator in this chapter. Why is that important?

Steve: It's a picture of who God is. Think about all the mayhem that is going to be transpiring on earth. Who created this earth? Who created mankind? Who created the animals? Who created the trees? Who created everything? God did. And only God has the authority. Only God has the right to begin to dismantle creation. And He does have that right. I think that it is also significant to keep in mind as you read about all the judgments that will start to unfold in the rest of the book.

Host: Okay. And as you approach Chapter 5, you said there's another change of scene that occurs.

Steve: Well, Chapter 4 was very important because it establishes God in His rightful place. But something different occurs in Chapter 5. Now the Lamb of God is introduced into the scene. In other words, in Chapter 4 God the Creator is emphasized, now in Chapter 5, God the Redeemer, The Son Jesus Christ is the one who is emphasized.

Host: Yes. The beautiful lamb. What's really going on in this chapter and with this scene that John is observing?

Steve: There's a passing reference to a Council of God's Holy One’s that is mentioned in one of the Psalms. And I believe that's what we see happening right here. This is a council situation. It's also mirrored in Daniel 7 by the way. But basically, what this is, is the inauguration of Jesus Christ. He has just come off victorious from Calvary. He has defeated Satan. Now He is being installed as the Co-Regent of God's Kingdom. A scroll is being handed to Him and in that scroll are the contents of God's purposes for earth. So, the implications of this transaction going on in the throne room of God is of enormous implications for mankind.

Host: Well, when you think about the reality of what God has given us in this book, He has given us a glimpse into the Councils of God. This is an enormous, almost hard to grasp thing that we've been handed by God. And how important it is that we take the time to read these things and allow God to get these things into our heart, because as I know you and I and a lot of other believers believe, we are watching these very things unfold in the earth today.

Steve: Well, it's actually one of the points I made in this teaching is that Christians tend to just blow over passages like this. But look at the response of the angelic beings that are present there when all this happens. In Chapter 4, the four living beings and the elders fall down and worship God the Creator. In Chapter 5, they fall down and worship the Lamb. And then one final time, the 5th outpouring of worship is to worship God the Father, the Creator and God the Redeemer, the Son. In other words, when they are watching what's transpiring, they are overwhelmed and all they can do is fall on their faces and worship the Lord.

Host: Man, what a glorious scene. And for me, I can just speak for myself, what a glorious hope this gives me for what God is doing and what God is going to do in these last days. This is a tremendous and powerful Word that He has given us here.

Steve: God is in control and that's where our hope and our trust is.

In Song of Solomon 1:4, the bride says to the bridegroom, "Draw me after you and let us run together." What a picture of sincere desire for the Lord! But let's be honest. For many regular church attendees in the United States, it's easy to SAY they love the Lord like that, but their lives outside of the church speak something different.

Devotion to the Lord is CRITICAL for victory over sin for today, and for the dark days ahead. Steve and Kathy Gallagher discuss this and more on this week's episode.

Resources We Mentioned

• Hope for Struggling Marriages (Video Series) By Kathy Gallagher
• Hope for Hurting Wives (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries
• When His Secret Sin Breaks Your Heart (Book) By Kathy Gallagher

Who is the true focus of Revelation? In this bonus segment covering chapters 1-3, we explore the glorious vision of the risen Christ and His urgent message to His people. Steve Gallagher explains why the 7 letters from Jesus to the churches aren't just merely ancient history - all of them can be seen in the global church TODAY. Are we asleep like Sardis or enduring like Smyrna? These warnings are vital for believers in the last days. Listen now to hear what Jesus is saying to you.

Host: Steve, as we continue our series in the Book of Revelation, we want to look again at chapter one, which we did in our last show. What is the primary focus of this first chapter?

Steve: There is no question that the primary focus of the first chapter is Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in almost every single verse in this chapter. Just as an example, look at verses 5 & 6 in Revelation 1. It begins by offering three characteristics of Christ and then it goes right into four things He has done for us. When it's talking about Him as a person, He is identified as the faithful witness and that's that word “martyr.” He was the first martyr, but it means more than that. It’s referring to the testimony of our lives.
       He is the perfectly faithful witness and the first born of the dead. This can have a couple of different meanings, but primarily it's just describing His relationship to the Father. Also, He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. And let me tell you, for those first century believers who heard this revelation and for the end time Christians who will go through the tyrannical government of the antichrist, that is very good news to know that Jesus Christ reigns sovereignly over the rulers of the earth.
       So, this description is given about Him immediately and then it starts to talk about what He's done for us. He has loved us. He's redeemed us. He has made us into a kingdom. That of course is what this book is all about. It's all about the creation and the inauguration of His Kingdom on earth. He's also made us to be priests to His God and Father putting us in that tremendous role of representing man to God and God to man. What an awesome thing that Jesus has done for us.

Host: Yeah. Amen. There is a really dramatic image of Jesus portrayed in the last part of Chapter. Describe that and tell us what the significance is of that image.

Steve: There is a vivid and startling image of Jesus Christ that John saw and wrote down in the latter part of the first chapter. And that is a direct throwback to what John experienced on the mount of transfiguration when he saw Jesus 's face shining like the sun and His robes white as light. That was a powerful revelation that Peter, James and John had of Jesus way back some sixty years before this. This vision that John has of Jesus here in Revelation 1 is very reminiscent of that one except that this one has much more detail involved. Since this description was given, artists have awkwardly tried to paint pictures of Jesus with a sword coming out of His mouth. That isn't the right way to see it. These are symbols that are describing different aspects of Jesus Christ, and those details will work themselves out throughout the rest of the book. That's why this image of Jesus is so significant to this book.

Host: Steve, how does the presentation of this image of Jesus relate to the seven letters that are coming to the churches?

Steve: John is in an ecstatic trance. He has come into the Spirit, and he has seen Jesus Christ glorified. Now Jesus tells him to write down what he hears. So he begins writing out these seven different letters to these different congregations, all of which John is very familiar with. And that's what is found in Chapters 2 and 3.

Host: You know, I can't put myself in John's place but based on the description that we have here of Jesus, it's like, man, these letters must be pretty important. Look who they're coming from. And He's telling John, “I AM is telling you to write these letters out.” We need to pay attention to what's in these letters. I've heard a lot about these 7 letters. I've heard a lot of people talk about them. I've heard that they represent different periods of church history. I’ve heard that the Laodicean Church best represents the Church of today. As you were looking at this, what became real to you about these 7 letters?

Steve: Well, it is true that dispensationalists have viewed these seven churches as representing various periods of church history. Personally, I don't hold to that view. I'll tell you what, if you look at the characteristics of these seven churches, you will find that every one of them are alive and well right now in the postmodern church. And when you think in terms of who this revelation is primarily aimed at, the end time believer who will go through the things described in this unfolding story, then you see the significance of these different letters being first written for those churches at the time, but then even more importantly to the body of Christ as a whole that will be alive during the end times.
       For instance, the Church of Ephesus were doing many things right. They were standing for truth, but they had lost their first love. Smyrna is a Church that was being persecuted. Today, much of the body of Christ is enduring terrible persecution in Muslim lands and in communist countries. You look at some of the other churches like Pergamum and Thyatira talking about the false teachers of their day and they are in abundance right now in the Church. Sardis has a reputation of being alive and thriving, but the spiritual reality that Jesus Christ saw about them was that they were spiritually dead. And then Laodicea, yes, absolutely would be a perfect example of the American Church. But you have to look at the whole global Church. You can't just focus on the American experience and try to confine it to that.

Host: Steve, how do these letters then speak to me as an individual, as opposed to a body of professing believers?

Steve: I think that every professing Christian will find himself somewhere in these seven letters. For some, it would be a matter of lost love. For others, they would have an undue tolerance for false teachers. They need a strong warning about that. For others who are facing persecution, they need a word of encouragement that a sovereign God is on the throne. So yes, these are messages meant for individuals who will be living through these difficult days ahead.

Host: As you've gone through the book of Revelation, have you found that God is really speaking to you as an individual? I mean, we can look at, “Okay, what are the worldwide events going to be? What's happening in the Kingdom of Heaven?” But really God is speaking to us individually. Those who desire to know Him and are longing for Him, He has a message for you and that completely changes the way that you read it. It must.

Steve: It's an excellent point you're bringing up, because what is being painted is a worldwide scene of epic proportions and yet, at the same time, a call is going out to you and me individually to walk through faithfully and consistently with the Lord.

Host: When you look at it that way, that just adds tremendous impetus to get into this book. Yes, it can be discouraging at times. It can be frustrating. It can be confusing. But Jesus, the one who was so gloriously described in this first chapter has something to say to me individually. So, no matter how difficult it may be, I need to get in this book and read what Jesus has to say to me. Especially in these last days.

The person struggling with sexual sin faces the same sort of challenges that Abraham faced: How to live for God in a culture that is full of unbelief, idolatry and an abundance of enticing temptations? The answer for him is the same for us: a living, robust faith in God. There is no question but that the level and strength of our faith is going to determine the level of freedom we walk in.

Saving, living faith is birthed through our response to the call from God, begins its journey with a complete break with the old life and lives in an awareness of the unseen realm. No devil from hell can reach a person’s heart who lives with this quality of faith.

Jesus said you can’t serve two masters, because you can only be truly devoted to one. The One all Christians should be devoted to is Christ.

But are we?

Why do so many Christian organizations exist to help Christians out of addictions? Perhaps it has to do with our devotion and who our hearts truly serve. In this week’s episode, Patrick Hudson delves into the seriousness of knowing what our hearts are truly fixed on and encourages us to pursue a life that is wholly devoted to God.

Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Blog
• Check Out Our Bookstore

From the Chapel: Andrew was full of pride. He was enslaved to sexual sin yet saw himself as spiritually superior to those around him including those he was sinning against. But when he came to the Pure Life Ministries Residential Program, the Lord revealed the reality of his condition through the power of His Word and gave Andrew the beautiful gift of repentance and newness of life.

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John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (NIV)

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       Before I arrived at Pure Life Ministries, my heart was full of pride, self-reliance, selfish ambition and fear. In particular, I had a great fear of man. My marriage and family were beginning to crumble from my years of masturbation, pornography, massage parlors, and prostitution that I had brought into my life over the years. Outwardly, I was very religious and thought I was a better person than most, including my wife. I was so deceived. I was actually working right along with Satan's plan to destroy my life and the life of those around me.
       As 2 Timothy 3 says, I was a lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God. I had a form of godliness but denied it’s power. Shortly after arriving at Pure Life, I had my first counseling session. I soon realized that I did not look forward to my counseling sessions. They felt like interrogation sessions to me. I was blind to the fact that I did not have love for my counselor and my heart was hard, but God was putting His finger on the sin in my heart. Little did I understand that the Lord’s plans for me were and still are so much more than I can see.
       Things began to change in a subsequent counseling session. I was told to read a portion of John 15 out loud. I began reading and my counselor stopped me. My counselor encouraged me to read it louder and slower. I remember thinking, “What's wrong with my reading?” But I decided to humble myself because the Lord had put this man in my life to help me. After reading a verse or so, something happened. The Lord was helping me to put my guard down and open my heart to His Word.
       I very strongly sensed the presence of God in the room. I lowered my defenses and the Holy Spirit rushed in to convict my heart. God made it clear that my kingdom of self would never stand against such a perfect and holy God. Tears fell from my face. “I'm so full of pride” were the words that came out of my mouth. The Lord was starting to show me who I really was, a self-loving person with little concern for God or others. But the Lord was also showing me who He was, a merciful Father, who, while I was still a long way off in the distance saw me and was running to me so that He could embrace me.
       Still in my counseling session, all I could do was cry and thank Jesus for His loving kindness as He cleansed me with His blood. During that session, Jesus gave me the gift of repentance, even though I intellectually could not tell you what repentance was. The Lord gave me a peace that passed all understanding. My counselor put his hand on my shoulder as I left the session. This meant a lot to me because I had such a fear of him before entering the session. The Lord showed me through this gesture that my Heavenly Father is not a harsh taskmaster. Instead, He is gentle, He is lowly and He is loving.
       I left the session feeling free from all my pride, selfishness, and fear. Nothing else mattered in that moment except for what the Lord had done for me. Throughout my program, the Lord gave me other powerful experiences with Him similar to the one I just described. I also had failures, setbacks, and mistakes, but through the help of staff in the program, the Lord continuously opened my heart to repentance. The Lord has laid a foundation for me to remain in His love and now my eternity is on a completely different trajectory. Now as I walk with Him daily, He always reminds me that He is enough.

In the 40 years Pure Life Ministries has been counseling, we've never stopped supplying Biblical answers to those in sexual sin, to wives in their devastation, and to the sincere believer in their walk with the Lord.

In this episode, we answer some of our most common questions, as well as viewers’ concerns on their personal journey with God. Questions like:

• How can I know my husband has truly repented?

• Am I in a dry time because of hidden sin?

• How can I balance life's responsibilities and my relationship with God?

Joshua Broadhurst and Bernardo Arjona answer questions like these in this month's Q&A.

Resources We Mentioned

• Pure Life Ministries 26th Annual Conference
• #656 - The Modern Face of Idolatry (Podcast) By Pure Life Ministries
• Residential Program Home Page

To the person who is struggling with sexual sin: Do you feel as if you’ve been conquered by the enemy of your soul? The book of Lamentations is surprisingly very applicable because it was written in Jerusalem after it was destroyed by its enemies—and the author finds hope in God. In today’s message, Dr. John Oswalt draws five truths out of this book which still apply today.

David prayed "Search me, O God, and know my heart." What a bold request! What would happen if you asked Him to search your heart? It may feel unsettling to think about—but it can change everything. Could there be hidden idols shaping your life without you realizing it?

On today’s podcast, we explore why this question matters and how it could transform your walk with Christ. Join us for an enlightening discussion you won’t want to miss.

Resources We Mentioned

• The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life (Book) By D.L. Moody