Opening the Seven Seals
- Unfortunately, older texts do not include the article the. In other words, there is no specific time of tribulation.
- We really aren’t told when God will come get His Church. We know tribulation started occurring before Jesus was crucified.
- Believing in The Tribulation means that we believe there will be punishment here on earth.
- What if what we term the Tribulation is just events that need to occur before the Day of the Lord can occur?
- The happenings of the first four seals contain the four horses of the apocalypse. Each holds an event that has been experienced already on a regional — or even a national — level. The difference here, we expect, is that it is on a world-wide level.
- Everyone is going to be involved, and everyone has no choice but to experience the event. Everyone — except Jesus’ disciples? Are they going to escape all these events? If the rapture hasn’t occurred, they won’t.
- We can’t bank on the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation. If we do, we are just writing in what we want to believe. But if we are still here, we will have a hiding place.
- I was always told that the four horsemen are from God.
- It is logical to think that the four horsemen Satan’s control over this world will increase as we grow closer to the Day of the Lord.
- The world was wicked. I think it will continue to become even more wicked until God said, “Enough is enough.”
- The call for Someone Who was worthy to open the seals had been made, and Jesus had stepped forward to perform that task.
- I think there was some physical strength required of Jesus. I mean, He and the Apostles traveled three years, not staying extremely long at any place. Even if the walking was challenging, staying out in the open must have been trying, also. More importantly, Jesus had to have strength of character. He had to resist all temptation.
- After all that, Jesus was set to open the seals that outlined the fate of mankind. God had a plan — He had this plan from before He made the universe.
- When Jesus died on the cross, He altered the course of events. Mankind no longer had to die a spiritual death because of their sins. Mankind can’t save himself, so Jesus stepped in to prevent this judgment. We approach that, though, based on our own faith and wants. We speculate what we want to believe is true — even if it isn’t God’s way. We need to read God’s Word to find God’s way.
- We approach God for our reasons, not His reason. His reason is to restore us to Him so that we can worship Him.
The First Seal
- From the very first seal and the start of the conquest, we see that it is a spiritual battle, making it a conquest for our souls. The white horse represents that conquest.
- It is easy to think of the white horse as being from God. The color white when referred to garments symbolizes purity and is often used to describe spiritual beings.
- The initial command is translated come in the English Standard Version. However, it is different in the Complete Jewish Bible it is translated go. Go means the directive came from Heaven — because that is where John is at in the vision – to go to earth. In fact, the directive came from the first living creature, which may be a Cherubim.
- We really aren’t told what is going to occur during the ride of this horse – other than being a conqueror.
- I can see the rider identified as Jesus. I can see this when Jesus is rapturing the Church. He would be seen as a conqueror then.
- What if, instead, this is referring to Jesus coming to earth the first time? We’ve said that, most times, prophecy has a current application and a future application. We don’t know the timing leading up to the Day of the Lord.
- Jesus conquered sin and death then. I can see this as the gospel being sent out to mankind. God calls us to salvation.
- God’s wrath wasn’t going to spew forth until He devised a way through which we could escape it. That was only going to happen when Jesus conquered sin and death.
- If the white horse came from Satan, is this the serpent in the Garden? Won’t the Antichrist be here to deceive us? Won’t he be pretending to be what he isn’t? Is this Satan conquering our world? He has definitely done that.
- The rider will have a bow and a crown. Other than Old Testament human warfare, I didn’t find anything about a bow – especially not in Jesus’ possession or in Satan’s. But Satan is winning now.
- God and Jesus will be victorious for eternity. Because of John’s vision of the Lamb opening the seals – and all the rest – we know the ending of the story. We know good is going to win over evil.
- Sin is condemned, not only by our saying the words for salvation, but also by our living it out in our day-to-day lives. We have to be sanctified to ensure salvation. That is a process that will take the rest of our lives. Every day we are conquering sin.
- If the seals are to happen right before the Day of the Lord, there wouldn’t be much time to conquer in the future. Jesus won’t have to conquer in eternity. Satan and sin will be no more. There will be nothing left to conquer.
Glossary
The Second, Third, and Fourth Seals
- Bible scholars think the red horse represents warfare because red is the symbol for blood. But does it? It does end up talking about slayings and swords. That is warfare. Is this us killing each other in the streets? (Okay, swords have been upgraded to guns, but work with me here.)
- It feels like the horse is on constant gallop.
- Still, the purpose of this horse is to take away earth’s peace. That happens by sowing discord and disunity. This discord seems to be the impetus for the slayings. That is the cause to the effect of the slayings. But then, this is also the effect of warfare.
- Chaos doesn’t come from God. That comes from Satan.
- God isn’t going to come in like, “I’m sorry. Things have to end, but I am going to make it as painless as possible.”
- The black horse, released by the third living creature, is usually said to represent famine. A logical thing to follow widespread warfare is famine. Sometimes, we tend to think that famine is caused only by drought and other meteorological disasters.
- Since famine actually means a scarcity of food, it doesn’t limit the cause of this scarcity.
- Scales are used to weigh food, produce, and money. It could imply — if the horse is from Satan — that fraudulent practices are used to weigh the food. That, along with the scarcity of food, can cause prices to rise.
- What verse 6 is also saying is that basic food such as wheat and barley are extremely expensive while the price of finer products of oil and wine remains unchanged.
- There is a struggle for basic necessities in life while luxury items are prevalent.
- We can describe this as a struggle for existence. Isn’t that what Satan wants? He wants us to take our focus off God and put it on this world and our lives here. Satan wants to make us slaves to sin.
- Even if the Church is to go through the tribulation, we should always believe in God’s plan and His care for us. Jesus calls us to come to Him. He will take care of the needs of our physical condition. That should allow us to focus on our spiritual condition.
- Yes, the internet has made the readily gospel available. But is it being successful? Did not the uneducated fisherman have more success in gaining converts in the first century than we do now?
- Aren’t people turning away from the Church who have previously professed faith in God? If we are to be nourished by teaching and preaching, why aren’t we? We enter the church on Sunday morning, looking to hear what we’ve always heard. We may do daily devotions, but we really can’t term them as a study of God’s Word. This creates a famine in our hearts for our Lord and Savior.
- The fourth living creature released the pale horse, which represents a death-dealing illness or plague.
- The pale horse is a continuance of the famine. It, however, adds pestilence to the mix.
- The new aspect is that this horse is going to cause death.
- The they John was taking in Revelation 6: 8 was about was the four horsemen as a group.
- Warfare, famine, and pestilence all can cause death. Together, they are going to kill over one fourth of the population of earth through war, famine, plague, and attacks by wild animals. Have you caught that the four horsemen are going to be disrupting society?
- Unfortunately, not all disciples will remain faithful to God. Maybe we confess Jesus as our Savior but didn’t repent and turn from our sins. Maybe we didn’t strengthen our faith through a personal interest in Jesus. Maybe we didn’t endure. We don’t want this because hell — Hades — follows it.
- We cannot judge who is or isn’t God’s children. However, we have to judge whether what they are teaching or trying to get us to believe comes from God.
- An obsession for a body that will live forever is not what God wants us to have. This is just one more way in which God wants us to be sober. God wants us to have an obsession with our spiritual health.
Glossary
The Fifth Seal
- The martyrs questioned when the Day of the Lord would come.
If the seals start God’s final judgment and Rapture occurs before that, wouldn’t they know if the Church had been raptured — whether before the opening of the first seal or after the opening of the fourth if that is when we fly? Didn’t the souls under the throne know the four horsemen of the Apocalypse had already ridden? Is it going to happen in a vacuum? If those who are already in Heaven don’t know what is happening, how are we going to figure it out? We aren’t. - Almost from the get-go, Jesus’ disciples experienced persecution. Every one of the Apostles except John became a martyr.
- But if we are going with the Apostles being the elders, they aren’t under the altar. These are other martyrs like Stephen.
- We shouldn’t gloss over the fact that this is the martyrs’ souls, not their bodies. Does that mean the martyrs won’t get their new bodies until the Church is Raptured and we do? Does it mean that whatever the souls look like is our new bodies?
- We may think it macabre that the souls of the slain are under God’s altar. But that is a Jewish thing.
- Think of it – in a way – as paralleling the cities of refuge in the Old Testament. No, the martyrs weren’t the ones who did the killing. They were the ones who were killed. But the martyrs got to run to a safe place, a refuge from the avenger of blood. They may or may not have had to do any explaining upon arrival but were given a place under the altar until release on the Day of the Lord.
- But we can’t forget the fact that this is the altar of sacrifice. We have the description in Exodus of what its earthly replica looked like.
- The function of the altar was animal sacrifices were offered to God on it. The purpose of the sacrifice was to obtain a temporary forgiveness for the sins of Israel.
- I think it is very fitting for the martyrs to be under the altar. They are covered by the blood of the Sacrifice.
- The ones under the altar aren’t the only ones who are waiting for God to get the show on the road! Plus, they are asking the same question we usually ask. How long until you are going to judge the wrongdoers and avenge us?
- The martyrs remembered what had happened to them. They knew they had been wrongly accused and put to death because of their belief in the Truth. Yes, we will get to keep our memories in Heaven.
- The martyrs are not dead or in some sort of suspended animation somewhere. They are alive and talking. They are clued into — in some way — what is happening in the present.
- It was contended that it was their blood, not their hearts, that sought vengeance. This is tied to Abel.
- The martyrs were doing what we often do – question God. If we question Him in the correct way, He allows it. God has no problem answering our questions when we ask in faith, acknowledging His sovereignty. When we show that we want to stay in step with His plan, He is good with it. The martyrs are asking the correct way because there is no sin in Heaven.
They weren’t trying to impatiently hurry God’s plan along. They were submitting to His divine wisdom. They asked with expectation and desire. - It would be easy to think they are asking their question to God the Father. But aren’t they asking it to the Lamb? He will be the One to judge.
- The martyrs not only wanted the sinners condemned, but they also wanted justice for being killed for doing right.
- But are the martyrs asking for is God to avenge them? The people who killed the martyrs were not justified in killing them.
- Therefore, their lives could be avenged according to Exodus 21: 12-19. It looks like the martyrs have every right to be avenged.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God requires an accounting our wrongful death? The martyrs have gone to the One Who can provide vengeance. - Only God can judge. He is our Creator, so He has the authority over us. Only He is true and pure, so only He can judge fairly. John gave his audience proof that God will judge and avenge.
- But is malicious vengeance that for which the martyrs are asking? I don’t think so. Jesus didn’t cry for vengeance at His wrongful death. He asked for forgiveness for His accusers. More than likely, the martyrs are wanting their attackers to be convicted of their sin. They want them to come to know Jesus as they know Him. They are also asking for the deliverance of God’s children.
The martyrs are rewarded and comforted. - It is interesting that the martyrs are now given the white robe (Rev. 6: 10). Does that mean we aren’t purified when we initially get to Heaven?
- Many of the martyrs would have been imprisoned before execution. What little belongs they had would have been taken away – including clothing. Here, the martyrs would be given the finest clothing ever.
- The martyrs are told to sit tight.
Because the question was asked in faith, God answered it. They are told to rest and wait – and hope.
More who were killed in the service of God would be joining them. Until they do, God’s fullness of time has not been reached. - Yes, the saints are told to wait, but the implication is they won’t have to wait long. But then, soon is relative in a space outside of time.
- I think the main point is that there is a certain number that they are waiting for to find their way beneath God’s throne. Judgment can’t start until that number is reached.
- If the martyrs died proclaiming the message of Jesus, wouldn’t they be looking forward to the day He is truly glorified by all creation?
The Sixth Seal
- It can be easy to believe that God isn’t real because we can’t see Him. One day, every living person will now understand that the Day of the Lord has arrived. Nature will feel God’s wrath.
- I think Revelation 20: 11 could be described as an earthquake. We would be like John, using our knowledge and experiences to describe what is happening.
- The sun, moon, and stars are going to affect everyone.
- This isn’t something that is going to be over in five or ten minutes, like an eclipse. This is permanent. Plus, I don’t think it will be the sun going dark because the moon is passing between it and us. I think the sun, moon, and stars will completely vanish.
- Earthquake, sun, moon, stars, sky, mountains, and islands will be having issues all at the same time. You know, it really does sound like it is Revelation 20: 11 happening.
- Worldview people will react wrong to the sixth seal.
- Some sermons that I read said that this was the last thing that happened on this earth. It was the last prayer meeting.
- If we look back at Revelation 6: 14, it says, “The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up …” (Rev. 6: 12-14 ESV). This doesn’t sound like it will happen instantaneously. There will be time to pray.
- Everyone — including the rich and powerful — face the ultimate choice.
- Were they going to accept Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer now, or continue the way they had always been and reject Him? If this is the last prayer meeting, this is going to be their last chance.
- If this is Revelation 20: 11, the time for choosing God has passed. We know there will be a time when our fate is sealed. There will be no deathbed confession available. If God allowed people to turn to Him when the Day of the Lord is upon us — and this sounds like it is it — it wouldn’t be faith – it would be sight. Turning to God on the Day of the Lord wouldn’t be because we wanted to obey Him. It would be so He could save us. God isn’t going to accept that.
- In Elaine-speak – even then, their prayers — regardless of how earnestly offered — won’t be sincere.
- The saddest part is they won’t accept God even when the evidence is right in front of them. Instead of admitting they are getting what they deserve, they want to run and hide. They would rather be killed by the mountains and rocks rather than face God.
- We need to decide now whether to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation before the decision is taken away from us. A non-decision is a decision to reject God. We need to make our prayers count now.
- They chose wrong. They chose to hide from God, not run toward Him.
- When we think of wrath, we generally think of the wrath of God. The worldview people here just want to hide from God. It is the wrath of the Lamb that scares them.
- Love isn’t an emotion. It is an attribute. Wrath isn’t an emotion. It is an attribute. That is why the Lamb’s wrath is not contrary to His nature. It is His nature.
- If the Lamb loves purity, He hates impurity. He hates sin.
- So, are the sixth seal and Revelation 20: 11 the same thing? Are the Day of the Lord, Judgment Day, and “… the great day of their wrath…” (Rev. 6: 17 ESV) the same thing?
- The worldview people brought this on themselves by not believing in the Lamb.
- The only ones who will be able to stand are those who have ABCDed.
- Our prayers to God must not only be genuine but must be specific. A blanket forgive-me-of-my-sins could mean we really don’t think we have sinned because we can’t name them. Or it could mean that we don’t think God will forgive us even if we ask. Our prayers have to be genuine.
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in the Opening the Seals series