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JESUS BREAKS OPEN THE SEALS

Revelation 6:1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. The I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”

The revelation of the 7 years of tribulation is broken up into thirds. We have the seals, trumpets and the bowls. It goes lit his Seals Chapters 6-8:5, the Trumpets Chapters 8:6-15, the Bowls Chapters 16-18.

And they look like this as they come about:

Seals XXXXXXX

TrumpetsXXXXXXX

BowlsXXXXXXX

So you see with the 7th seal comes 2/3rd of the tribulation. Because of this near the end it becomes very difficult to know for sure the real order of what is going on. This is why it is so important to know the entire revelation as a whole, so the parts can be better identified.

As Jesus opens the first seal we have what is known as the four horses of the apocalypse. (the apocalypse means the destruction of the earth) The first horse is white and its rider has a bow and crown as he rides on conquest. We assume that this person or country appears to be noble, but the reality is that death and destruction will follow him. After this takes place Jesus opens the second seal. With it comes a person or country on a red horse that takes peace from the earth by causing men or countries to go to war and kill each other.

The third seal that Jesus opens comes with a black horse where a great economic catastrophe takes place. With this John hears the words to not damage the oil and the wine. This could very well describe Christians, as the oil represents the Holy Spirit and wine the blood of Christ. (this implies that there are Christians still on earth)

The fourth seal is a pale horse. It’s rider is named Death, and Hades or hell was following close behind. (the powers of darkness are given permission to attack and bring death and destruction all over the earth) People will be killed with weapons, famine, plague and even wild animals will no longer fear people.

With the fifth seal the vision changes as John now sees under the altar of God souls that have been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. These are people that have died because of martyrdom for Jesus. They are given a white robe to show that they have been cleansed of their sins by Jesus. It also tells us that when a Christian dies they go to be with Jesus and are not left in a casket or have to go to the abode of the dead. ICor 15:35-58 covers what happens at the death of a Christian. This certainly goes against the thinking of some that resurrected Christians must come back to earth to get their old bodies. Common sense tells us that sooner or later all that is left is bones or terrible looking mummified bodies and who would want that since we can have a resurrected by like Jesus’ has?

The sixth seal that Jesus opens bring disaster to earth using earthquakes and meteors hitting the earth that blackens the sky. Things have become so bad on earth at this time that people will try hiding in caves and even wanting them to fall on them and kill them rather than stay alive and suffer what is going on. The thing is as we will see later instead of repenting of their sinfulness and turning to the Lord they will curse him.

With the seventh and final seal God intensifies his tribulations on all of earth. At this time the trumpets and bowl will begin with each getting greater in intensity. But before Jesus opens this seventh seal, he gives John another vision of what will be and what has already taken place. First John sees four angels holding back the wind from the earth. All the smoke and dirt that has been cast up into the sky remains. There is no wind to disperse it and this is why even the sun is darkened. He also hears that God wants a seal to be placed on 144,000 Jews. 12,000 from every tribe will be filled with the Holy Spirit and become evangelist for Jesus. It is interesting that when the tribes are listed that Manasseh replaces Dan and Joseph replaces Ephraim. The tribes of Levi and Joseph were not given land. Now from a spiritual sense there has been a change. John also sees a great multitude that no one can count from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. An angel tells John that these souls have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (once again this shows Christians were in the tribulation and that when they died they went straight to be with Jesus)

As chapter 8 begins and Jesus opens the seventh seal there is silence in heaven for about a half hour. I believe that this happens because of the great sorrow that it will bring God, and those on earth with the great increase of tribulation due to the lack of repentance of the people of earth. Then John sees an angel with a golden censer with the prayers of all the saints before the throne of God. This implies that Christians that are seeking God in prayer, have their prayers greatly valued by God and are before him on his altar as a honored trust to God. This could be from resurrected Christians as well as those still on earth going through the tribulation. We know that Jesus is presently interceding for all Christians before his Heavenly Father. (Rom 8:34 & Heb 7:25)

With this the angels takes the censer and fills it with fire from the altar of God and casts it to earth and there is great lightning and an earthquake. With all this having taken place now the section of the trumpets will begin.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, Jesus told us to pray that we might escape this great tribulation. Please keep us, our loved ones and your church from it. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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