NOTE: This Bible study on the end times comes from the perspective of a pre-tribulation Rapture.
Tonight, we will begin studying the Seven Seals of the book of Revelation. The Seven Seals provide us much to consider; for they are a preview and a warning of the many spectacular events that are coming upon the world at some time in the near future. We will begin our study this evening by first looking at the scroll on which the seals have been placed; and as we discuss both the Scroll and the Seven Seals, please be filling out the related handout.
(Refer to Handout: “The Seven Seals”)
The Scroll
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 5:1-7:
1And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
What we have here is courtroom imagery, and this passage speaks about redemption. The Scroll is a title, deed, or contract to the world. In the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, mankind had the contract to the world, but he forfeited it when he entered into sin; and therefore, the inheritance was lost through death, which is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). When something needs to be redeemed, it means that the title or ownership has been given up at some prior point in time.
In the Old Testament an inheritance, or title, was passed on through the next of kin, called the “kinsman redeemer.” Even in ancient Rome a person had to be a legal heir in order to take and open the contract or scroll. God’s criterion for redemption says that whoever steps up must be a relative, and secondly the individual must be willing to exercise his right as the kinsman redeemer.
• In verse 5, we see the one who is able to redeem the title to the world, and He is called “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “the Root of David.” To whom is this referring?
The answer is Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our “kinsman” because He was born into this world in human form. He is called the Son of Man, emphasizing His humanity. The author of Revelation tells us in John 1:14 that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Jesus became a man, and thus He became our kinsman.
When we read, “And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll,” the word “able” speaks of someone who is competent to undo what Adam did and not be like Adam as a sinner. In Hebrews 4:15, we read that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus is our kinsman because He became a man; however, He did not sin as we do. Therefore, He is the one who is both “able” and “worthy” to open the scroll, because of His sinless nature.
In case you are curious about the “Seven Spirits of God” mentioned in verse 6, they are presumed to be seven manifestations of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Isaiah 11:2. The Seven Spirits of God are: 1.) The Spirit of the Lord, 2.) The Spirit of Wisdom, 3.) The Spirit of Understanding, 4.) The Spirit of Counsel, 5.) The Spirit of Might, 6.) The Spirit of Knowledge, and 7.) The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord.
Keep in mind that the Scroll is the “contract or deed to the world,” and the one who is able and worthy to open it is Jesus Christ.
Worship of the Lamb
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 5:8-14:
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
These verses depict what is taking place in heaven. In reference to the “prayers of the saints” mentioned in verse 8, Edward Hindson says, “This is specifically the song of the raptured church in heaven. They are redeemed by Christ’s blood (v. 9).” The expression found in verse 10, concerning how the saints have been made kings and priests, “emphasizes the coming earthly reign of the Millennial Kingdom promised in Revelation 20:4.” Now, the identity of the twenty-four elders remains a mystery.
The Seven Seals
Now, the Seven Seals are found in Revelation 6:1-17, and 8:1. Though we don’t know for certain the order in which the opening of the Seven Seals will occur in relation to the blowing of the Seven Trumpets and the pouring out of the Seven Bowls, we do know one thing: The Tribulation period commences with the opening of the Seven Seals; and it will begin with the arrival of “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” which we see mentioned in the first four out of seven seals.
The First Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 6:1-2:
1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
• Here we see the first Horseman, and he is described as riding a white horse, having a bow, a crown, and as going forth conquering. What is the most common answer for who the first Horsemen might be?
The most common answer is Jesus Christ. Many people view the first Horseman as Christ because in Revelation 19:11 and following, Jesus is shown riding a white horse.
It is unlikely that this first Horseman is Jesus Christ for several reasons: 1.) The context of the four horses involves war and disaster; 2.) the rider carries a bow (an instrument of war), whereas Christ has no weapon but the sword of His mouth, as we see in Revelation 19:15; 3.) the rider is given a crown, whereas Christ, as seen in Revelation 19:12, already has many crowns; and 4.) the rider’s crown in this passage is called a stephanos, a “victor’s wreath,” whereas in Revelation 19:12, Jesus wears the diadema, or “royal crown.”
It has been suggested that this first rider is none other than “the Antichrist.” The First Horseman and First Seal, therefore, represent “the Antichrist.”
The Second Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 6:3-4:
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
The second Horseman, being red, is associated with war and bloodshed. He “takes peace from the earth” with a “great sword” so that men should kill one another. Notice that there is no bloodshed with the first rider back in verses 3-4. Therefore, many assume that the Antichrist will come to power covertly or peacefully, and then later be engaged in war.
Back in the year 1999, Tim LaHaye said, “One interesting characteristic of [the Antichrist’s] coming is that he has a bow in his hand, symbolic of aggressive warfare, but no arrow, indicating that he will conquer by diplomacy rather than by war. Ushering in false peace, he will be the superman who promises to solve all the world’s problems.”
“The way this master diplomat, the Antichrist, could conquer the world through his sudden diplomacy is to offer peace and prosperity to humankind. In all likelihood, this could be accomplished if Russia and her cohorts were out of the way . . . In the wake of this destruction, the Antichrist could very well offer peace to the entire world in order to avoid any further wars between nations.”
As already stated, the red horse symbolizes bloodshed and war. The word that is translated as “kill,” means “to slaughter,” or “to butcher.” The fiery-red color symbolizes the intensity of the destruction that shall take place; and the fact that this horseman shall “take peace from the earth,” indicates a world war of incredible magnitude.
The Second Horseman and Second Seal, therefore, represent “world war.”
The Third Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 6:5-6:
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
The third Horseman, which is black, is associated with famine. Famine always follows the devastation of war. Food supplies are exhausted, and those who survive the conflict must now struggle to survive the aftermath of war. We see the mention of a quart and then the denarius, which was a typical day’s wages. These are famine prices, but not starvation prices. The immediate result of the war will be food shortages, especially for the poor.
The “pair of scales” for measuring the weight and value of grain symbolizes the severity of this famine and its economic consequences. It may well be that one of the results of this famine will be the need for stricter control of the global economy, which leads to the mark of the beast for buying and selling, which we read about in Revelation 13:16-18. This may enhance the Antichrist’s power over the world population by the imposition of his mark.
The Third Horseman and Third Seal, therefore, represent “world famine.”
The Fourth Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 6:7-8:
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
The fourth Horseman is associated with death. The horse here is said to be pale, and this word “pale” comes from the Greek word cloros from which we derive “chlorine.” This color symbolizes the look of death. While the preceding riders each carried a symbolic emblem such as a sword or bow, Death needs no such symbol. His name, Death, speaks for itself. Alongside, John says that hades, or the grave, was following him. This is a gruesome picture as Death plows through the world’s entire population, while Hades personified follows alongside, gobbling up the carcasses. This is the aftermath of famine and pestilence.
The Fourth Horseman and Fourth Seal, therefore, represent “death and the grave.”
Now that we’ve looked at “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” seen in the first four out of seven seals, let’s move ahead to the fifth and sixth seals found here in Revelation chapter six.
The Fifth Seal
Turn with me in your Bible’s, and let’s read Revelation 6:9-11:
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
The scene here shifts back to heaven with the opening of the fifth seal. The martyrs mentioned are likely Christians who have died throughout the many years of church history, those from all time who have taken their rightful place in heaven. The fact that they are “under the altar,” the place where the blood of the sin offering was poured out, as we read in Leviticus 4:7, signifies the completion of their sacrifice. We see that they are crying out for vengeance on those who killed them.
Verse 11 mentions their brethren and fellow servants "who would be killed" (future tense). According to Tim LaHaye, these could be the Tribulation saints, those who had not received Christ at the time of the Rapture, before the Tribulation began, but who later received Him.
The Fifth Seal, therefore, represents the “martyrs crying out for vengeance.”
The Sixth Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 6:12-17:
12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves 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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
When the sixth seal is opened then disorder reigns, and all the powers of nature and human government collapse. There is utter chaos, and the people call upon the rocks and mountains to fall on them. A “great earthquake” rocks the planet, then the sun is darkened, the stars fall, and the heavens (or atmosphere) split apart “like a scroll.”
We don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but some commentaries tell us that these occurrences indicate some sort of nuclear disaster such as an atomic bomb, or a cosmic disaster such as an asteroid. It might even be the simultaneous eruptions of numerous volcanoes and great calderas, like the massive caldera at Yellowstone National Park. All we really know about the sixth seal is that it represents the “wrath of God,” for we read in verse 16 of the “wrath of the Lamb,” and then in verse 17, that “the great day of His wrath has come.”
The Sixth Seal, therefore, represents “the wrath of God.”
We are now going to read through the interlude found between seals six and seven, and briefly discuss what is happening.
The Interlude between Seal Six and Seven
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 7:1-17:
1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Chapter seven gives us a glimpse of what is going on in heaven with those who were raptured. In verses 4-8, we read about 144,000 people who are gathered before the Lord. These individuals are said to be Jewish converts to Christianity. This number does not represent the totality of all those in heaven; just the number of Messianic Jews. In verses 9-10 we read about a “great multitude” of Gentile Christians gathered before the Lord, which could not be accurately numbered, because there were so many. This chapter is a picture of heaven and the beginning of our eternity with God.
Now that we’ve briefly covered chapter seven, let’s move on to the seventh seal found in chapter eight.
The Seventh Seal
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 8:1:
1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
The actual event that results from the breaking of the seventh seal is “silence in heaven for about half an hour.” The half an hour period of silence here follows the liturgy of the Jewish temple services.
After the sacrificial lamb was slain, the altar of incense was prepared. Two of the priests would go into the holy place and take the burnt coals and ashes from the golden altar and then re-light the lamps of the golden lampstand. One priest filled the golden censer with incense, while the other placed burning coals from the altar into a golden bowl. Deep silence fell over the entire temple during this solemn ceremony.
The picture here in Revelation of the half an hour of silence is of the silence of “solemn worship of the Lamb” who was slain.
