The Seal Judgments
Part #2
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Last week we discussed the first 4 seal judgments which brought on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The White horse with its rider who had a bow and was given a crown bought deception in the form of the Anti-Christ, who offering a false peace and hope to a confused world can conquer not by military power but by political prowess. This is followed by the Red horse and its rider and its rider that has a great sword in his hand which took that false sense of peace away and ushered in wars and rumors of war. He was followed by the Black horse and its rider had a pair of balances in his hand indicating famine and economic control, and we concluded with the Pale horse whose rider is the only rider given a name and his name is Death and Hades follows behind him. We learned that this rider is given the power to kill by sword, famine, pestilence, and beast.
Today we pick up with the 5th and 6th seals. We are not going to touch the 7th seal just yet because there is a very significant event, several events, that happened before then. As you will recall I stated that it is my belief that from the 4th seal onward the rest of the judgments, the seals, trumpets, and bowls overlap and there are events that happen before certain judgments are released, also the 7th seal, the 7th trumpet, and the 7th bowl are in fact the same event and happen concurrently, the Day of the Lord the climatic end of the Tribulation period and the return of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Revelation 6:9-17
The 5th Seal
Vs #9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled”.
Understand that when the 5th seal is opened, we are rapidly approaching the end of the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation period, the Temple has been rebuilt and sacrifices are being done, the Two witnesses have been preaching, the 144,000 have been sealed (which we will discuss before we look at the 7th seal). Satan makes war in heaven is defeated and cast out of heaven to earth Revelation12:3-4 & 7-13, Babylon’s governmental system is destroyed Revelation 17:1-18 & 18:1-20, then things really get bad, the Great Tribulation is about to begin.
When the 5th seal is opened John sees not a horse and its rider, he is not told by one of the four beasts to come and see, John just gives what he sees and that is under the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God and the testimony which they held. Remember the number 5 represents grace and in this seal, we see the Grace of God upon those that have been slain, these are the Tribulation saints Revelation 7:13-14 says “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robe? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. The total Tribulation saints, those John sees under the altar and the ones that should be killed are told to rest until they have been killed in like manner – we will discuss that here in a few.
The first thing mentioned that is of great importance is the altar. This is the first time in Revelation that the altar is mentioned, it will be mentioned 7 more times in Revelation, and it is important to understand this altar, its purpose, and its location. Understand heaven is the dwelling place of God and God has always wanted to dwell in the presence of mankind. In scripture there are 7 dwelling places where God has dwelt with mankind in the Garden of Eden, at Mt. Sinai, the Tabernacle, the Temple, in Jesus, the Church, and Heaven (the new Heaven and new Earth).
In the Tabernacle and the Temple there were two altars, the Brazen Altar (altar of sacrifice) and the Altar of Incense which was before the veil before the Holy of Holies which is where the presence of the Lord dwelt. This altar that John sees is the Altar of incense which represents the prayers of the saints, it is not the Brazen altar (altar of sacrifice) because Jesus is the only one that was able to fulfill that altar’s purpose, our propitiation, the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world. This altar was placed in the outer court of the Tabernacle/Temple representing the world because everyone was allowed in the outer court, the priest were the only ones allowed in the Holy place and the High Priest was the only one allowed into the Holy of Holies the only ones allowed in the Holy place and the High Priest was the only one allowed into the Holy of Holies. Since Jesus overcame the world, through Him we have access into the presence God. The Altar of incense was placed in the Holy place before the veil of the Holy of Holies. The High Priest would take incense from this altar with him into the Holy of Holies representing the prayers of the saints and they would go up before the Lord as a sweet-smelling savor. Here John sees this altar of incense in heaven before God and under the altar he sees the souls of the tribulation saints that have been slain during the tribulation period.
Luke 21:12-19 says, “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinfolks, and friends, and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls”. Those that will be saved through the Tribulation period it will cost them everything, betrayal by family, friends, brethren and will ultimately cost them their lives. Now there are people that will say well if I miss the Rapture, I still have a chance to be saved during the Tribulation and there is that chance but it is a chance and in order to be saved this it will cost you your life. To be honest and think about this seriously, most people can’t handle a headache without crying out my God my god why have you forsaken me do you think you would be able to stand looking at the executioner ready to cut your head off or the firing squad ready to fill you with bullets and you think you will be able to say for God I live and for God I’ll die and stand for Jesus, I wouldn’t want to chance it.
Now let’s look at what these under the altar are slain for: first and foremost, “for the Word of God” this doesn’t need much explanation it is the truth, the inspired, unadulterated, revelation of God, our Bible. These that were slain do not take the Word of God for granted, they don’t say well that was for the Old Testament or that was for those caught in the Rapture, they take the whole roll, they believe His word is vital, authoritative, true, and worthy dying for it and refusing to compromise it regardless of what it will cost. So many today will compromise the Word of God saying they don’t want to offend anyone, they say craziness like “I don’t know why God said that, if I had been there I would have asked Him well what about a maybe or just in case” but these that are slain hold fast to what it says and regardless who it offends they will not back down.
Second is “the testimony which they held”. Now this isn’t what we call a testimony “giving honor to God, ministers, deacon, saints and friends”, this testimony comes from the Greek word “Marturian” and means “the act or office of testifying or what one testifies”. It is the giving of evidence before a judge or council. The 2 witnesses are called “Martusin” witness or martyrs their testimony is evidence. I have a tag on a brief case I used to carry that says every where you go preach Christ and when necessary, use words. That’s the witness they held a life totally committed to God till death, they were willing to lose their life for the Word of God and their convictions.
Vs #10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How, long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth”? this loud cry is a call for justice and judgment against those that have harmed the apple of His eye, it’s a plea asking about the amount of time before God takes vengeance on those on earth that refused salvation, that persecuted the saints, that reject Him. It’s a cry of anticipation and expectation not a cry of desperation, but a cry just like the prophets of Old Testament cried. The statement “O Lord, holy and true” talks about the character of God, “holy” states that God cannot commit any wrongdoing, so God did nothing wrong in allowing their martyrdom and “true” literally means perfect there is no mistake in allowing the deaths of them to happen.
Vs #11 “And white robes were given unto everyone of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled”. WATCH THIS: - white robes are given to every one of them. The white robes indicate the righteousness of God, victory, and purity. On earth they were tried, found guilty, convicted, and killed but here they are given white robes showing that they have the righteousness of God, that they have the victory because of the blood of the Lamb and their testimony. The devil meant it for their bad by killing them, but God meant it for their good and by killing them for the Word of God and their testimony it took them out of the Tribulation period and ushered them into the presence of God overcoming death and entering eternal life. The white robes also represent the joy of the Lord, perfection, and victory in Jesus. Then it is said to them, the ultimate words of comfort “rest yet a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled”. Their work has been completed, trials and tribulations for them are over, they have overcome the world, so until the others have completed their journey and been killed as they have - rest. The Hebrew word translated rest does not indicate a physical break in action, to relax, or sleep but means to be at peace, to be still, to be calm, quiet, at ease in the Lord, rest from confusion, worry, stress, useless human effort, to break from all internal, external, mortal, and spiritual enemies.
That is the Grace of God in the midst of Tribulation declaring that when circumstances test the people of God that they will choose that which is more precious than life itself.
The 6th Seal
The 6th seal contains events that the prophets and Jesus spoke about, and they both place these events at the end of the Tribulation period that is why I believe that most of the judgments overlap and happen in a rapid concurrent formation.
Vs #12-17 “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. 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. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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; and said to the mountains and rock, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand”.
Now let me inject this right here because there is a lot of false teachings in the world concerning the judgments of God, this prophecy was NOT fulfilled on November 13, 1833, with the Lisbon earthquake which killed over 6000 people, nor was it fulfilled on the Dark Day of May 19, 1780, as some people teach. Yes, there was a great earthquake and yes there was an awesome meteor shower over the Atlantic Ocean that has been estimated to have over 150,000 meteors, but they were not the opening of the 6th seal. It is without a doubt that a sudden change in the normally calm, soothing night sky can cause people to wonder with amazement and even panic but these events pale in comparison to the Day of the Lord.
Vs #12-13 says, “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. 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”.
Psalms 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork”. The opening of the 6th seal opens with a great earthquake, in scripture an earthquake is the indicator of God appearing either working out His purpose or striking out in judgment. Isaiah 13:11-13 says, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make man more precious than gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore, I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of host, and in the day of his fierce anger”. This is what is happening here in the 6th seal.
Although earthquakes occur a lot in Revelation this is the first mentioned although not the first to happen for there is an earthquake at the resurrection of the two witnesses. The sun became black and the moon as blood corresponds with what Jesus spoke in the Olivet Discourse Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, and Luke 21:25-26 which says, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring: Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken”.
The sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood and the stars fall from heaven: - WATCH THIS: - This is an undoing of the fundamental laws of creation, Genesis 1:16 says, “And God made two great lights; the great light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also”. The sun became black unable to give light anymore, the moon becomes as blood unable to give light anymore. Only God has control over the sun, moon, and stars and this is showing the judgments that are happening are the handiwork of God Himself.
John is describing the darkness of the sun comparing it to the black goat hair used to make sackcloth. Sackcloth would be what we consider Burlap, sackcloth was worn as a garment of mourning. The sun being described as black indicates mourning on the entire earth, which is struck with grief, loss, death. Some say this darkness is caused by a solar eclipse or possibly a massive dust storm or volcanic ash, but I believe it is a darkness that can be felt like in Exodus 10:21-22 when God caused the plague of darkness upon Egypt. It is a darkness that extremely limits the view of the people on earth they are wandering around aimlessly unable to see in front of them, the only thing they will be able to see is when they look up and see God. It is the reversal of creation the sun and moon no longer rule the day and night because there is no longer a day or night, but God is the ultimate ruler of everything, He is the only light they are able to see. The stars fall from the sky like figs shaken by a wind. People will say that these are not the stars because there are stars that are larger than earth and if a star larger than the earth hits the earth it will destroy the earth and the earth is not destroyed here, but God made the stars He is sovereign He can do whatever He wants. Another aspect of the stars falling from heaven is stars are often symbolic of angels and in Revelation 12:7-10 Satan and his demons are cast from heaven to earth this could be indicating the angels and Satan being cast to earth, either way stars, meteors, or angels you don’t want to be around to find out.
Vs #14 “And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places”. Remember this is the Day of the Lord Isaiah 34:4 says, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolves, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the tree”, this is what is happening here in the 6th seal. The sky rolls up like a scroll in other words the veil that separated earth and the Heavenly realm is removed and reveals to a world that has rejected God none other than God sitting on the throne.
When the firmament is removed and God is seen the foundations of the earth are shaken, nothing on earth is stable, the mountains and every island is moved out of their places causing what I can imagine an earthquake unlike anything ever experienced on earth before, tsunamis that swallow up massive land formations, mountains are flatten, Mount Everest earth’s highest mountain is flatten because indicating the highest of High is present none other than God Himself. This wonderful and glorious sight causes great fear in those that rejected Christ realizing that the one they rejected they are now looking at Him and will suffer His wrath.
Vs #15-17 says, “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; and said to the mountains and rock, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand”. WATCH THIS:- who is asking for their lives to be taken – every person from all walks of life that have rejected Jesus Christ, kings of the earth, princes, mighty men, free man, bond man, the so-called elite of the world, Democrat, Republican, entertainers, athletes, straight, gay, transgender, anyone that rejected Jesus is asking for death to take them out of here so they don’t have to face God and His wrath. Proverbs 1:24-31 says, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord; They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore, shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices”. Could you imagine God laughing at you, death fleeing from you when you beg to die, no hiding place at all, the full force of God’s wrath is about ready to rain down upon you!
Vs# 17 “for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand”. Listen to the question who shall be able to stand – NO ONE or anything, the mountains fall at the presence of God, the Islands vanish, the very foundations of the earth are shaken, fear terrorizes every person on earth no one is exempt.
CLOSING: - Understand the revelation of Jesus Christ is not given to us to scare us about what is to come but to prepare us.
In the breaking of the 5th seal, we see the Amazing Grace of God during the Tribulation period by giving the souls under the altar that had been slain for the Word of God and the testimony they held white robes and told to rest for a little season. Then with the opening of the 6th seal God in all His Glory, splendor, and majesty is seen, and fear falls upon mankind because now they see that all their sins, all their rejection of God, all their belief in the Anti-Christ is about to come to a devasting end and the full wrath of God is about to be poured out upon all mankind. There is no exemption from the wrath that is about to be given out. The mountains can’t hide them, the rocks can’t protect them, there is no escape from the wrath of God. However, you don’t have to worry about any of this all you have to do if you are not saved is to repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name, be filled with the Holy Ghost and you will be caught up in the Rapture and miss all these things which must come to pass. If you are saved hold on a little season longer because soon, we shall hear the voice of an arch angel and the trump of God shall sound catching us into glory.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
