Welcome to our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ given unto Apostle John.
I am Phillip Smith, your host and fellow servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we continue our study in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as given to John, we begin in chapter 6.
As we begin with chapter 6, the seven seals are going to be opened by the ‘Lamb that was slain’. We identify this to be Jesus following the ascension back to the Spiritual realm in Heaven. Mark, Luke, Steven, Apostle Paul and Peter spoke of Jesus being on the right hand of the throne of God. (Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69, Acts 7:55-56, Col. 3:1, Heb. 10:12, 1 Peter 3:22)
Jesus, on the right hand of the throne of God, the lamb that was slain, was the only one worthy to open the seven seals. Let us see the seven seals as they are opened.
Seal #1
Rev. 6:1-2. 6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Once again symbolism is used in this spiritual literature. What are they and what do they mean?
A noise as thunder
When God speaks, as we have seen when He spoke to His children at Mt. Sinai, the sound was as thunder
Here the one speaking to John was one of the four beasts we know as one of the Spirits of God.
God owns the spirits and God tells them what to speak
This beast directs John to see the opening of the seven seals
These first seals show a rider on a horse. Who are they? They ‘are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.’
We witness horses and riders in other places in scripture. It is there we identify the symbolic identity for our understanding.
Zechariah 1:7-10. 7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
First seal shown to John: a White horse
White represents purity, goodness
The rider is bringing goodness and purity to the world
He wears a crown
He has authority placed upon him
He has a bow
The bow is an instrument for offensive warfare
He is bent on an offensive battle to gain righteous souls
He went forth conquering and to conquer
Seal #2
Rev. 6:3-4. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Symbolisms in spiritual literature
A second beast tells John to see the opening of the second seal
A red horse appears
Red represents evil–Satan is represented in red with a pitchfork and horns
Power was given unto the rider of the red horse
Satan was given power
This rider was to take peace from the earth
He was to let people kill each other
This rider also was given an offensive weapon–a sword to kill and conquer
This was a ‘great’ sword
Mt. 7:18. 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Many will go to destruction because the rider on the red horse with the ‘great’ sword will have conquered them.
With information of these first two seals now open, let us examine the situation which they influence upon humanity. Turn to Matthew 13:24-30. 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
In this parable, Jesus speaks of general, typical life on earth for humanity. There are good things and bad things which occur. From the two horses and their riders, we see the allowance of each to occur simultaneously. Good things are done while Satan and his minions try to interfere and cause the soul to turn from God. Jesus said in his parable, let them grow together until the harvest, judgment, and they shall be separated at that time.
These horses and riders are doing their things as God has allowed, persuading man to choose which master they will follow.
Seal #3
Rev. 6:5-6. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Symbolisms in spiritual literature
A third beast tells John to see the opening of the third seal
A rider on a black horse
Different from good and evil (white vs. red)
This rider is given a pair of balances
He is to allow commerce upon the earth and oversee it to be found fair and balanced
Proper amount of product for a fair cost
A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny
Oversee all transactions that they are fair and upright
see thou hurt not the oil and the wine
Seal #4
Rev. 6:7-8. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Symbolisms in spiritual literature
The fourth beast tells John to see the opening of the fourth seal
A rider on a pale horse named Death
Hell, the grave, followed wherever he went.
This death was caused by:
Sword–killing
Hunger
Natural death
And, by wild beasts
Man was not to live forever in earthly human form following the first sins by Eve and Adam
Romans 5:12, 18-19. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Seal #5
Rev. 6:9-11. 9 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: 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? 11 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.
Symbolisms in spiritual literature
The fifth seal shows souls who were slain for the word of God, and their testimony
Perhaps one of these souls is Steven. (Acts 6&7)
These souls cried to God Almighty to avenge their blood
How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Vs. 10
No answer was given unto them at that time but they did receive:
White robes representing their purity
Rest from their labors on earth
‘For a little season’
Remember Jesus says ‘soon’ ‘quickly’ meaning under God’s time frame, it will not be long before God avenges their adversaries.
Also remember, in the realm of eternity there is no time
2 Peter 3:8. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Time was to take place to wait upon other souls who would be slain as they were
..until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
We see these events in the literal physical realm were to happen since the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, the slain lamb of God, and was ascended back to heaven where he stands on the right hand of the throne with all power and authority given unto him. They are to be guided by the spirit realm intervening in the lives of mortal man.
Seal #6
Rev. 6:12-17. 12 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; 13 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. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 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; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Symbolisms in spiritual literature
The sixth seal discloses things which are to happen in the literal physical realm because of power given to these Spirit beings to accomplish these events.
Let us list them. They represent physical events which are to take place upon the wrath and judgment of God at the time of the end of humanity.
Great earthquake
The sun become black
He gives a description of how black by an identifier of which we can comprehend
As sackcloth of hair–very dark, black
The moon becomes as blood
Again a description of its color–deep red
Stars of the heavens fall to the earth
Another description to identify the likeness
As a fig tree casts its figs when shaken by a mighty wind
Heaven departed
Mountains and islands were moved from their places
Nation’s leaders, rich men, chief leaders and mighty men, ungodly bondmen and free men tried to hide from the wrath of God.
All the ungodly were found in fear of the impending doom
They cried for the mountains to fall upon them to put them to death so as not to come face-to-face with God. They were terrified of His presence.
They knew Jesus, the lamb. And, they feared the wrath of the Messiah also.
The final wrath of God has now come.
Who shall be able to stand?
No one!
This sixth seal describes for us the physical nature of the judgment of mankind at the Great Judgment Day.
This is only six of the seals Jesus was opening because he was worthy. In the next chapter more influences of the sixth seal will be discovered before the seventh seal will be opened.
So far we have seen the influence of the Spirit realm upon the literal physical realm of mankind. These are the powers God has put forth to influence mankind in this world. So far:
Goodness–righteousness
Evil–unrighteousness
Commercial trade
Physical death
Salvation with no second death to righteous martyrs
A call for the end of time
Chapter 7 has more to offer influencing man on physical earth. We will look at it at the next meeting.
The seventh seal will be discussed in chapter 8.
