The Seal Judgments - Part #1

The Seal Judgments

Part #1 The Four Horsemen

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - For the past few weeks, I have been teaching from the Book of Revelation and I believe I am to stay here for a while until I go all the way through Revelation or until God says move on. I believe that there needs to be much more teaching from the Book of Revelation seeing how we are living in the end of the church age and that the Rapture is going to happen and the events in Revelation will come to fruition not too far into the future.

Today we are in chapter 6, the number 6 is the number of man, man was created on the 6th day of creation, the number 6 is 1 less than the number 7, which is God’s perfect number, the number 6 shows that man is less than perfect without God. Here in chapter 6, we see the beginning of the judgment of God on mankind. The days of grace are over and enter the time of His vengeance, Romans 12:19-21 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” and starting in chapter 6 Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord is coming to fruition.

God’s judgment on those that refused to accept His offer of salvation begins. Starting actually in chapter 5 when we saw the Lamb Jesus Christ take the scroll out of the right hand of God now in chapter 6 He begins to break the seals and open the scroll. Understand there are 3 series of 7 judgments each that will be released upon mankind this is the tribulation period which consist of two parts, the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation each being 3 ½ years totaling 7 years of Tribulation.

The 3 sets of judgments, remember 3 is the number of fullness so this is the fullness of God’s judgment, also each set consist of 7 events which indicates the perfect and complete judgment of God. The 3 sets of judgments are the Seals, the Trumpets, and the Bowls. It is the belief of most dispensationalists and mine as well that these judgments describe one long consecutive set of judgments that escalate in intensity however, I believe these judgments overlap greatly. The duration of each judgment is unknown, but as we go through these judgments you will notice how they overlap, and all 21 judgments will be executed in the 7 year Tribulation.

The Seal judgments are here in chapter in chapter 6 & chapter 8, the Trumpet judgments are in chapters 8, 9, & 11, the Bowl judgments are in chapter 15 & 16. There are certain events that take place in the in between chapters like 7, 12, 13, & 14 that we will discuss as we come to those chapters. Let me explain the overlap then as we go through the rest of Revelation you will better understand the timing of the judgments. Traditionally most people have been taught that the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls happen in a consecutive order at the end of the 7th of each then the next one will start - meaning the seals happen then after they have completed the trumpets, and after they are completed the bowls. Basically it would look like: -

Seals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Trumpets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Bowls 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

However, when we look at the 6th seal and compare that with what Jesus says in Matthew 24, we understand that this is describing the same event. Matthew 24:29-30 says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”. Revelation 6:12-17 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. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places…….”. These verses along with Isaiah 34:4 is describing the same events at the end of the Tribulation period.