The Seals Shall Be Opened!

“But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Rev 5:5

in the name of Jesus the seals in your life shall be opened.

I learned this meaning of Rev 5 and the seals when one of the leaders of “Intercessors for Africa” at the commencement of one of the conferences raised a prayer point from that scripture in the 90s.

What is a seal? There are many types of seals and different meanings, but the one that is relevant to our discussion today is “a piece of wax, lead, or other material with an individual design stamped into it, attached to a document to show that it has come from the person who claims to have issued it.”

The original purpose is to authenticate a document, a wrapper for one such as a modern envelope, or the cover of a container or package holding valuables or other objects.

One of the biblical meaning or interpretation here is that the enemy puts a seal over a matter and makes it unavailable to be used for authentic purpose. That is why before the declaration of Jesus’ ability to open the scroll there was a cry:

“Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” Who is able to set the oppressed free. Who is able to terminate the sufferings of humanity?

The seven seals are one of a series of end-times judgments from God. The seals are described in Revelation 6:1–17 and 8:1–5.

If the scroll could not be opened, then wickedness would not be judged and evil would continue to infect the earth.

Let us look at the seven seals and their implications in our lives.

1. The first seal. The first seal introduces the Antichrist (Revelation 6:1–2).

2. The second seal: great warfare breaks out on the earth (Revelation 6:3–4).

3. The third seal: Famine breaks out (Revelation 6:5–6)

4. The fourth seal: Introduces a pale horse. “Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him” (Revelation 6:7–8).

5. The fifth seal: Reveals those who will be martyred for their faith in Christ during the tribulation (Revelation 6:9–11; cf. Matthew 24:9)

6. The sixth seal: A devastating earthquake occurs, causing massive upheaval and terrible devastation—along with unusual astronomical occurrences the sun turns black, and the moon turns blood-red, and “the heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Revelation 6:12–14).

7. When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1). The judgments that lead up to the close of the tribulation are now visible in the scroll and are so severe that a solemn silence falls upon all of heaven. The seventh seal obviously introduces the next series of judgments.

You and I may not know much about eschatology. It’s often said the book of revelation is too complex to understand. Not really complex. The easy way to understand it is to compare it to Deut 28. The latter is divided into two parts -blessings and curses. We love the first part, the blessing; we rarely read the second part, the curses. But one simple thing will mark the difference in the life of each individual; obedience or disobedience to God’s commandments. The same is applicable in the book of revelation. The summary is the sequence of events and dispensations that will happen in the latter days. Again it will lead to two broad things, those that will be raptured and follow through to be with the Lord and those that will not be raptured, face all kinds of tribulations and end up in hell.

Embedded in the seven seals are terrible seasons of wars, famine, tribulations, death, Antichrist etc. What the Holy Spirt made me to understand this morning is that the meaning of who will open the seals is - who will avert these tragedies!

Who has the solution to this unimaginable wars, calamities, troubles that is looming over the earth at this end time and eleventh hour to the second coming of Christ? Who has solutions to the devastation of human life? This is what prompts John to weep. He could see the implications of the seals not being opened. The implications of humanity not redeemed. But the angels came to our rescue: there is one solution to the looming calamities- The Man Jesus! He is the only one that can open the seals . He is the Alpha and Omega. The one that died and resurrected.

There are thousands of religions, idols, ideas and philosophies, but when these end time calamities begin, no one has the solution but Jesus. For instance look at the hurricanes, tornadoes , typhoons, tsunamis , the best the meteorologist can do is to announce in advance, explain their magnitudes they cannot prevent them. The best any caring government can do is warn the people to leave the zones and make adequate plan for a safe place for their citizens. The best NGOs can do is bring relief to survivors of such disasters. Yet there is something we all can do -cry for help for the Son of God to prevent such disasters and on many occasions he shows up. He is the only one that has capacity to open the scroll. In Mark 4:37-401.The storm arose and he arose and rebuked the storm. “Peace be still” he declared. “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mk 4:41.