Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
The Seven Seals
In the days of old when we did not have computers and printers and email. Before we even had good writing paper and glue sealed envelopes, they had a completely different way of ensuring privacy. They would write a message on parchment then roll it up into a scroll. They would then drip melted wax from a candle onto the edge of the parchment to seal that edge to the back of the parchment. People of high ranking would often have their insignia carved into a stamp or ring and they would press that into the hot wax as it dried and cooled. This would leave behind an imprint of their insignia in the wax seal.
Nobody would be able to read the contents of the scroll without first breaking that wax seal. If they received a letter and the seal was broken, they would know their privacy had been infringed upon. If it came from someone of high ranking and the wax did not have the correct insignia imprinted into it, they would know that the seal had been removed and replaced.
The important thing to take from this is the purpose of the seal. It is not a part of what is inside the scroll. It is to protect what is inside the scroll. The contents of the scroll cannot be revealed until after the seal is broken first.
Revelation 5:1-5 (NASB)
1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
Most every eschatologist today will tell you that the End Times will consist of a 7 year Tribulation and that tribulation will contain 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls of God's Wrath. Every eschatologist who teaches this is wrong.
The book in God's right hand in this scripture is actually a scroll. In the first century when John had this vision, they did not have books like we have today. They may have had some books, but they were nothing like they are today. The word that was translated to "book", could easily have been translated as "scroll". In fact that would make more sense with the scripture telling us that it was written on the inside and the back.
So God has in His right hand a scroll that is written on both sides. It is rolled up tight, and then there are seven seals on the scroll securing it, keeping its contents from being revealed. Those seven seals are not part of its contents though. They only keep the contents from being revealed.
Another thing that is important to understand is that the 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls are not just words. They are events. Because John reveals to us what these events are, the seals do not keep the trumpets and bowls from being revealed, but they keep those events from happening. It is just as important to realize that an event does not need to happen before the next one can happen. It only needs to be set into motion. One event could be set in motion and might take years to complete, but the next event can begin to take place once the previous one is set in motion and could be completed well before the previous event.
What we now have is a scroll that is rolled up. The events of the Seven Trumpets are on the front and the events of the Seven Bowls of God's Wrath are on the back. Then there are seven more events that seal this scroll closed so the events inside it cannot happen. These seven Seals are powerful seals and there is only one who was ever born who has the authority to break them. That is Jesus, the Son of God.
Jesus takes the scroll from the right hand of God and He breaks the Seals. Many eschatologists seem to portray this grand event in a way as if Jesus breaks the first scroll and everyone watches it happen. Then He breaks the second scroll and everyone waits and watches that one happen and so on. That's not how it happens. You see, John could not write all the events happening at the same time. He had to write them one at a time. Likely the Lord could not reveal all the events happening at the same time to John either. John has a human brain and it would have been too much for Him to take in. So each event was shown to him separately as well. In truth however, Jesus doesn't break a Seal and pause for dramatic effect. Jesus takes the scroll and just tears them all open together. The seven Seals break one after another but in such quick succession it is as if they all break at the same time.
As the events of the seven Seals are set into motion, they will set the stage for the tribulation to begin, which will start with the signing of a treaty between many nations. These are the Seven Seals explained.
The First Four Seals!
Seal-1
Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
This is the antichrist. Some try to interpret it to be Jesus because later He returns to fight in Armageddon riding a white horse. They also see the crown as being the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. What doesn't make sense is that Jesus is the one who is breaking the seal to allow this to happen, and Jesus does not conquer His people. We follow Him willingly. He doesn't conquer His enemies. In Armageddon He basically just wipes them all out.
This is not the Lord, but it is the antichrist. The crown is to show his ruling position, and the bow is to show that he will have command over military. The lack of arrows shows that he will not do his own fighting. The antichrist will conquer many other nations. As for the white horse, Satan has always been a copy cat. There is the Holy Trinity in the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is the unholy trinity in the Devil, the antichrist and the false prophet. Jesus is the Messiah and the antichrist ends up a false messiah. So it is perfectly understandable that the image would also have the antichrist mimic the Christ by riding a white horse.
Seal-2
Revelation 6:3-4 (NASB)
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The second rider is "War". The important thing to take from this rider is that it will not be a simple war between two nations. This is a World War! He takes peace away from the earth. Not just a few nations but from the earth! On top of this, he is given a "great" sword. Not just a sword, but a great sword! This is to signify this will be a "great" war that takes peace from the earth.
Seal-3
Revelation 6:5-6 (NASB)
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” 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 something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
The third rider is "Famine". A denarius was considered a full day's wage for a soldier in the first century. This would be an exuberant price to pay for some wheat and barley. When food costs so much, it is because there is far too little of it.
This is not necessarily an event of its own, but it is a consequence of seal 2, the war. Whenever war takes place in a land, that land suffers famine. Since this will be a World War, this famine will take place all over the world.
Seal-4
Revelation 6:7-8 (NASB)
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The fourth rider is exactly who it says he is. It is death! he is given authority to kill a quarter of the world's population with war and famine (Second and third riders) and pestilence and wild beasts.
This world has around 7.8 billion people in it today. It will not be long until there are 8 billion. A quarter of the population would be around 2 billion people dying! No ordinary World War would kill anywhere near that many. The only way a World War would come close to this kind of death toll, is if it was a Nuclear War!
The Antichrist a man of War or Peace?
From reading 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, we know the antichrist will walk into the Holy Temple in Israel, midway through the tribulation, and claim to be God. We also know from scripture that the antichrist actually does gain control over the world. The majority of the world will worship him. The problem I have is that if he starts World War 3 and uses nukes, I really struggle to believe so many would worship this guy! It just doesn't fit! So I kept praying on it and I believe God put the answer in my head. The antichrist will not be the one who starts the war. Someone else will start it. The antichrist will be the one who stops it and places the world in a state of peace. Then every nation who defies him, he will conquer and the world will worship him for it!
This would also fit in with the copycat mentality of the devil. Because Jesus is called the Prince of peace, it would make sense that the antichrist would want to also be the prince of peace in his own way.
Painting a Picture of the End Times!
I want to clarify that this is only one scenario of how I see things happening. This is in my opinion the most probable scenario, but it is just my own creation of how it all could fall in place. This is not prophecy or me saying this is what "will" happen. It is only taking the information I have and putting it together to create a plausible scenario.
The day is coming and I believe it will be soon. Very soon! Inside the next few years and possibly inside the next year, when the unthinkable will happen. World War 3 will start and very shortly after that, as a nation like North Korea is being invaded and taken over, the leader will decide to go out with a bang. A very serious bang!
He will fire his nukes at his enemy because he feels he has nothing left to lose and he will make them pay. As those nukes fly toward different nations, those nations will retaliate. In moments there will be nukes heading to many places in the world, all at the same time. The devastation will be far more than most would ever consider.
Yes there will be hundreds of millions who will be instantly wiped out, as most nukes will be aimed at major cities. However, multiple nukes would hit at the same time all over the world, and in many cases multiple nukes would strike the same cities. This kind of force striking the earth would cause the tectonic plates to shift. Massive earthquakes would break out all over the world. These quakes would cause unbelievable tsunamis that would wipe out the majority of the coast lines, which is where the majority of our populations live. These earthquakes would also cause many volcanoes to erupt. The amount of soil and chemicals thrown into the atmosphere from those volcanoes, and the nukes before them, would block out the sun in many places.
Every nation would be in total chaos, but one man will gain power throughout it. His army already consisting of the military strength of ten nations, will be the most powerful on the earth. He will reach out to other nations to join him. To give him authority of their armies and with that power he will stop the war and bring peace to the world. Under duress of the nuclear effects, many nations will sign a covenant with him, joining him. This covenant will be the covenant that starts the seven years of tribulation, also known as Daniel's 70th Week. The antichrist rising to power, the nuclear war, the famine that would be happening all over the world and the death of two billion people would be the first four seals that break before the Tribulation can begin.
Seal-5
Revelation 6:9-11 (NASB)
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
After the rapture there will be many who turn to Christ. They will see the rapture as proof that the Bible is true and Jesus is the Messiah. They will flock to the churches and become the new Christians, taking the place of those who were raptured. They will preach the gospel to the world and use the scripture of the rapture as evidence it is real. These new Christians are the Tribulation Saints.
The man who becomes the antichrist will support a one world religion. Even today the beginnings of this religion are in place as they now have the United Religion Order (RU) and the Pope himself is showing support for it. As this one world religion grows, they will turn against the Christians who refuse to be a part of it. Calling out the Christians as being hateful. As the world begins to hate Christians more and more, it will begin to persecute them. At first only a few will be killed and as the antichrist grows in power, he will persecute the Christians more and more.
Seal 6 is about the first of these to be persecuted by the antichrist and the one world religion. The last sentence of this Seal is "and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also". This makes it clear that these are not the full amount. These are just the beginning and there would be more and more coming who will want God to avenge their deaths.
Seal-6
Revelation 6:12-17 (NASB)
12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”.
There are many interpretations of this seal. I will admit, this is only my interpretation. I truly believe the 6th Seal can actually be broken down into three parts.
Verse 12 are the same signs that Joel gives us and then later are quoted in the book of Acts.
Joel 2:31 (NASB)
21 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Acts 2:20 (NASB)
20 ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
In the Bible, when the "day of the Lord" is used, it is referring to the wrath of God or His anger. So these are the signs that will happen before the day of God's Wrath!
Verse 13, I believe, is the war in heaven where Satan and his angels are thrown down to earth. The Bible sometimes refers to angels as stars. One third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against God, and here, after the church appears in heaven, they are cast out of heaven and thrown to earth.
Starting with verse 14, I believe we have John's description of a nuclear war. The sky opening up like a scroll is describing a mushroom cloud. The nukes as well as the earthquakes and tsunamis that are caused by the nukes will wreak havoc on the world's islands and mountains.
Though verses 16 and 17 are part of the description of the war, they also tell us something very important. This is where the day of God's Wrath begins!
Many see the 7 bowls of God's Wrath as the day of God's wrath that Jesus saves us from. However, if you read that scripture, the Bible clearly says that they are the bowls in which God's Wrath is finished! Not the entire wrath of God but just where it is finished. Here in Revelation 6:16-17 we are told the day of the wrath of God has begun! That is what Jesus is to save us from. That is why the rapture happens before this.
Romans 5:9 (NASB)
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB)
10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Seal-7
Revelation 8:1-2 (NASB)
1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
There is no particular event that coincides with the seventh seal. When the last seal is broken, the Seven Trumpets are then sounded.
If you remember, I said in the beginning that the scroll contains the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of God's wrath. For these events to happen, the seven seals must be broken first. As the Lord breaks open the seven seals, when the last seal breaks open, what would happen? The contents of that scroll is then revealed. Which starts with the seven trumpets.
Also take note that it says when the seventh seal is broken that there is silence in heaven for half an hour. Consider what an ominous moment this is that all of heaven goes silent. Even the four living creatures that praise God day and night become silent. There was no silence in heaven for the seven seals, even though they cause around 2 billion people to die. Because they are events that happen by the cause of man. The seven Trumpets are different. This is when God steps in and really starts to show His power to the world. This is when havoc is not just wreaked upon mankind, but on the earth as well. This is when things really get bad!
The next event in the End Times will be the Seven Trumpets
Nobody would be able to read the contents of the scroll without first breaking that wax seal. If they received a letter and the seal was broken, they would know their privacy had been infringed upon. If it came from someone of high ranking and the wax did not have the correct insignia imprinted into it, they would know that the seal had been removed and replaced.
The important thing to take from this is the purpose of the seal. It is not a part of what is inside the scroll. It is to protect what is inside the scroll. The contents of the scroll cannot be revealed until after the seal is broken first.
Revelation 5:1-5 (NASB)
1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
Most every eschatologist today will tell you that the End Times will consist of a 7 year Tribulation and that tribulation will contain 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls of God's Wrath. Every eschatologist who teaches this is wrong.
The book in God's right hand in this scripture is actually a scroll. In the first century when John had this vision, they did not have books like we have today. They may have had some books, but they were nothing like they are today. The word that was translated to "book", could easily have been translated as "scroll". In fact that would make more sense with the scripture telling us that it was written on the inside and the back.
So God has in His right hand a scroll that is written on both sides. It is rolled up tight, and then there are seven seals on the scroll securing it, keeping its contents from being revealed. Those seven seals are not part of its contents though. They only keep the contents from being revealed.
Another thing that is important to understand is that the 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls are not just words. They are events. Because John reveals to us what these events are, the seals do not keep the trumpets and bowls from being revealed, but they keep those events from happening. It is just as important to realize that an event does not need to happen before the next one can happen. It only needs to be set into motion. One event could be set in motion and might take years to complete, but the next event can begin to take place once the previous one is set in motion and could be completed well before the previous event.
What we now have is a scroll that is rolled up. The events of the Seven Trumpets are on the front and the events of the Seven Bowls of God's Wrath are on the back. Then there are seven more events that seal this scroll closed so the events inside it cannot happen. These seven Seals are powerful seals and there is only one who was ever born who has the authority to break them. That is Jesus, the Son of God.
Jesus takes the scroll from the right hand of God and He breaks the Seals. Many eschatologists seem to portray this grand event in a way as if Jesus breaks the first scroll and everyone watches it happen. Then He breaks the second scroll and everyone waits and watches that one happen and so on. That's not how it happens. You see, John could not write all the events happening at the same time. He had to write them one at a time. Likely the Lord could not reveal all the events happening at the same time to John either. John has a human brain and it would have been too much for Him to take in. So each event was shown to him separately as well. In truth however, Jesus doesn't break a Seal and pause for dramatic effect. Jesus takes the scroll and just tears them all open together. The seven Seals break one after another but in such quick succession it is as if they all break at the same time.
As the events of the seven Seals are set into motion, they will set the stage for the tribulation to begin, which will start with the signing of a treaty between many nations. These are the Seven Seals explained.
The First Four Seals!
Seal-1
Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
This is the antichrist. Some try to interpret it to be Jesus because later He returns to fight in Armageddon riding a white horse. They also see the crown as being the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. What doesn't make sense is that Jesus is the one who is breaking the seal to allow this to happen, and Jesus does not conquer His people. We follow Him willingly. He doesn't conquer His enemies. In Armageddon He basically just wipes them all out.
This is not the Lord, but it is the antichrist. The crown is to show his ruling position, and the bow is to show that he will have command over military. The lack of arrows shows that he will not do his own fighting. The antichrist will conquer many other nations. As for the white horse, Satan has always been a copy cat. There is the Holy Trinity in the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is the unholy trinity in the Devil, the antichrist and the false prophet. Jesus is the Messiah and the antichrist ends up a false messiah. So it is perfectly understandable that the image would also have the antichrist mimic the Christ by riding a white horse.
Seal-2
Revelation 6:3-4 (NASB)
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The second rider is "War". The important thing to take from this rider is that it will not be a simple war between two nations. This is a World War! He takes peace away from the earth. Not just a few nations but from the earth! On top of this, he is given a "great" sword. Not just a sword, but a great sword! This is to signify this will be a "great" war that takes peace from the earth.
Seal-3
Revelation 6:5-6 (NASB)
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” 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 something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
The third rider is "Famine". A denarius was considered a full day's wage for a soldier in the first century. This would be an exuberant price to pay for some wheat and barley. When food costs so much, it is because there is far too little of it.
This is not necessarily an event of its own, but it is a consequence of seal 2, the war. Whenever war takes place in a land, that land suffers famine. Since this will be a World War, this famine will take place all over the world.
Seal-4
Revelation 6:7-8 (NASB)
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The fourth rider is exactly who it says he is. It is death! he is given authority to kill a quarter of the world's population with war and famine (Second and third riders) and pestilence and wild beasts.
This world has around 7.8 billion people in it today. It will not be long until there are 8 billion. A quarter of the population would be around 2 billion people dying! No ordinary World War would kill anywhere near that many. The only way a World War would come close to this kind of death toll, is if it was a Nuclear War!
The Antichrist a man of War or Peace?
From reading 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, we know the antichrist will walk into the Holy Temple in Israel, midway through the tribulation, and claim to be God. We also know from scripture that the antichrist actually does gain control over the world. The majority of the world will worship him. The problem I have is that if he starts World War 3 and uses nukes, I really struggle to believe so many would worship this guy! It just doesn't fit! So I kept praying on it and I believe God put the answer in my head. The antichrist will not be the one who starts the war. Someone else will start it. The antichrist will be the one who stops it and places the world in a state of peace. Then every nation who defies him, he will conquer and the world will worship him for it!
This would also fit in with the copycat mentality of the devil. Because Jesus is called the Prince of peace, it would make sense that the antichrist would want to also be the prince of peace in his own way.
Painting a Picture of the End Times!
I want to clarify that this is only one scenario of how I see things happening. This is in my opinion the most probable scenario, but it is just my own creation of how it all could fall in place. This is not prophecy or me saying this is what "will" happen. It is only taking the information I have and putting it together to create a plausible scenario.
The day is coming and I believe it will be soon. Very soon! Inside the next few years and possibly inside the next year, when the unthinkable will happen. World War 3 will start and very shortly after that, as a nation like North Korea is being invaded and taken over, the leader will decide to go out with a bang. A very serious bang!
He will fire his nukes at his enemy because he feels he has nothing left to lose and he will make them pay. As those nukes fly toward different nations, those nations will retaliate. In moments there will be nukes heading to many places in the world, all at the same time. The devastation will be far more than most would ever consider.
Yes there will be hundreds of millions who will be instantly wiped out, as most nukes will be aimed at major cities. However, multiple nukes would hit at the same time all over the world, and in many cases multiple nukes would strike the same cities. This kind of force striking the earth would cause the tectonic plates to shift. Massive earthquakes would break out all over the world. These quakes would cause unbelievable tsunamis that would wipe out the majority of the coast lines, which is where the majority of our populations live. These earthquakes would also cause many volcanoes to erupt. The amount of soil and chemicals thrown into the atmosphere from those volcanoes, and the nukes before them, would block out the sun in many places.
Every nation would be in total chaos, but one man will gain power throughout it. His army already consisting of the military strength of ten nations, will be the most powerful on the earth. He will reach out to other nations to join him. To give him authority of their armies and with that power he will stop the war and bring peace to the world. Under duress of the nuclear effects, many nations will sign a covenant with him, joining him. This covenant will be the covenant that starts the seven years of tribulation, also known as Daniel's 70th Week. The antichrist rising to power, the nuclear war, the famine that would be happening all over the world and the death of two billion people would be the first four seals that break before the Tribulation can begin.
Seal-5
Revelation 6:9-11 (NASB)
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
After the rapture there will be many who turn to Christ. They will see the rapture as proof that the Bible is true and Jesus is the Messiah. They will flock to the churches and become the new Christians, taking the place of those who were raptured. They will preach the gospel to the world and use the scripture of the rapture as evidence it is real. These new Christians are the Tribulation Saints.
The man who becomes the antichrist will support a one world religion. Even today the beginnings of this religion are in place as they now have the United Religion Order (RU) and the Pope himself is showing support for it. As this one world religion grows, they will turn against the Christians who refuse to be a part of it. Calling out the Christians as being hateful. As the world begins to hate Christians more and more, it will begin to persecute them. At first only a few will be killed and as the antichrist grows in power, he will persecute the Christians more and more.
Seal 6 is about the first of these to be persecuted by the antichrist and the one world religion. The last sentence of this Seal is "and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also". This makes it clear that these are not the full amount. These are just the beginning and there would be more and more coming who will want God to avenge their deaths.
Seal-6
Revelation 6:12-17 (NASB)
12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”.
There are many interpretations of this seal. I will admit, this is only my interpretation. I truly believe the 6th Seal can actually be broken down into three parts.
Verse 12 are the same signs that Joel gives us and then later are quoted in the book of Acts.
Joel 2:31 (NASB)
21 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Acts 2:20 (NASB)
20 ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
In the Bible, when the "day of the Lord" is used, it is referring to the wrath of God or His anger. So these are the signs that will happen before the day of God's Wrath!
Verse 13, I believe, is the war in heaven where Satan and his angels are thrown down to earth. The Bible sometimes refers to angels as stars. One third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against God, and here, after the church appears in heaven, they are cast out of heaven and thrown to earth.
Starting with verse 14, I believe we have John's description of a nuclear war. The sky opening up like a scroll is describing a mushroom cloud. The nukes as well as the earthquakes and tsunamis that are caused by the nukes will wreak havoc on the world's islands and mountains.
Though verses 16 and 17 are part of the description of the war, they also tell us something very important. This is where the day of God's Wrath begins!
Many see the 7 bowls of God's Wrath as the day of God's wrath that Jesus saves us from. However, if you read that scripture, the Bible clearly says that they are the bowls in which God's Wrath is finished! Not the entire wrath of God but just where it is finished. Here in Revelation 6:16-17 we are told the day of the wrath of God has begun! That is what Jesus is to save us from. That is why the rapture happens before this.
Romans 5:9 (NASB)
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB)
10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Seal-7
Revelation 8:1-2 (NASB)
1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
There is no particular event that coincides with the seventh seal. When the last seal is broken, the Seven Trumpets are then sounded.
If you remember, I said in the beginning that the scroll contains the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of God's wrath. For these events to happen, the seven seals must be broken first. As the Lord breaks open the seven seals, when the last seal breaks open, what would happen? The contents of that scroll is then revealed. Which starts with the seven trumpets.
Also take note that it says when the seventh seal is broken that there is silence in heaven for half an hour. Consider what an ominous moment this is that all of heaven goes silent. Even the four living creatures that praise God day and night become silent. There was no silence in heaven for the seven seals, even though they cause around 2 billion people to die. Because they are events that happen by the cause of man. The seven Trumpets are different. This is when God steps in and really starts to show His power to the world. This is when havoc is not just wreaked upon mankind, but on the earth as well. This is when things really get bad!
The next event in the End Times will be the Seven Trumpets
