Seal Judgments & the Olivet Discourse
The Book of Revelation describes three waves of God’s judgment of earth’s inhabitants, each wave progressively worsening. The judgments begin with the seven seal judgments, continue to the trumpet judgments, and end with the bowl judgments. Here we will discuss the first six seal judgments: First seal (Rev 6:1-2) white horse, antichrist comes to conquer Second Seal (Rev 6:3-4) red horse, open warfare breaks out Third Seal (Rev 6:5-6) black horse, world famine Fourth Seal (Rev 6:7-8) death to ¼ of earth Fifth Seal (Rev 6:9-11) martyrdom, believer call for vengeance Sixth Seal (Rev 6:12-17) physical disturbances, earthquake, sun blacked out, etc. The first four seals occur in the first half of the Tribulation, the fifth seal stretches from the first into the second half, and the sixth occurs during the second half. But before we plunge in, let’s get a little background: We see in Revelation 5 that Jesus, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David is the only one who has overcome and is worthy to open the book of judgment and break its seals. Before we move to Revelation 6, let’s jump back a bit to Matthew 24 where Jesus, in one of the most important prophetic passages in the Bible, the Olivet Discourse, outlines the general course of end times and specifically the Tribulation. While many of the characteristics in this prophecy describe the whole of the present age, we see in Revelation 6 that these characteristics escalate the closer we get to the end. Interestingly, the Olivet discourse generally follows the order of Revelation 6. This book detail Jesus breaking the first six seals of God’s book of judgment, and unleashing God’s wrath and judgment on sinful mankind. The purpose of this judgment is to prepare the earth for the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom which will be explained later in Revelation. Finally, we will examine Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation which is like a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh seal. Let’s dive in! First Seal When Jesus breaks the first seal, the first horseman of the apocalypse is released. This horseman rides a white horse, carries a bow, and is given a crown. His purpose is conquest. The white horse represents peace, but we know through other prophetic scriptures that this will be a false peace. Many confuse the first horseman with Christ because later, we see Christ riding a white horse. But the first horsemen is not Christ; he is a counterfeit Jesus. In Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus warns His disciples of counterfeits such as these. He says not to be misled because many will come in His name, saying that they are the Christ. Observe this about the first horseman: he has a bow, but no arrows are mentioned, and he is given a crown; he does not forcefully take the crown. These facts imply a bloodless peace through diplomacy or some other means and, like the white horse, support Daniel’s prophecy of a covenant of peace with Israel. Second Seal When Jesus breaks the second seal, the second horseman of the apocalypse is released. This horseman rides a red horse, and the rider is granted the power to take peace from the earth. The red horse represents war. The rider is given a great sword. Violence and slaughter will be common during this time. Jesus warned His disciples, saying that there will be wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:6-7). Although the horseman will take power peacefully, this is not a lasting peace. Once nations begin to understand the deception and control, they will rise up against the antichrist and each other. Third Seal When Jesus breaks the third seal, the third horseman on a black horse is released. The rider has a pair of scales, and John hears a voice 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 scales imply that food will need to be measured and rationed; there just won’t be enough for everyone. One day’s wages will only be able to buy enough wheat for one person or enough barley for a small family for a day. There will be no money left over for necessities like oil and wine (considered necessary for cooking and purifying). Again, Jesus warns of famine in Matthew 24:7. This famine will undoubtedly be a result of the continuous wars the second seal unleashes. Fourth Seal When Jesus breaks the fourth seal, the fourth horseman on an ashen horse with a rider named Death is released. Hades follows him. The ashen color is pale like death. This rider is given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and pestilence. Twenty-five percent of the earth’s population will die. Let’s put that in perspective. The current world population is 7.8 million. This number would be reduced by the Rapture, of course, but that still means that possibly 100,000,000 people die when the fourth seal is broken. Jesus tells us all of this is merely the beginning of birth pangs (Matthew 24:8). Fifth Seal When Jesus breaks the fifth seal, John sees the souls of martyrs who have been slain because of the Word and their testimony. They cry out for justice, wondering how much longer they must wait before God avenges them. They are each given a white robe and told that they should rest a bit longer until the number of their fellow martyrs reaches completion. In the prophetic Olivet Discourse, Jesus warns the disciples that as the Tribulation unfolds, believers will be hated and killed. This corresponds with the opening of the fifth seal. Sixth Seal The sixth seal is different from the first five. God will not use man to accomplish His judgments but will directly intervene by initiating cataclysmic earthquakes, which cause volcanic eruptions that make the sun black and the moon like blood. He will cause comets to fall from the sky, and the sky as we know it will disappear. This will be the first time
The Fifth Kingdom – Daniel’s Prophecies
Daniel’s statue prophecy and beast prophecy give us a solid prophetic framework for interpreting New Testament prophecy. The prophecy speaks of a fifth kingdom, a revived Roman Empire that will play a significant role in end time events.
Three Purposes of the Great Tribulation
The time between the Rapture of the Church and the Glorious Appearing of Christ is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. We, however, will refer to it as Christ did in Matthew 24:21 when He informed the disciples that there would be a tribulation, a period of intense suffering like the world has never known. Although we have seen tremendous death and destruction in this century and the last, with World War II alone killing more than 56 million people and the Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami of 2004 killing more than 225,000, Jesus says that what will occur in the Tribulation will be nothing like has ever happened since the beginning of the world (Matthew 24:21). This Tribulation is mentioned 49 times in the Old Testament and at least 15 times in the New Testament. It will be a time of God’s wrath against the entire earth (1 Thessalonians 1:9:10, Revelation 3:10). John describes the nature of the Tribulation as being such that everyone from kings to slaves will hide in caves and among the rocks and mountains and beg the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:15-17). This wrath will last 7 years, and there will only be survivors because it will be cut short to save the elect (Matthew 24:22). The Church will not have to endure the Tribulation because Jesus will come back for the Church in an event called the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), saving it from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The Tribulation is a terrible time, but it is not without purpose. It has three main objectives. DISCIPLINE OF ISRAEL The first objective is to discipline Israel for its rejection of Christ and prepare them for the coming Kingdom. Jeremiah 30 calls this time of testing, the time of “Jacob’s distress,” but emphasizes that Israel will be saved from it. During this time, God will chasten Israel justly and punish them, purging from them rebels who transgress against God (Ezekiel 20:38). Before it is over, two-thirds of Israel will be cut off and perish, but one-third will be refined and tested by God. This remnant will eventually return to God (Zechariah 13:8-9), acknowledging that Christ is their Lord and God will restore and heal their land. END-TIME REVIVAL The second objective of the Tribulation is to redeem believers from around the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that before the end comes, the Gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. As a result, there will be an end-time revival, and multitudes will be saved (Revelation 7:9-14). JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED The third objective of the Tribulation is God’s judgment of the wicked, those unbelievers who hardened their hearts to Christ and refused to believe (2 Thessalonians 2:12). God will judge all flesh and punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity (Isaiah 26:21, Jeremiah 25:30-32). In Revelation, we are told that even amid the wrath of God, these unbelievers will continue to curse Him and refuse to repent of their deeds (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). Although the Tribulation is inevitable, we know that God wants no one to perish. He is patient and wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). God has decided where and when each man must live so that they will search for Him and find Him though He is not far from any of us (Acts 17:26-27)! Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told us to go and make disciples of all nations and He assured us that He will be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). While we wait on Jesus’ return, we have work to do, a Message to get to the world!
This Present Age
The Old Testament prophesied of the birth of a Messiah who would overcome the world, set up His Kingdom, and bring peace to all. Just as from a distance, two mountains are often seen as one, the Jews from the distance of the Old Testament viewed the Messianic coming as just one event. The Old Testament hinted at what they failed to glean: the Messiah would come to suffer and die and then judge and establish. Their mistaken perception of distant events became a stumbling block in believing that Jesus was their Messiah. As the gap of time progressively continues to narrow between prophecy given and prophecy fulfilled, the prophecy itself begins to become clearer. We can now see that the Old Testament texts that seemed to present the Messianic coming as one event were, in reality, referring to two separate fulfillments: one near and one far, separated by an unspecified amount of time. The time between the fulfillments is often referred to as a prophetic gap. This particular gap is called “this present age” or the “church age.” Jesus taught about the prophetic gap between His First Coming and Second Coming. In Matthew 17:11-12, Jesus said that “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished.” Here, he referred to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah to preach repentance but was rejected without fully accomplishing his mission. Elijah will have to return to finish his mission. Jesus went on to say that just like Elijah, He would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders. That’s what happened. Jesus’ mission was cut short because Israel rejected Him, and this rejection necessitated a Second Coming. Another way Jesus alluded to the prophetic gap was during His reading of Isaiah 61:1-2 when he stopped mid-sentence, not reading the rest of verse 2, specifically: “And the day of vengeance of our God,” which refers to His Second Coming. (See Luke 4:16-21). The part He read refers to what He fulfilled during His First Coming. And the part He didn’t read refers to what He would fulfill during His Second Coming. Jesus knew about the prophetic gap. This prophetic gap is what we refer to as “this present age” or the “Church Age;” it is the age we currently are in. The Mystery Kingdom The word “kingdom” is used in many different ways throughout the Bible. The Kingdom of God refers to God’s sovereign rule over the entire universe. He created the earth and then man to rule over this earthly Kingdom. When man sinned, man handed his control over to Satan. God then promised a Messiah who would take back the earthly Kingdom and reign over Israel and the world from the throne of David. Christ offered Israel this Kingdom at His First Coming, but they rejected His offer. As a result, Jesus began to reveal a different form of God’s Kingdom that would intervene between His First Coming and Second Coming, a mystery kingdom that had been previously hidden but now was being revealed through Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:11). Jesus describes this Kingdom in the seven parables of Matthew 13. These parables address the progression of the Kingdom between His First and Second Coming. In Jesus’ Messages to the Seven Churches of Revelation, we discussed the letters to the seven churches that describe the progression of the Church during this intervening age. Revealed Mysteries: Character of this Age Not only did Jesus reveal the mystery kingdom to believers, but Holy Spirit also gave believers the ability to spiritually understand other mysteries previously hidden but now revealed. Some of these mysteries include the hardening of Israel so that Gentiles might be brought into the Kingdom (Romans 11:25), the mystery of the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-43), the formulation of the Church made up of both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 3:3-9), Christ Himself and his relation to man’s redemption (Colossians 2:2, 4:3), the development of evil culminating into the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and the apostate religious system (Revelation 17:5,7). These mysteries describe the character of this present age, an age that is like the valley that could not be seen from the distance, but nevertheless was there and has now been revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Parables – Course of this Age Jesus in Matthew 13 presents to us seven parables that provide the essential characteristics of the course of this present age. These parables offer further evidence that Jesus foresaw the gap between His First Coming and Second Coming. Let’s explore the seven parables: Parable of the Sower The present age is characterized by the sowing of the Word to which people will respond in different ways depending on the soil’s preparation. The seed is God’s Word and the soil, people’s hearts. Parable of Tares Among Wheat At the same time the Word is being sown, during this present age, weeds will also be sown among believers. Satan sows these weeds to deceive the Church, but these weeds will be destroyed by fire in the end. Parable of the Mustard Seed The mystery kingdom has a small beginning, but it will grow to significant proportions and include Gentiles. Additionally, believers and unbelievers alike will benefit from its blessings. Parable of the Yeast There are two interpretations of this parable. The first interpretation compares the yeast to sin and apostasy’s growth until they take over the world during the Tribulation. The other describes the yeast as the Kingdom of heaven that receives its power from the inside, spreading rapidly and changing everything it touches. Parable of the Hidden Treasure This parable also has a couple of interpretations. It could describe salvation as something that, once revealed, is so valuable that people are willing to give up everything
Jesus’ Message to the Seven Churches of Revelation
The churches that Jesus chose to write letters to were real churches located in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. There are two explanations for why Jesus chose these specific seven churches. The first is that these churches represent the varying spiritual conditions of churches throughout the church age. The second is that each of these churches represents the seven stages of church history, with Laodicea, the apostate church, representing the current stage. Regardless of our approach, we can learn much about the present from these seven letters. In each letter, Jesus began by identifying Himself with a title related to John’s earlier vision in the first chapter of Revelation. This title pertained to the spiritual condition of the church that He was addressing. Jesus then informed each church that He knew all about them and their deeds. He assessed the church’s spiritual condition and appealed to each church to listen to his assessment and take action. Although each letter addressed a specific church’s spiritual condition, the letter was for all the churches to heed, as Jesus said at the end of each letter, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Additionally, He would end each letter with a promise to those who overcome. John tells us in 1 John 5:4 who the overcomers are. He says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Another version puts it this way: “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” As children of God, we are overcomers! Jesus’ promise to the churches is a promise to us today. Ephesus: The Church Whose Love Had Grown Cold Jesus identified Himself to the church at Ephesus as the “One who holds the seven stars…and walks among the seven golden lampstands,” reminding the Ephesus church that He is the head of the church. The church in Ephesus had retained its doctrinal purity but also left its first love. It had become rigid and legalistic, forgetting the very reason they were maintaining the doctrine in the first place. Paul reminds us in 1st Corinthians 13 that without love, we are nothing. Jesus tells the church to repent and do what they did at first. Then He promises that those who overcome will “eat of the tree of life.” Smyrna: The Suffering Church Jesus identified Himself to the church at Smyrna as the “first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.” This title would have reassured the church at Smyrna as they were a persecuted church, sometimes to the point of death. Jesus had no harsh words for this church; His letter was a letter of encouragement, not rebuke. He told them that although they lacked financial resources, they were rich. Their richness was not in the physical but in the spiritual. Jesus promised this suffering church that those faithful until death would receive the crown of life. And He promised those who overcame the second death would not hurt them. Pergamum: The Church that Tolerates Wrong Teaching Jesus identified Himself to the church at Pergamum as the “One who has the sharp two-edged sword,” which would have brought to their mind judgment. He described the city of Pergamum as the place of Satan’s throne. Pergamum was the home of Zeus’s altar and the seat of Satan’s power in that region. Jesus commended the church for holding fast to His name and not denying Him in the face of satanic opposition. He also expressed concerns with the church, namely that they allowed the Nicolaitans’ teaching in the church. The Nicolaitans taught worldly compromise and moral surrender. They taught that it was okay to live in two worlds. However, as Christians, God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are not to accommodate the world through compromise. Jesus then admonished them to repent and said if they don’t, he will make war against the Nicolaitans with the sword of His mouth. His letter ended with a promise to those who overcome: “I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Thyatira: The Church that Tolerates Sin Jesus describes Himself to the church at Thyatira as the one with eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished brass. The eyes of Jesus penetrated deep into the heart of the church, and his feet of brass could swiftly execute judgment. Jesus commended the church at Thyatira on their love, faith, and perseverance. He said their more recent deeds were more outstanding than their first ones (contrast this with Ephesus). But He held one thing against them: they tolerated sin. The city of Thyatira was the home of a military outpost and a commercial center. To work in the city, one had to be a member of a trade guild. However, the trade guilds were corrupt and required their members to commit perverse acts. The threat of no work put pressure on the Christians to compromise. Jesus specifically mentioned a woman who not only taught immorality but also led the church into acts of depravity. This influential woman in the church most likely encouraged its members to engage in the immoral activity required by the trade guilds. Jesus demanded repentance of this woman and her followers and promised harsh judgment if repentance was not made. Jesus encouraged those who remained steadfast and had not succumbed to this teaching to hold on until He came. He ended the letter with a promise to the overcomers that they would rule with Him over the nations and receive the morning star. Sardis: The Dead Church Christ identified Himself to the church at Sardis as He who has “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” This
Revelation: The Seven Lampstands, Stars, Churches
The Apostle John, the last living apostle of Jesus, was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Roman authorities for the faithful preaching of the Gospel (Revelation 1:9). While on the island of Patmos, he had a series of visions which he wrote down and now form the Book of Revelation. This book is divided into three parts: “the things John has seen,” which relates to John’s vision in Revelation 1, the “things which are” that refers to John’s letters to the seven churches, and the things that will occur, the remainder of the Book of Revelation. The word revelation is from the Greek word “apokalypsis,” which means to uncover, remove a veil, to have an unobstructed view. The uncovering, the removal of the veil here is the revelation of Jesus Christ as we have never seen Him before. This is not a new Jesus, just an element of Jesus that was not made known to us in the Gospels. The prophecy of the book of Revelation is from Father God to His Son Jesus to give to us, his followers to show us “what soon must take place.” This is the only book of the Bible that says that those who read and hear its words will be blessed if they pay attention to what it says. This book is a revelation of Jesus in all His glory! John’s Vision The apostle John knew Jesus intimately. He walked with Him, and He talked with Him; he saw Him transfigured right before his eyes on the Mount of Transfiguration. He was there when Jesus died on the cross and saw Him in His resurrected state. John knew Jesus and believed His message with such an unwavering tenacity that He was exiled by the Roman authorities to a remote, barren island for his relentless preaching of Jesus. While exiled, Jesus appeared to John in a vision. John heard a voice, and when he turned to “see the voice,” he saw seven golden lampstands and Jesus in all His glory holding seven stars in His right hand. Every detail of John’s vision has significance, from the lampstands to the detailed description of Jesus’ appearance. Let’s explore Revelation 1. Seven Golden Lampstands and Seven Stars Jesus doesn’t leave us guessing about the meaning of the seven golden lampstands and the seven stars. He tells John that the seven golden lampstands represent seven churches and the seven stars, each church’s angel. The lampstands are golden, which shows the churches are valuable and precious to Jesus. To fulfill their purpose of giving off light, these lampstands but be filled with oil. Oil in the Bible represents Holy Spirit. Likewise, the churches must be filled with Holy Spirit so that their purpose can be achieved, to illuminate Jesus to the world. John is told to write letters to the “angels” of the seven churches. The seven stars represent these angels. The word angels in Greek describes either a human messenger or an angel sent on a specific mission. In this case, the term most likely refers to the pastors of the churches who have a specific mission to pastor their church. Additionally, Jesus holds each of the seven stars in His hands, symbolizing that He has power and control over the churches. When John sees Jesus, He is in the middle of the lampstands. Although the letters from Jesus point out serious flaws and imperfections in the churches, Jesus still loves the churches and walks among them. It is reassuring to know that flaws and imperfections don’t cause Jesus’ love to wane for us. He still wants to be in our midst. Message to the Seven Churches The churches that Jesus chose to write letters to were real churches located in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. There are two explanations of why Jesus chose these specific seven churches. One is that these churches represent the varying spiritual conditions of churches throughout the church age. Another is that each of these churches represents the seven stages of church history, with Laodicea, the apostate church representing the current stage of church history. Regardless of how we view these churches, we can learn much about the present from Jesus’ letters. In each letter, Jesus would begin by identifying Himself with a title related to John’s earlier vision in the first chapter of Revelation. This title pertained to the spiritual condition of the church that He was addressing. Jesus would then inform each church thatHe knows all about them and their deeds. He would then assess the church’s spiritual condition and appeal to each church to listen to his assessment and take action. Although each letter addressed a specific church’s spiritual condition, the letter was for all the churches to heed as indicated by Jesus saying at the end of each letter, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Additionally, He would end each letter with a promise to those who overcome. John tells us in 1 John 5:4 who the overcomers are. He says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Another version puts it this way, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” As children of God, we are overcomers! Jesus’ promise to the churches is a promise to us today. Next time we will explore each of the seven churches.