Revelation 4:1-8:1: The Seven
Seals
God’s
Throneroom
Revelation
4:1-8
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1
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After these
things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I
heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither,
and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
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μετα ταυτα
ειδον και ιδου θυρα ηνεωγμενη εν τω ουρανω και η φωνη η πρωτη ην ηκουσα ως
σαλπιγγος λαλουσης μετ εμου λεγων αναβα ωδε και δειξω σοι α δει γενεσθαι μετα
ταυτα
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2
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Straightway I
was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one
sitting upon the throne;
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ευθεως
εγενομην εν πνευματι και ιδου θρονος εκειτο εν τω ουρανω και επι τον θρονον
καθημενος
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3
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and he that
sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a
rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
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και ο
καθημενος ομοιος ορασει λιθω ιασπιδι και σαρδιω και ιρις κυκλοθεν του θρονου
ομοιος ορασει σμαραγδινω
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4
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And round
about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones I saw
four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads
crowns of gold.
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και κυκλοθεν
του θρονου θρονοι εικοσι τεσσαρες και επι τους θρονους εικοσι τεσσαρας
πρεσβυτερους καθημενους περιβεβλημενους ιματιοις λευκοις και επι τας κεφαλας
αυτων στεφανους χρυσους
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5
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And out of
the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there was seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
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και εκ του
θρονου εκπορευονται αστραπαι και φωναι και βρονται και επτα λαμπαδες πυρος
καιομεναι ενωπιον του θρονου α εισιν τα επτα πνευματα του θεου
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6
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and before
the throne, as it were a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the
throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before
and behind.
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και ενωπιον
του θρονου ως θαλασσα υαλινη ομοια κρυσταλλω και εν μεσω του θρονου και κυκλω
του θρονου τεσσαρα ζωα γεμοντα οφθαλμων εμπροσθεν και οπισθεν
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7
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And the first
creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third
creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying
eagle.
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και το ζωον
το πρωτον ομοιον λεοντι και το δευτερον ζωον ομοιον μοσχω και το τριτον ζωον
εχων το προσωπον ως ανθρωπου και το τεταρτον ζωον ομοιον αετω πετομενω
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8
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and the four
living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round
about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy,
holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
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και τα
τεσσαρα ζωα εν καθ εν αυτων εχων ανα πτερυγας εξ κυκλοθεν και εσωθεν γεμουσιν
οφθαλμων και αναπαυσιν ουκ εχουσιν ημερας και νυκτος λεγοντες αγιος αγιος
αγιος κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ο ην και ο ων και ο ερχομενος
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Note that the four living creatures are in the “midst of the
throne” in verse 6. The four living
creatures are not God, nor are they actually sitting on the throne. Being in the “midst of the throne” is being
in the presence of the throne. This is
important to keep in mind when Revelation 7:17 when the lamb is described as
also being in the “midst of the throne”.
The living creatures have aspects of both the seraphim seen by
Isaiah and the cherubim seen by Ezekiel.
On an interesting side note, the word “seraphim” literally means “fiery
ones”, so they are creatures of fire.
Isaiah 6:1-3
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I
saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled
the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim: each
one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered
his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy, is [Yehovah] of hosts: the
whole earth is full of his glory.
Ezekiel 1:1-21
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in
the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by
the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the
fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3 the word of [Yehovah] came expressly unto
Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river
Chebar; and the hand of [Yehovah] was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came
out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness
round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal, out of
the midst of the fire.
5 And out of the midst thereof came the likeness
of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness
of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one of
them had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole
of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like
burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their
wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus:
9 their wings were joined one to another; they
turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had
the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and
they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face
of an eagle.
11 And their faces and their wings were separate
above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their
bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward:
whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures,
their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of
torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was
bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as
the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold,
one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four
faces thereof.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was
like unto a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and
their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 When they went, they went in their four
directions: they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful;
and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels
went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth,
the wheels were lifted up.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went;
thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for
the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When those
went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted
up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the
living creature was in the wheels.
Ezekiel 10:14-15
14 And every one had four faces: the first face
was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the
third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 And the
cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river
Chebar.
Revelation 4:9-11
ASV
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9
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And when the
living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on
the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever,
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και οταν
δωσουσιν τα ζωα δοξαν και τιμην και ευχαριστιαν τω καθημενω επι του θρονου τω
ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων
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10
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the four and
twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and
shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns
before the throne, saying,
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πεσουνται οι
εικοσι τεσσαρες πρεσβυτεροι ενωπιον του καθημενου επι του θρονου και
προσκυνησουσιν τω ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων και βαλουσιν τους
στεφανους αυτων ενωπιον του θρονου λεγοντες
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11
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Worthy art
thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power:
for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were
created.
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αξιος ει ο
κυριος και ο θεος ημων λαβειν την δοξαν και την τιμην και την δυναμιν οτι συ
εκτισας τα παντα και δια το θελημα σου ησαν και εκτισθησαν
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God is the one who sits on the throne. He created all things and all things exist
because of His will. The 24 elders
rightfully worship and praise him.
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers
in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,
2 hath at the end
of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,
through whom also he [GOD] made the worlds;
The
Sealed Book
Revelation 5:1-4 ASV
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1
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And I saw in
the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the
back, close sealed with seven seals.
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και ειδον επι
την δεξιαν του καθημενου επι του θρονου βιβλιον γεγραμμενον εσωθεν και
οπισθεν κατεσφραγισμενον σφραγισιν επτα
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2
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And I saw a
strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book,
and to loose the seals thereof?
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και ειδον
αγγελον ισχυρον κηρυσσοντα εν φωνη μεγαλη τις αξιος ανοιξαι το βιβλιον και
λυσαι τας σφραγιδας αυτου
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3
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And no one in
the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book,
or to look thereon.
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και ουδεις
εδυνατο εν τω ουρανω ουδε επι της γης ουδε υποκατω της γης ανοιξαι το βιβλιον
ουτε βλεπειν αυτο
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4
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And I wept
much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:
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και [εγω]
εκλαιον πολυ οτι ουδεις αξιος ευρεθη ανοιξαι το βιβλιον ουτε βλεπειν αυτο
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God, seated on His throne, holds a book that is sealed with seven
seals. This books is similar to the one
given to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 2:9-10 ASV
9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was put forth
unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread
it before me: and it was written within and without; and there were written
therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
But, who is worthy to open the book?
Revelation 5:5-7
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5
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and one of
the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals
thereof.
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και εις εκ
των πρεσβυτερων λεγει μοι μη κλαιε ιδου ενικησεν ο λεων ο εκ της φυλης ιουδα
η ριζα δαυιδ ανοιξαι το βιβλιον και τας επτα σφραγιδας αυτου
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6
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And I saw in
the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of
the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns,
and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the
earth.
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και ειδον εν
μεσω του θρονου και των τεσσαρων ζωων και εν μεσω των πρεσβυτερων αρνιον
εστηκος ως εσφαγμενον εχων κερατα επτα και οφθαλμους επτα οι εισιν τα [επτα]
πνευματα του θεου απεσταλμενοι εις πασαν την γην
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7
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And he came,
and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.
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και ηλθεν και
ειληφεν εκ της δεξιας του καθημενου επι του θρονου
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The Lamb approaches God’s throne and takes the book from God.
Revelation 5:8-12 ASV
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8
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And when he
had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders
fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of
incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
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και οτε
ελαβεν το βιβλιον τα τεσσαρα ζωα και οι εικοσι τεσσαρες πρεσβυτεροι επεσαν
ενωπιον του αρνιου εχοντες εκαστος κιθαραν και φιαλας χρυσας γεμουσας
θυμιαματων αι εισιν αι προσευχαι των αγιων
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9
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And they sing
a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men
of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
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και αδουσιν
ωδην καινην λεγοντες αξιος ει λαβειν το βιβλιον και ανοιξαι τας σφραγιδας
αυτου οτι εσφαγης και ηγορασας τω θεω εν τω αιματι σου εκ πασης φυλης και
γλωσσης και λαου και εθνους
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10
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and madest
them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth.
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και εποιησας
αυτους τω θεω ημων βασιλειαν και ιερεις και βασιλευουσιν επι της γης
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11
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And I saw,
and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living
creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands;
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και ειδον και
ηκουσα φωνην αγγελων πολλων κυκλω του θρονου και των ζωων και των πρεσβυτερων
και ην ο αριθμος αυτων μυριαδες μυριαδων και χιλιαδες χιλιαδων
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12
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saying with a
great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power,
and riches, and wisdom, and might and honor, and glory, and blessing.
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λεγοντες φωνη
μεγαλη αξιον εστιν το αρνιον το εσφαγμενον λαβειν την δυναμιν και πλουτον και
σοφιαν και ισχυν και τιμην και δοξαν και ευλογιαν
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The four living creatures praise the Lamb as worthy to take and
open the book.
Revelation 5:13-14 ASV
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13
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And every
created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and on the sea, and all things are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that
sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and
the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.
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και παν
κτισμα ο εν τω ουρανω και επι της γης και υποκατω της γης και επι της
θαλασσης [εστιν] και τα εν αυτοις παντα ηκουσα λεγοντας τω καθημενω επι του
θρονου και τω αρνιω η ευλογια και η τιμη και η δοξα και το κρατος εις τους
αιωνας των αιωνων
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14
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And the four
living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.
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και τα
τεσσαρα ζωα ελεγον αμην και οι πρεσβυτεροι επεσαν και προσεκυνησαν
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Now they praise both
God, sitting on the throne, and the Lamb.
Then they fall down and worship.
At the end of the previous chapter, before the Lamb appeared, they fell
down and worshipped God who was seated on the throne. We have a parallel scene in chapter 7 which
clarifies who their worship is focused on here.
Revelation 7:9-11
9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great
multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and
peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in
white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 and they cry with a great voice, saying,
Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the
angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four
living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and
worshipped God,
The
First Seal
Revelation 6:1-2 ASV
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1
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And I saw
when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four
living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come.
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και ειδον οτε
ηνοιξεν το αρνιον μιαν εκ των επτα σφραγιδων και ηκουσα ενος εκ των τεσσαρων
ζωων λεγοντος ως φωνη βροντης ερχου
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2
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And I saw,
and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was
given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.
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και ειδον και
ιδου ιππος λευκος και ο καθημενος επ αυτον εχων τοξον και εδοθη αυτω στεφανος
και εξηλθεν νικων και ινα νικηση
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The imagery of the
four horsemen in the first four seals harkens back to the four chariots sent
out by God as the four winds.
Zechariah 6:1-6 ASV
1 And
again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out
from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in
the second chariot black horses;
3 and in the third chariot white horses; and in
the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses.
4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that
talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These
are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of
all the earth.
6 The chariot wherein are the black horses goeth
forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the
grizzled went forth toward the south country.
The description of
the white horse is very close to the description given of Jesus at his return.
Revelation 19:11-16
11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a
white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous
he doth judge and make war.
12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his
head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he
himself.
13 And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with
blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.
15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the
Almighty.
16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a
name written, KINGS OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
I believe the seven
seals, like the seven churches, show the progression of history between the
time of the apostles and the end of the world.
When God took Jesus back up to heaven, the apostles began to spread the
message that Jesus would return and set up an eternal kingdom.
The
Second Seal
Revelation 6:3-4
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3
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And when he
opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come.
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και οτε
ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την δευτεραν ηκουσα του δευτερου ζωου λεγοντος ερχου
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4
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And another
horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to
take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there
was given unto him a great sword.
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και εξηλθεν
αλλος ιππος πυρρος και τω καθημενω επ αυτον εδοθη [αυτω] λαβειν την ειρηνην
[εκ] της γης και ινα αλληλους σφαξουσιν και εδοθη αυτω μαχαιρα μεγαλη
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Like the second
church, the second seal focuses on tribulation and bloodshed. The worst and most dramatic persecution of
the Christians by the Romans was from 303 – 313 C.E. during the reign of the
emperor Diocletian.
The
Third Seal
Revelation 6: 5-6 ASV
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5
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And when he
opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I
saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his
hand.
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και οτε
ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την τριτην ηκουσα του τριτου ζωου λεγοντος ερχου και
ειδον και ιδου ιππος μελας και ο καθημενος επ αυτον εχων ζυγον εν τη χειρι
αυτου
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6
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And I heard
as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A
measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling;
and the oil and the wine hurt thou not.
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και ηκουσα ως
φωνην εν μεσω των τεσσαρων ζωων λεγουσαν χοινιξ σιτου δηναριου και τρεις
χοινικες κριθων δηναριου και το ελαιον και τον οινον μη αδικησης
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Jesus compared grain
and bread to the Gospel message.
Matthew 13:3-24
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not
much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of
earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched;
and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns
sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought
forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it
is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and
he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken
away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because
they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of
Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and
seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and
their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any
time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should
understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and
your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets
and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not
seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that
which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony
places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for
a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by
and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is
he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground
is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit,
and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
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:
John 6:35
35 Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
When the black horse
appears, the wheat and barley are being sold, and they are being sold at very
high prices. The church, commissioned
with spreading the gospel message, is selling it to those with lots of
money. When Constantine came to the
throne, he made Christianity the official religion of Rome. Before Constantine, there were rich Romans
who accepted Christianity. But it was
always risky because they could have their estates confiscated, especially
under the Diocletian persecution. Now,
it was advantageous for the rich to join the church. The Roman Church grew rich and powerful. And it is the rich and powerful who are able
to become leaders in the church.
But not everything is
out of the reach of the common person.
The voice instructs the rider not to hurt the oil and wine.
Oil and wine were
used for caring for the sick.
Luke 10:34 KJV
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine,
and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Oil was used for
anointing and is often seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Zechariah 4:11-14
11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are
these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left
side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What
be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden
oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not
what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones,
that stand by the Lord of the
whole earth.
Luke 3:21-22
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came
to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape
like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my
beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Luke 4:16-19
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been
brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath
day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of
the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where
it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Wine symbolizes
blood, sacrifice and martyrdom
Matthew 26:27-28
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave
it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Romans 6:3-13
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that
we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead
dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but
in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 8:13-17
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.
The
Fourth Seal
Revelation 6:7-8 ASV
|
7
|
And when he
opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature
saying, Come.
|
και οτε
ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την τεταρτην ηκουσα φωνην του τεταρτου ζωου λεγοντος
ερχου
|
|
8
|
And I saw,
and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and
Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the
fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with
death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
|
και ειδον και
ιδου ιππος χλωρος και ο καθημενος επανω [αυτου] ονομα αυτω [ο] θανατος και ο
αδης ηκολουθει μετ αυτου και εδοθη αυτοις εξουσια επι το τεταρτον της γης
αποκτειναι εν ρομφαια και εν λιμω και εν θανατω και υπο των θηριων της γης
|
A pale horse
resembles a white horse, but isn’t the same thing. We learned in our study of Daniel 7 how after
the Western Roman Empire collapsed thr Roman Catholic Church became the
dominant power in Western Europe. The
church resembled in some ways the faith taught by Jesus, but it was a twisted
and blasphemous reflection of Jesus’s teachings. It persecuted the true followers of God and
spread death and destruction.
The sword, famine,
death and wild beasts reflect the judgement God sends on an apostate people.
Ezekiel 14:2-23 ASV
(verse 21 in particular)
2 And the word of [Yehovah] came unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have taken their idols
into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their
face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord [Yehovah]: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his
idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his
face, and cometh to the prophet; I [Yehovah] will answer him therein according
to the multitude of his idols;
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their
own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus
saith the Lord [Yehovah]: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and
turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the
strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh
his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before
his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I [Yehovah]
will answer him by myself:
8 and I will set my face against that man, and
will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off
from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am [Yehovah].
9 And if the prophet be deceived and speak a
word, I, [Yehovah], have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand
upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 And they shall bear their iniquity: the
iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh unto
him;
11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray
from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but
that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord [Yehovah].
12 And the word of [Yehovah] came unto me, saying,
13 Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by
committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff
of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and
beast;
14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job,
were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith
the Lord [Yehovah].
15 If I cause evil beasts to pass through the
land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass
through because of the beasts;
16 though these three men were in it, as I live,
saith the Lord [Yehovah], they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they
only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say,
Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;
18 though these three men were in it, as I live,
saith the Lord [Yehovah], they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but
they only should be delivered themselves.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and
pour out my wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I
live, saith the Lord [Yehovah], they should deliver neither son nor daughter;
they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21 For thus saith the Lord [Yehovah]: How much
more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the
famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and
beast!
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant
that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come
forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be
comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even
concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way
and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that
I have done in it, saith the Lord [Yehovah].
The
Fifth Seal
Revelation 6:9-11 ASV
|
9
|
And when he
opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had
been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
|
και οτε
ηνοιξεν την πεμπτην σφραγιδα ειδον υποκατω του θυσιαστηριου τας ψυχας των
εσφαγμενων δια τον λογον του θεου και δια την μαρτυριαν ην ειχον
|
|
10
|
and they
cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost
thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
|
και εκραξαν
φωνη μεγαλη λεγοντες εως ποτε ο δεσποτης ο αγιος και αληθινος ου κρινεις και
εκδικεις το αιμα ημων εκ των κατοικουντων επι της γης
|
|
11
|
And there was
given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their
brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their
course.
|
και εδοθη
αυτοις εκαστω στολη λευκη και ερρεθη αυτοις ινα αναπαυσονται ετι χρονον
μικρον εως πληρωθωσιν και οι συνδουλοι αυτων και οι αδελφοι αυτων οι
μελλοντες αποκτεννεσθαι ως και αυτοι
|
Starting with Cain’s
murder of his brother Abel, the blood of those who are murdered cries out to
God for justice.
Genesis 4:9-10 KJV
9 And [Yehovah] said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy
brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of
thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
How much more do
those killed by the church cry out to God for justice? But the time has not come yet. God will bring full justice when the time is
right.
The
Sixth Seal
Revelation 6 ASV
|
12
|
And I saw
when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun
became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood;
|
και ειδον οτε
ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την εκτην και σεισμος μεγας εγενετο και ο ηλιος εγενετο
μελας ως σακκος τριχινος και η σεληνη ολη εγενετο ως αιμα
|
|
13
|
and the stars
of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when
she is shaken of a great wind.
|
και οι
αστερες του ουρανου επεσαν εις την γην ως συκη βαλλει τους ολυνθους αυτης υπο
ανεμου μεγαλου σειομενη
|
|
14
|
And the
heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and
island were moved out of their places.
|
και ο ουρανος
απεχωρισθη ως βιβλιον ελισσομενον και παν ορος και νησος εκ των τοπων αυτων
εκινηθησαν
|
|
15
|
And the kings
of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the
strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the
rocks of the mountains;
|
και οι
βασιλεις της γης και οι μεγιστανες και οι χιλιαρχοι και οι πλουσιοι και οι
ισχυροι και πας δουλος και ελευθερος εκρυψαν εαυτους εις τα σπηλαια και εις
τας πετρας των ορεων
|
|
16
|
and they say
to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of
him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
|
και λεγουσιν
τοις ορεσιν και ταις πετραις πεσετε εφ ημας και κρυψατε ημας απο προσωπου του
καθημενου επι του θρονου και απο της οργης του αρνιου
|
|
17
|
for the great
day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
|
οτι ηλθεν η
ημερα η μεγαλη της οργης αυτων και τις δυναται σταθηναι
|
Verses 12 and 13
strongly correspond with Jesus’s prophecies concerning the signs of the end.
Matthew 24:3-33
3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the
disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take
heed that no man lead you astray.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars;
see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the
end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers
places.
8 But all these things are the beginning of
travail.
9 Then shall they deliver you up unto
tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for
my name's sake.
10 And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver
up one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall
lead many astray.
12 And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the
love of the many shall wax cold.
13 But he that endureth to the end, the same shall
be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then
shall the end come.
15 When therefore ye see the abomination of
desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the
holy place (let him that readeth understand),
16 then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the
mountains:
17 let him that is on the housetop not go down to
take out things that are in his house:
18 and let him that is in the field not return
back to take his cloak.
19 But woe unto them that are with child and to
them that give suck in those days!
20 And pray ye that your flight be not in the
winter, neither on a sabbath:
21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as
hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days had been shortened, no
flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
the Christ, or, Here; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if
possible, even the elect.
25 Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26 If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold,
he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers;
believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh forth from the
east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
28 Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together.
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those
days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send forth his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when
her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the
summer is nigh;
33 even so ye also, when ye see all these things,
know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.
Verses 14-17 refer to
the mountains and islands being removed from their place, just like we find in
the seventh plage in Revelation 16:20.
So, this part seems to be happening about the same time.
They also refer to
the heavens being rolled away as a scroll in the day of the wrath of God. This imagery comes straight from the prophet
Isaiah in chapter 34 verse 4. Though
Isaiah is prophecying about judgement against Edom and Revelation is
prophecying about judgement against the world, looking at that imagery in its
original context will help us understand it better.
Isaiah 34:1-17 ASV
1 Come
near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples: let the earth hear, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and all things that come forth from it.
2 For [Yehovah] hath indignation against all the
nations, and wrath against all their host: he hath utterly destroyed them, he
hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and the
stench of their dead bodies shall come up; and the mountains shall be melted
with their blood.
4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved,
and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall
fade away, as the leaf fadeth from off the vine, and as a fading leaf from the
fig-tree.
5 For my sword hath drunk its fill in heaven:
behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of my curse, to
judgment.
6 The sword of [Yehovah] is filled with blood, it
is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of
the kidneys of rams; for [Yehovah] hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great
slaughter in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild-oxen shall come down with them,
and the bullocks with the bulls: and their land shall be drunken with blood,
and their dust made fat with fatness.
8 For [Yehovah] hath a day of vengeance, a year
of recompense for the cause of Zion.
9 And the streams of Edom shall be turned into
pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become
burning pitch.
10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the
smoke thereof shall go up for ever; from generation to generation it shall lie
waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
11 But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess
it; and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein: and he will stretch over it
the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness.
12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the
kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.
13 And thorns shall come up in its palaces,
nettles and thistles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be a habitation of
jackals, a court for ostriches.
14 And the wild beasts of the desert shall meet
with the wolves, and the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; yea, the
night-monster shall settle there, and shall find her a place of rest.
15 There shall the dart-snake make her nest, and
lay, and hatch, and gather under her shade; yea, there shall the kites be
gathered, every one with her mate.
16 Seek ye out of the book of [Yehovah], and read:
no one of these shall be missing, none shall want her mate; for my mouth, it
hath commanded, and his Spirit, it hath gathered them.
17 And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand
hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever; from
generation to generation shall they dwell therein.
The
Sealing of the Righteous
Before the seventh
seal is broken, we get an interlude.
Revelation 7:1-3 ASV
|
1
|
After his I
saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four
winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or
upon any tree.
|
μετα τουτο
ειδον τεσσαρας αγγελους εστωτας επι τας τεσσαρας γωνιας της γης κρατουντας
τους τεσσαρας ανεμους της γης ινα μη πνεη ανεμος επι της γης μητε επι της
θαλασσης μητε επι παν δενδρον
|
|
2
|
And I saw
another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God:
and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to
hurt the earth and the sea,
|
και ειδον
αλλον αγγελον αναβαινοντα απο ανατολης ηλιου εχοντα σφραγιδα θεου ζωντος και
εκραξεν φωνη μεγαλη τοις τεσσαρσιν αγγελοις οις εδοθη αυτοις αδικησαι την γην
και την θαλασσαν
|
|
3
|
saying, Hurt
not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the
servants of our God on their foreheads.
|
λεγων μη
αδικησητε την γην μητε την θαλασσαν μητε τα δενδρα αχρι σφραγισωμεν τους
δουλους του θεου ημων επι των μετωπων αυτων
|
The sealing of the
righteous is a precursor to God’s judgement on the people and destruction of
the wicked. Specifically, the sealing
distinguishes those who truly follow God from those who claim to be part of
God’s people.
What is the Seal of
God, according to the Bible?
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ASV
21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ,
and anointed us, is God;
22 who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of
the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 1:13-14 ASV
13 in whom ye also, having heard the word of the
truth, the gospel of your salvation,-- in whom, having also believed, ye were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto
the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:30 ASV
30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto
the day of redemption.
The judgement begins
with those who claim to be closest to God.
This imagery comes straight from Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 8:1-18 ASV
1 And
it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the
month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the
hand of the Lord [Yehovah] fell there upon me.
2 Then I beheld, and, lo, a likeness as the
appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire; and
from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing
metal.
3 And he put forth the form of a hand, and took
me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven,
and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of
the inner court that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image
of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was
there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine
eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the
north, and behold, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in
the entry.
6 And he said unto me, Son of man, seest thou
what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit
here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but thou shalt again see yet
other great abominations.
7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and
when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in
the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold, a door.
9 And he said unto me, Go in, and see the wicked
abominations that they do here.
10 So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of
creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of
Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.
11 And there stood before them seventy men of the
elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son
of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of
incense went up.
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou
seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his
chambers of imagery? for they say, [Yehovah] seeth us not; [Yehovah] hath
forsaken the land.
13 He said also unto me, Thou shalt again see yet
other great abominations which they do.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of
[Yehovah]'s house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat the women
weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of
[Yehovah]'s house; and behold, at the door of the temple of [Yehovah], between
the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs
toward the temple of [Yehovah], and their faces toward the east; and they were
worshipping the sun toward the east.
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the
abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with
violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the
branch to their nose.
18 Therefore will I also deal in wrath; mine eye
shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears
with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Ezekiel 9:1-11 ASV
1 Then
he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye them that have charge
over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And behold, six men came from the way of the
upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon
in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's
inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up
from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called
to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn by his side.
4 And [Yehovah] said unto him, Go through the
midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the
foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are
done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye
through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye
pity;
6 slay utterly the old man, the young man and the
virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is
the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were
before the house.
7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and
fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in
the city.
8 And it came to pass, while they were smiting,
and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord
[Yehovah]! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of
thy wrath upon Jerusalem?
9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house
of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the
city full of wrestling of judgment: for they say, [Yehovah] hath forsaken the
land, and [Yehovah] seeth not.
10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare,
neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way upon their head.
11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had
the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast
commanded me.
The
144,000
Revelation 7:4-8
|
4
|
And I heard
the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand,
sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
|
και ηκουσα
τον αριθμον των εσφραγισμενων εκατον τεσσερακοντα τεσσαρες χιλιαδες εσφραγισμενοι
εκ πασης φυλης υιων ισραηλ
|
|
5
|
Of the tribe
of Judah were sealed twelve thousand: Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand;
Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand;
|
εκ φυλης
ιουδα δωδεκα χιλιαδες εσφραγισμενοι εκ φυλης ρουβην δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης
γαδ δωδεκα χιλιαδες
|
|
6
|
Of the tribe
of Asher twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; Of the
tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;
|
εκ φυλης ασηρ
δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης νεφθαλιμ δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης μανασση δωδεκα
χιλιαδες
|
|
7
|
Of the tribe
of Simeon twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; Of the tribe
of Issachar twelve thousand;
|
εκ φυλης
συμεων δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης λευι δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης ισσαχαρ δωδεκα
χιλιαδες
|
|
8
|
Of the tribe
of Zebulun twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; Of the
tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
|
εκ φυλης
ζαβουλων δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης ιωσηφ δωδεκα χιλιαδες εκ φυλης βενιαμιν
δωδεκα χιλιαδες εσφραγισμενοι
|
These people who
remain faithful to God are described here as 144,000. They are made up of 12,000 from each of the
tribes of Israel. The fact that it takes
the time to list the tribes indicates that it is trying to relay something
important.
I believe the people
described are metaphorically members of those tribes rather than biological
descendants of those tribes because the list does not actually match the names
of the twelve tribes. There two
different lists of the names of the tribes in the Tanakh (Old Testament). This is because Israel had twelve sons. However, when the land was divided, Levi’s
descendents did not receive a portion of the land. Instead, the descendents of Joseph’s two
sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each received a portion. So, sometimes you will see Levi and Joseph
listed. And sometimes you will see Levi
missing and Joseph split into Ephraim and Manasseh. In this list both Levi and Joseph are listed. But, instead of Dan, we see Joseph’s son,
Manasseh, listed.
I believe the list is
meant to convey something of the character of the people who make up the
144,000. We can see something of the
character of the tribes in the blessing that Israel gave to his children.
His blessing of
Ephraim and Manasseh is described this way.
Genesis 48:13-20 ASV
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right
hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's
right hand, and brought them near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and
laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon
Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before
whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life
long unto this day,
16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil,
bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the
earth.
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his
right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his
father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my
father; for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my
son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great:
howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become
a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee
will Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set
Ephraim before Manasseh.
The blessing of
Israel’s twelve sons is described this way.
Genesis 49:1-28
1 And
Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather yourselves together, that I may
tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.
2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of
Jacob; And hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and
the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence
of power.
4 Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the
pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defiledst thou
it: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; Weapons of
violence are their swords.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their council;
Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united; For in their anger they slew
a man, And in their self-will they hocked an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And
their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in
Israel.
8 Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise: Thy hand
shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's sons shall bow down before
thee.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son,
thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who
shall rouse him up?
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor
the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come: And unto him shall
the obedience of the peoples be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, And his ass's
colt unto the choice vine; He hath washed his garments in wine, And his vesture
in the blood of grapes:
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, And his teeth
white with milk.
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;
And he shall be for a haven of ships; And his border shall be upon Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong ass, Couching down between
the sheepfolds:
15 And he saw a resting-place that it was good,
And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And
became a servant under taskwork.
16 Dan shall judge his people, As one of the
tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, An adder in
the path, That biteth the horse's heels, So that his rider falleth backward.
18 I have waited for thy salvation, O [Yehovah].
19 Gad, a troop shall press upon him; But he shall
press upon their heel.
20 Out of the Asher his bread shall be fat, And he
shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly
words.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by
a fountain; His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, And shot
at him, and persecute him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, And the arms of
his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (From
thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help
thee, And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, With blessings of heaven
above, Blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, Blessings of the breasts,
and of the womb.
26 The blessings of thy father Have prevailed
above the blessings of my progenitors Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting
hills: They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him
that was separate from his brethren.
27 Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the
morning she shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and
this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them; every one
according to his blessing he blessed them.
The
Great Multitude
Revelation 7 ASV
|
9
|
After these
things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out
of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their
hands;
|
μετα ταυτα
ειδον και ιδου οχλος πολυς ον αριθμησαι αυτον ουδεις εδυνατο εκ παντος εθνους
και φυλων και λαων και γλωσσων εστωτες ενωπιον του θρονου και ενωπιον του
αρνιου περιβεβλημενους στολας λευκας και φοινικες εν ταις χερσιν αυτων
|
|
10
|
and they cry
with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne,
and unto the Lamb.
|
και κραζουσιν
φωνη μεγαλη λεγοντες η σωτηρια τω θεω ημων τω καθημενω επι τω θρονω και τω
αρνιω
|
|
11
|
And all the
angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the
four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and
worshipped God,
|
και παντες οι
αγγελοι ειστηκεισαν κυκλω του θρονου και των πρεσβυτερων και των τεσσαρων
ζωων και επεσαν ενωπιον του θρονου επι τα προσωπα αυτων και προσεκυνησαν τω
θεω
|
|
12
|
saying, Amen:
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and
might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
|
λεγοντες αμην
η ευλογια και η δοξα και η σοφια και η ευχαριστια και η τιμη και η δυναμις
και η ισχυς τω θεω ημων εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων [αμην]
|
|
13
|
And one of
the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in white robes,
who are they, and whence came they?
|
και απεκριθη
εις εκ των πρεσβυτερων λεγων μοι ουτοι οι περιβεβλημενοι τας στολας τας
λευκας τινες εισιν και ποθεν ηλθον
|
|
14
|
And I say
unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come
of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb.
|
και ειρηκα
αυτω κυριε μου συ οιδας και ειπεν μοι ουτοι εισιν οι ερχομενοι εκ της θλιψεως
της μεγαλης και επλυναν τας στολας αυτων και ελευκαναν αυτας εν τω αιματι του
αρνιου
|
|
15
|
Therefore are
they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over
them.
|
δια τουτο
εισιν ενωπιον του θρονου του θεου και λατρευουσιν αυτω ημερας και νυκτος εν
τω ναω αυτου και ο καθημενος επι του θρονου σκηνωσει επ αυτους
|
|
16
|
They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon
them, nor any heat:
|
ου
πεινασουσιν ετι ουδε διψησουσιν ετι ουδε μη πεση επ αυτους ο ηλιος ουδε παν
καυμα
|
|
17
|
for the Lamb
that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide
them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear
from their eyes.
|
οτι το αρνιον
το ανα μεσον του θρονου ποιμανει αυτους και οδηγησει αυτους επι ζωης πηγας
υδατων και εξαλειψει ο θεος παν δακρυον εκ των οφθαλμων αυτων
|
God is the God of all
people, not just one group. Out of all
the earth is a great multitude of people who have gone through tribulation and
remained faithful to God. They praise
God, who sits on the throne. They also
praise the lamb who is in the midst of the throne, just as they 24 elders were
described as being in the midst of the throne.
The lamb is a separate and distinct figure from God who sits on the
throne. Although they praise the lamb,
their primary focus of adoration is on God who sits on the throne.
The 144,000 and the
great multitude have remained faithful to God and we see what their reward will
be.
The
Seventh Seal
Revelation 8:1 ASV
|
1
|
And when he
opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space
of half an hour.
|
και οταν
ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την εβδομην εγενετο σιγη εν τω ουρανω ως ημιωριον
|
We have just been informed of the kind of people who will be
saved. Now, the time has come for Jesus
to return to the earth and establish the Kingdom of God. As we will see, the armies of heaven will
follow him, leaving it empty for a time.
