Try these: mark of the beastPetrasafe placetwo witnessesElijahcountdown2030144000ten virginsDan. 9:27

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Try these: mark of the beastPetrasafe placetwo witnessesElijahcountdown2030144000ten virginsDan. 9:27

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The seven seals of Revelation – part 4

Recap

This is the final installment in the seven seals of Revelation series which brings us to seals 6 and 7.  To recap the first four seals cover the entire first half of the tribulation known as the beginning of birth pains, the 5th seal judgment covers the time when the saints are martyred and handed over to the devil’s beast for time, times, and half a time for the entire second half.  The first four seals had corresponding passages in Matt. 24:4-8 and it follows that the 5th seal also has a corresponding passage in Matt. 24:9-13.  Verse 13 appropriately says, “he who endures to the end will be saved.”  “The end” could either mean to the point of being martyred for Christ or the end of the 1290-day second half.  But then Matthew goes into more depth from verses 15 to 28 explaining in more depth what happens during the 5th seal time for the entire second half.  Wise believers (wise virgins) upon seeing the Abomination of Desolation standing in the holy place will flee to the mountains (Petra) where they will be safe in the desert as explained by Rev. 12.  So Matt. 24:29-30 covers the 6th seal when there will be a great shaking.  This corresponds with the cosmic signs seen in Rev. 6:12-13.  The 7th seal judgment is the coming of the Lord on that great day, the Day of Atonement 6000 years after creation.

The 6th seal

The key passage for the 6th seal judgment is in Rev. 6:12-17 but as mentioned has a parallel in Matt. 24:29-30.  The 6th seal begins at the rapture of the church after the tribulation of those days.  Note the Greek in Matt. 24:29 uses the phrase “meta ten thlipsin” which interestingly in the Latin Vulgate version is “post tribulationem” which corresponds to the post-tribulation end times position.  So in effect, the cosmic signs that occur and the rapture of the church which is clearly described in Matt. 24:30 occurs post tribulation!  This is explained in my blog, What is the parousia?

The cosmic signs described in Matt. 24:29 including the sun being darkened, the moon not giving its light, the stars falling from the sky, and the heavenly bodies being shaken is further expanded in Rev. 6:12-17 where also added is a great earthquake, the sky being rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain being removed from its place.  This causes great fear among all the earth’s residents no matter their status with everyone hiding in caves.  It seems as though they actually see both the Lamb and His Father because they want to hide from their presence and their wrath.  The 6th seal is a final ten-day judgment occurring from the Feast of Trumpets to the final Day of Atonement.  We know also that this is the period when the final seven bowls of wrath occur because the kings are being gathered for Armageddon at the 6th bowl1 and the end is declared at the 7th bowl.  The people of the earth inherently know that the great day has come because of all the plagues and cosmic signs occurring during these final days.2  Further confirming the end is Rev. 6:16-17 which states explicitly that both the Father and the Son come down in the clouds at this time which is the sign of the Son of Man.  See my blog “The sign of the Son of Man” which explains in more detail this sign touched upon in Matt. 24:30.

The timing of the 6th seal judgment is really in no doubt because of the link between Rev. 6:12-13 and Matt. 24:29 which gives us the post-tribulation key.  So just as the first four seals occur in the first 1260 days, the 5th seal covers the entire next 1290 days, so the 6th seal covers the final 10 days. 

The 7th seal

That only leaves one seal remaining–the 7th and final seal judgment which is the ultimate and final seal that needs to be torn open to fully deliver everything into the hands of the Son of God from the devil.  Remember from part 1, the seals represent the title deed to the earth.  It makes sense that the scroll and its contents can only be verified by comparing the sealed version with the unsealed version once all seals have been torn open as pictured.  Then and only then can the entire document be read in full.  Perhaps this is why in Rev. 8:1 there is silence in heaven whilst the scroll is being read.

Rev. 8:1 leads to the breaking of the final 7th seal which is that final Day of the Lord.  Perhaps, as I speculate in my timeline, this is the Day of Atonement 2036 when 6000 years since creation is fully complete.  Zep. 1:7 gives us a hint about that half-hour period of silence because Zephaniah prophesies and instructs that all should be silent for the day of the LORD is near.  This gives us the proof that we need as to the timing of the 7th seal: the day of the LORD is near.  In other words, there is silence for just a very short time and then the Lord Jesus returns to the earth to defeat His enemies and put them under His feet.  They will be His footstool.

Conclusion

The entire seven seal judgments cover the entire 70th week–seven years.  They represent the process whereby everything is coming back into the hands of God and the Lamb.  As each seal is torn open by the Lamb, judgments are released upon the earth.  Seal #1 begins at the beginning and seal #7 ends on the final great day of the Lord.  We watch for seal #1 and we exhibit patience and hope as we wait for seal #7 that we can then enter into the promised eschatological Sabbath-rest of the Millennial Kingdom which will last 1000 years.3

  1. Rev. 16:14 []
  2. Rev. 6:17 []
  3. Heb. 4:9 []

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Steve has preached hundreds of sermons since 2010 including Genesis, Daniel, the Feasts and Hebrews. His current series is the “Now is the time series” in Revelation.

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