Prophecy 6

The Six Seals –
Revelation 4:1-6:17

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Revelation 6:4

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.{4} With this, the Holy Spirit transformed Himself into a rider on a red horse. He left Heaven’s throne room on a mission to empower and expand the spiritual revival that had just begun on Earth. The Holy Spirit carried with Him a great sword which represents the Word of God.[48] This campaign centered on the translation, printing and distribution of God’s great sword, the Bible.

In the early 1800s, the Holy Spirit began prompting Protestants to establish Bible societies in Europe and the United States. The result has been impressive: The British and Foreign Bible Society (1804), the Basel Bible Society (1804), the Berlin (later Prussian) Bible Society (1805), the Pennsylvania Bible Society (1808), the Connecticut Bible Society (1809), the Massachusetts Bible Society (1809), the International Bible Society (1809), the Bible Society of India (1811), the Russian Bible Society (1812), the Swedish Bible Society (1814), the Netherlands Bible Society (1814), the Icelandic Bible Society (1815), the Norwegian Bible Society (1816), the American Bible Society (1816), the Bible Society in Australia (1817), and the Protestant Biblical Society of Paris (1818). When viewed as a whole, the task has been laborious and expensive and many people have given sacrificially to this cause. The Bible (or portions of it) now exists in more than 2,572 languages and dialects. Since 1908, Gideons International has distributed about 1.7 billion Bibles. Since 1942, Wycliff Bible translators have helped to complete more than 700 translations. This enormous project, spanning the globe, could not have been possible if it were not through the persistent ministry of the Holy Spirit. No book has outsold the Bible and no other book comes close in terms of exposure and distribution.

The relationship between the first two seals is important to notice. First, the Holy Spirit searched for people who were eager to understand the truth about salvation through Christ. Then He moved upon these people to share their knowledge by reproducing and distributing the Word of God. The teachings of Jesus are transforming. First, there is good news that God Himself has provided atonement for our sins through Christ (the doctrine of justification). Second, there is good news that justification is accompanied with a miraculous refining experience (the doctrine of sanctification). People who are willing to overcome the power of sin through Christ’s strength will receive a winner’s ribbon and a golden crown. The Bible societies have done (and are doing) their appointed work. They have printed and distributed millions of Bibles around the world! This has been strenuous work, but the Holy Spirit plowed ahead. He gave dedicated men and women the ability and strength to do the impossible.

Note: The sword of truth always brings conflict. When Jesus lived on Earth, He made people angry by speaking the truth. Jesus said the problem is that men love darkness and they are afraid of the light of truth. The Jews killed Jesus because they did not want the light of truth to expose their evil ways. Evil people will do whatever it takes to keep the truth from being known. During the Great Tribulation, a time will come when speaking Bible truth will be very inflammatory. Evil men will persecute and kill those who love God’s Word thinking they can eliminate the light of truth that shines from God’s Word,[49] but God’s truth cannot be stopped. God will endure forever and so will His truth. The campaign of the second seal will end when Lucifer sets up his theocracy (sixth trumpet).

The Third Seal – The Judgment of Jesus

Revelation 6:5

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.{5} The third living creature said to the assembled host, “Come and see the assignment the Lamb has given me!” I watched as the Holy Spirit transformed Himself into a rider on a black horse! He left Heaven with a pair of balancing scales in His hand. The Holy Spirit carried a solemn message to the people on Earth that Jesus had begun to cleanse Heaven’s temple.

Because the third seal indicates judgment and the third seal follows the formation of Bible societies in the second seal, the third seal had to have been broken after the formation of the Bible societies. I believe the third seal was broken in 1844. This seal perfectly aligns with the scene in Daniel 7:9,10 where the court was seated and “the books were opened.” The third seal aligns with the cleansing of Heaven’s temple mentioned in Daniel 8:14. Consider this: We know from the earthly temple services that the cleansing of the temple was a judicial process. The earthly temple became defiled by the record of sin and this necessitated an annual cleaning on the Day of Atonement. Similarly, Heaven’s temple has been defiled by the record of our sins and the assignment of guilt is determined during judgment. When all of the guilt is removed from Heaven’s temple and placed on the heads of sinners or the scapegoat, this will leave Heaven’s temple cleansed. Furthermore, Revelation 5:5 aligns with the exaltation of Jesus in Daniel 7:13,14. Jesus received the book sealed with seven seals and was given sovereign power in 1798 to conclude the sin problem and to exonerate the Father’s government. As each seal is broken, the events associated with it provide us a brighter revelation of all that Jesus is.

The pre-advent judgment illuminates the ministry of Jesus as the Judge of mankind.[50] After Jesus broke open the third seal in 1844, He opened the Books of Record in Heaven and began to investigate the lives and deeds of men and women who have died throughout Earth’s history. The Holy Spirit led people into this timely understanding of truth around 1844. Unfortunately, the nature and importance of 1844 remains largely misunderstood by most Christians today. This darkness will evaporate when the next seal is broken because the judgment of the living begins with the fourth seal.

Revelation 6:6

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.{6} I heard a voice calling for laborers. The Holy Spirit called many people saying, “God needs you to be His missionary. To finish His work on Earth, Jesus needs Bible teachers to help the world understand the everlasting gospel. Who will go and teach this message? Be assured that each teacher will receive a quart of wheat for a day’s wages. Later, when the barley crop is ripe for harvest, he will be paid three quarts of barley for a day’s wages. On top of this, fresh oil and new wine will be included!”
The purpose of this calling is both a solicitation and a promise. Jesus needs a continual supply of born-again trustees who will teach His gospel. Everyone who labors for the Lord will be paid a respectable wage for their effort. Interestingly, the currency used in Solomon’s day to pay the laborers who built God’s temple was wheat, barley, oil, and wine![51]

Now that we have investigated the first three campaigns, notice that the first three seals are additive in nature. This means that the activity generated by each campaign builds on the accomplishments of the preceding seal. The first three seals were carefully designed to prepare the world for the horrific events that will occur when the fourth seal is broken.

The Fourth Seal – The Sovereign Authority of Jesus

Revelation 6:7

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.{7} When the Lamb broke open the fourth seal, He spoke to the fourth living creature who had the face of a flying eagle and said, “Come and see the assignment the Lamb has given me!” Instinctively, I knew this campaign would be awful. The face of a flying eagle is fierce, focused, and deadly. Like the eagle that silently swoops down on its prey, the events of the fourth seal will come unexpectedly and the results will be deadly.

Revelation 6:8

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.{8} As I watched, the fourth living creature (the one with the face of an eagle) transformed Himself into a rider on a pale, gray horse. The rider’s name was death and the grave followed close behind. The Holy Spirit was sent on a mission of death and destruction. The scope of destruction was greater than words can describe. I shuddered when I saw one-fourth of Earth’s population perish. God’s wrath is as overwhelming as His grace. God has four deadly judgments. They are sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.[52]

The fourth seal will be broken soon and God’s pent-up wrath will be released. The scale of death and destruction that follows the breaking of the fourth seal defies description. (See Prophecy 8.) The breaking of the fourth seal marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the judgment of the living. (See Prophecy 12.) A topic of worldwide interest when God’s destruction begins will be the question of what constitutes God’s will. Many people will repent and recognize their accountability to God. Of course, many others will not. One thing is certain. When the fourth seal is broken, life on Earth as we currently know it will end. The whole world will soon experience our Creator’s displeasure with our decadent and degenerate ways.

This may seem strange at first, but the Holy Spirit (in the form of the fourth living creature) will be sent on a mission to kill 1.75 billion people. Christians do not usually attribute such actions to the Holy Spirit. However, we need to remember three clarifying points: First, the Lamb sends the four riders on horses from the throne room. In other words, Jesus sends the fourth rider from Heaven to Earth to do a deadly work.[53] Second, the rider on the horse is the fourth living creature. For reasons already discussed, we know the four living creatures represent the Holy Spirit. Third, as an example of the Holy Spirit taking action, the Bible states that Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and He killed them.[54] The Holy Spirit is also God. He has the power to give life and when the Father spoke the word, the Holy Spirit restored Jesus to life.[55] The Holy Spirit is deity and He is more than capable of carrying out the directives of the fourth seal. There is no need for confusion over this. Even though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate and distinct beings, they are one in purpose, plan and action. Therefore, it does not matter ultimately who causes the destruction for they are united about it.

You may be wondering about the relationship between the Great Tribulation, the fourth seal, and The Book of Life. Remember, the Father wants everyone to know that like Himself, Jesus is a sovereign God. To demonstrate the sovereign authority of Jesus to a religiously diverse world, God must use divine action. For 2,000 years, Christians have been trying to tell the world who Jesus is, and today, 75% of the world has no knowledge or interest in Jesus. Jesus will implement the wrath of God and God’s actions will force everyone to consider who Jesus really is. Remember, Jesus is worthy of worship. He is an equal of the Father.[56]During the Great Tribulation, many people will lament, “Why is God punishing everyone? He already knows who will be saved and who will be lost! Why doesn’t He save the righteous and destroy the wicked and be done with this?” Of course, the Father foreknew who would be saved and who would not before the world was created, but He will not allow anyone to see what He foreknew until the seventh seal is broken at the end of the 1,000 years. Let me be clear. Jesus does not know who will be saved and who will not![57] This is why Jesus began judging the dead in 1844 and He will judge the living in real time. Jesus can only pass judgment on what is seen and heard. This is why the Books of Record are necessary. Jesus judges the dead according to their deeds.[58] Jesus will judge the living according to their deeds, but He will only do so after we have been tested. (See Prophecy 9.)

The Fifth Seal – The Faith of Jesus

Revelation 6:9

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:{9} As I continued to watch, the Lamb broke open the fifth seal on The Book of Life and there was an enormous slaughter of God’s saints. I saw that Jesus had a twofold purpose for the martyrdom of His people. First, the strongest testimony that a Christian can give in defense of righteousness and truth is his willingness to lay down his life for Jesus. (Remember Stephen, the first Christian martyr?[59]) Second, Jesus is willing to sacrifice several million Christians in order to save a few non-Christians. In other words, Jesus knows that a few non-Christians will repent and become Christians when non-Christians see the faithful testimony and death of Christians. You may think it strange that Jesus would sacrifice millions of Christians to save a few non-Christians, but remember, Jesus, who is worth more than a million worlds, was sacrificed to save us.

When temple services were conducted in Jerusalem, it was customary for priests to pour the blood of animal sacrifices into a large container at the base of the Altar of Burnt Offering.[60] John saw the Altar of Burnt Offering in Heaven’s temple. Beneath this altar was a large container holding the blood of the saints who had been martyred because of their steadfast love for Jesus and His Word.[61]

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