The Seven Seals – Part 1

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Let’s review a bit of history.

 

Notice how the seed of truth started growing. Here is a tiny list of notable men that were raised up by the Holy Spirit to preach salvation through faith in Christ alone!

 

1.   John Huss (1369-1415)

2.   Martin Luther (1483-1586)

3.   John Calvin (1509-1564)

4.   John Cotton (1584-1652)

5.   John Wesley (1703-1791)

6.   Adam Clark (1762-1832)

7.   Dwight Moody (1837-1899)

8.   Billy Sunday (1862-1935)

9.   Billy Graham (1918 - ?)

 

History confirms that these men were champions of God’s grace; they openly and widely taught that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. You might ask, “How can “salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” be a new campaign in 1798 if salvation through faith in Jesus has been proclaimed ever since Jesus returned to Heaven?”

 

The answer may surprise you. The confirming power of religion keeps people from considering ideas that are religiously different. Moslems can’t tell Baptists about God and Mormons can’t tell Episcopalians about God, etc.

 

You may say, “But, the idea that salvation comes through faith in Christ wasn’t a new revelation in 1798.” Church history says otherwise. When one surveys the history of the Christina Church, the doctrine of salvation through faith in Christ is missingfor more than a thousand years.

 

As I said, the Catholic Church substituted “faith in Jesus” with “faith in the Church.” This subtle but deadly deflection from the truth began in the fourth century A.D. For centuries, the truth about salvation was buried in the traditions and teachings of the Church and it wasn’t until the authority of the Catholic Church was broken by military power in 1798 that the truth about salvation through faith in Christ could be widely proclaimed to the world!

 

You may recall that in 1776, just twenty-two years earlier, God raised up a new nation that would eventually be called the United States of America.

 

This nation was founded by sincere and honest men who were seeking religious liberty and even though they strongly believed in God, they were deeply committed to founding a government that would be free of church control.

 

Thus, the country prospered because there has been a wall of separation between church and state. This country was primarily settled by Protestants. This is the nation that “helped the woman” in Revelation 12.

 

Since 1798, the United Stated has produced more Christian missionaries, gospel workers and literature exalting salvation through faith in Christ than any other nation in Earth’s history. Of course, the Holy Spirit is still pushing “the good news” of salvation through faith in Jesus even though Protestantism has mutated into a deep and horrible apostasy. Protestantism has lost its love for and fidelity to the Word of God. During the 20^th century, Protestantism in the United States became weak and confused because it lost its love for Jesus and Bible truth.

 

Protestantism has largely displaced the teachings of Jesus with the traditions and teachings of man. Our nation has become an idolatrous nation. We have focused on God’s gifts rather the gift of God’s Word. We are consumed with the acquisition of money, wealth and the pursuit of happiness and pleasure. Sexual immorality is rampant in America. Perplexities and social problems are on every horizon. Politicians are speaking evil against each other. The Spirit of America has faded because the Spirit of God has been grieved.

 

In spite of our nation’s corporate apostasy, the gospel of Jesus is still alive. Although weak, the cry of the reformation still rings true:

 

“Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone.”

 

The devil has corrupted the Protestant cry. Once again, He has cleverly disguised the truth about salvation: Today, millions of people have been led to believe that salvation comes through an intellectual assent to the truth: that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.      

 

James 2:9   You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.

 

But, God’s promise still stands: There is “a crown of victory and a winner’s ribbon” for everyone who OVERCOMES the world.

 

Soon, during the campaign of the fourth and fifth seals, the over comers will be counted and the cry of “salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” will swell and fill the whole Earth! Watch for this.

First Seal

 

The breaking of the first seal in 1798 resulted in the empowerment of the Protestant movement. The Holy Spirit clarified the gospel and men and women began to preach it. The first seal was a great start, but six more campaigns are necessary! The revelation of all that Jesus is must become brighter and clearer. And this process grows as these campaigns unfold and dovetail together.

 

Revelation 6:3   When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

 

Revelation 6:4   Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

 

For reasons that follow, I believe that Jesus broke the second seal around the year 1800. Specifically, at that time, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit the sword of Truth and sent Him to Earth on a campaign to enlighten the world with two essential doctrines that will be presented shortly.

 

This endeavor takes a lot of strength. Perhaps this is why the face of the second living creature looks like an ox. (Revelation 4:7) As the truth about Jesus becomes clearer and more powerful, man’s resistance to it will become more determined and rebellious. How much “new truth can you stand to hear until you don’t want to hear anymore? How much “new truth can you stand to hear before getting angry and defensive? Eventually, during the fifth seal, when wicked people will deliberately kill those who love Jesus and obey His commandments.

 

Jesus warned His disciples about the response and revenge of the carnal heart saying, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) What kind of sword did Jesus bring? A physical sword to kill people?

 

No, His sword of truth will kill lies and superstitions.

 

According to Rule Three (remember, there are four rules governing the interpretation of prophecy), we have to use parallel language from other Bible texts to clarify passages that are cryptic if parallel language exists. Since the second seal is somewhat cryptic, consider the following words of Jesus.

 

“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known  the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you….” (John 16:1-4)

 

Why did Jesus warn His disciples about their upcoming persecution and death? Why did Jesus indicate that conservative religious people would persecute His disciples? Jesus made these comments because He wanted His disciples to understand the nature of religion. When religious people are confronted with the sword of truth, they react in one of two ways.

 

 

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