The Seven Seals – Part 1

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Timing

 

For reasons presented earlier, the first seal was broken in 1798. The second seal has to occur after the breaking of the first seal, so when does Jesus break open the second seal? The year 1800 appears to resolve the question of timing. Here’s why:

 

When the second seal was broken, the Holy Spirit “rode out” of Heaven’s temple. He immediately began a campaign to translate and distribute the Bible (the sword of truth) throughout the world. The Holy Spirit motivated Protestants to form numerous Bible societies in Europe and in the United States.

 

Starting in 1800, Protestants in Europe and the United States gave sacrificially and generously toward the translation and distribution of the Bibles because they well knew their victory over the Church of Rome came through the exaltation of Bible truth. 

 

Because the Bibles became increasingly accessible, laymen could study “the Good Book” and as they investigated the Word of God, they began to understand the deep apostasy of Rome for themselves. Prior to the fall of the papacy in 1798, ownership of a Bible was rare in Europe because of expense, or in some countries, the possession of it was forbidden by the Church.

 

Today, this context seems so foreign. Even the Church of Rome publishes Bibles, albeit in the archaic Douay Version. What produced this marvelous transition from the Bibles to many Bibles? I can find no better reason than the opening of the second seal. From 1800 to 1844, the Bible (or portions of it) was translated into approximately 112 translations. By 1944, one hundred years later, the number of translations exceeded one thousand. Today, the number of translations exceeds 1,500. Look again at the second seal:

 

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.”

 

As Protestants began to read the Bible, various ideas about the teachings of Jesus sprang up. Because nineteenth century Protestants were a diverse group of people from many nations of Europe and the United States, Protestantism fractured into several distinctive denominations after 1798 under the leadership of various godly people. This is what Jesus wanted. He does want one church to rule over the thinking of mankind again. 

 

The Holy Spirit was sent on a campaign to see that the Bible was translated and widely distributed because there is no other authoritative source on the teachings of Jesus. For the past two hundred years, the Bible has been progressing throughout the world, one book at a time. The Bible tells us what sin is and it presents our true condition and position before God. Soon, a time will come when Bible truth will cause wicked men to slay the saints! And wicked people will think they are doing a service for God!

 

The ultimate deception is to make people think that wrong is right and right is wrong. During the Great Tribulation, when the devil appears on Earth, masquerading as Almighty God, billions will honor him and obey his evil commands.

 

Revelation 13:15   And he [Lucifer] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

And a third of mankind will be killed. (Revelation 9:15)

 

Third Seal

 

Revelation 6:5   When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

 

Revelation 6:6   Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

 

For reasons forthcoming, this seal was broken in 1844.

 

At just the right time, the Holy Spirit was sent from the throne room on a campaign to inform the world that Jesus had begun to judge the dead. The face of the third living creature is like that of a man. (Revelation 4:7) This faces indicates the Holy Spirit has an intelligent message from Jesus that mankind needs to understand.

 

The scales in the hand of the rider indicate judgment”… the court was seated and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:10) The breaking of the third seal marks the beginning of the judgment bar of Christ!

 

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

 (2 Corinthians 5:10)

 

Remember our discussion about the cleansing of Heaven’s temple at the end of the 2,300 days? Remember our earlier discussions about the doctrine of soul sleep? The third seal merges soul sleep, the worthiness of Jesus and the pre-Advent judgment into one comprehensive prophetic fulfillment.

 

Of course, if a person does not understand the doctrine of soul sleep or God’s use of parallel temples or the four rules of interpretation, the breaking open of the third seal in 1844 will make very little sense.

 

The doctrine of parallel temples teach that long ago, God set a date, near the end of the world, for Jesus, our High Priest, to begin cleansing the temple in Heaven. The temple in Heaven needs cleansing because a record of our sins has defiled that temple. We have discussed the prophetic precision of 1798 and 1844 at length. We have closely examined the date Jesus was found worthy to receive the Book of Life and we have examined the breaking of the first two seals.

 

The orderly progression of the historical matrix is unmistakable if you understand the five essential doctrines and the four rules of interpretation. The cleansing of Heaven’s temple is accomplished by transferring the guilt of each person to its final destiny. Notice how it works: Upon investigating the records of each dead person, Jesus decides if that person is wicked or righteous. After making this decision, the sinner’s guilt either remains on the head of that wicked person, or if that person is found to be righteous person because of his faith in Christ, his guilt is transferred onto the head of the scapegoat. The scapegoat is Lucifer.

 

Remember the two goats that were slain on the Day of Atonement? The Lord’s goat (represented Jesus) because He provided atonement for the penalty of sin (Leviticus 16:21). The scapegoat represented Lucifer who is responsible for sin. (Leviticus 16:22) 

 

Jesus said that Lucifer is the father of sin, as such; he bears full responsibility for it. (John 8:44) The doctrine of soul sleep teaches that the dead are not judged at the time of death, nor do they go to Heaven of Hell at the time of death. We also know that the righteous dead will be the first to meet Jesus in the air at the Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17) and we know that the wicked dead will be resurrected at the end of the thousand years (Revelation 20:5,6).

 

So, the remaining question for the third seal concerns timing. When are the dead judged? The answer to this question is resolved by the alignment of two essential teachings of Jesus (the doctrine of soul sleep and the parallel temples) and the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation tell us when the judgment of mankind begins.

 

Daniel 8:14 tells us the judgment bar of Christ began in 1844, and the breaking open of the third seal in Revelation 6:5,6 perfectly aligns with this date.

 

The Holy Spirit departed the throne room around 1844 on a campaign to inform the world that the judgment of the dead had begun. The scales in the hand of the rider on the horse indicate the time for the judgment of mankind has arrived. “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

 

Remember the mysterious words written on the walls at Belshazzar’s feast? Daniel told the Babylonian king, ”…You have been found weighed on the scales and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27) God weighs the actions of nations as well as individuals. Jesus weighs our actions and our knowledge of right and wrong in judgment.”

 

“Anyone, then, who knows the good that he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins…. If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (James 4:7; Hebrews 10:26,27)

 

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