Revelation 6-8 The Seven Seals And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.—Revelation 5:1 Frank Shallieu The seals about to be broken by the risen Lord are none other than those affixed to the document seen earlier, as held fast, and as kept secret, in the hand of the Almighty One (Revelation 5:1). The initial disclosure of the contents of the scroll pertains to what the future would hold in store for God’s elect; that is, it is the shocking revelation of the then soon-to-come aberrant behavior of the professed Church of Christ during the gospel dispensation. The vision of this prophetic scroll clearly indicates (a) the Creator’s foreknowledge of history prior to fulfillment and (b) his intention to assure the faithful that no matter how surprising the developments about to arise, somehow behind all of them an ultimate benefit would accrue. It is important to realize that since these appalling circumstances do not originate with Divinity, they do not involve consequent moral responsibility on the part of Deity. Nonetheless, the subsequent tolerance and unchecked continuance of the evils, about to be unveiled by the Master, can be seen as the providential testing and proving ground for the development of the true Church and its worthiness to share future honors, power, and glory. The revealment of the sealed mystery is observed to occur in seven successive steps. The First Seal
(A.D. 33–323) The breaking of the seals and the ensuing events relate to the Lord’s permission (but not his sanction) of evil in the Church. In a spiritual sense a “horse” represents a doctrine or a teaching. Since the color white usually denotes purity, truth, or righteousness, the first impression rendered is that in some manner the white horse indicates a satisfactory state of affairs—whatever the interpretation given. Yet there are extenuating circumstances connected with the vision which teach otherwise. It is to be observed that the next three horses (verses 3 to 8) are of obvious evil import. Does not this suggest the possibility that all four, including the first horse, are of a foreboding and threatening nature? To carry this reasoning further, there exists evidence that the unidentified personages on the first three horses (verses 2, 4, and 5)—those entering and disappearing off the scene—are one and the same. They must be seen to somehow identify with the last or fourth mysterious horseman, the one whose “name . . . was Death.” The horse and the rider are the same in all four instances but viewed, as it were, in succeeding time frames in a variety of colors, differently armed and postured. The expression, either made or inferred, that there “was given unto him” (verses 2, 4, 5, and 8) a crown, a great sword, a balance scale, or power to destroy implies that the subjection over others—allowed to each of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse—lacked divine approval. The activity of the white horse and its rider embraces both the Ephesus and Smyrna periods of church history, a time when Christian doctrine remained relatively pure. In Ephesus the defiling influence applied to an individual here and there, but was rejected by the majority. In Smyrna this same influence increased to embrace a congregation or group of individuals here and there. In the early Church the bulk of the professed followers of the Master were honest and sincere, but there coexisted a troublesome minority who entertained unholy ambitions. Whenever illicit deeds secretly spawned surfaced, they were not tolerated but were promptly exposed, even as Paul admonished the doers of such deeds: “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us” (1 Corinthians 4:8). In fact, the mysterious rider of the white horse was identified as none other than the “mystery of iniquity,” which the apostle declared in his day “doth already work” (2Thessalonians 2:7). The rider of the first horse is already in possession of “a bow,” and it is the unauthorized use of this article of warfare that is inferred. The bow is a long-range weapon of stealth, revealing the long-term objective of a conniving and grasping clerical element desirous of earthly honors and emoluments, which are represented in the “crown.” “Be thou faithful unto death [first], and [then, afterwards] I will give thee a crown of life,” promised the Master to his loyal band of followers while others, professing his name illegally, usurped this authority at the conclusion of the very time period in which this advice was particularly applicable (Revelation 2:10). The inglorious day of conquest occurred when Constantine surrounded himself with Christian bishops, freed the clergy from oppression and taxation, permitted legacies to be left to them for religious purposes, and spent large sums of money to build churches. In the portrayal of the opening of the first four seals, the different equine colors seem to depict not merely the deterioration of doctrine in the Church, and the infusion of error, but perhaps—and more important still—an additional thought. As the circle or the wheel is a symbol of industry and progress, so each horse in the spectacle John witnessed is representative of a time-frame reference, the color of each horse furnishing a clue as to what period of the rider’s activity is being referred to. The white horse of the first seal would refer to the early Church of the first three centuries, before the apostasy or great falling away took place. The permission of evil in the Church can now be seen to be the invaluable proving or testing ground furnished the true soldiers of the Cross for the exercise of their faith in their Maker under circumstances of doubt and conditions of duress. The mystery rider of the various horses is revealed in gradual stages: first under the guise of clericalism, then in an illicit authoritarian church hierarchy, and finally, to be seen later, in the Papacy itself—the Antichrist. The Second Seal
(A.D. 323–539) More properly, the Greek word purrhos should have been translated “fiery red,” a color that is associated with the flamen pagan priesthood of Rome. The flame-red horse indicates the infusion of heathen philosophy into the body politic of the professed Church of Christ. It also points out the time period characterizing the second seal, which began when Christianity was adopted as the religion of the empire in A.D. 323. From this time forward, the pagan priesthood prudently converted to the new faith, bringing into the Christian Church many of the heathen superstitions, practices, and doctrines. In fact, paganism disappeared from without the Church in the exact proportion that it now appeared within it. Strife for positions of influence in the new religion of the empire arose between the so-called orthodox hierarchy of the Christian faith and the new inductees of the former flamen priesthood. The bishop of Rome was made Pontifex in A.D. 378, thereby appropriating to himself all the prerogatives of the pagan priesthood as well as retaining many of their false doctrines and practices. The professed Church was also torn asunder over the doctrine of the Trinity, between the sympathizers of Arius, the reformer, and those of Athanasius, the defender of orthodoxy. All Christian communities were agitated and exasperated by the torturous and sometimes elusive arguments about the nature of God. However, most of the Trinitarian advocates characteristically accused their antagonists of mean and secondary motives in a manner that clearly betrayed their own base spirit. Such felt the necessity for a definitive dogma to preserve the unity of the faith as they saw it, and their efforts led to character assassinations, riots, and banishments. The weapons of excommunication were forged in this period and dogmas established. Thus the change made by Constantine in the status of the Church raised vexing problems that troubled the peace of the realm. The era of the second seal brought to light a bitter political rivalry and controversy in the Eastern World between the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople, until the latter gained the ascendancy among the primates. On the other hand, in the West, the authority of the bishop of Rome was uncontested because there were no other cities of great importance, and the emperor in distant Constantinople did not have sufficient authority or power to dampen the ardor and aspirations of the western pontiff. Accordingly, he exercised immense political influence at home and possessed considerable prestige abroad. The legal triumph of the Roman Church over paganism, over rival patriarchs, and over all so-called heresy—a triumph that began in Constantine’s day and was finalized under Justinian in A.D. 539—completed its evolution from a persecuted sect to a persecuting state Church. The “great sword” (machaira) given to the mystery rider was a heavy-duty weapon contoured, if necessary, to hack or bludgeon through an opponent’s defense. Its effectiveness in crushing the enemy depended more upon machete-wielding energy and brute strength. Jesus exhorted his followers to join the ranks of Antipas, the faithful martyr class of this period, and to decry the spirit of patriarchal rivalry, particularly that which was headquartered in Rome, the seat or throne of Satan (Revelation 2:13). The Third Seal
(A.D. 539–1367) The black horse signifies doctrinal darkness or error. But since this symbol is coupled with a rider carrying a pair of balances, an additional thought is conveyed to indicate a state of scarcity, bread by weight being a curse (cf. Leviticus 26:26; Revelation 6:6). Therefore, the black horse also denotes a time period of prevailing famine (Lamentations 4:8; 5:10). The expression “a pair of balances” is a translation of the sole word zugos, which in its primary sense means “a yoke” and is thus rendered everywhere else in Scripture. Of course the choice of this word is intended to identify the type of measuring device employed, namely, a yoke-beam balance scale. Might not the thought of a yoke scale be also intended to indicate a prevailing condition of oppression and servitude? This wretched circumstance, like that of Job, did not escape divine notice but was foreseen and permitted as a test. The scale held aloft by the mystery rider shows that the horseman had complete custody over the food rationing about to take place. Before the significance of this verse can be interpreted, a definition of the terminology employed is essential. A “measure” (Greek choinix) denotes a small quantity containing approximately 1 pints of dry measure (see Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible). “Wheat” is a symbol both of God’s elect (Matthew 3:12; 13:30) and of their food (Psalm 81:13,16; 147:11,14). A “penny” (Greek denarius) is a just wage for a day of labor (Matthew 20:1-16). “Three measures” signifies error being more prevalent than truth, reminiscent of the leaven which that woman Jezebel used in adulterating three measures of meal (Matthew 13:33). “Barley” is a common food that is sometimes associated with an adulteress (Hosea 3:1,2) or that is linked with the jealousy offering of a wife under suspicion of infidelity (Numbers 5:15). “Oil” represents the holy spirit. “Wine” denotes the joy and love of the truth. By combining all these terms from a natural standpoint, one is able to sense the thrust of the vision. This insight, in turn, assists in understanding the spiritual application. The rider of the black horse, in a time of scarcity, carries a scale in his hand to ration grain that is for sale at an exorbitant price considering the proportional amount of meal obtained, especially the wheat. After a hard day of labor, a man is able to procure only a scant daily provision of wheat, the bare subsistence level of food allowed a slave, without any surplus for his family. Therefore, the servant is forced to purchase the barley, instead of the wheat, in order to feed the other hungry mouths. A condition of want is described under the third seal, affecting in this instance the whole of Christendom. It is a condition not of material deprivation, but of spiritual need—“not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11, 12). Yet the faithful Elijah class of this black horse era, though not finding an abundance of Scripture available, nonetheless fared better than did others. Instead of a diminution of benefit, the “no frills” life-support system furnished for the Lord’s people seems to have had the opposite effect. The comfort and consolation of the holy spirit (the oil), and the love of the truth with its exhilarating, compensatory joy (the wine), appear to have disproportionately far outweighed their meager provision of food (Psalm 37:16). The Fourth Seal
(A.D. 1367–1517) The second part of this verse should be rendered: “His name that sat on him was Death, and the grave [Greek hades] followed him.” The Greek word chloros, used to describe the color of the fourth horse, is translated “pale” in the majority of New Testament versions. This word occurs only four times in Scripture. In the three other instances, it is rendered unequivocally as “green” since it is associated with the color of grass. But in verse 8 the translators designated the horse as simply “pale” without reference to any specific color. The inference is that the animal was somewhat of an off-shade whitish hue, no clue being given as to whether there was a tinge of green or yellow. Some translators prefer to think of the horse as ashen, a color more easily identifiable with death. Others, however, qualify the color as “deathly pale” (Jerusalem Bible) or “sickly green” (Phillips Modern English). While the horse should properly be regarded as pale, sickly green in appearance, yet both horse and rider were soon seen to inflict great havoc upon others. The rider used the animal to pursue and destroy what it considered to be the enemy. In fact, so successful was the horseman’s endeavor that he was aptly named Death. Why was this appellation used? The color of the horse not merely signifies its death-dealing activity against opponents, but also exposes a self-contained, inherent malady that portends an eventual fate (not here delineated) similar to that being meted out to others—ultimate retribution. This vision seems to indicate that both the leadership and the doctrine of the orthodox Church were directed against an unnamed and despised foe deemed (erroneously) as heretical (John 16:2). The very exposure of a latent disease in the body politic of the Church by the advocates of reform infuriated the rider to rally his forces against such informers. The spirit of the mystery rider was reflected in the body of the horse, in the church doctrine, which figuratively was blanched white with frustration and anger, hurt to the “quick,” stung with the reproach of “heretical” reporting that disclosed the identity of the false Church as Antichrist (otherwise designated as Death). Only one personage, one rider, was named Death, only a single individual was pictured on horseback, being referred to as “his [not their] name that sat on him” (verse 8a). The context indicates that the rider, Death, was the causal factor in the carnage and that hades followed in the wake of Death. To express the matter another way, the rider and his horse proceeded forth, and a graveyard of destruction was left behind. Viewed in this light, the details blend into a harmonious whole. The vision declares that “power was given . . . over the fourth part of the earth.” There were four parts or four major divisions of Christendom during the fourth seal; namely, (1) Spain and Portugal; (2) England; (3) France, Burgundy, and Italy; and (4) Germany and the House of Hapsburg. Of these divisions, the scene and activity described in verse 8 relate to England primarily. It was there that the spiritual warfare occurred. The power was used “to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” The afflictions visited upon the hapless victims during the fourth seal were executed without mercy as though they were judgments by divine appointment. A further remarkable coincidence took place to mark this period: a ravaging, literal pestilence known as the “Black Death.” The Fifth Seal
(A.D. 1517–1789) These verses, describing the souls of those under the altar who were crying with a loud voice for the avenging of their shed blood, their death, clearly address the first incidence of murder recorded in the Old Testament (Genesis 4:3-11). In fact, a close scrutiny of the Genesis account sheds considerable light upon the significance of the lesson embodied in the fifth seal. Back there brother Cain slew brother Abel; but here in the Apocalypse the analogy and enigma being presented are of a persecuting Church inflicting punishment upon a persecuted Church. In the distant past, the first-born Cain was moved with jealousy and envy against innocent Abel; in the Revelation account, the time-honored nominal Church is stirred with anger against what it considers to be a late-coming, dissident (though in reality a peace-loving) membership. The voice and the blood of verse 10 bear a striking similarity to the voice and blood of Genesis 4:10. That the voice is not to be taken in a literal sense as the anguished cry of the deceased is discerned in that both symbols (the voice and the blood) have a spiritual significance depicting retributory justice—i.e., justice which demands satisfaction and punitive judgment for a violation of life-rights. The blood at the bottom of the altar indicates a martyred class. Those of this fifth period who faithfully sealed their testimony in blood were thus in line to receive the crown of life. The reward to be given to faithful Christians previously slain (by those in nominal churchianity possessing the murderous spirit of Cain) is here designated. The Abel class is assured that white vindication robes, representing also victory togas, are secured to all thus “slain for the word of God,” even to “every one of them” maintaining their integrity and sealing their testimony in “blood”—in death (verses 9 to 11a). All such will receive a better resurrection to life (Mark 8:35,36; Luke 9:24,25) and inherit a white (pure) nature in the spirit realm. This “rest yet for a . . . season [chronos, a time]” is symbolic; i.e., a period of 360 literal years is signified. In other words, the more-than-overcomers slain in Christ were appointed to a rest or sleep in death for a fixed duration of time: from the latter part of A.D. 1517 to the early spring of A.D. 1878. The Sixth Seal
(A.D. 1789–1878) The “earthquake” is not a mere earth tremor or trembling, either great or small; it refers instead to a violent eruption of the lower strata of society long chafing under centuries of repression and misrule, resulting in the temporary overthrow of the established norm of law and order and its replacement with a ten-year reign of terror. This earthquake, which introduces the sixth seal, is the French Revolution (1789-1799). The fall of the Bastille was the tocsin announcing this upheaval in France. Nearly all the ablest French scholars and writers of that day despised the Church and were unbelievers in Christianity. They consequently availed themselves of every opportunity to assail religion. Thus infidelity soon became the fashion. Many of the nobility, with amusement and pleasure, hearkened to these teachings of unbelief, which relieved them from the restraints of Christian morality. Later the court, becoming alarmed, laid a prohibition on their works, but did not dare to punish the writers themselves as they were too numerous and powerful. Notwithstanding such restriction, their writings proliferated and became one of the most powerful agents in ushering in the Revolution. These philosophers hated the religious establishment as a political institution. They were concerned not because the ecclesiastics assumed to regulate the concerns of the next life, but because they oppressively controlled the present life through their status as landlords, seigniors, tithe-holders, and administrators. The ecclesiastics occupied positions of honor, privilege, and might in a society that was to be overthrown. The teachings of true Christianity do erode and undermine dictatorial government, and therefore, despots have invariably waged warfare against the Bible. When Papacy became the great spiritual despotism that darkened the world, the Bible was the book it hated and feared above all others. With caution this corrupt hierarchy selected a few passages about submission and obedience, which it allowed to be read to the people, while the majestic principles of equality and fraternity, upon which the moral code of the Bible is reared, were vigilantly excluded from the public mind. In short, Christianity had two classes of vigorous assailants: (1) There were those who did not know how to discriminate between true Christianity and churchianity with its corruptions; this class considered Christianity and the Papal Church as one, and endeavored to batter down the hateful structure as a bastille of woe. (2) The second class understood Christianity to be a system that frowned upon all impurity and that continually pressed upon the mind a final judgment. Restive under such restraints, they labored for the overthrow of Christianity so that guilt might find repose in unbelief. The sun becoming dark “as sackcloth of hair” signifies not a mere diminution of sunlight but a mournful, impenetrable darkness beclouding the earth on a clear day. This celestial disturbance recorded in the Apocalypse, a book of symbols, does not imply a literal darkening of the sun or an actual discoloration of the moon, for it is to be interpreted spiritually. While the startling spectacle witnessed by the apostle—namely, the catastrophic quake upon the earth and the dissolution of the heaven above—is seen to have a direct cause and effect relationship, yet an additional thought is inferred. Both the disturbance below, upon the earth, as well as the disorder above it occur almost concurrently, that is, during the Revolution itself. As the light, heat, energy, and gravity of the sun (the moon also) exert their influence upon the planet, affecting vegetation and animal life, so likewise the lessons and precepts of holy Scripture, whether properly or improperly drawn, have affected the populace. The surface of the earth represents organized society underneath religious restraint. The mountains depict autocratic, authoritarian kingdoms of earth; and the isles, republican or democratic institutional forms of government. The heavens represent the powers of spiritual control. In the human family arrangement the sun, the moon, and the stars constitute the father, the mother, and the children, respectively (Genesis 37:9,10). With regard to earth’s rulership, the sun, the moon, and the stars would represent the king, the queen, and other governmental dignitaries, respectively. The portion of the sixth-seal vision in which the stars of heaven are seen to fall unto the earth, primarily deals with those in the ecclesiastical realm whom the populace had previously looked up to, but who now, in the French Revolution, fell from this esteem. Why are the falling stars likened to a “fig tree” casting “her untimely figs” when shaken of a mighty wind? Obviously, this is another figurative representation of the Revolution earthquake. Just as the Jewish nation, the fig tree (Matthew 24:32; Jeremiah 24), was the professed people of God, so the fig tree here, in antitype, is the professed gospel Church. Jesus’ cursing the fig tree at his First Advent, so that it withered in one day, indicated the soon-to-come destiny of Israel for rejecting Messiah (Mark 11:12-14,20,21). That figs represent either good or evil individuals of the Jewish nation is clearly seen in Jeremiah 24. In the Revelation account the same is true, the representation being of individuals of the professed Church of Christ. In this instance, however, only the nominal individuals are depicted (true Christians are excluded). The “untimely figs” suggest that though this picture closely parallels some of the events of the end time, it is but the “fore-crop” of the full and even more bitter harvest still to come. The scenes of violence in the French Revolution were untimely, premature, for the iniquity of the spiritual Amorites was not then yet full (Genesis 15:16). To all practical purposes, the earthquake (verse 12) and the “mighty wind” (verse 13) are synonymous, both representing different aspects of the same Revolution. The “four winds” (Revelation 7:1), only when unleashed, together with still another earthquake (Revelation 8:5), portray the great Armageddon. The Revolution in France, with its wind/earthquake, serves as a prototype of that which is to occur in the near future. From the highest to the lowest, all people in the realm were eventually affected by the reign of terror. Even those who were initially receptive to and proponents of reform became sick of the bloodshed and longed for stability and moderation of government. As time ensued, conditions evolved to such a state that all, both great and small, feared for their own safety and sought every manner of escape. At first, security was sought within the confines of the nation, but it seemed there were as many informers as there were people. Soon attempts were made to elicit the intervention and aid of foreign governments—even for invasion by these powers—to put a stop to the revolt. This effort failing, many of the citizenry fled to other lands (“mountains,” kingdoms), seeking to lose their identity there in some haven or refuge styled “the dens.” Some tried to identify with others of foreign extraction who had notable power and influence, particularly in the military. These are “the rocks” (instead of Christ) alluded to (1 Corinthians 10:4; Matthew 7:24). The expressions “fall on [or `over’] us” and “hide us” disclose the people’s abject humiliation; the complete abnegation of former assumed rights, titles, and privileges, if any; and the casting of their entire lot and fortune to the custodial care of others. The context seems to indicate that even those who formerly lived in unbelief now sensed, in this reversal of the state of affairs in their lives, that somehow a divine retribution for past misconduct and misdeeds was being brought to their attention. Historians verify that many in those days thought, indeed, the dread Armageddon had come. The Seventh
Seal (A.D. 1878- ) With the opening of the previous six seals, John witnessed startling events, but when the seventh seal is broken—the last and the most significant of a series because the others led up to it—what happens? Nothing! This example of the apostle’s patient obedience, this demonstration of loyalty—that is, his waiting in the midst of profound silence for one-half hour before the recurrence of sound and visual movement (without prior explanation or direction indicated)—to most persons would seem psychologically interminable. No doubt John sensed that the literal silence he was experiencing had some spiritual significance. It perhaps heightened and intensified, rather than dampened or diminished, his ardor or his curiosity as to the reason for this absence of sound. In what sense can it be said there will be a heavenly half hour of silence in the spiritual life of the Christian here on earth below during the time period of the seventh seal? It is replied: A marked sense of alienation, a feeling of want of instruction, a temporary lack of communication with God—all these sensations will be experienced by those individuals who prove not fortunate enough to be identified with the Very Elect as participants in the spirit (invisible) rapture of the last members of the Church in the flesh. Is there a precedent in Scripture that would illustrate this point? Yes. Prior to his ascension to heaven in a cloud, Jesus told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait there for further instruction (a reference to receiving the holy spirit of light and understanding). The apostles heeded the admonition and went to the city, where they waited behind locked doors because they feared the Jews. They remained there for ten days—waiting. Then, in the due time, the Pentecostal descent of the holy spirit fell upon them. They heard the sound of a mighty wind, felt the house tremor, and saw tongues of fire appear on the head of each one assembled there. When this strange happening subsided, each found he could speak in some foreign tongue or dialect. The appearance of tongue-shaped flames on their heads signified that the holy spirit had given them this ability as a gift. Henceforth, this prior sign proved to be a symbol of their capability not only to speak various languages, but to do so with power and authority (John 14:26; 16:8; Acts 1:3-5,12-14; 2:1-4). One noteworthy point should be kept in mind: The waiting period of silence and inactivity back there was punctuated, at its conclusion, by a startling and dramatic event—a demonstration of wind, shaking, and fire. The seventh-seal silence refers to a situation somewhat similar to the closing events of the First Advent. The comparison is to the departure of the last members of the Little Flock beyond the veil of flesh while the secondary or Great Company class are left behind to await renewed strength and further investiture of the holy spirit. When The Christ is complete, the half hour of silence will occur, preceding the earthquake. In other words, the silence will take place between the completion of the sacrifice and the Time of Trouble. It will accentuate the earthquake, and the earthquake will punctuate the silence. During this interim period, the Church will be formally presented to the Father and given their reward. After their grand entrance (2 Peter 1:11), God has a time scheduled—the exact length of which is unknown (perhaps six months more or less)—that will be a waiting period for the Great Company class. After the Bride of Christ is complete and the wedding ceremonies have subsided, a marriage supper will be prepared. The Bride will return down here to get her bridesmaids to come to this supper, but first the Great Company have to be made ready by entering into the Time of Trouble and washing their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). They will be led into the wilderness “by the hand of a fit man” to get this experience (Leviticus 16:21). Then they will be rescued with the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit may be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5). |