LESSON SEVEN. CHAPTERS 6-7
Seals. Martyrdom and Vindication of The Churches
In chapter 6, as the seals of the scroll are broken, God reveals the events that precede the coming judgments of the scroll. Here, as we see the witness of the church effectively disabled by the slaughter of the overcoming saints, God shows us why He will intervene.
Before God unleashes the judgments to come with the execution of the scroll, John is shown that the Lamb will enable certain events and conditions. These events will unfold as each seal of the scroll is broken (chap. 6). Saints will exhibit an overcoming witness (seal one), apparently responding to the overcoming encouraged in the seven messages (chaps. 2 and 3) and displayed by the Lamb (5:6). Warfare will subsequently break out (seal two) involving one quarter of the earth (6:8b), apparently directed at destroying the overcoming saints (6:9). Famine will result from the conditions produced by warfare (seal three). Death will dominate life (seal four). God, in response to the slaughter of the saints, will cause a major celestial event (meteor shower) that focuses the entire earth on His coming wrath (seals five and six).
Thus, as the seals are broken by the Lamb, conditions are enabled which reveal that the coming intervention and wrath of God will be in response to the slaughter of saints which disables (and paradoxically validates) the witness of the church.
But, with the slaughter of the saints, and the coming wrath of God, the question arises, "...who is able to stand?" (6:17). Chapter 7 is the answer to that question. Here we see bond-servants of God "sealed" before the tribulation of the scroll begins, and we learn that a very large company of redeemed from all nations will emerge victorious from the coming calamities.
The Seals 6:1-17
6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it had a bow; and there was given to him a crown: and he came forth overcoming, and so that he might overcome.
3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him who sat upon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given to him a great sword. 5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat upon it had a balance in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine. 7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. 8 And I saw, and behold, a living-green horse: and he who rode him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, the holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? 11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course . 12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; 13 and the stars of the heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree cast her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. 14 And the heaven was swept aside as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
Seal One. The Rider on the White Horse.
The white horse is a symbol of righteous activity. The picture of a rider on a white horse is a picture of someone engaging in a righteous quest. This rider is apparently a personification of a nation characterized by saints. The rider is given a crown of victory, portraying a successful campaign in his war against unrighteousness. This rider has a bow, a picture of military might. The sword, the word of God, that is wielded by Christ as he rides the white horse (19:11) is not portrayed here. Overall, peaceful conditions attend this rider's activity. The fact that the rider goes out "overcoming so that he might overcome," says that this rider is engaged in a series of actions in order to accomplish an overall righteous objective.
Seal Two. The Rider on the Red Horse.
The red horse is a symbol of bloodshed. Thus the rider on this horse engages in bloodshed, taking peace from the earth. A sword is given to him, appropriate to his activity. The victims of this rider's warfare, saints, are seen at the fifth seal "under the altar" where they cry for vindication of their blood (6:9-11).
This rider apparently personifies the activities of the one who will rise in the end-times and slaughter the saints. This is apparently the one who, because of his destructive act, becomes known as "the abomination of desolation." This is the "little horn" of Daniel and antichrist of prophecy.
(Compare the discussion of the dragon casting one-third of the stars of heaven to earth in 12:4, and the measuring of the temple in 11:1.)
Seal Three. The Rider on the Black Horse.
The black horse is a symbol of famine from an upset economy. Thus the rider on the black horse holds the scales used for trade in the marketplace. The price declared for the wheat and grain is very high for a small measure.
The voice from the center of the throne, (the Lamb's voice), instructs, "do not harm the oil and the wine." Oil and wine were used at the altar in Israel for ceremonies of worship. In the New Testament church the oil symbolized the Holy Spirit, and the wine, the blood of Christ shed for sin. The instruction amounts to an order that God's provision for worship and salvation shall not be in short supply even though there is famine.
Seal Four. The Rider on the living-green horse.79
The living-green horse is a symbol of life. But the rider of the horse is Death, with Hades following after. It is important to notice here that this rider does not engage in some specified activity, as in the case of the first three riders. The message from this scene comes from the stark contrast between the horse, living-green, controlled80 and ridden by Death. This is the only horse whose rider is named. Death, followed by the hopeless consequence of Hades, dominates the living.
The second sentence of verse eight does not continue to describe the rider on the green horse. Here we have a summary of that which results from the red, black and green horses.81 "And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword [rider on the red horse] and with famine [rider on the black horse] and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth [rider on the green horse].
Seal Five. Saints under the altar.
John's attention is now directed to saints who have been slain because of their testimony. They are "underneath the altar." This symbolic position is meant to convey the fact that their lives were subjected to sacrifice, just as their Lord had been (Matt. 16:24-25). As the rider on the white horse, they had intended to "overcome" just as their Lord, the Lamb, had "overcome." Their testimony, while living on the earth, was for the salvation of their enemies. The message of Christ having been rejected now becomes a demand for justice.
Each of them is given a white robe and told to rest. We are immediately reminded of the promise to Sardis, "he who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments..."(3:5).
They are also informed that other saints will be added to their number. Others are destined to give their lives in their testimony of Jesus.
Seal Six. The attention-getting event.
The breaking of the sixth seal now results in a world-wide calamity. John describes all the phenomena and results of a cataclysmic meteor shower. He sees "stars" falling to earth. He reports a great earthquake. He describes an atmosphere that is so debris-filled that "the sun became black as sackcloth." He sees the very mountain and island movement that would result from such an event. Every class of people is fearful of the coming wrath of God and the Lamb.
In their fearful words, wherein the inhabitants of the earth recognize that this is also the Lamb's wrath, we hear expressed the guilt inherent in the former rejection of God's grace. As we understand here, and throughout the book of Revelation, we worship God through the Lamb at the altar, or we are judged by the altar. (See the introduction to Lesson 5.)
In light of the intensity of the calamity, and the guilty expectation for even greater consequences, the question is asked, "...who is able to stand?" In chapter 7 the question is answered.
Chapter Seven. Sealing the Servants. Preview of the Redeemed.
Chapter 7 is a parenthetical statement about the servants of God who are related to the coming time of the trumpets. Our attention is first called to the 144,000 who are sealed (commissioned and protected) before the calamities of the trumpets begin. Then, we are shown a great multitude of people from all nations who will emerge to worship after the calamities of the great tribulation.
The 144,000 and The Great Multitude 7:1-17
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: 5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand: Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; 6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand; 7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; 8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. 11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These that are dressed in white robes, who are they, and from where came they? 14 And I say to him, My lord, you know. And he said to me, These are they who come of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he who sits on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Sealing of the 144,000.
Four angels are pictured "at the four corners of the earth," the four compass points, all directions. These angels have the power to harm the earth, sea and trees, but, are kept from unleashing their power until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads. (If you look ahead to chapter 8 you will notice that the judgments of the first two trumpets involve earth, trees and green grass (8:7), and sea (8:8).) The "seal" on the foreheads of the 144,000 is the name of the Father and the Lamb (cf. 14:1). This seal designates these as belonging to God. The 144,000 are referred to as "servants," a term in Revelation which generally designates a follower of the Lord Jesus.
John sees a particular angel "...ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God...." Both here, and later in the description of coming kings (16:12), the phrase from the rising of the sun designates the new day, not the compass point "east." When John and other New Testament writers wish to communicate the compass point, they simply use the word for rising and exclude of the sun (21:13). In that this angel has the seal of God, he is a representative of God's authority. In that this angel is portrayed as ascending, we are to understand that his sealing work arises necessarily from the circumstances of the soon arriving new day of the Lord. 84
Presumably the sealing is done before the calamities are allowed to begin, because the seal protects and designates these for a required service.
The 144,000 sealed are from "...every tribe of the sons of Israel" (7:4). Many commentators have suggested that (1) these are not ethnic descendants of Israel, and/or (2) the number, 144,000, is only symbolic. But, "the plain sense makes sense!" This contingent of believing Jews is seen later to be the same as the churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna (2:8, 3:7), the two witnesses (11:1-4) and the woman who gives birth (12:1).85
The number, 144,000 (or 12,000 from 12 tribes) is significant. Since "12" (and its multiples) can be seen throughout the Bible to portray the government of God, these believers are those through whom God governs His kingdom on earth during the time of the great tribulation (and after?).86
Note that of the twelve tribes named, Dan is missing, and is replaced by the half-tribe Manasseh. This may be explained by Jacob's prophecy concerning the end-days (Gen. 49). He says there that "Dan shall judge his people..." (Gen. 49:16-18). This would mean that Dan is in an adversary position against the other tribes in the end-time. There has been some speculation in history that the end-time ruler would be a Jew of the tribe of Dan.87
The great multitude from every nation.
John now sees a great multitude from "...every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues..." (7:9) in white robes worshipping at the throne of the Lamb with the heavenly host. Whereas John had just seen a definite number (144,000) from a definite nation (Israel), he now sees an indefinite number from all nations.
With a question, one of the heavenly elders prepares John to learn who it is he is now seeing. He then answers the question saying, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation..." (7:14).
As John had witnessed the sealing of the 144,000, he had seen a particular group prepared to go into the coming tribulation. John now sees the redeemed that come out of the great tribulation.88 We should notice that there is an apparent cause and effect relationship between these two groups. (144,000 go in, an uncountable number comes out!)
This is now the third worship scene of Revelation. The first scene focused on God as the Creator. The second scene focused on the Lamb, God's redemption. The scene before us now focuses on God, the Provider. He provides all that is necessary for saints from all nations to stand in victory before His throne, and He will provide for their every need throughout eternity.
Lesson Eight: Trumpets