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Waves upon the shore

The Seven Seals

I watched as the Lamb opened ...

Only the Lamb (Jesus) is worthy to take the scroll and break its seals. The scroll opened by the Lamb in Revelation 6 is the same scroll presented in Revelation 5 — written on both sides and sealed seven times. It represents the formal execution of divine covenant judgment and inheritance. As each seal is broken, the contents of that scroll begin to unfold in history.

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The Seven Seals reveal the progressive removal of restraint, the exposure of covenant rebellion, the cry of the faithful, and the announcement of impending Day-of-the-LORD wrath — before the execution phase begins in the trumpets.

 

These first six seals parallel Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:4–9; 24:29–31, where false messiahs, wars, famines, persecution, and cosmic disturbances unfold in the same order (see The Tribulation Page). ​​As Jesus breaks the first fours seals, each of the four living creatures invites John to come and see.  This invitation shows their influence over the events happening.

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The four horsemen of the Apocalypse. - Symbols of war horses that await to unleash God's judgment on his creation. These are not literal men, but the four spirits (or winds or angels) of heaven. The first three create conditions that culminate in the fourth, like the release of a malaise (general feeling or sense of dysfunction that permeates and is not easily identified) that amplifies the coming 4th Seal, while the fourth releases mechanisms of judgment that can be identified. 

  • Zechariah 1:8-11 "8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. 9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.” 11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

  • Zechariah 6:1-8 (See the Four Chariots, the Four Winds)

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BREAKING THE FIRST SEAL

White horse of the first seal in Revelation 6:1–2

​Revelation 6:1-2 "1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

  • ​"white horse" - a symbol of peace, purity, holiness, righteousness, but this is a spirit of deception. I do not believe this is the Anti-Christ because he is already in the world and given power through Satan as God will's and His judgment allows, but the Anti-Christ will be a part of facilitating a false peace. This is deceptive righteousness.

  • "bow" - symbol of war, a war on truth; no arrows show ​the threat of force; non-military approach such  as politics, technology, culture, religion and commerce.

  • "given" - (Greek "edothē" means to grant or bestow) not inherited or of royal lineage; in this case, it was not earned through achievement of the wearer, but by the one who gave it.

  • "crown" - (Greek "stephanos" is a victor's trophy or general symbol of honor) does not imply authority of position, only achievement. Evil is allowed to appear victorious for a time—by permission, not by rightful claim. This would suggest that it will be allowed to fully obscure discernment.

  • "as a conqueror bent on conquest" - Imitation peace that will appear true. The evil plans and purposes of Satan will be calculated and focused on achieving its proposed goal.

  • Matthew 24:4-5 "4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many."

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BREAKING THE SECOND SEAL

Red horse of the second seal takes peace from the earth (Revelation 6:3–4)

Revelation 6:3-4 "3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword."

  • "red horse" - a spirit of discord; increase in wickedness; anarchy is the breakdown of law and order in society. "Red" is symbolic, resulting in the death of innocent people in violence and murder. Injustice will abound in criminal matters.

    • 1 John 3:4 "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."

  • "given power" - (Greek "edothē" means to grant or bestow) shows power or authority not from own might of rider.

  • "take peace" - in a personal sense; the magnification of each individual anxiety is reflected in their society and overwhelms it.

  • "large sword" - (Greek "megalē" means great and "machaira" means dagger or short sword) This may refer to the ceremonial knife used for the slaughter of animals for Jewish sacrifice and that it is great refers that its use is widespread, perhaps even global. In context, it would be an assassin or murderer's weapon no different than a person indiscriminately stabbing innocent people in public.

  • Jesus said in Matthew 10:34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword ("machairan")." Paraphrase: I came not to rule, but to become a sacrifice.

    • Same word in Hebrew when Abraham took Isaac to the mountain in Genesis 22:6, 10 "6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ... 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son."

    • Matthew 24:6-7, 12 "6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ... 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,"

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BREAKING THE THIRD SEAL

Black horse holding scales symbolizing economic collapse (Revelation 6:5–6)

Revelation 6:5-6 "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. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

  • "black horse" - a spirit of deprivation; an honest days work does not have the buying power of the past. "Black" is an absence of light, which is essential to life and growth.

  • "holding a pair of scales" - small hand-held scales were used by bankers and money-changers in association with money and commerce. The rider has power to negatively affect the economy or marketplace. This could be an injustice in pricing, through lack of supply, tariffs, war, high taxes, inflation, bad trade policies or greed.

  • minimum allowances for one man, but not enough to properly feed a family.

    • "Two pounds of wheat" - less quantity but higher nutrition.

    • "six pounds of barley" - higher quantity but less nutrition.

    • Lack of abundance blessing shows God's judgment

      • grain - symbol of provision from the Lord and tithe through sacrificial offering

        • Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread." (the Lord's model prayer)

        • Leviticus 2:1-2 "1 When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it 2 and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." (Grain offering as first fruits; regardless of quantity it must be the best)

  • "do not damage [to be unjust with] the oil and the wine" - the rider's power is limited and does not extend to luxury items. It is possible that there is a spiritual context whereby the bread represents the lack of spiritual food or the word of God in society, but the oil of the Holy Spirit and wine of Jesus' sacrifice is still available in abundance for salvation.

    • Genesis 27:28 "26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.” 27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. 28 May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine."

    • Deuteronomy 11:13-14 "13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

      • Faithfulness to God the Father brings blessing, abundance and evidence of favor.

      • Jesus is symbolic in these items

        • Matthew 26:26-30 "26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread [grain], and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine [wine] from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives [place where olive are grown and crushed]."

          • Bread - his body broke; flour comes from crushed grain

          • Wine - his blood poured out; new wine comes from crushed grapes

          • Oil - the coming Holy Spirit; oil comes from crushed olives

    • Joel 2:19 "The Lord replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new [fresh] wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations."

      • "I am sending" - as compensation for the plague of locusts who consumed what you worked for

      • oil - Holy Spirit; Old covenant God would withhold or poured out and it would be upon the person; New covenant is the Holy Spirit inside believers. (see Seal on the Forehead)

      • wine - covenant; old v. new

    • Hosea 2:21-22 "21 “In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord—“I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; 22 and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,  and they will respond to Jezreel [means "God plants]."

    • Luke 5:37-39 " 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

      • wineskin - a person

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BREAKING THE FOURTH SEAL

Pale horse named Death followed by Hades (Revelation 6:7–8)

Revelation 6:7-8 "7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."

  • ​"pale horse" - a spirit of judgment; pale = Greek "chlōros" means ashen, greenish or pale green as in gangrene that results from a lack of blood or infection in flesh.

  • "named Death" (see Afterlife Slideshow)

  • "Hades was following" (see Hades or Sheol)​​

  • "power over 1/4 of the earth to kill by ..." - unlike the malaise delivered by the first three (3) Seals, these are God's four types or mechanism of delivering His wrath:

    • Punishments for disobedience in the wilderness in Leviticus 26:17-25:

      • sword: 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.”; 

      • famine: 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit; 

      • wild beasts: 22 I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted; 

      • plague: 16 … I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength; 25 … I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.

    • Judgments on Jerusalem in Ezekiel 14:21 “For this is what the Lord God [Adonai Yehovah] says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!”

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BREAKING THE FIFTH SEAL

Revelation 6:9-11 "9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been [in the view of Proposal A below, for being Jewish]."

  • ​"under the altar" - this is the golden altar of incense in the 3rd heaven, inside God's temple, from which the temporary tabernacle and all versions of the physical Jewish Temples were modeled with their own altar.

    • Exodus 30:6 "Put the altar [of incense] in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you [in the tabernacle]."

      • The altar of incense represents the prayers and intercession of people, ascending to God as a sweet-smelling offering to the Throne Room of God in the 3rd Heaven

    • Leviticus 4:7 "The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting."

    • 1 Kings 7:48 "Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple: the golden altar;"

    • Revelation 11:19 "​Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm."

  • "souls" - who are these souls?

    • Foundational Observations (Textual Baseline)

      • Pre-Trib Rapture - Those who confess Jesus as Messiah would already be in the 3rd Heaven with their resurrection bodies at the Rapture.

      • “souls” (Greek: psychas)

        • only the soul and spirit of someone counted righteous before God under the altar in heaven

        • disembodied persons, not yet resurrected

        • compare Rev 20:4 “I saw the souls… they came to life”

        • See Proposals A and B below

      • “under the altar”

        • sacrificial imagery (Lev 4:7; blood poured at base of altar)

        • martyrdom treated as offering

        • they are considered righteous

      • “slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained”

        • for being Jewish and keeping the law; this will last until the Anti-Christ stops the sacrificial system at the Temple and the Jewish hearts are no longer hardened by God so that they can recognize Jesus as the Messiah

          • "the word of God" - Mosaic Law in Torah

          • "testimony" - tied to covenant fidelity; identity as Jews and Staying loyal to the God of Israel and the promises He made, even when you don’t yet recognize Jesus as the Messiah; this does not say the "testimony of Jesus" like in Revelation 20:4

        • loyalty-based persecution, not accidental death

        • tied to covenant fidelity - Staying loyal to the God of Israel and the promises He made, even when you don’t yet recognize Jesus as the Messiah

      • "call out" - they are under the altar of incense so their calling out is mixed with prayers and supplications.  Typically, this call would be for intercessory blessing, but these are calls for revenge for injustice.

        • “How long, Sovereign Lord…?”

          • Jews referring to Gentile injustice against God's people over the centuries.

          • covenant lament language (Ps 13:1; Hab 1:2; Zech 1:12)

      • "given a white robe" - white robe is righteousness; given means that God's will cleanse them (God has mercy on who he will have mercy). Unlike Revelation 7:14 "... they [tribulation saints] have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb", these robes are already white.

        • vindication / cleansing

          • Zechariah 3:3 “The angel [of the LORD] said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua [Jewish High Priest], “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

          • Zephaniah 3:9-11 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. 11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill."

      • “wait a little longer until the full number…”

        • ongoing martyrdom not yet complete until Second Coming after the end of Tribulation Period

        • future 1st Resurrection implied (Rev 20:4–6)

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BREAKING THE SIXTH SEAL

​Revelation 6:12-17 "12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and 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 has come, and who can withstand it?” "​

  • Calamities in heavens and on earth - beginning signs that manifest creation's reaction to God's wrath​ and reflect how powerless humanity is to stop them.

  • "Called to the mountains and rocks" - prophecy

    • Hosea 10:8 "The high places of wickedness [idol worship] will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel.
      Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

    • Luke 23:28-31 " 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” 31 For if people do these things [crucify their Messiah] when the tree is green [times of God's blessing], what will happen when it is dry? [distress at the end of days]”

  • ​"him who sits on the throne" - God the Father

  • "the wrath of the Lamb" - God the Son in Jesus Christ who is acting in the will of God the Father as His agent of judgment.

  • "great day of their wrath"
    • Many preachers and scholars point to this verse to suggest that this statement is evidence that this is the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but I believe the start of the Great Tribulation begins with the announcement by the mighty angel in chapter 10 and concludes at the end of Chapter 18 in accordance with chapter 15.
      • Revelation 10:7 "But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
      • Revelation 15:1 "I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed."

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THE 144,000 WITH THE SEAL OF GOD

Revelation 7:1-8

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v1 "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree."

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  • "After this" = the first six (6) seals are broken and judgment has begun, but not before the 7th seal is broken.  This period is a pause or interlude in God's judgment in order to accomplish something.

  • "four angels" = possibly tied to four angels in Revelation 9:14-16

    • destructive agents as opposed to the Holy Spirit, which is a restraining agent (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 "6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.)

  • "four corners of the earth" = the global directions of entire earth (North, East, South, West)

  • "four winds of the earth" = wind also refers to "God's spirit" or "breath of God"

    • Jeremiah 49:36 "I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go."

      • Elam's archers may have aided in the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians

    • Ezekiel 37:9-10 "9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army."

    • Matthew 24:30-31 "30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

    • Daniel 7:2 "Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea."

    • Daniel 8:8 "The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven."

    • Daniel 11:4 "After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others."

    • Zechariah 2:6 "“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord."

    • Mark 13:27 "And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens."

    • Zechariah 6:1-8 (the Four Chariots are the four winds)

      • North (black horses)

      • In valley (red horses)

      • North (white horses)

      • South (dappled horses)

    • Revelation 6:2-8 (the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the four winds)

      • 1st Seal (white horse) - false victory / false peace

      • 2nd Seal (red horse) - anarchy

      • 3rd Seal (black horse) - economic hardship

      • 4th Seal (pale/greenish horse) - the 4 judgments of God

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​v2 "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:"

  • "coming up" - Greek "anabainonta" means "having ascended"

  • Directional meanings

    • Can describe movement or progress

      • "from the east" - Greek "anatolēs" means "from the rising", and "ēliou" means "of the sun"; in ancient times, the east was the default direction much like north is not in current times since we have compasses. 

      • Job 23:8 "8 “But if I go to the forward [Hebrew "kedem" - east], he is not there;
           if I go to the backward [Hebrew "achowr" - west], I do not find him.
        9 When he is at work on the left [Hebrew "smo'wl" - in the north], I do not see him;
           when he turns on the right [Hebrew "yamin" - to the south], I catch no glimpse of him.

    • Can describe direction

      • Deuteronomy 3:27 "Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west [Hebrew "yam" - west to the Mediterranean Sea] and north [Hebrew "tsaphown" - hidden in the dark"] and south [Hebrew "teyman" - opposite of north] and east [Hebrew "mizrach" - toward sunrise]. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan."

    • Can describe entering or leaving (the Temple faced east)

      • Psalms 75:6 "No one from the east [Hebrew "mowtsa" means "to go forth, exit, sunrise] or the west [Hebrew "ma`arab" means "a sense of shade, enter, sunset"] or from the desert can exalt themselves."

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v3 "“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” In other words, the First Trumpet will not sound until all 144,000 have been marked.

  • "land" - earth (see First Trumpet)

  • "sea" - waters, including lakes (see Second Trumpet and Third Trumpet)

  • "trees" - (see First Trumpet)

  • "seal on the foreheads" - Holy Spirit within these Jews

    • Greek "sphragizó" means spiritual marking with a legal guaranteeing of a promise

    • the Holy Spirit is the seal of God

      • Ezekiel 9:4–6 “4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” 5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark.”

      • Ephesians 1:13-14 “13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

      • Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

      • John 6:27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him [Jesus Christ] God the Father has placed his seal of approval [Holy Spirit].

    • the Holy Spirit is the anointing of God

      • 1 John 2:20-27 "20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

        • Greek "chrisma" means "ointment, like an oil"; anointing" is the source of our understanding (the Holy Spirit); it is also the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person’s head or entire body.

      • 1 Samuel 16:13 "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah."

      • Luke 4:18 "“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor [not by title, but by purpose and empowerment]. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, " (quote from Isaiah's prophecy regarding the Messiah as read by Jesus in proclamation of his arrival at the Nazareth synagogue)

      • John 14:25-26 "25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate [or Counselor], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

    • God used a mark [Hebrew "owth" means "sign or mark"] in the Old Testament

      • Genesis 4:15 "But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

      • Genesis 12:13 "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."

      • Revelation 14:1 "Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

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v4-8 "4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah [4th born, lineage of Messiah] 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben [1st born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad [7th born] 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher [8th born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali [6th born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh [2nd born of Joseph] 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon [2nd born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi [3rd born, but had no land] 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar [9th born] 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun [10th born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph [11th born] 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12th born] 12,000.

  • these are actual 12 groups of Israelites

  • the sealing is based on God's sovereignty and consistent with God's use of a remnant

  • both the tribe Dan [5th born] and tribe of Ephraim [1st born of Joseph] were excluded because both tribes tolerated idolatry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam:

    • 1 Kings 12:25-33 "25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. 26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” 28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. 31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings. 

      • Judges 1:22-26 "22 Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. 26 He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day." (land was given to tribe of Benjamin, but it was captured/controlled by tribe of Ephraim)

    • Judges 18:30 "​There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land."​

    • Isaiah 11:13 "Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies[a] will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim."

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BREAKING THE SEVENTH SEAL

Revelation 8:1-5

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The seventh seal is not another event, but the transition into a more intensified series of judgments — the trumpets.

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​v1 "When he [the Lamb] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."

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  • "silence" - since this final seal opens the judgment scroll, perhaps this time is required to read what is written on both sides of the scroll and to set things in motion for redemption / protection of the Jews. What breaks the silence is the sound of the trumpets.

    • Revelation 5:1 "Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals."

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WHO ARE THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR?

Proposal A: The Souls Are Hardened Covenant Jews (Remnant Under Discipline)

  • The text does not explicitly identify these martyrs as confessing Jesus by name, nor does it exclude covenant-faithful Jews whose faith remained anchored in God’s promised Messiah. Revelation emphasizes their loyalty to God and their suffering for that loyalty. Their vindication ultimately rests in the Lamb, because there is no salvation apart from Him, even if the fullness of recognition unfolds within God’s sovereign timetable.

  • These “souls” may be Jews who:

    • Do not have resurrection bodies yet.

    • Died in covenant fidelity.

    • Were judicially hardened regarding Jesus’ identity (Rom 11:25).

    • Maintained faith in the promised Messiah.

    • Are awaiting unveiling and vindication.

  • ​Support for This View

    • Israel uniquely bore “the word of God” to the world

      • Rom 3:2 – entrusted with the oracles of God

      • Rom 9:4–5 – covenants, promises, patriarchs

      • Israel historically persecuted for covenant identity

    • Remnant principle

      • Rom 11:5 – “a remnant chosen by grace”

      • Isa 10:20–22 – remnant returns

      • Zech 3 – Joshua cleansed; covenant restoration imagery

      • Deut 30:1–6 – restoration after discipline

    • Zechariah 3:1-3 — priestly cleansing under accusation

      • Joshua the High Priest (Israel) stands before the Angel of the LORD (Jesus).

      • Satan stands at his right side to accuse him.

      • Joshua is dressed in filthy garments (symbol of sin/uncleanness).

      • The LORD rebukes Satan.

      • The LORD removes Joshua’s filthy garments.

      • The LORD says: “I have taken away your sin.”

      • Joshua is clothed in clean garments.

      • This is initiated entirely by the LORD, not Joshua.

      • Context is messianic (“My servant, the Branch” — Zech 3:8).

      • Represents covenant Israel under accusation, then cleansed and restored.

    • Hardening is partial and temporary

      • Rom 11:25 – hardened “in part” and “until”

      • Rom 11:29 – gifts and calling irrevocable

      • Zech 12:10 – future recognition at unveiling

    • Revelation 6 does NOT say “testimony of Jesus”

      • Contrast to its inclusion: Rev 1:2; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4

      • Seal 5 uses broader phrase: “the testimony they had” - of being Jewish and the Old Testament scriptures, including looking forward in faith to the promised Messiah

      • This leaves interpretive space for covenant testimony language.

    • Lament language fits their long historical suffering

      • Ps 79:5–10 – persecution of covenant people

      • Hab 1:2 – “How long?”

      • Jewish persecution spans centuries

      • “Little while longer” may be relative to God’s timeline (2 Pet 3:8).

    • “Sovereign Lord” appeal

      • Emphasizes God’s authority to show mercy (Rom 9:15–18)

      • Mercy is His prerogative

      • Not entitlement, but covenant appeal

  • Challenges to This View

    • Revelation is Lamb-centered

      • Rev 5 – the Lamb is central

      • Rev 7:14 – robes washed in blood of the Lamb

      • Rev 14 – 144,000 stand with the Lamb

      • Rev 20:4 – testimony about Jesus explicitly stated

      • The book consistently connects vindication to the Lamb.

    • NT insists on recognition of Christ

      • John 5:23 – honor the Son

      • Acts 4:12 – no other name

      • Rom 10:9 – confess Jesus as Lord

      • Hardening explains blindness but does not explicitly define salvific standing during blindness. (it assumes the Jew who has faith in Messiah, but not in Jesus due to hardening, not rejection outright is counted righteous in the same manner as others in Hebrews 11)

    • Rev 20 defines First Resurrection participants

      • Rev 20:4 – “testimony about Jesus”

      • If Rev 6 and Rev 20 refer to the same group, Christ-confession seems implied.

Proposal B: The Souls Are Tribulation Saints (Post-Rapture Converts)

  • These “souls” may be:

    • Believers who come to faith during the Tribulation.

    • Killed by the beast system.

    • Awaiting resurrection at Rev 20.

    • Told to wait until final harvest/judgment.

  • Support for This View

    • Narrative placement

      • Seal 5 follows escalating judgment (Seals 1–4).

      • Context suggests persecution intensifying during final period.

    • “Full number” implies ongoing wave

      • Rev 6:11 – “until the full number…”

      • Sounds like final concentrated martyrdom period.

    • Rev 20 connection

      • Rev 20:4 – beheaded for testimony about Jesus

      • Strong parallel to Rev 6:9–11

      • Called “First Resurrection”

      • This is the cleanest textual link.

    • Beast persecution language

      • Rev 13:7 – war against the saints

      • Rev 14:12 – endurance of saints

      • Rev 12:17 – war against those who hold testimony of Jesus

      • Revelation repeatedly portrays Tribulation believers being killed.

    • White robe pattern

      • Rev 7:14 – robes washed in Lamb’s blood

      • Rev 19:8 – righteous acts of saints

      • Strong Christ-centered vindication pattern

  • Challenges to This View

    • Rev 6 does not specify timing

      • No explicit statement: “killed during these seals”

      • Could represent cumulative martyrs.

    • “How long?” echoes long covenant suffering

      • Not necessarily a 3.5–7 year window

      • Language fits centuries of persecution.

    • Revelation may be cyclical, not strictly chronological

      • If Revelation recapitulates themes, Seal 5 may symbolize the entire history of martyrdom culminating in final judgment.

      • God delays judgment until His plan is complete.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

The Seven Seals show the Lamb beginning the formal execution of what is written in the covenant scroll: restraint is lifted, deception spreads, peace collapses, scarcity follows, and death is released through the same covenant judgments God warned of long ago. Yet before the next phase begins, Seal 5 pulls the veil back and shows heaven’s view of faithful suffering. These souls are not “super Christians,” but the righteous dead who were slain for holding to God’s Word and the testimony they would not abandon.

 

Whether understood as covenant-faithful Jews preserved through hardening, or as believers who come to faith during the Tribulation and are killed for it, the point is the same: God has not forgotten His witnesses, their blood is not wasted, and their vindication is scheduled, not uncertain. They are given white robes as a sign that God has already claimed them as His, but they must wait until the full number is complete—because judgment is unfolding on God’s timetable. When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, the scroll moves from warning signs to intensified execution in the trumpets, and the world is carried toward the Day-of-the-LORD climax that no one can withstand apart from mercy.

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Scripture citations are provided in-line; cross-references include Matthew 24, Zechariah 1 & 6, Leviticus 26, and Ezekiel 14.

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Last updated: February 2026

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