Last Three Seals

Past few Sabbaths we went over the first four seals, the four horsemen. Now we approach the fifth seal and you can find it located at Revelation 6:9-11. We read in verse 9 that John saw those who were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, these were not people that wavered in their beliefs. In verse 10 those same ones are now seeking to be avenged for what they had gone through, but what I found most interesting in the fifth seal is found in verse 11. They are told to rest a little season longer, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. They will be avenged, but first a fulfilling of numbers needs to take place.

The beginning of the fulfilling of that number along with the opening of this seal I believe began sometime in the 11^th century when the roots of the many inquisitions had started. They would continue on all the way through to 1826. I also feel that though the inquisitions officially ended then, I think they have not come to a complete end. In WW2 I believe what had happened in the concentration camps was just another off shoot of the opening of the fifth seal and there will be again another one happening before Jesus’ return. When it’s ugly head springs back up in the future, and it will be brought about by religious people thinking they are doing the will of God.

The sixth seal can be found in Revelation 6:12-7:17. This is the last one that has opened, I believe. Pin pointing when this one opened is hard, but we can get a close idea I feel. We know it opens after the fourth seal, sometime after the 12^th century and before our time. I know earthquake activity has increased, but that is only one sign. Though the seal opens with an earthquake, I doubt that was supposed to be the end of them. The quake that hit not too long ago in 2004 which affected the earth’s axis I feel is what is mentioned in verse 14. In that verse it speaks of every mountain and island being moved out of its place, which literally happened when that earthquake struck in 2004. Now going back to the opening of the sixth seal that earthquake is another question, looking back through history the 1755 Lisbon quake might have been that earthquake. It may be of no consequence, but that quake took place on All Saint’s Day (As though it may have a connection to the avenging of the ones under the altar). I just found that interesting, for myself at least.

As for the darkening of the sun, the moon turning to blood, stars falling from heaven and the heavens rolling up as a scroll, these events may have happened already with many strange occurrences recorded in history or may still come to pass in our own days. Since they all take place within the sixth seal and before the opening of the seventh, we still need to remain watchful of events happening in and around us.

Next on the list in the sixth seal is the sealing of the 144,000 by God. He has an angel to go forth and to begin marking those He has picked as His elect, by sealing them with a mark on their foreheads. The sealing I believe has already begun. Will the completing of this sealing process usher in the opening of the seventh seal? Scriptures don’t mention it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the seventh seal was opened not to long afterwards.

We definitely need to be watchful of events in the world, especially for this next seal. The seventh seal found in Revelation 8:1 opens up with silence in heaven for the space of a half hour and then begins the sounding of the seven trumpets. I have pondered what that could be. Will it be a time when nothing will be allowed to fly, a kind of air flight shut down? Will there be some eerie silence that falls all over the earth? Will this be more of a spiritual event that only those that are truly close to God will even notice? Again that is why I keep saying we need to stay awake and be watchful just as Jesus wanted us to be. Let us not be caught sleeping on the watch and be caught off guard.