7 seal judgements continued
These 7 judgments will more than likely occur during the first three and half years of the Tribulation. Here is a description of each of these judgments and the Scripture verses to back it all up.
1. The First Seal
The first seal judgment is the releasing of the Antichrist upon our earth. The rider on the white horse is the Antichrist. You will notice that he is given a "crown" to wear. He is also riding a white horse. The color white stands for the fact that he will initially rise to power on peace and diplomacy. People will think he will have the answers to all of our problems. He will appear to be a "good guy." However the color of his horse is going to change in the second seal revealing his true nature.
Also notice that this verse says that a crown was "given" to him. This means that God is "allowing" this man to come forth at this time to eventually rule most, if not all of the earth, for a specified period of time.
This man would not be able to come to this kind of power unless God Himself would allow it. Also notice how this verse ends. Even though he is riding on a white horse, his ultimate aim is to conquer and gain control of the entire world. This verse ends with the statement that he goes out to conquer. Once he is allowed to be "released" by God, this man will waste no time in gaining control of his 10 nation confederacy, which he will eventually rule from along with the rest of the nations of the world. Here is the verse:
"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer." (Revelations 6:1-2) Notice that Jesus is the Lamb at the beginning of the verse. Jesus is the one who opens up the seal which means that God is allowing this event to occur.
2. The Second Seal
The second seal is again with the Antichrist riding on it, but this time the color of his horse changes from white to fiery red! This means that the Antichrist starts to show the rest of the world his true beastlike-warlike nature. Again the word to catch is the word "granted." It says in this verse that it was "granted" for this man to start to wage war and to take peace from the earth. Again, this will all be happening only with God allowing it to.
The last half of this verse tells you that this man will be allowed to take peace from the entire earth - not just from a few countries. When he starts to do this, this verse ends up by saying that people will start killing one another. The last sentence of this verse says that the Antichrist is given a "great sword," which means he now can go out to start wars and the killing of a lot of people and nations in order to get them to come under his rule. Here is the verse:
"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." And another horse, fiery red went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword." (Revelations 6: 3-4) Again, notice Jesus is the one who opens this seal allowing these events to happen.
3. The Third Seal
Again Jesus is the one who opens this next seal. In this seal, the horse of the Antichrist will now change from fiery red to black. As a result of the wars and the killing that starts to occur when the second seal is opened up, the color black represents the results of what wars start - and that is famine, disease and food shortages. In this verse, it says that people will work all day long in order to get just enough food to get them through for the day. It says a "quart of wheat for a denarious." A denarious was one days wages back in the Bible days. A quart of wheat was just enough food to get by with.
It also says that the oil and wine are not to be "harmed," which means the rich and the affluent will still have their rich lifestyles, while a lot of other people and nations will go under this type of tyranny where they will basically be living under "slave labor" conditions. Imagine this with our wealthy lifestyles in our country.
This verse also says that the rider on the black horse, who is the Antichrist, has a pair of scales in his hand. I believe these scales show that the Antichrist has the power and authority to "tip the scales in his favor." He will have the power to arrange for a lot of countries to be living under these "slave labor conditions" where they will have to work all day long just to be able to buy enough food to barely live on.
Bottom line - living conditions will become horrible and deplorable for a lot of people throughout the world once the Antichrist is able to "adjust the scales" to make this happen. Here is the verse: "When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and 3 quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." (Revelations 6:5-6)
3 quarts of barley are also considered just enough food to get by on.
4. The Fourth Seal
In this next seal judgment, things start going from bad to worse. The color of the horse now changes to a pale color. The pale color stands for death! I still believe that this is the horse of the Antichrist. This verse goes on to state that power is "given" to him to kill a fourth of the earth's population by sword, hunger, death and by the beasts of the earth.
I repeat, one fourth of all the people living at this time are going to be killed by one of the 4 ways mentioned above. The Antichrist will be the one responsible for arranging and setting up these events in order for this many people to be killed.
Again, notice that this power is "given" to him. This means that God is "allowing" these turn of events to occur through this unholy man. This verse also says that Hades follows death. This will be another whole article. However, long story short, Hades (hell) is the place where nonbelievers go when they die.
Nonbelievers do not go to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone until after the 1000 Millennium Kingdom is up. Hades is their "temporary" place of torment until that event happens. With Hades following after Death in this verse, it seems to be implying that the people being killed are nonbelievers, not Christians.
The Christians that get saved after the Rapture are going to be martyred, but God seems to be keeping their deaths separate from the deaths talked about in this seal judgment. So if you put these two together, you will have most of the Christians getting saved after the Rapture getting killed by the Antichrist along with one fourth of the rest of the nonbelievers also getting killed due to the wars and bloodshed caused by this man and some of the kings of the earth. This will be a mass killing of humans on a scale that the world has never seen before. This will be a "world holocaust," not just a Christian-Jewish holocaust. Here is the verse: "When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was death, and Hades followed him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth." (Revelations 6:7-8)
I believe the "beasts of the earth" are other kings and rulers who will join in with the Antichrist in setting up this mass slaughter of humans.
5. The Fifth Seal
Now this next seal judgment is different than the first four. With Christians now under heavy persecution along with one fourth of the nonbelievers, this seal judgment deals with the cries of the martyrs who are now in heaven with God. They are literally crying out to God asking Him when He is going to stop all this persecution and bloodshed and avenge them for being killed in this manner. God tells them to wait just a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants still on earth are killed and martyred as they were.
From this verse, you can tell that these days are literally numbered by God, which we already know from previous verses. We know that once the 7 year Tribulation starts, that it will run for a full 7 years.
This verse also tells us that even though the martyrs are crying out in heaven for God to take action, God is not going to move until these events run their course by the exact number of days as prophesied in Scripture. For God to allow this event with the martyrs crying out in heaven for Him to do something to act as one of the actual "seal judgments," shows us how bad this persecution is going to be on the earth.
This verse may also be implying that we, who may already be in heaven from the Rapture, may be allowed to watch all these events unfold from heaven. I have always believed that this was a possibility, since I feel the last 7 years on earth will be a "history lesson" that God will never want us to forget.
I believe that He wants to show all of us what will happen to our earth, once He pulls back His restraining hand, and allows Satan and one evil man, the Antichrist, to wreak as much havoc and destruction as they possibly can get away with. With the main body of believers raptured out before all these events start to occur, God is going to show all of us what will happen when He is not a part of our lives and our world.
All the atheists and nonbelievers who are living during this time are going to wish they were never born after they see what will be coming their way once God pulls His Church off of the earth. Atheists and the rest of the unbelieving world are going to find out the hard way that man does not have the answers to solve all the world's problems - only God does. And if you take God out of the equation, you will end up with MAXIMUM DEATH as will be shown in these last 7 years. Here is the verse: "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And a white robe was give to each of them. And it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed." (Revelations 6:9-11)
6. The Sixth Seal
Now in this seal judgment God starts to take action! With all the killing that is starting to occur in the above events, God shoots a heavy "torpedo" at the earth. God causes a great and massive earthquake to strike the earth. This earthquake is so heavy, that every mountain and every island is moved out of its place!
This verse says that when the kings of the earth see this event unfold, they will know that it is God because of the intensity and magnitude of it. This verse says that all of the rich men, great men, the mighty men, the commanders in chief, all the kings of the earth will initially hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains fearing that God will be coming after them. They will know that God has just released His furious wrath against them for all of their atrocities and evil deeds. This will be a warning shot across the bowels of their deck in that their days are numbered, and that God will be coming after them shortly to avenge the deaths of all Christians and all Jews who have been martyred during this time.
And as you will see on some of the other judgments to follow, these people still will not repent and turn to God. They will still continue to hold onto their evil ways and curse God. Unbelievable stupidity, arrogance and pride! And eventually that pride and arrogance is going to get them thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone will they will suffer eternal torment for the rest of their eternal lives. But we will all be able to look back on all of these events and realize that God did everything He could to try and get these people to repent and turn to Him. This great earthquake is the start of it. Here is the verse: "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountain and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelations 6:12-17)
Also notice in addition to this great earthquake, that the sun will turn black and the moon will look like blood. It also says that stars will fall to the earth. This could be possible meteor activity. But with God turning the sun black and the moon into blood, He is making a very powerful statement to the rest of the world. HE IS SHOWING HIS WRATH BY THE SUN TURNING BLACK AND HE IS SHOWING, BY THE BLOOD ON THE MOON, THAT HE WILL BE EXTRACTING VENGEANCE UPON ALL THESE EVIL PEOPLE SHORTLY DUE TO ALL OF THE ATROCITIES THAT THEY HAVE JUST COMMITTED - ESPECIALLY AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE.
Talk about a WARNING SHOT!!! God is mad and these evil people's days are numbered! When Jesus comes back the second time in the battle of Armageddon, God will be spilling their blood literally. I've already given a physical description of what will happen in my first end time article of this series. The Bible says that Jesus will DISSOLVE THEIR FLESH WHILE THEY STAND ON THEIR FEET, DISSOLVE THEIR EYES RIGHT OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS AND DISSOLVE THEIR TONGUES RIGHT OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS.
As brutal as this punishment might sound, you can begin to understand God's wrath and anger against these people due to all of the bloodshed and horror that they have caused as described in the above seal judgments. These people will deserve the full punishment and wrath of God for their heinous and atrocious acts. GOD THE FATHER IS A GOD OF MAXIMUM INTENSITY. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE IS SLOW TO ANGER. BUT THE EVIL OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS DAY WILL CAUSE HIM TO RELEASE HIS WRATH AND ANGER IN A WAY THAT THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE. I BELIEVE THAT THE WRATH HE WILL MANIFEST IN THIS DAY WILL BE GREATER THAN THE WRATH HE MANIFESTED IN THE FLOOD OF NOAH OR THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
For God to get this mad shows you how evil people will become during this time. Thank God we will never see another day or time like this ever again.
7. The Seventh Seal
This next and final seal judgment is another move from God. It is a "prelude" that will lead up to the next series of judgments called the Trumpet Judgments. In this chilling verse, it says that there was total silence in heaven for a half an hour. This is the "quiet'" before the next round of storm activity - just like the "quiet" that sometimes occurs before a storm or tornadoe. The verse ends with an angel throwing what is called a censer, which is filled with fire, to the earth. When he does this, the earth is hit by thunderings, lightnings and another earthquake!
There are now 7 angels who are getting ready to sound what will be called the 7 Trumpet Judgments. And wait till you see what God is going to do in this next series of judgments.
Here is the verse: "When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound." (Revelations 8:1-6) This last and final seal judgment is an introduction to what is getting ready to occur in the next series of judgments. What God did in the sixth seal judgment was just a warm-up compared to what He is getting ready to do in the next series of judgments called the Trumpet Judgments. God is getting ready to release full heavy "torpedo" action against all these evil people, and still a lot of these people are not going to break by repenting and turning to God.
If you'll also notice in the last seal judgment, that the angel is offering all the prayers of the saints to God. I believe that the prayers that this angel is offering are the prayers from His people to avenge their deaths from all of them that have just been martyred for their faith in Him. NOW GOD HAS HEARD THEIR PRAYERS, AND HE IS NOW GOING TO START TO TAKE HEAVY ACTION AGAINST THE REST OF THE UNBELIEVING AND EVIL WORLD. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT "VENGEANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD." NOW WE WILL ALL GET TO SEE THIS VENGEANCE RELEASED FULL FORCE FROM THE HAND OF GOD AGAINST THESE EVIL PEOPLE.
The next article titled, "The 7 Trumpet Judgments" details what is going to happen next in this next set of judgments.
Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible articles, commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100 Bible articles. All free of charge.
If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2nd Coming of Jesus.
Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
Article Source: Messaggiamo.Com
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