How God Is Recapturing Earth From Sinful Men

SEAL JUDGMENTS

Of the 7 seal judgments found in the New Testament book of Revelation, 6 of them are found in Revelation 6:1-17.

Some believe the 6 seal judgments take place following the rapture.

I would like to suggest the possibility of them being age-long (since the ascension of Jesus into heaven) and intensifying at the end of the age to fever pitch.

Thus, the seals are the processes where God is at work recapturing earth from sinful men and demonic entities and ridding it of the evil therein.

EXPLANATION OF THE 6 SEAL JUDGMENTS OF REVELATION CHAPTER 6

With this in mind, here is an explanation of Revelation chapter 6 in 7 questions…

QUESTION 1

Q1: Who is it that is opening the 6 seals? (see Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12)

Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the … seals. (Revelation 6:1a)

A1: The Lamb is opening the 6 seals. Jesus is the Lamb. (So we can be at peace because Christ Himself is directing the final events enveloping the earth. Who needed to be reminded?)

QUESTION 2

Q2: Who is the rider on the 1st horse?

1ST SEAL: 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. (Revelation 6:2)

A2: Some believe the rider on the 1st horse is Antichrist. Others believe it is Jesus Christ Himself. Still others think it is the Church bringing the Gospel to the lost. There are cases to be made on each.

QUESTION 3

Q3: Who is the rider on the 2nd horse?

2ND SEAL: And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (Revelation 6:4)

A3: The rider on the 2nd horse is WAR.

QUESTION 4

Q4: Who is the rider on the 3rd horse?

3RD SEAL: I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. (Revelation 6:5)

A4: The rider on the 3rd horse is FAMINE.

QUESTION 5

And so we have ANTICHRIST OR CHRIST (or the Church), WAR, FAMINE ~ and now Question 5…

Q5: Who is the rider on the 4th horse?

4TH SEAL: I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. (Revelation 6:8a)

A5: The rider on the 4th horse is DEATH / HELL.

QUESTION 6

Q6: What does John see at the opening of the 5th seal?

5TH SEAL: I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained. (Revelation 6:9bc)

A6: The 5th seal is the martyrs. This is what John sees as it’s opened.

A martyr is a witness. He is a person who chooses death rather than deny his faith. As the end of the world approaches, this murder of representatives of Christ will only intensify. (Matthew 10:21-22a) Jesus Himself spoke of the dynamic when He said, “‘[B]ut an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.’” (John 16:2) It’s how they treated Him. (Matthew 10:25) It’s how the twelve apostles were treated… (Read more)

QUESTION 7

Q7: What does John see at the opening of the 6th seal?

6TH SEAL: And there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood. (Revelation 6:12bcd)

A7: The 6th seal is a great earthquake.

Probably the best example of this is the great and devastating earthquake that takes place in Revelation 6:12-16 at the opening of the 6th seal. It’s hard to argue against this being the last and final earthquake at the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

And yet, there is another great and devastating earthquake 10 chapters later in Revelation 16:17-21 at the pouring of the 7th bowl of wrath.

How could there be two such earthquakes of such magnitude and size? Wouldn’t the first earthquake have left nothing for the second? Does Jesus return twice?

The chronological way of outlining doesn’t have a common sense answer for this. But if there’s room for an out of sequence potential, it lends a reasonable possibility.

Could it be that what we are really being offered is a look at the same earthquake from different angles?

Now that would throw a wrench into things.

PURPOSE OF JUDGMENT EVENTS

Again, the purpose of these judgment events (the 6 seals – ANTICHRIST OR CHRIST, WAR, FAMINE, DEATH / HELL, MARTYRS, EARTHQUAKE) in Revelation chapter 6 is to recapture earth from sinful men and demonic entities and rid it of the evil therein.

Would that men and women might seek God as they see their world collapsing.

The majority will not.

(The Lamb Opening the Book with Seven Seals picture is in the public domain: click here.)

You might also be interested in:

• A World Without God
• Judgment of the 6 Seals