The Seven Seals

(Video Version)

The Scroll of Life, on which the names of every person who believes in Yeshua Messiah is written, is sealed with seven seals. The only One who is worthy to open those seals is the Lamb of YHWH. Once all seven seals have been opened, the first resurrection and judgment of the dead will begin.

The first four seals represent the church ages which each had a single power controlling the whole Christian Church. The fifth seal represents a time period when the power is divided, and the final two occur at the end-times.

We believe that the seven churches and the seven seals are both descriptions of the church from Yeshua’s ascension until His return. The seven churches were in the physical realm and the messages give a description of the spiritual state of the body of believers during each time period. Once John is taken up in the spirit to Heaven, the spiritual realm, the prophecy changes to a symbolic representation of the spiritual state of the body of believers. For example, instead of the Spirit of YHWH in the body of believers being represented as a church assembly, it is now represented by a horse and the colour of the horse tells us their spiritual state. The leadership or government that is controlling the church is represented by the rider and its description and accessories tell us the spiritual state of the controlling entity.

After John is taken up to Heaven in the spirit in chapter four, he is shown a scroll with seven seals on it, and an angel proclaims:

Revelation 5:2-3 …Who is worthy to open the scroll, and to loosen its seals? And no one in Heaven was able to open the scroll nor to see it, neither on the earth, nor underneath the earth.

Let’s explore that for a moment: no one in heaven, on the earth, or under the earth was worthy to open the scroll. So where else is left? What if someone worthy to open the scroll happened to be between heaven and earth, in the process of ascending, at that moment? Someone, like Yeshua Messiah, the Lamb of YHWH? Indeed, He is found in Heaven moments later in verse five:

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep, Behold, the Lion being of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, overcame so as to open the scroll, and to loose its seven seals.

We see that the first seal is opened immediately after Yeshua ascends to Heaven in AD 33.

Revelation 5:6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

The Lamb is Messiah Yeshua, who had just ascended into Heaven, forty days after His resurrection. The seven horns are likely the seven angels who received messages for the seven churches, and the seven eyes are the seven Spirits of God. The Spirits of God are the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 5:7-10 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The only one who is worthy to open the Scroll of Life, and read the names written on it, is the One who paid the ransom for those names with His Blood.

Revelation 5:11-14 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The angels, elders, and seraphim are all worshiping Messiah Yeshua along with YHWH, which shows that He is YHWH Elohim.

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The Horse

As we established in the prerequisite study, The Introduction to Revelation, horses represent the Holy Spirit. The colour of these horses symbolize the spiritual condition of the body of believers at this time in history, from AD 33 to 100.

The colour white is symbolic of purity, righteousness, and the blood of Yeshua Messiah. If this horse and rider were meant to represent a “false messiah” or “false doctrines”, as some scholars believe, it would not be white.

Daniel 7:9 I was looking until the thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool…

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled…

Matthew 17:2 And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothing became white as the light.

Revelation 7:14 And I said to him, sir you know. And he said to me, These are those coming out of the great tribulation; and they washed their robes and whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.

We see another figure on a white horse later in Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:11-14 And I saw Heaven being opened. And, behold! A white horse, and He sitting on it having been called Faithful and True. And He judges and wars in righteousness. And His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His Head many diadems, having a name that had been written, which no one knows except Himself; and having been clothed in a garment, which had been dipped in blood, And His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, being dressed in fine linen, white and pure.

Yeshua and His army ride white horses and have white linen garments. Yeshua has a two-edged sword rather than a bow, because His purpose is different from the rider of this horse.

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The Rider

The rider of the horse represents the controlling power of the church in this time period, which are the apostles.

The Greek word translated ‘bow’ is Strong’s g5115 τόξον tóxon: from the base of G5088; a bow (apparently as the simplest fabric):—bow.

Strong’s g5088 τίκτω tíktō; to produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively:—bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail.

The bow symbolizes the birth of the apostolic church as it struggles to bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the nations.

The rider wears a crown, which is the crown of life.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to the ones loving Him.

This same crown is mentioned in Yeshua’s messages to the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia.

Revelation 2:10 …Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life; (Smyrna)

Revelation 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold what you have that no one take your crown. The one overcoming, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more. And I will write the name of My God on him , and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name. (Philadelphia)

The horse and rider went out to overcome, just as the Lamb that was slain had overcome.

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep, Behold, the Lion being of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, overcame so as to open the scroll, and to loose its seven seals.

This same word overcome is used in Yeshua’s promise at the end of each letter sent to the seven churches, the promise of eternal life to all those who overcome.

Revelation 2:7 …To the one overcoming, I will give to him to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

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When Yeshua breaks the first seal, immediately after arriving in Heaven, He initiates the start of the Apostolic Age, from AD 33 to 100. The church leadership are the apostles who were sent out by Yeshua Himself to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world.

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The Horse

The horse represents the Holy Spirit and its colour shows the spiritual condition of the body of believers at this time in history.

The Greek word translated ‘red’ is Strong’s g4450 πυῤῥός pyrrhós: fire-like, i.e. (specially), flame- colored:—red.

There are several Greek words that mean ‘red’, the use of the one meaning ‘fire’ is significant to the description of the spiritual state of the assembly during this time period. We believe that it represents the assembly being on fire for the Gospel, and the Gospel being spread like wild fire.

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The Rider

The rider of the horse represents the controlling power the church was living under, from AD 100 to 325, which was the Roman Empire.

The Greek word translated ‘sword’ is Strong’s g3162 μάχαιρα, machaira: a knife, that is dirk; figuratively, war, judicial punishment:—sword.

The Roman Empire persecuted the young Christian church, making its beliefs and practices illegal, and causing the deaths of many martyrs.

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A point to note is that in the middle of the second century, Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, was martyred by first being burned at the stake (pyrros), and when the flames failed to touch him, he was stabbed by an executioners knife (machaira). Polycarp, who was a student of the Apostle John (author of Revelation) and likely the last living person to have known an apostle personally, refused to acknowledge the Roman emperor as lord and forsake Yeshua Messiah. The Church Age that corresponds to the opening of this seal, is the Church of Smyrna.

When Yeshua breaks the second seal, He initiates the start of the Roman Age, from AD 100 to 325. The red horse represents the assembly spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom as wild fire spreads, and holding fast to their faith until death by judicial punishment (machaira). The Roman Empire created laws which made Christian worship illegal, and many believers faced trial, imprisonment, and execution.

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The Horse

The horse represents the physical description of the spiritual situation in the body of believers during the time of the ecumenical councils from 325 until 754. The colour black symbolizes mourning; in fact the Hebrew word for mourning is also a word for the colour black.

Strong’s h6937 קָדַר, qadar: a primitive root; to be ashy, i.e. dark-coloured; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments):—be black(-ish), be (make) dark(en), heavily, (cause to) mourn.

The black horse symbolizes mourning for the assembly backsliding into paganism under the leadership of Emperor Constantine.

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The Rider

The rider of the horse represents the Byzantine Empire that had taken over the leadership of the Christian church and brought in pagan worship practices and false doctrines. Part of those false beliefs was that the leadership had the authority to pass judgement on people, a judgement that belongs solely to YHWH.

The balances are a symbol of judgement:

Daniel 5:27 A shekel, You are weighed in the balances and found lacking.

Proverbs 16:11 A scale and balances of justice are to YHWH; His work is all the stones of the bag.

Job 31:6 let me be weighed in a just balance so that God may know my integrity.

The references to wheat and barley imply a famine, as the amount of each costs a day’s wage, which could indicate a grain shortage. However, the bread made with the grain is the hidden manna mentioned in the letter to the Church of Pergamos, which corresponds to this same time frame.

There were two reasons for the famine of the Word of YHWH. First, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in the fifth century, the importing of papyrus to Europe ended and a more expensive parchment began to be used. Soon only wealthy individuals and the Catholic Church could afford to buy it. Second, during this time in history the Bible was only available in Latin, and the majority of people could not read or understand Latin. Because they did not have access to scripture in their own language, they had to rely on the clergy for the Word of YHWH.

Anointing oil is widely understood to be a symbol for the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 29:7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.

Leviticus 8:12 And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Anointing oil was a mixture of different types of oils with perfume and incense, and this anointing was a foreshadow of the Holy Spirit that would later anoint the apostles at Pentecost.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of YHWH rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

When Samuel anointed David with oil, the Holy Spirit came into David and stayed with him for the rest of his life. This was a foreshadow of the Messiah, who would be a descendent of David. Then in Isaiah 31, we read the prophecy of the anointing of Messiah Yeshua by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord YHWH is on Me, because YHWH has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and complete openings to the bound ones; to proclaim that acceptable year of YHWH, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity; so that one calls them trees of righteousness, the planting of YHWH, in order to beautify Himself.

Acts 10:38 Jesus, the One from Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went through doing good, and healing all those having been oppressed by the Devil, because God was with Him.

Since Pentecost, we are anointed with the Holy Spirit through the act of baptism, which is what is being referenced in the following verses:

Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Wine is the symbol for Yeshua’s blood:

Matthew 26:28-29 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 14:23-25 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The Holy Spirit and atoning blood of Yeshua, symbolized by the oil and wine, continued to spread and work in the church despite the assembly’s limited access to scripture and the control Satan had over the church leadership.

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When Yeshua breaks the third seal, He initiates the start of the Byzantine Age, from AD 325 to 754. This age parallels the Church of Pergamos, where Satan dwells.

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The Horse

The horse represents the Holy Spirit and its colour shows the spiritual condition of the body of believers at this time in history.

The colour ‘pale green’ has been largely misunderstood by scholars, and in fact many translations don’t even use the word green. Once again we attribute this to years of brainwashing regarding these four horses and riders! Even within those who understand that these first four seals are the church ages, we find they interpret the pale green colour to mean sick, ill, or dying. This is because they connect the horse to the rider. The rider is Death, therefore the pale green indicates illness and death. However, we must remember that the horse represents the Holy Spirit and is separate completely from the government/leadership that is steering and controlling them.

Let’s explore more deeply this Greek word translated ‘pale green’. It is Strong’s g5515 χλωρός, chloros: greenish, i.e. verdant, dun-colored:—green, pale. You may recognize this as the base for our English word ‘chlorophyll’, which is the green pigment in plants. The word ‘verdant’ is specific to the bright green colour of lush grass. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines chloros as: tender green grass or grain. Already, we start to see that sickness and death has nothing to do with this word, but rather it refers to healthy plant-life.

Mark 6:39 And He ordered them all to recline, group by group, on the green^g5515 grass.

Revelation 8:7 And the first angel trumpeted. And hail and fire mixed with blood occurred. And it was cast onto the earth; and the third part of the trees was burned; and all the green^g5515 grass was burned.

Revelation 9:4 And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor every green thing^g5515, nor every tree, except only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon shows ‘chloros’ to be the same as the Hebrew word Strong’s h1877 דֶּשֶׁא, deše’: a sprout; by analogy, grass:—(tender) grass, green, (tender) herb.

Here are a few examples of the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word ‘chloros’:

Genesis 1:11 And Elohim said, Let the earth bring forth grass^h1877,the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

2 Samuel 23:4 is as the light of the morning, as the sun shines; a morning without clouds–through shining after rain the tender grass^h1877 sprouts from the earth.

Job 38:27 to satisfy the waste and desolation, and to cause the source of grass^h1877 to sprout?

Deuteronomy 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall drop down as the dew, as the light rain on the fresh grass^h1877, and as the showers on the green herbs;

Isaiah 66:12 And you will see, and your heart shall rejoice; and your bones shall flourish like the grass^h1877. And the hand of YHWH shall be known toward His servants, and He shall be indignant with His enemies.

We can clearly discern that the colour of the horse in no way represents illness or death, but rather the opposite—new life like the sprouting and spreading of fresh new plants!

This is the spiritual condition of the body of believers during this church age. Persecution always strengthens our faith and the believers during this time were under heavy persecution from their own church leadership.

Is the green of sprouting and spreading new grass and plants an accurate analogy for the spiritual state of the body of believers from 754 to 1517?

The Catholic Church, by the end of the sixth century, had brought Christianity to the entire area once covered by the Roman Empire. By the sixteenth century, the Gospel had reached every continent of the world except Australia! To this day, Christianity remains the largest religion by population in the world and the majority of the credit goes to the faithful in the Catholic Church.

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The Rider

As we turn our attention to the leadership in the form of the rider of the horse, we see he is called Death and Hades follows after him. Let’s explore the meanings of these words.

The word ‘Hades’ is Strong’s g86 ᾅδης, hades: properly, unseen, i.e. ‘Hades’ or the place (state) of departed souls: —grave, hell.

The word ‘Death’ is Strong’s g2288 θάνατος, thanatos: (properly an adjective used as a noun) death (literally or figuratively): —X deadly, (be…) death. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon gives definitions specific to scripture verses where it is used. For Revelation 6:8, Thayer’s explains: The inevitable necessity of dying, shared alike by all men, takes on in the popular imagination the form of a person, a tyrant, subjugating men to his power and confining them in his dark dominions… Hades is associated with him as his partner.

Here are a few other verses with the same personification of death:

Romans 6:9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer lords it over Him.

1 Corinthians 15:26 the last enemy made to cease is death.

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that has been written, “Death was swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?” Now the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law;

Revelation 1:17-18 …Do not fear, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I became dead; and, behold, I am living forever and ever. Amen. And I have the keys to Hades, and of death.

Revelation 20:13-14 And the sea gave up the dead in it. And Death and Hades gave up the dead in them. And they were each judged according to their works. And Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.

The Hebrew equivalent to ‘Hades’ is the word ‘Sheol’, which is Strong’s h7585 שְׁאוֹל, sheol: hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:—grave, hell, pit.

Psalm 18:5 cords of Sheol^h7585 surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.

Psalm 116:3 The cords of death hemmed me in; and the pains of Sheol^h7585 found me; I find distress and sorrow;

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the hand of Sheol^h7585; I will redeem them from death. O Death, where are your plagues: O Sheol^h7585, where is your ruin? Repentance is hidden from My eyes.

Not only was the Papacy guilty of the murders of countless believers they accused of heresy, they were also guilty of the witch-trials which saw between 40,000 and 100,000 innocent dead just in the period of 1480 to 1750, but which had been happening for centuries before.

When Yeshua breaks the fourth seal, He initiates the start of the Papal Age, from 754 to 1517.

So, what we know of the one controlling or leading the believers in this time period is that it is the personification of death, causing people to die by sword, famine, and wild beasts; and that the martyrs would be collected in the place of departed souls (whether figurative or literal). Interestingly, when the next seal is opened, we see those very souls waiting for justice.

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We saw in the fourth seal that Death was followed by Hades, and Hades was defined as: the place of departed souls. Now as the fifth seal is opened, John is given a glimpse into this place. The bulk of the martyrs coming out of the persecution of the Papal Age have been killed, the new age is just beginning and we’re taking stock of Hades.

Some passages to note:

Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.

The meaning of verse ten is a bit confusing in some translations, like the King James Version. However, here in the English Standard Version, it makes sense.

Revelation 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 

The martyrs are wanting to see themselves avenged, and this vengeance will take place on the Day of Vengeance.

Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

The year of His redeemed will be after the first resurrection and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb when Yeshua will spend a year with His bride before the Day of Vengeance, as per the Torah.

Deuteronomy 24:5 When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.

The Year of Vengeance will be the purifying of the five foolish virgins from the Parable of the Ten Virgins, and will conclude with the Battle of Armageddon.

The martyrs are told that they have to wait a little while longer because there will be a few more people martyred before the resurrection. In the meantime, they are given their white robes in preparation for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In the church description of this age, Yeshua said,

Revelation 3:4 You also have a few names in Sardis which did not defile their robes, and they shall walk with Me in white because they are worthy.

When Yeshua breaks the fifth seal, He initiates the start of the Reform Age, which lasts from 1517 until the end-times begin.

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When the sixth seal is opened, a massive earthquake rocks the earth. This could be caused by an asteroid impacting the earth and setting off a chain of earthquakes and volcanos all over the world.

And the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair; and the moon became as blood;

We see this same event described in Acts and Joel.

Acts 2:17-21 And it shall be in the last days, God says, I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy; and your young men shall see visions; and your old men shall dream dreams; and also I will pour out My Spirit on My slaves and slave-girls in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and miracles on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Joel 2:28-32 And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions. And also I will pour out My Spirit on the slaves and on the slave-girls in those days, And I will give signs in the heavens, and in the earth; blood, and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of YHWH. For it shall be, all who shall call on the name of YHWH shall be saved. For salvation shall be in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, as YHWH has said, and among the saved whom YHWH shall call.

YHWH said He will give wonders in heaven above, and we read about wonders in the heavens in Revelation 12.

Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

Revelation 12:3-4 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.

You can read about the woman with the crown of twelve stars in our study. The great red dragon is identified a few verses later as Satan, and we read that Michael defeats Satan and he is thrown down to earth.

Revelation 12:7-9 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Satan being thrown down to earth could be seen as the impact of an asteroid that would cause the cataclysmic events described when this seal is first opened in Revelation 6:12. Satan’s angels being thrown down with him could be the description that continues in verse thirteen.

Revelation 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell to the earth, as a fig-tree being shaken by a great wind casts its unripe figs.

It is also possible that the sky departing like a scroll being rolled up could be a description of a nuclear explosion, there is some similarity in the symbolism.

Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed like a scroll being rolled up. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Immediately following the opening of the sixth seal, we see the 144,000 being sealed; these are the assemblies of Philadelphia and Smyrna—the Two Witnesses. They are being sealed to protect them from the fall-out of the seven trumpets that will sound over the following 3 1/2 years. The plagues of the trumpets are called down by these two witnesses.

Revelation 7:1-4 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

And later, in chapter 14, we see them standing with Yeshua on Mount Zion:

Revelation 14:1-5 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion! And with Him were a hundred and forty-four thousands, with the name of His Father having been written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of the heaven, as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of great thunder. Also I heard a sound of harpers harping on their harps. And they sing as a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousands, those having been redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones following the Lamb wherever He may go. These were redeemed from among men as first-fruit to God and to the Lamb. And no guile was found in their mouth, for they are without blemish before the throne of God.

These are the believers who are alive in the last days, those who obey YHWH’s commandments and have the faith of Yeshua Messiah, those who will be redeemed from the earth. They, along with the martyrs who died for their faith in Yeshua (this is the first resurrection), will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Everyone else will be resurrected during the second resurrection after the thousand-year reign of Yeshua Messiah.

Revelation 7:5-8 gives us the count of those sealed from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They have been numbered for battle, just as we saw Moses count the men of Israel of fighting age in Numbers chapters 1 and 26. They will be Yeshua’s army. Why won’t the resurrected multitude be a part of the army, too? Because they are, well… dead. The redeemed are of the living. Then in Revelation 7:9 we see a glimpse of everyone who will be a part of the first resurrection, which include the martyrs from the fifth seal.

Revelation 7:9-10 After these things I saw, and behold, a great crowd which no one was able to number them, out of every nation, even tribes and peoples and tongues standing in front of the throne, and before the Lamb, having been clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation to our God sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb.

How do we know that this great crowd which no one can number were those who died through great affliction (tribulation) for their faith in Yeshua Messiah? Scripture says so.

Revelation 7:13-14 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

When Yeshua breaks the sixth seal, He initiates the start of the Revival Age, which is the church age of Philadelphia, and is the first five years of the end-times.

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The Bible was divided into the chapters and verses as we have them now in the 13th century by Cardinal archbishop Stephen Langton. He was not the only one to make such divisions, but his is the layout we have in our translations today. Cardinal Langton made his division choices based on his understanding of the meaning of the text, but it is not necessarily accurate to the original manuscripts.

We believe that the first verse of chapter eight actually belongs at the end of chapter seven. Revelation is not written in chronological order from start to finish, but rather tells the whole story from one perspective, then restarts to tell the prophecy from another perspective, and then repeats this process several times until the final chapters covering Yeshua’s kingdom on earth and the final judgment. Please see our study on the Revelation Timeline for a detailed analysis of the chronology of the Revelation prophecy.

Revelation 7:15-8:1 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

After the 3 1/2 years that the witnesses are prophesying and calling down the seven trumpet plagues, and the beasts are reigning in Jerusalem, Yeshua will open the seventh and final seal on the Scroll of Life, ushering in the Tepid Age—the year of YHWH’s vengeance. When the last seal is opened, Yeshua is able to read the names that are written on the scroll.

In the Seven Churches study, we discussed how a day can mean a year and vice versa in prophecy. We did some simple math to figure out how long ‘about a half-hour’ would be if the day was actually a year. We took the 365 days that are in a year and divide it by the 24 hours in a day, and got about fifteen; which means if a day is a year, then one hour is about fifteen days. If one hour is fifteen days, then a half-hour is around 7 1/2 days. Therefore, the silence in Heaven for ‘about a half-hour’ would be 7 or 8 days.

Why would there be silence in Heaven? Perhaps because no one is there, because everyone is in the New Jerusalem celebrating the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles in English, is an eight-day celebration in October that foreshadows this end-times marriage celebration.

After the Feast of Sukkot is over, the bowls of wrath will begin being poured out on the earth. This is the Refiner’s Fire and the church age of Laodicea, that lasts for one year and ends with the Battle of Armageddon.

May you be blessed by this study. Shalom.

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