What Do You Believe About the End: Pt. 8 The Seals: Concealed and Revealed

❑ An early Church Father, Augustine said, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.” | God has always been showing us His Son.
Joseph is a type of Christ, “the suffering servant,” whereas David, another type of Christ, is “the conquering king.” 6 of the 7 Seals are hidden in Jesus’s conversation in Matthew 24 and later revealed to John in Revelation 6-8.

❑ Olivet Discourse | In Matthew 24:3, when Jesus sat down and they came to him asking, “when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world,” little did they know what He would do. He concealed something that would later be revealed to John on the Isle of Patmos where he received his vision as given in book of Revelation. How fitting that Jesus gave the disciples the first 6 of the 7 seals in Revelation 6. Between Revelation 6-7, the Lamb, Jesus, will open all 7 seals, one by one. There is no dilemma here. This speaks of Jesus’s absolute Sovereignty over everything that happens, even with Satan. Nothing happens without the authorization of Jesus Christ.

❑ In Daniel 12:8-9, Daniel asks “When will be the end of these things?” He is told that the words are closed up and sealed till the end. I believe the words referred to there are the words revealed to John in the book of Revelation and are concerning the whole 7 years.

❑ SEAL 1 | Antichrist – The White Horse | Revelation 6:1-2 | Revelation 13:2 | Matthew 24:5 | 1 John 2:18

“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 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.”

This should not be confused with Jesus’s coming on His white horse in Revelation 19:11-12. The dragon gives Antichrist his power. Notice the 1 crown versus the many crowns given to Jesus.

Jesus gave the first seal to His disciples in Matthew 24. He says many antichrists. “Anti” means “in place of.”

❑ SEAL 2 | Wars - The Red Horse | Revelation 6:3-4 | Matthew 24:6-7

It’s clear it will be world war. The red horse rider’s given power to take peace from the Earth. People will kill one another. It nowhere implies he is only taking peace from Israel or 1 single nation. Jesus spoke of wars also.

❑ SEAL 3 | Famine – The Black Horse | Revelation 6:5-6 | Matthew 24:7 | Matthew 20:1-2

1 measure (quart) of wheat = 1 Day’s Wages, 3 measures (quarts) of barley = 3 Day’s Wages, Avg Day’s wages in America today = $230, 1 Denarius / Penny = 1 Day’s wages. Famine is not always caused by weather.

❑ SEAL 4 | Death & Pestilences – The Pale Horse | Revelation 6:7-8 | Matthew 24:7

Some of these causes of death were already opened onto the Earth in the previous Seals (Sword, Hunger, Beasts).

Pestilences – a plague or disease.

❑ SEAL 5 | Martyrs | Revelation 6:9 | Matthew 24:9

This is death for Jesus’s name’s sake, not war, famine, and pestilences.

❑ SEAL 6 | Sun/Moon Darkened | Revelation 6:12-13 | Revelation 7:9-10 | Matthew 24:29-31

Sun & Moon dark, stars fall, fig tree parable. Revelation 7 shows a clear picture of the faithful saints that survived Antichrist Tribulation. They appear at God’s throne in Heaven. They were raptured after the opening of the 6th Seal.

❑ SEAL 7 | God’s Wrath Begins | Revelation 8:1-7

At the opening of the 7th seal, there is about 30 minutes of silence in Heaven (Revelation 8). The 7th seal is not captured in Matthew 24 in Jesus’s Olivet Discourse. God’s wrath does not apply to the faithful believers. This 30-minute pause can be viewed as very sobering knowing that God is about to begin sounding the 7 Trumpets and pouring the 7 Vials of His wrath.