TRIBULATION SEALS
Rev. 6:1-2
"And I saw when the LAMB opened one of the SEALS, and I
heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the 'Four Beasts' saying, Come
and see. And I saw, and behold a WHITE HORSE: and he that sat on him had a bow;
and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
When the LAMB broke the "FIRST SEAL,"
the
first, or "Lion-like Living Creature" cried with a voice of thunder--"COME." The
words "and see" are omitted in many manuscripts, and in the Revised Version.
John had no need to "come" for he was already there. The command then of "Come"
was to the "Rider" of the White Horse. When he appeared, John says--"And I saw,
and behold a WHITE HORSE; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was
given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
Who is the "Rider" upon this White Horse? He is not Christ, as some claim, for
Christ, as the LAMB, is holding the "Seven Sealed Book" and breaking its
"Seals." Christ does not appear as a White Horse Rider until chapter 19:11-16,
when He comes with the armies of Heaven to engage in the Battle of Armageddon.
Then He is called "Faithful and True," and on His head there is a many "Diademed
Crown," and He is clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called
the "WORD OF GOD," and there is no weapon of warfare in His hand, but a sharp
sword comes out of His mouth, and the effect upon His enemies will he swift and
terrible.
This "Rider" has a "bow," no arrow is mentioned, and he is not crowned at first,
but a crown will be given to him later, the "Stephanos" or "Victor's Crown," as
a reward for his victories which are prolonged and bloodless. This is the
picture of a brilliant, strategical, and irresistible conqueror, whose victories
will dazzle the world, and elevate him to a leadership that will place him at
the Head of the Ten Federated Kingdoms of the revived Roman Empire. As a
subaltern, like Napoleon I, he will rise from the ranks until a crown will be
given him. His triumphs will be due to his skilful diplomacy. Like Antiochus
Epiphanes, his prototype, he "will come in peaceably, and obtain the Kingdom by
flatteries." Dan. 11:21. As the "Tool of Satan" he will be endowed with wonder
working powers, and when he comes, he will find the world ready to receive him,
for God will send upon its inhabitants a "strong delusion" that they will
believe a LIE, or "THE LIE," for that is what he will be. 2. Thess. 2:9-11.
In other words this White Horse Rider is the ANTICHRIST. He is the "PRINCE WHO
IS TO COME" of Daniel's Vision of the "Seventy Weeks," and who will confirm the
Covenant for "ONE WEEK," the last or "Seventieth Week," with Daniel's people the
Jews. Dan. 9:27. This Covenant will probably be the privilege to return to
Palestine and rebuild the Temple and re-establish their sacrificial form of
worship, and national existence, in exchange for the financial assistance of the
Jewish bankers of the world in his schemes of establishing world wide commerce,
and the formation of a gigantic corporation, with its commercial centre in the
rebuilt city of Babylon, so that no one can buy or sell unless they have his
"MARK," (the "Mark of the Beast," Rev. 13:16-17), for we are told in Dan.
8:23-25, that "through his policy also he shall cause CRAFT (manufactories) to
prosper in his hand."
The rise of this White Horse Rider necessarily antedates the beginning of the
"Seventieth Week," or the "SEVEN YEARS" of his reign, for he must have reached a
position of power to make a Covenant with the Jews at the beginning of the
"WEEK," but he does not become "THE BEAST," as described in chapter 13:1-8,
until the "Middle" of the WEEK, that is, until after Satan is cast out of the
Heavenlies and incarnates himself in him. His rise to power and the rebuilding
of Babylon will take time, so the Rapture of the Church will doubtless antedate
the beginning of the WEEK by some years.
But while the establishment of the Antichrist's power will be comparatively
peaceful, that peace will be shortlived as is evident from the breaking of the
"Second Seal."
This "White Horse Rider" will be Satan's "SUPERMAN." The Scriptures clearly
teach that there is some day to arise a human being who shall be the embodiment
of all Satanic power. He will be known as the "WILFUL KING" because he shall do
according to his own will. He will be the Czar of Czars. He will have no respect
for sacred things or places. He will cause a throne to be erected in the Most
Holy Place of a Temple that the Jews will build at Jerusalem, and, seating
himself upon it, he will proclaim himself God, and men will be commanded to
worship him; and Satan will give unto him his power and his seat (Throne) and
great authority. All this will be fully brought out under the "Sixth Personage,"
the "Beast Out of the Sea," Page 103.
Rev. 6:3-4
"And when He had opened the
'SECOND SEAL,'
I heard the 'Second Beast' say, Come. And there went out another Horse that was
RED: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth,
and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a GREAT
SWORD."
There is no need to tarry long with this SEAL. When it was broken John heard the
second, or "Calf-like Living Creature" say, "Come," and a "RED HORSE" appeared
and went forth, whose Rider was given a "GREAT SWORD," and who had power to take
peace from the earth, and cause men to kill one another. The symbolism is very
clear. Red, the color of the Horse, is a symbol of BLOOD, and the Sword is a
symbol of WAR. The time is clearly that prophesied by Christ--"And ye shall hear
of wars and rumors of wars . . . for nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom." Matt. 24:6-7. This seems to imply that the Antichrist
will not have everything his own way, and that his Autocratic methods will lead
to insubordination and civil wars among the nations under some great leader
represented by the Rider of the Red Horse, whose "Great Sword" is symbolical of
the awful destruction of human life that will follow.
This is a fulfillment of 1. Thess. 5:3. "When they shall say PEACE and SAFETY;
then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child;
and they shall not escape." We learn from this "Seal" that wars are likely to
break out at any time and that there will be no peace on the earth until the
return of the "Prince of Peace."
Rev. 6:5-6
"And when He opened the 'THIRD
SEAL,' I
heard the 'Third Beast' say, Come. And I beheld, and lo a BLACK HORSE: and he
that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the
midst of the Four Beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures
of barley for a penny: and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."
When the "THIRD SEAL" was broken John heard the third or "Man-like Living
Creature" say--"Come," and a "BLACK HORSE" appeared and went forth, whose Rider
held in his hand a "pair of balances," and John heard the voice of an invisible
person in the midst of the "Four Living Creatures" say--"A measure of wheat for
a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou hurt not the oil
and the wine." The "BLACK HORSE" signifies famine, and the Rider the "Conserver
of Food." When all able bodied men are drafted for war, and no one left to sow
and harvest the crops, then famine is sure to follow. So great will be the
famine, that it will take a "denarius" a day's wages, to buy a "choenix" (2
pints) of wheat," the daily ration of a slave. What is meant by not hurting the
oil and wine, may be, that as the Olive tree and grapevine do not bear their
fruit until some months after the wheat and barley harvest, and grow without
much attention, their crops would not be so much affected by war, and therefore
the Olive trees and grapevines were not to be ruthlessly destroyed by invaders
for they were needed for medicinal purposes.
Rev. 6:7-8
"And when He had opened the
'FOURTH SEAL,'
I heard the voice of the 'Fourth Beast' say, Come. And I looked, and behold a
PALE HORSE: and his name that sat on him was DEATH, and HELL (Hades) followed
with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to
kill with SWORD, and with HUNGER, and with DEATH, and with the BEASTS OF THE
EARTH."
When the "FOURTH SEAL" was broken John heard the fourth, or "Eagle-like Living
Creature" say--"Come," and a "PALE HORSE" appeared and went forth. Note the
"corpse-like" color of the Horse. We are not surprised then when the Rider upon
the "PALE HORSE" is called "DEATH," and that "HADES," the "Grave," not "Hell,"
follows after "Death" like a great "Voracious Monster" to swallow up the victims
of "DEATH." It is worthy of note that the Riders of the first three Horses are
not named, but it will be very clear when the events they chronicle occur, who
and what is meant. Here however the Rider is personified and called "DEATH," and
his consort is called "HADES," they are inseparable companions. The reference
here is clearly to some great PESTILENCE that shall come upon the earth. After a
devastating war, followed by famine, during which the dead are left unburied, a
PESTILENCE is sure to follow. The "fourth part of the earth" over which the
Pestilence shall sweep will probably be that part of the Eastern Hemisphere
covered by the revived Roman Empire. See Map of the Old Roman Empire. So great
will be the destruction of human life in the days of the "Fourth Seal" that
HADES will have to enlarge herself and open her mouth without measure, as
foretold in Isa. 5:13-16. The means of destruction mentioned--the SWORD, HUNGER,
DEATH, and the BEASTS OF THE EARTH, are the "FOUR SORE JUDGMENTS" of Ez. 14:21,
that are to fall upon JERUSALEM--"For thus saith the Lord God: How much more
when I send my 'FOUR SORE JUDGMENTS' upon JERUSALEM, the SWORD, and the FAMINE,
and the NOISOME BEAST, and the PESTILENCE, to cut off from it man and beast."
Those will be awful times to those who must pass through them. But the Church
will not be in them having been "caught out" before as promised. But awful as
those days will be, they will be only the "BEGINNING OF SORROWS" for those who
are left. Matt. 24:6-8. And the worst thing about them will be that they are
"Hardening Judgments," and instead of the people repenting and calling upon God,
they will call on the mountains and rocks to hide them from the face of Him that
sitteth on the Throne. Rev. 6:15-17.
Rev. 6:9-11
"And when He had opened the
'FIFTH SEAL,'
I saw under the 'Altar' the SOULS of
them that were 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, dost
Thou not judge and avenge our BLOOD on them that dwell on the earth? And white
robes were given unto every one of them: and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a 'little season,' until their fellow servants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
When the Lamb had opened the "FIFTH SEAL," John saw under the "Sacrificial
Altar," corresponding to the "Burnt Offering Altar," the "SOULS" of them that
were slain for the "Word of God" and for the "testimony they held." The fact
that their "SOULS" were under the "Sacrificial Altar" is proof that they had
been offered as a "Sacrifice," that is that they were MARTYRS. But they were not
the Martyrs of the Christian Church, for they had been resurrected and taken up
with the Church. These Martyrs' are those who will be killed for the "Word of
God" and their "testimony" after the Church is caught out.
According to Christ (Matt. 24:9-14), a persecution will be brought about by the
preaching of the "GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM." When the Church is caught out the
preaching of the "GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD" (Acts 20:24), which is being
preached now, will cease, and the preaching of the "GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM" will
be revived. It is the Gospel that John the Baptist preached, "Repent ye: for the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Matt. 3:1-2, and that Elijah the Prophet when he
returns will preach. Malachi 4:5-6. It is to be preached in all the world for a
witness; and then shall the "End," the End of this Dispensation, come. It will
be preached by the Jews, and will be the announcement that Christ is coming back
to set up His Earthly Kingdom, and rule over the affairs of men. This will be
exceedingly distasteful to the Kings of the Earth, particularly to Antichrist
and the Kings of the Ten Federated Kingdoms, and the outcome will be a "Great
Persecution" of those who preach and accept such a Gospel, and the "SOULS" that
John saw under the "Sacrificial Altar," are the souls of those who shall perish
during that time of persecution. That there is no such thing as "Soul Sleep,"
and that disembodied SOULS are conscious and can speak and cry, is clear from
what John saw and heard, for these "SOULS" cried with a loud voice--"How long, O
Lord, Holy and True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our BLOOD on them that dwell
on the earth?" The character of their cry is' further proof that they are not
the Martyrs of the Christian Church, for they would not cry to be avenged, but
like Stephen would say--"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Acts 7:60.
Their cry is that of the Imprecatory Psalms (Psa. 35, 55, 59, 94, etc.) and
indicates that these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS. This is still
more likely when we consider that the "Gospel of the Kingdom" is to be preached
to the NATIONS, and Israel has never been numbered among the Nations. Num. 23:9.
To these martyred "SOULS" white robes were given. This does not mean that they
were resurrected, that is, given glorified BODIES, and then robed, but that they
in their "Soulish" or "PSYCHICAL" bodies were given white robes, for while the
"Spirit" of man loses its earthly, or FLESHY body, at death, it still has a
body, its SOULISH body, that can see, hear, speak, etc., for how could a SOUL
"cry" if it did not have a form and physical senses. For a full exposition of
this see the Author's Book on "Dispensational Truth," the Chapter on the "Spirit
World."
These martyred SOULS were comforted, and told that they should rest for a
"little season," about 3½ years, until their fellow servants also, and their
brethren (Jews) that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled. This
promise is fulfilled in Rev. 20:4-6. These are the Saints of the Most High that
Daniel foresaw would receive the Kingdom. Dan. 7:27.
Rev. 6:12-17
"And I beheld when He had
opened the 'SIXTH SEAL,'
and, lo, there was an earthquake: and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair,
and the moon became as blood: and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even
as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every
mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth,
and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men,
and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the
rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, FALL ON US, and
HIDE US from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the WRATH OF
THE LAMB: for the great day of HIS WRATH is come; and who shall be able to
stand?"
When the "SIXTH SEAL" was broken John tells us that there was a "GREAT
EARTHQUAKE," and the "SUN BECAME BLACK AS SACKCLOTH OF HAIR," and the "MOON
BECAME AS BLOOD," and the "STARS OF HEAVEN FELL TO THE EARTH," and the "HEAVEN
DEPARTED AS A SCROLL," and "EVERY MOUNTAIN AND ISLAND WERE MOVED OUT OF THEIR
PLACE." It will not do to say that these things prefigure and symbolize the
overthrow of the Powers of the Earth by great social and political convulsions.
These are nothing more or less than great physical convulsions that shall shake
the earth, and that have been foretold by the Prophets and by Christ Himself.
Such physical phenomena and changes have happened before. We must not forget the
"GREAT DARKNESS" that for 3 days overspread Egypt in the days before the Exodus
(Ex. 10:21-23), nor the "DARKNESS" that settled over Jerusalem and Calvary on
the day of the Crucifixion of Christ. Matt. 27:45.
The Prophet Zachariah speaks of a day that shall not be "clear" or "dark," and
he associates it with an earthquake at the time of the return of the Lord. Zech.
14:1-7. On May 19, 1780, there was in New England what is called in history the
"Dark Day." It was not an eclipse of the sun, and yet it was dark enough to make
the stars visible, and the chickens went to roost. The cause of that darkness
has never been explained. In the prophecy of Joel we read--"I will shew wonders
in the heavens, and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun
shall be TURNED INTO DARKNESS, and the moon into BLOOD, before THE GREAT AND
TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD COME." Joel 2:30-31. In Isa. 13:9-10, we read--"Behold
the 'DAY OF THE LORD' cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the
land desolate, and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars
of heaven and the constellations thereof shall NOT GIVE THEIR LIGHT, the sun
shall be DARKENED in his going forth, and the moon shall not CAUSE HER LIGHT TO
SHINE." In Isa. 34:4 we read--"All the host of heaven (the stars) shall be
dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their
host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth from the vine, and as falling fig from
the figtree." This corresponds to the "stars of heaven" of this "SEAL," and
probably refers not to the constellations and heavenly bodies (stars), they are
too far away to be affected by judgments on the earth, but to our own
atmosphere, and to "meteors" and "shooting stars," similar to the "shooting
stars" of November 13th, 1833, when they fell for 3 hours during the evening,
and so terrified the people that they thought the end of the world had come.
These physical convulsions will be the earth's "TRAVAIL PAINS" as she labors to
bring forth the NEW CREATION of the Millennial Age. Christ refers to this period
in Matt. 24:29, where He says--"In those days shall the SUN BE DARKENED (that
is, its light obscured), and the MOON SHALL NOT GIVE HER LIGHT, and the STARS
SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN, and the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS (the Principalities and
Powers of the Heavenly Places (Eph. 6:12), not the Powers and Kingdoms of the
Earth), SHALL BE SHAKEN." All these startling physical changes and convulsions
will cause a great fear to fall upon all classes and conditions of men (7
classes are named), who will no longer attribute such changes merely to natural
law, but will see the "HAND OF THE ALMIGHTY" in it all. To them the "DAY OF
JUDGMENT" will become a reality, and in their fear and terror they will hide
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and say to them--"FALL
ON US, AND HIDE US FROM THE FACE OF HIM THAT SITTETH ON THE THRONE, AND FROM THE
'WRATH OF THE LAMB,' FOR THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME, AND WHO SHALL BE
ABLE TO STAND?" What a prayer? Instead of repenting and crying for Salvation,
they will call on the mountains and rocks to bury them from the sight of the
Almighty.
Rev. 8:1
"And when He had opened the
'SEVENTH SEAL,'
there was SILENCE IN HEAVEN ABOUT THE SPACE OF HALF AN HOUR."
We must not forget that the "SEVENTH SEAL" includes all
that happens during the sounding of the "Trumpets," and the pouring out of the
"Vials," and so extends down to the ushering in of the Millennium. To
illustrate, a rocket fired into the air may burst into "seven stars," and one of
these stars into "seven other stars," and one of the second group of stars into
a third group of "seven stars." So the "Seventh" Seal includes the "Seven
Trumpets," and the "Seventh" Trumpet includes the "Seven Vials."
The "SILENCE" that followed the breaking of the "Seventh Seal" was preparatory
to what was to follow during the sounding of the "Trumpets," and the pouring out
of the "Vials." This "SILENCE" was something remarkable. The Four and Twenty
Elders ceased their harp-playing; the angels hushed their voices, and the
Cherubim and Seraphim and all the host of Heaven were silent, and so great was
the silence that all Heaven was awed by it; and to add to the noticeableness of
it, John added that it lasted for "HALF AN HOUR." Now a "half an hour" is not
long when engaged in some pleasant employment, but it causes a nerve breaking
tension when we do not know what is going to happen, and when a life is at stake
a minute, or even a few seconds, seem to be hours. The suspense of the half hour
of SILENCE in Heaven was intense. But why that half hour of silence? What did it
portend? It was the period of silent preparation for the awful judgments that
were to burst forth in the earth under the "Trumpets" and "Vials."
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