Jesus' Authority Contested (The 7 Seals)

Imagery of seals:

ILL: Marriage covenant is sealed by the groom, the bride, the officiant, and one of the witnesses.

How do you get a divorce?

You have to prove that the terms of the contract has been broken.

You need to have the contract opened and evaluated by a judge.

LAST WEEK: The Throne Room (The highest court in the ancient world)

TODAY: A challenge is being made to a contract that is written on a scroll.

ISSUE: Authority over the nations

PRO TIP

Remember the Supernatural Worldview of the Biblical Authors and Audience.

gods want their power

Jesus has usurped their power by conquering death and rising to the right hand of God

Why does this give him the authority though? (He has proved his power over them.)

The easiest way to read this passage is as if there are 7 seals that are going to be opened and then to watch the world around us to see if any of them have been opened yet or are being opened.

The point is in the imagery of the scroll and seals itself.

Scroll: Contract detailing who has authority over the earth.

7 Seals:

Seals - The more seals, the higher the court that needs to judge

7 - needs to be opened and judged in the highest (perfect) court

Begin by looking at the first 6 seals

Move to an intermission that explains when the seals are opened

End with the opening of the 7th seal and the unfolding of the scroll

The Seals (First 6) — God sent these out; not the devil per se (God’s Cherubim Sent Them) — we need to remember that God created all; and many of the divines rebelled. In the OT, God sent them.

White horse & Rider (The Judge) (Angel of the Lord character in the OT, which we consider Christophany today)

White (pure)

Bow (War—he breaks the bow and bends the spear and tells the wars to cease, Psalm 46)

Crown given to him (Authority, cf. chs 4-5)

Went to conquer (When did Jesus go out to conquer the devil?)

Red fiery horse & Rider (The Executioner)

Took peace from the earth (Who does this?)

People slaughter one another (The tale of the Watchers in Enoch)

Large sword given to him (Mighty Warrior—Who gave him this sword?)

Black horse & Rider (The Accountant)

Set of scales in hand (To weigh the sins of humankind—note: to break one part of the law is to break it all, Matt 5:19)

Image of uneven balances: famine in grain harvest but plentiful wine and oil.

Pale Green horse and Rider (The Key-holders)

Named Death (In Jewish folklore, Azrael—angel who embodies evil and was created for the abyss—takes people to the abyss as his nature)—not the theology, but the story.

Hades was following after him

Translated from Hebrew Sheol (grave)

God of the dead and ruler of the underworld—pairing of Death and Hades is to image both Greek and Hebrew pictures of judgment upon the wicked.

Given authority over 1/4 of the earth

Partial authority to kill (not willy nilly)

The means

war

famine

plague

and by the wild animals of the earth

He 2:14—the devil/Satan has authority over death

Re 1:18, Jesus acquired that authority in raising from the dead.

The NT seems to roll many characters into the character of Satan, whereas the OT and the Hebrew folklore tend to see them as separate. It is likely that the ancient reader understood that a reference to Satan could mean to one who worked under his authority.

The souls of the martyrs (Prophets) (what martyrs?)

Souls of the martyrs: Prophets, even David. cf. Psalms of lament (how long o’ Lord; Lamentations (Jeremiah))

How long until you judge? (cf. Psalm 82—read it quick)

Rest until the end in peace — Abraham’s bosom thinking, but on the righteous side with Abraham.

Signs following the 4 Horseman and the Martyrs (Signs)

Earthquake

Darkness

Blood moon

Stars fall from the sky

Sky split and rolled up

Mountains and islands relocated

Scrolls 6|7 INTERCESSION

2 skips rehearsed in the intersession

Israel

All the Kingdom of God

These 2 skits explain the bridge between the OT and NT, the judgment upon Israel, and the remnant of Israel that will receive the promises of God alongside the faithful Gentiles.

This narrative is to emphasize that there is no fear of the 7th seal for those who are in God’s Kingdom, however, the Jew must not believe that their nationality earns them God’s Kingdom. Neither should the Gentile world believe that they deserve God’s Kingdom for any reason. Only those who are faithful—Jew or Gentile, there is no distinction—are able to rest in the silence of the seventh seal where all others will come under divine judgment.

7.1-8 Reflects on the end of the era of Israel

The ‘powers’ of the earth (4 being complete similar to 7) were commanded by the Lord’s Angel to cease until the remnant was brought in.

Is there anywhere in the OT that we see the angels (certainly the nations) being told to punish Israel?

In verse 4, are Jesus’ travels cataloged? Did Jesus gather from the 12 tribes or just from Judah?

7.9ff The advent of Christ means the Gentiles Came Into the Temple/throne room

Note: palm branches and palm Sunday

Salvation belongs to our God (10) cf. I will be their God and they will be my people.

The angels and elders and 4 divines join in (11ff.)

7.13 The question.

Who are they?

Those coming out of the great tribulation.

Who has come out of the great tribulation? Those who washed their robes in the blood of the lamb and became pure.

What happens to them?

v. 17, Jesus rescues them and brings them to the throne room

Who is in the throne room in 4-5?

All believers who have formerly died.

What is the Great Tribulation?

The tribulation of the era of the church.

What’s going on here in the bigger story?

In the OT times, Satan and the gods were ruling over the various nations.

The LORD himself ruled over Israel and Israel still went and prostituted themselves with other gods.

Israel would have recieved blessing—no tribulation whatsoever—if they had been faithful.

What they did receive was not tribulation, but discipline and ultimately punishment.

Jesus robbed their authority.

Now the gods of the nations and the devil persecute humans, especially Christians, because we have taken their place in the throne room of God, int he divine counsel.

In this way, this tribulation is greater than that of the OT and I do believe it gets greater as the Kingdom of God grows.

The 7th Seal (The Cross)

Silence

The gods of the nations are still fighting for authority.

The silence symbolizes the end of the argument—nothing left to say.

Jesus doesn’t even have to have the last word, because the case has been settled.

He sat down on the throne (Phil 2)

The presumption is that the scroll has been read.

The seals were opened and it became evident, based on the evidence, that Jesus is Lord of Lords, King of Kings—a theme we will see return throughout our exploration of Revelation.

EXH: Habakkuk 2:18–20

Take your eyes off the idols and set them on Jesus; be still before Him.

Two Parts

The Idols

Being Still before Him

Acknowledges His watch over you

Acknowledges your trust in Him

We buzz around, filling every moment of every day.

When do you stop? And when are you still before Him?

Even when you don’t know what to pray:

Ponder scripture

Ask for help

Be still before Him

In 8.2 (next week) 7 angels start blowing trumpets and stuff is about to start happening.

The 30 minutes is symbolic of taking a break from the calamity of life.

CHALLENGE FOR US ALL

30 minutes a day (to be still and know that Jesus is Lord)

1 day a week (to be still and know that Jesus is Lord) (Sabbath)

1 week a year (to be still and know that Jesus is Lord)