The Seven Seals

Intro

Time frame for this section: from Crucifixion to Second Coming

5:5-6, 6:12-17, 7:1-9, 7:17

On John’s Progressive Parallelism...as the revelation goes, it gets more and more intense as it goes! Daniel’s revelation and apocalyptic vision exhibit parallelism as well.

1. There are two major divisions in the book: 1-11 is the church persecuted by the world, and 12-22 is the church persecuted by Satan who, through the world, persecutes the church.

2. Specific time periods are identical:

Chapters 8-11 are for a duration of 42 months or 1260 days in 11:2-3

Chapters 12-14 have the same time frame, 12:6 has 1260 days, 12:14 has 3.5 years (which is the same)

3. The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls are Parallel, the trumpets and bowls particularly match up:

a. the first trumpet and bowl affect the earth (8:7, 16:2)

b. the second trumpet and bowl affect the sea (8:8, 16:3)

c. the third trumpet and bowl refer to a river (8:10, 16:4)

d. the fourth trumpet and bowl refer to the sun (8:12, 16:8)

e. the fifth trumpet and bowl speak of the Abyss and the throne of the beast (9:1, 16:10)

f. the sixth trumpet and bowl speak of the Euphrates river (9:13, 16:12)

g. the seventh trumpet and bowl speak to the second coming (11:15, 16:17)

Rv 4:6, Eyes in the scriptures symbolize divine omniscience and watchfulness!(2Ch 16:9; Pr 15:3; Zch 3:9; 4:10;

1:27 Fire is often associated with the appearance of God (Ex 3:2–15; 24:17; Rv 4:1–5). The vision of the throne is similar to what Moses and the seventy elders observed on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:9–11). Numerous features of Ezekiel’s vision are repeated in John’s portrayal of the heavenly throne (Rv 4:2–8).

Rooker, M. F. (2017). Ezekiel. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1250). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.