The Seventh Seal

Review - Seven Seals

Seals represent the judgements, pains and suffering that will mark the last days, before God finally and ultimately deals with evil and restores His creation.

Last Days = Time Before Christ’s Res. & Second Coming

First Four Seals = Four Horseman of the Apocalypse

1) White = Conquest

2) Red = Bloodshed

3) Black = Economic Woes (Famine, Poverty, Etc.)

4) Pale = Death (From all the other judgements + pestilence and wild beasts)

These Four Seals represent repeated events that occur throughout history.

5 = Prayers of the Martyrs in Heaven

How long O Lord?

They await the consummation of God’s Kingdom

6 = The Day of the Lord = The Judgement of the Wicked

The World will experience the wrath of God

Interlude (Chapter 7)

Closing question in chapter 6 = Who can stand

Answer = 144,000

(12 Tribes of Israel x 12 Apostles) x 1000

Represents entire people of God

The People of God (Jews and Gentiles who are in Christ) will be shielded from God’s Wrath.

Chapter 8 - Seventh Seal

Read Rev. 8:1-5;

Overview:

The opening of the seventh seal seams useless, since final judgement comes with the 6th seal

But the 7th seal leads to the seven trumpets, which leads to the seven trumpets, which is a revisitation) of the final judgements

The first five seals deal with with the entire period of the church age (Christ’s res. - Second coming)

The last 2 seals deal with the final judgement.

Both are God’s response to the prayers of the saints… How long O Lord will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

The seven trumpets that come from the seven seals give a more detailed view of final judgement.

Same story, different perspective… Rocky Mountains in CO

V. 1 - Silence in Heaven - Possibilities

= Calm Before the Storm

Silence happens in the NT just before judgement

Habakkuk 2:20 (Hab. has prophesied coming judgements on Judah)

Habakkuk 2:20 (ESV)

But the Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Zephaniah 1:7 (ESV)

Be silent before the Lord God!

For the day of the Lord is near;

the Lord has prepared a sacrifice

and consecrated his guests.

V. 2 - Seven Angels are given Seven trumpets

Seven angels are seen several times in Rev. (Remember 7 is the number of completion)

The angels are God’s servants, who will execute His will.

Seven angels are given 7 trumpets

Blowing of the trumpet is often a call to battle

Numbers 10:9 (ESV)

And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.

Joshua 6:4–6 (ESV)

Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.”

The trumpets signify God’s impending judgement on Jericho

V. 3-4: Another Angel Appears

The angel plays a role in bringing the prayers of the saints before the Lord.

The alter of incense was in the Holy Place of the tabernacle and temple.

In the OT, God was pleased with incense that was offered to Him (Ex. 30)

Psalm 141:2 (ESV)

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

The incense accompanying the prayers, shows that the prayers of the saints are pleasing to the Lord.

What are the saints praying for? The next verse gives us a clue.

V. 5: Judgement Comes Upon the Earth

The Fire that the angel throws on the earth represents God’s Judgement

The thunderstorm and the earthquake also represents God’s judgement

This is in response to the prayers of the saints.

The saints on the earth seem to be joining with the martyrs in heaven, in praying that God will judge the wicked and consummate His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:9–10 (ESV)

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Response

Our Prayers are NOT in vain

God is Sovereign, but He has predestined our prayers to be efficacious in bringing about His will.

We should regularly pray for God’s Kingdom to Come!