Dear Doves,

 

          I think that there is a possibility that some of the Seal Judgments of Revelation 6 are already opened.  I realize that the opening of the First Seal is what many consider to be the start of the Tribulation.  But a Scriptural argument can be made that some of the judgments in the Book of Revelation will actually precede the Tribulation.

 

          Before you write this off as being farfetched, remember that the Beast, the Two Witnesses, and the increments that we normally associate with Daniel’s Seventieth Week (i.e. 42 months, 1,260 days, a time, times and half a time) are not even mentioned until Chapters 11-13 of Revelation.  We are used to folding the timing of these three chapters back over to Chapter 4.  But, isn’t it just as valid to interpret these chapters in chronological order?  

 

Where was Jesus?

 

          Take a look at the scene in Revelation 5:

 

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.  Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep!  See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’  Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.”  Revelation 5:1-6.

 

          Please note that “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth” could be found who was worthy to open the scroll.  But a few verses later, the Lamb, “looking as if it had been slain,” appears at the scene.  So, where was Jesus? 

 

          When was He not in heaven, on the earth, or under the earth?  Answer – the Ascension. 

 

          We know where Jesus is now.  He is at the right hand of the Father.  (See Acts 2:33 and Hebrews 10:12.)  In fact, Stephen saw Him there:

 

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”  Acts 7:55-56.

 

          If the scene in Revelation 5 is still in the future, there would be no need to search for Jesus.  And yet, when John looks directly at the right hand of God, the Lamb is not there.  So, this scene must have occurred prior to the time that Jesus received his place at the right hand of God.   

 

          “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”  Hebrews 10:12-14.

 

          Furthermore, the fact that He appeared as a Lamb “looking as if it had been slain” supports the argument that the timing of the scene is close to the crucifixion. 

 

The Horsemen are Spiritual Beings

 

          Seals 1 through 4 describe the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  I realize that many believe that the rider of the white horse is the Antichrist, but I must disagree.  The Book of Revelation consistently calls the Antichrist the “Beast” and we do not see him introduced as such until Revelation 11:7. 

 

          I believe that the Horsemen of the Apocalypse are all spiritual beings.  We see similar horsemen and horses in Zechariah 1 and 6:

 

          “During the night I had a vision – and there before me was a man riding a red horse!  He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine.  Behind him were red, brown and white horses.  I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’  The angel who was talking with me answered, ‘I will show you what they are.’  Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, ‘They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.’  And they reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.’”  Zechariah 1:8-11.

 

          “I looked up again – and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains – mountains of bronze!  The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled – all of them powerful.  I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these, my lord?’  The angel answered me, ‘These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.”  Zechariah 6:1-5.

 

          I believe that the horsemen of Zechariah are the same horsemen of Revelation.  Why else are we given three passages in the Bible with strikingly similar imagery?  These horsemen are clearly supernatural.  They have been alive for thousands of years, have access to heaven, can travel the earth, and they do our Lord’s bidding.

 

Birth pains and Seals 1-5

 

          Jesus compared the years leading up to the Tribulation to be “the beginning of sorrows” – or birth pains.  It is interesting to note that His description of the birth pains matches the impact that each of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse will have on the earth, as well as the Fifth Seal.

 

          Here is what will happen at the opening of Seals 1-5:

 

Seal One – conquest.

Seal Two – war.

Seal Three – famine.

Seal Four – death to ¼ of the earth by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.

Seal Five – martyrdom.

 

          Now see how all of these elements are encompassed by the description of birth pains:

 

“Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.  Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.  At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and my false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  Matthew 24:4-14.

 

          Like birth pains, the impact of the first 5 Seals could be accelerating.

 

Open and Ongoing

 

          The opening of the Fifth Seal supports the theory that a seal can be both open and ongoing:

 

"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.  They called out in a loud voice, 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?'  Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."  Revelation 6:9-11.

 

          (*Note: John only sees "souls."  This may be evidence that the Rapture has not taken place prior to the Fifth Seal.  The martyrs do not have resurrection bodies.)

 

          Christians have been killed for the "word of God and the testimony they had maintained" since Stephen.  I believe that these martyrs comprise the souls of those who are seen at the opening of the Fifth Seal.  They are told to wait for vengeance because their number is incomplete.

 

          So, even though the Fifth Seal is opened, its effect (i.e. martyrdom) is still ongoing. 

 

Sixth Seal Rapture?

 

          So while Seals 1-5 could arguably be open and on-going, the Sixth Seal, with its earthquake of global proportions, has clearly not happened yet.

 

          Most of you are already familiar with author David Lowe’s earthquake-resurrection pattern.  In a nutshell, he believes that resurrection events are coupled with earthquakes.  (See Matthew 27:50-53 and Revelation 11:11-13.)  Consequently, since the Rapture will involve a large number of people, the accompanying earthquake could be globally devastating.  Lowe believes that the earthquake that occurs at the opening of the Sixth Seal is also the earthquake that will occur at the time of the Rapture.

 

          I think he is correct.  And I think that the breaking of the Seals is in a holding pattern until the Rapture occurs. 

 

Conclusion

 

          Ironically, if some of the Seals are open prior to the Tribulation, it would resolve a few of the disagreements that pre-tribbers have with pre-wrathers.  It would actually turn the pre-wrathers into pre-tribbers.  Wouldn't it be something if we have been fighting over a non-issue all of this time? 

 

          Maranatha.

                       – Lisa Taylor