The seals are best descibed as unbreakable locks, seals, on the ownership document of this earth. It was originally given by God to Adam when Adam was told to populate the earth and have dominion over it. Unfortunately Adam then fell and gave the scroll to Satan. The scroll is said to be written on both sides, which if you are aware does not happen with normal any of the Hebrew scrolls that have been discovered, such as the dead sea scrolls etc. Satan managed to keepo hold of the document, which gives him the rights to the earth, yes, satan currently owns the earth and all who are in it. That scroll is sealed and cannot be opened or read by any normal person.
So how do we know Jesus can open it. I believe there was one stipulation placed on the scroll by God for just this outcome. Only a man who has lived on this earth and has never sinned can unlock the seals. So when satan managed to manipulate events to crucify Jesus, he didnt know what he was actually doing. Satan thought he has won, beaten God at his own game, when Jesus died on the cross. But, on the third day whilst all the demons were still celebrating their victory, God rolled his sleaves up, stood up from his throne and resurrected Jesus from the dead. On his way out of hell, Jesus took the keys of death, grabbed the scroll and kicked the slats out of the gates and walked out. The scroll is now back in heaven along with the keys of death waiting the time when God again rolls up his sleaves, stands up and says, GO GET THEM SON. But before Jesus returns he has one job to do, The seals will be stripped from the scroll and this can be done only by Jesus and the scroll opened. Jesus will then be the new owner of the earth. My thoughts are that this is why when the seventh seal is opened there is silence for 30 minutes. The scroll is opened and everyone wants to read what it says. So we had better find out what these seals say and what happens as each is opened.
Let me also just say that Jesus taught us about these seals whilst he was on the earth before His crucifixian, maybe I should include those verses in with this list. The second witness on the subject is Jesus himself and when you see this you will also notice that each of the seals in Revelation are all in the same order as Jesus tells us about them. There are actually 3 versions of Jesus's teaching. Matthew 24 & 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21. They are the Olivet discourse, most do not see the match in all 4 passages but then they are not looking for them. Text words themselves might not be the same, but the meaning is the same, e.g. war has the same meaning as false peace. We simply have a different author who interprets the events in a slightly different perspective, which gives us more information.
- The First Seal (Revelation 6:2) - White Horse
"And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer."
A white horse, depicts peace, sat on the horse will be the victor. Think along the lines of the Roman generals returning to Rome at the head of their conquests. A bow without arrows is another sign of peace, this man will conquer but not with weapons. The crown is not as we think of as a Kings crown this is the victors crown, some olympic medal ceromonies have done this with the laurel crown, we are talking exactly the same. Notice though it is also the symbol for the UN, a white laurel leaf crown on a blue background adorns the flag. The rider is going out to conquer with peace, there are others ways to conquer than using weapons. Any great business man will tell you there should be no need for guns or violence in a negotiation. However just as this sounds to good to be true, it is, this will be a false peace and ultimately short lived. Along with the posibility of the coming of a false prophet who will lead people astray.
Matthew 24: false prophets who come in God's name.
Jeremiah 14:15 speaks about false prophets who prophesy false peace. and they say that Jerusalem will not see sword or famine, but these prophets die by the same events. Also notice that the next 2 events, seal 2 and 3 are sword and famine.
- The Second Seal (Revelation 6:4) - Red Horse
"And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword."
The peace of the first seal is now gone, murder will be rife, wars will be frequent and they will be all over the world no one will escape the effects.
Matthew 24:
Peace being taken away from the earth, nations fighting each other
- The Third Seal (Revelation 6:5) - Black Horse
"When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand."
Matthew 24 price fixing so high that you can by a loaf of bread for a days work.
Famine can be the same thing when you cannot afford the inflated food prices. Depends from which view point you look at it.
- The Fourth Seal (Revelation 6:7-8) - Pale Horse
"When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth."
Matthew 24: Death of many people sword and pestilance up to about a quarter of the population. The rise of the anti-christ and the abomination of desolation, this bit I am not 100% certain on but this will be the earliest this will happen. This will be the first time we find out who the anti-christ is, up until now he or she has been working in the background, probably, under the shelter of committees etc. My other theory for the abomination of desolation is around the sixth trumpet, either way we will not be able to say for certain who the anti-christ is until the abomination happens.
- The Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9) - Martyred Souls
"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne."
Matthew 24: martyrdom of believers, matthew calls it the great tribulation.
- The Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-14) - Earthquake, Black Sun, Blood Moon, Fallen Stars
"When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."
We actually have 6 different events attached with this seal.
Matthew 24: dark sun, dark moon, falling of stars, powers of heaven are shaken, unrepentant in the world mourn seeing Jesus, we read Jesus coming in the clouds seated on His throne.
Matthew 24:31 we are told about the rapture, the saints are gathered up from the 4 corners of the earth. In Rev 7:9 we see the saints appear before the throne in heaven.
At the end of the sixth seal we are told in Rev 6:17 the great day of their wrath of God coming next.
- In Revelation chapter 7, which is between the sixth and seventh seals we read about the sealing of the 144,000. This is the inkhorn mark ordered by God to be placed in the forehead of God's servants. When we get to the severn trumpets, you will see that those marked with this mark are saved from the torments that are coming then.
- The Seventh Seal (Revelation 8:1) - Silence in heaven
"When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."
Matthew is the days of Noah when the wrath of God was the great flood.
- So the severn seals have been opened and the severn angels who are standing beside God's throne are given a trumpet each, but, before they sound them we have another angel who offers a sacrifice of the prayers of the saints mixed with incense on the alter before the throne of God.
(Revelation 8:3-6)
3: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4: And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5: And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6: And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Some people will tell you that this is because they believe the seven trumpets come in between the sixth and seventh seals. However this is not how the Book is written, the Book makes it fairly clear that the severn trumpets come after the seals, so that is how I am going to take it.
I have also heard a lot of preachers state that each seal takes 1 year and put the trumpets and wrath into the last year. I do not hold to that teaching and you will see why as you read about what is following the seals being opened. I will make doubly sure you understand at this point that I believe we will still be here on the earth at this point, I do not believe that the rapture will have happened yet.
Intro article on The book of Revelation
Article about the seven seals
Article about the seven Trumpets
Article on the Rapture.