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Revelation 4 - 6 Leviticus 26

Symbols
Revelation 4 and 5 introduces Jesus as the wavesheaf who was accepted by God and found worthy to open the scroll with the seven seals.
Revelation 6 and 7 introduces the work of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost who seals the people of God by writing the laws of God in their heart. This is the promise of the covenant that is revealed when the new king opened the seal.
Revelation 6 is the destiny of those who reject the Holy Spirit and the covenant.
Revelation 7 is the destiny of those who accept the Holy Spirit and the covenant.
The symbols used are from the sanctuary and the blessings and the curses of the covenant. The prophecy of the seven churches in Revelation 1 to 3 shows the status of the church and the counsel of Jesus as their High Priest. The seven seals show why Jesus warns, rewards and punished them, because here He is presented as their King.
Jesus and the Church. The seals also follow the order of the journeys of the twelve tribes. Jesus begins His journey after the point of resurrection and the church starts at the beginning. The information shows that as the church experiences their afflictions, they are helped by an High Priest who has also been afflicted in the same way.

The Open Door
Revelation 4 describes Heaven in terms of the Most Holy Place in the Sanctuary.
Revelation 5 describes the acceptance of the wave sheaf offering after the resurrection.
a door was opened in heaven. (Revelation 4: 1).

Crucifixion | Veil Torn | Resurrection | Wave Sheaf | Inauguration | High Priest is King and Judge | Holy Spirit | Pentecost
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jesus | First Fruits |  | Lamb becomes High Priest | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Friday Nisan 14 | Lamb | 24 Elders | Sunday Nisan 16 | Nisan 16 - 22 | Receives Covenant | Seals Opened
Temple Opened | Revelation 5 | Revelation 6

This verse describes an open door in Heaven. This door was opened when the veil to the Most Holy was torn. Jesus entered that door at His ascension when He was accepted as the wavesheaf offering and inaugurated as our High Priest.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4: 14-16)

- Open Door. At the crucifixion, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was torn. This symbolized His death, the opening of graves and the opening of the door between the two rooms.
  Torn Veil. And, look, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many. (Matthew 27: 51-53)
- Throne. Through the open door John saw a throne. This is the Ark of the Covenant which is the throne of God.
- One Sitting On The Throne. This is God surrounded by the glory of God.
- Sea. The throne in heaven has a river that comes out of it. This must be the pool of water that it creates.
- Four Living Creatures. Solomon placed two Cherubim within the Most Holy Place, whose wings covered above the place that the Ark was put. In addition, there were the two "Covering Cherubim" on the Ark. So, there were Four Cherubim in the Sanctuary.

  The Throne

  Four Cherubim And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves above it. (1 Kings 8: 6-7)
- Twenty Four Elders. On the earth, only the priests could enter the sanctuary and only the high priest could see the ark of the covenant. In heaven, we see that it is now open to ordinary people. The twenty four elders represent the people of earth. We know that they are from earth because they are wearing "victory crowns" (stephanos).
  The Victory Crown. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4: 6-8)
  These are probably from the group of people who were resurrected with Jesus. See Matthew 27: 51-53. They could also include those who were already in heaven such as Enoch, Elijah and Moses.
  A Foundation Of Twenty Four. This organization existed in the old testament and it will exist in the new earth.
  - The Old Jerusalem. Even on earth, the family of priests were divided into twenty four divisions named after the children of Levi so that they could rotate their schedules when they served in the temple.
    24 Divisions Of Priests. Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron ... And David distributed them ... according to their offices in their service. ... So were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God ... Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah ... The twenty third to Delaiah, the twenty fourth to Maaziah. (1 Chronicles 24: 1-18.)
  - Heaven - The New Jerusaem. The city of the New Jerusalem is based on the foundation of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples of Jesus (Revelation 21: 12-14).
    We know that all the righteous will become priests of God. Therefore the twenty four divisions will probably be named after these twenty four leaders.
  The Elders Of The People. The division of authority was given to priests, elders, judges, then later to kings. The concept of an elder or representatives of a tribe has existed since Moses.
  What does an elder do?
  There are more than one per tribe. They come from every city and presided over matters of judgment and counceling,
  - Judgment. They helped Solomon to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 5: 2).
  - Out Of Babylon. They helped the returning exiles from Babylon to remove their foreign wives (Ezra 10: 14).
  - Guide The Flock. They receive a crown from Jesus. for taking care of the flock
    The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Peter 5: 1-4)
  - Representatives Of The People. They were involved in every decision that Moses made.
    Received The Law. And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel. (Deuteronomy 31: 9)
    Moses called the elders when he had matters of importance for the people. These elders even went up the mountain with Joshua and Moses.
    70 Elders. And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. (Exodus 24: 1)
    The important fact is that they are the elders "of the people" (Numbers 11: 24).
  - Overseers Of The Flock. Paul called the elders of the church and described the work of Elders as follows.
    And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (Acts 20: 17, 27-29)
    They are the shepherds.
  - Delivers The Murderer To Justice. The elders of the city give a murderer to the blood avenger.
    Satan hated Adam and Eve because God loved them. So he lied in wait for Eve at the tree of knoeledge. This hatred began in heaven where he lied and caused a third of the angels to fall. So he was cast out into the city of refuge that would be the New Jerusalem - the planet Earth. His actions sentenced her and her innocent children to death.
    But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee. (Deuteronomy 19: 11-13)
    Our blood avenger is Jesus Christ.
  - From The Human Race. Notice how Jesus qualified Himself to be our eternal King, High Priest, Judge, Blood Avenger and now He is qualified as an elder all because He was "one of us".
    - One Of Us. He was born into the human race (Isaiah 11: 1).
    - King. He is the "Son of David" from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1: 1; 21: 15).
      And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased. (Matthew 21: 15)
    - Redeemer-Lamb. He purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20: 28).
    - High Priest. He intercedes for us. He is qualified because of His experience as one of us.
      For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrew 4: 15)
    - Blood Avenger. Born to the human race, qualified to be our High Priest who intercedes for us in the New Jerusalem, He is our protector and blood avenger (Romans 12: 19).
    - Judge. God has made Him our Judge not on the basis of what He hears or sees but on what He has experienced as one of us. He knows us because He suffered as one of us.
      And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (Isaiah 11: 1-4)
    - Elder. As the "Ancient of days" and our Creator, He is certainly old enough and experienced enough and qualified to be our elder who counsels us, gives us the law and represents us.
    An elder must be able to guide and counsel us and understand our weakness. Noboby else outside earth qualifies except Jesus Christ - not even angels. By virtue of being born among us and living as one of us, Jesus is qualified to be an Elder who represents us.
    The elders must be from this planet. They must be one of us.
- Scroll. The scroll is the covenant.
- Lamb. The Lamb becomes the High Priest and then the Lion King. Then He is appointed as Judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10: 42)

Two Sets of Laws

The Sealed Scroll And The Covenant
The crisis in Revelation 5 centers around a Scroll with seven seals. We will show that this scroll is the covenant which was kept at the throne of God.
Located At The Throne (Ark).
The scroll was ... in the right hand of him that sat on the throne. Revelation 5: 1
The only written documents kept in the sanctuary were the Ten Commandments and the Torah written by Moses.
Even Bible Science proves that the sanctuary is the source of all laws, civil and scientific.

- The Ten Commandments ("The Covenant"). These were called the covenant and the testimony and they were put inside the ark.
  And He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone. (Deuteronomy 4: 13)
  Location. And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. (Exodus 25: 16)
- The Torah. (The Laws and The Blessings and Curses). These were put beside the ark. These also legally define the covenant, the consequences for breaking the covenant and the terms to which the people agreed. Life or death. It was the same choice given to Adam.
  Ceremonial Laws and Curses. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. (Deuteronomy 31: 24-26)

Written On Both Sides. Both the scroll and the Ten Commandments were written on both sides.

- The Scroll. .. written within and on the backside ... (Revelation 5: 1)
- The Commandments. And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. (Exodus 32: 15)
- The Covenant. Then I looked and behold, a hand was extended to me and lo a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and the back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. (Ezekiel 2: 9-10)
  In the vision of the throne of God, Ezekiel was given a scroll by God on the throne. This must be the copy of the covenant which included the commandments and the blessings and curses. This description of the throne of God places a copy of a document which contained the curses at the throne of God.
- The Curses. Zechariah sees a flying scroll with the curses for breaking the law written on both sides.
  And he said to me, "what do you see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll, its length is twenty cubits and its width is ten cubits". Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land.
  Sin Against Man. surely everyone who steals will be purged away by the writings written on one side,
  Sin Against God. and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side".
  ... and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name ... (Zechariah 5: 2-4)
  The curses are sent for breaking the Ten Commandments. It specifically mentions stealing and taking the name of the Lord in vain. Stealing is usually an offense against man but the next is an offense against God.

The Paradox
Only a Priest could enter the Sanctuary. And only a King could receive the Scroll to Rule. In Ancient Israel, a Priest came from the tribe of Levi. The King came from the tribe of Judah. No one was allowed to serve in both roles.

The King And The Priest.
Two people kept a copy of the law.

- Priest. The priest had a copy in the temple.
- King. A copy of the law was given to the king at his coronation.

The problem was, that since the law was kept in the sanctuary, the king could not get a copy unless there was a legitimate High Priest who could enter the Most Holy Place to retrieve the copy. In addition, no one was allowed to be both a king and a priest.
The King Makes A Personal Copy. And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. (Deuteronomy 17: 18-19)
So the king must read and enforce the law.

The Offering
When Jesus died He fulfilled the quality and time requirements to become several offerings. The Passover Lamb. The Sin offering. The Ram of Ordination (Inauguration). The Wave offering. The Wavesheaf (First Fruits). The Peace offering (Free Will).

Who Is Worthy?
Therefore we have this dilemma.
Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? (Revelation 5: 2).
In other words, who can enter the temple of heaven to retrieve a copy of the covenant? And who has a right to be king and receive the law? For a time no one could be found.
And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it? (Revelation 5: 3).

- Heaven. There was no angel or other creature in heaven.
- Earth. There was no human.
- Under the Earth. There was no one among the dead.

No one was found until Jesus was victorious over sin and death.
The Covenant With David and Levi. If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time; Then my covenant may also be broken with David my servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. (Jeremiah 33: 20-21).
The eclipse at His crucifixion may have technically broken the covenant with these tribes. During the eclipse day and night were not at their appointed time. This dark sun was a miracle on two levels.

- Duration. Normally, solar eclipses last about eight minutes, this darkness persisted for three hours.
- Timing. Normal solar eclipses only occur during a new moon and are impossible during a full moon. Since this solar eclipse occurred during a full moon, it was a miracle that was not caused by natural forces or natural time cycles. God broke the covenant.

God chose to keep the covenant with David and end the covenant with Levi. According to verse 26, He would restore the fortunes of David and have mercy on him.

The New Priesthood
Jesus had to be both a priest and king. But the law forbids a priest from the tribe of Levi or a king from the tribe of Judah to hold any other office. Therefore, to keep this law Jesus became a king from the line of Judah, but He became an eternal priest from the line of Melchisadek David. Because it is still day and night time and there are no other kings of God on earth, He became king from this tribe. Therefore, He was born from Judah so that He could inherit the throne. Melchisadek. Since He was from Judah, he could not be from Levi because He could not legally hold both offices during day and night time. But on earth there was an eternal line of priests of God. He could claim this line. Levi. Therefore there is no need for the priesthood of Levi to continue. It can pass away. According to Jeremiah 33: 20, God has the right to suspend this line of priests at a time when night does not follow day. Under the eternal priesthood, all people could become priests, not just the tribe of Levi. This is what happens in heaven.

The Messiah As Lamb And Lion Of Judah. ... Look, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. (Revelation 5: 5).
Because Jesus was a legitimate heir to the throne of David, He was a king who could receive the scroll. And because He was a high priest, He was able to enter the temple to receive the scroll at the throne.
The Messiah as Priest and King. And speak to him, saying, So speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, Look the man whose name is The Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord: Even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6: 12-13)
For the first time there will be someone who can be both Priest and King. He was the branch.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil; Where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisadek. For this Melchisadek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him. (Hebrews 6: 19 to 7: 1)

The Blessings and Curses.
Revelation 5 portrays Jesus as the King and Priest of the Order of Melchisadek. Jesus entered the Heavenly Sanctuary at His Ascension, to receive the Heavenly Scroll of the Eternal Covenant. (Revelation 5: 5-10)
We see that after the inauguration ceremony and the events of Revelation 4 and 5, the seals were opened and the terms of the covenant were revealed. God kept His agreement by sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as the blessing. He also kept the agreement by sending all the punishments. These are the five curses that are recorded in Leviticus 26.
The Blessing of Pentecost for the Righteous. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their minds and write it on the hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be My people". (Hebrews 8: 10)
The Curses for the Wicked. But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if instead you reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances so as not to carry out all my commandments, and so break my covenant, I in turn will do this to you ... (Leviticus 26: 14-16)

The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

Prince At The East Gate |  |  | High Priest Inaugurated | Walk The Earth | King Coronated | Pentecost
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
| Gifts |  | Sacrifices |  | Day 1 | Gifts | Sacrifices | Law | Day 8 | Law | Court | Judges | Gifts |
8 Days | 8 Days | 33 Days | 8 Days | Day 50

- The East Gate. Jesus came as the Prince of the Covenant through the east gates of Jerusalem, bearing gifts. As one of the people He brings gifts and sacrifices. The sacrifice was Himself, symbolized by the blood pouring out of Him. The gift of the Holy Spirit was symbolized as the water pouring out of Him.
  The Gift From The Prince. When the prince provides a freewill offering to the Lord, whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings, the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut. (Ezekiel 46: 12)
- The Sacrifice. So the Lamb of God was the Prince of the Covenant. He was neither the High Priest nor the King yet. So the parable is true. The wicked servants killed the Prince.
- The Gifts Offered By The Priest. The people and the prince bring gifts and sacrifices and the priest offers them to God on their behalf. He secured His gifts of blood and water at Gethsemane and Calvary.
  Inauguration As High Priest. So when He was inaugurated with His own blood, He took His own gifts and offered them. These events must occur so that He can make His appearance on the eighth day after His anointing.
  Offering Himself. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. (Hebrews 8: 3)
- Walking The Earth. Jesus could have been coronated immediately because the High Priest was now installed. So why wait in Jerusalem about 40 more days for Pentecost? He could have been going through a ritual of walking through His property in heaven and earth to establish His title.
  Abraham walked throughout the Promised Land and Satan walked up and down the earth (Job 1: 7).
  Abram's Faith Walk. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. (Genesis 13: 17-18)
  Joshua made the men walk through the land before distributing their inheritance.
  Joshua Distributes The Inheritance. And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh. (Joshua 18: 8)
  One of the phases of the twelve tribes prophecy about Jesus at the point of His resurrection gave these instructions. He shall walk throughout the earth based on the number of years He lived in it. He died at 33.5 years but was incarnated 10 months before, making His time as a human 33-34+ years, but walking by age 1. Then He officially returned to heaven in the clouds and gave us the power to subdue our enemies.
  Walk Earth. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength [leisurely walk (NASB)] be.
  Returns In The Clouds. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
  Going Out "Conquering And To Conquer". The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. (Deuteronomy 33: 25-27)
  Jesus Returns In Clouds. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1: 3, 8-9)
- Pentecost. Pentecost is where we were formally given the gift of service from God. So technically, it is not the priest who gives or has the gifts. It is the king and the prince. The priest merely distributes them.
  - The Priesthood Is A Gift. The priesthood and service to God is a gift.
    The Gift Of Service. But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death. (Numbers 18: 7)
    Even if Satan complains that Jesus is not eligible, God's sovereign will overrides by law. He gives gifts based on His choice, not our efforts, birth order or recommendation.
  - The Holy Spirit Is A Gift. Just as the Prince gives Himself as a sacrifice and a gift. The Holy Spirit gives Himself as a gift.
  Coronation As King. So Jesus had to be coronated as King by Pentecost to give the gifts, retrieve the law, establish a righteous court and appoint judges. It is God, the King, who appoints judges and priests. So on Pentecost He could open the first seal and go out conquering with His army of priests.
- The Year Of Freedom. The gifts have expiration dates if they are part of the inheritance of the Prince.
  Sons Or Servants. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. (Ezekiel 46: 16-17)
  - Servants Of God. The gifts are temporary (1 Corinthians 13: 8-10, Zechariah 13: 2-4).
  - Sons Of God. At the Second Coming we will be formally children of God with a permanent inheritance.

The Seven Seals
Our study of the seven seals looks at the prophetic details that are revealed as each of the seven seals on the scroll that Christ received is opened (Revelation 5: 1). As Jesus reads the scroll, He does all things that are required by law. He sends the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to write the laws into our hearts and He sends the curses as the church collapses into disobedience.
And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. (Deuteronomy 17: 19)

Pentecost | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Holy Spirit | Blessing | Curse 1 | Curse 2 | Curse 3 and 4 | Curse 5 (The Wrath of God) | Blessing
White Horse | Red Horse | Black Horse | Pale Horse | Martyrs | Signs | Silence
Early Church 31-199 | Roman Persecution 200-350 | Apostasy 350-538 | Papal Persecution 538-1740 | Martyrs Wait 1740-55 | Earthquake 1755 | Dark Day 1780 | Stars 1833 | 1844 | Sky Splits | Second Coming
The Sealing

The Four Creatures
The Cherubim. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast was like a calf; and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4: 7)
Revelation 4 mentions the order of the four beasts who would be sent with each seal. It represents the order in which the work of Christ will be done on behalf of the righteous and the order in which the curses will be applied to the wicked. The same power of God that is salvation for the righteous becomes a curse for the wicked.

4 BC | Conqueror |  | 31 AD | Lamb of God |  | 1844 | Righteous Judge Son of Man |  | Second Coming | Bridegroom |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Lion of the Tribe of Judah | Calf (Sacrifice for Sin) | Man (Judge, Pair of Scales) | Eagle (Eats the Wicked Dead)

The Symbols Of The Seven Seals

| Creature | Seal | Symbols | Curse | Period
1 | Lion | The Four Horsemen | White horse | Crown, bow | Blessings | Early church
2 | Calf (Ox) | Red horse | War | 1. No peace | Persecution
3 | Face of a Man | Black horse | Scales, wheat, barley. Oil and wine not hurt. | 2. Famine | Apostasy
4 | Flying Eagle | Pale horse | Wild beasts, sword, famine, pestilence | 3. Wild beasts 4. War, famine, disease | Dark ages
5 | These last judgments are not sent by the creatures. They come from God himself. | The Wrath of God | Souls under the altar ask for justice | White robes | The fifth curse, which is the final wrath of God. It is sent as an answer to the prayers of the saints. | Reformation and Martyrdom
6 | Day of wrath. Earthquake, dark sun, blood moon, stars fall and sky splits | After 1798
7 | Silence in heaven for half hour | End of time
We will note that a Creature is associated with each of the first four seals. Revelation 4: 6-8 tells us that these four living creatures were around the throne. Remember the living creatures around God's chariot throne in Ezekiel's visions. (Ezekiel Chapters 1 and 10): | A color is associated with the horses seen in each of the first four seals. Joel 2: 1-4, Zechariah 1: 8-10 and Zechariah 6: 1-3 describe horses which bring judgment from God.

The sealed scroll is the covenant. The terms of this covenant includes reward and punishment in the form of the blessings and curses. As the seals are opened either a blessing or curse is applied. Therefore the symbolism comes from the curses in the covenant. A vision of a flying scroll in Zechariah 5 seems to support this view.
Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked and saw there was a flying scroll.
And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits. " then He said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the face of the whole land". (Zechariah 5: 1-3)
The first four seals were delivered by the creatures from the throne of God. They send the equivalent horses of judgment. All these symbols are associated with the curse. The first seal shows the blessing as the church is obedient to the covenant. They are victorious. As apostasy takes control the five sets of curses are applied. In the fifth curse, the blessings are seen for the righteous as God protects his people of the covenant and sends the final curse on the wicked.
It is not a coincidence that the next prophecy deals exclusively with the people of God who are sealed. They survive the opening of the seals. They are not condemned by a curse. This prophecy shows the selection and rejection of people of the world and the next introduces us to those who are selected.

The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse
The seals can be divided into two sets.

- The Four Horsemen. These are the first four seals. These are the four horses which bring judgment from God. They are the promised blessing of the Holy Spirit and the first four curses.
- The Wrath of God. These are the last three seals. They are the fifth and final curse, which is the wrath of God.

The First Seal
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come". I looked, and saw, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Revelation 6: 1-2)

- The Creature. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Revelation 5: 5)
- The Horse. The white horse is the spiritual purity of the first church.

  The Blessing
  | Lion and White Horse |
  --- | --- | ---
  There was no curse in the early apostolic period as the church obeyed the king of kings and the word of God.

- The Blessings. The first part of the covenant lists the blessings, not the curses. Here we see the faithful church being rewarded with the blessings of the covenant. After the inauguration of the lamb as the high priest and the ascension to the throne of the lion king, the Holy Spirit is sent at Pentecost to fulfill the covenant. Therefore, under the first seal, a great blessing occurred.
- The Symbols. Bow and crown. They went to war for God, expecting victory, and they conquered. The crown is a Stephanos, a crown of victory. It was not a Diadema which is a kingly crown.
- Jesus: Joseph (Archer, "Reproach Removed"). Jesus was the conquering Archer Who was decorated with honor and given a bow and a crown. With His church and the Holy Spirit He went out to conquer the world despite all the opposition.
  Archer. Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; its branches run over a wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, and shot at him and attacked him; But his bough remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the mighty one of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel). (Genesis 49: 22-24)
  The branches running over a wall symbolize the work of Christ to breach the dividing wall between the Jews and the Gentiles. The spring and the stone refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit who will be the well coming from a stone with seven eyes.
  Jesus Breached the Wall. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2: 13-14).
  » The Christ Or The Antichrist? This is another interpretation in which Christ is switched for the Antichrist by a popular interpretation. That interpretation of the seven seals places their fulfillment in the time of trouble or after the rapture and the appearance of the Antichrist. According to this interpretation the next three horsemen have the same purpose as our interpretation even though we place them at different point in time. However, the interpretation of the rider on the white horse is different. Whereas we claim it is Christ, they claim that it is the Antichrist. While we compare this rider on the white horse to Jesus coming as the rider on the white horse they claim that it is two different persons because one comes with a bow (Antichrist) and Christ comes with a sword.
  Their interpretation disregards symbolism and leaves no room for the concept of repetition and enlargement in which different symbols are used to convey different aspects of the same fulfillment. Daniel used brass, a leopard and a ram to represent the same power - Greece. So with the understanding of the role of the twelve tribes let us clarify the Role of Jesus Christ, the conquering Messiah.
  - Judah. While the seven churches model the journey of the church starting with Judah to Dan, the seals model the journey of Christ after the resurrection. This clearly shows Him in the role of Joseph with a bow setting out to conquer. However, He is with a church who is just starting out their journey of faith as Judah.
  - The Stick Of Judah And Joseph (Ezekiel 37: 16-19). At this point the stick of Judah was joined with the stick of Joseph. The will of God is to join Judah and Israel. This will all be accomplished in the final generation when the seven churches reach the point of Joseph. They will either act like Joseph or Dan (Laodicea). At that time the rider is Gad who comes as a raider to conquer. These two conquerors merge. The Messiah who is Prince and the Messiah who is High Priest. He comes with a bow and crown and a sword. So Jesus is now the Messiah with the bow, conquering the forces of the Antichrist with His bow for the past 2000 years, pushing the people to the end of the earth according to Moses' blessing.
    Moses' Blessing. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. (Deuteronomy 33: 17)
    Jacob's blessing comes before the exodus and Moses comes at the end of the exodus. So in the beginning the Messiah comes with a bow. At the end He picks up His sword to gather the people who have been "pushed" to the ends of the earth.

    | Lion and White Horse |  | Jesus The High Priest |  | Second Coming
    --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
    The Final Week Of Jesus | 2000 Years Of The Church

  Church: Eastern Tribes. After He ascended from the Mount of Olives in the east, Jesus was the conqueror on a white horse instead of a donkey. He is the lion of the tribe of Judah on a white horse. He is Issachar going to heaven and leaving us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is Zebulun, going to the tents of the sanctuary in heaven.

The Fulfillment Of The First Seal (The Early Church) (31-199):
This is the early church during the time of the apostles. The first century through the mid second century. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the conquering Christ, they had a purity of the faith and the zeal for the work of God through which they conquered the world. Their crown is a victory wreath.
However, as time continued the church became corrupted and as each seal is opened, the king sees that He must apply the punishments written down as curses. So amazingly we find that the rest of the seals bring the five series of curses in the order specified in the covenant.

The Second Seal
When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come". And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (Revelation 6: 3-4)

The Curse
| Calf and Red Horse |
--- | --- | ---
The curse brought the Roman persecutions which eventually caused compromise and apostasy and martyrdom.

- The Creature. This was the calf or ox. It was is the only creature among the four living creatures that could be used as a sacrifice. It is also a strong creature. So here we see the sacrifice of Christ next to the work of the red horse. The church would become a sacrifice during times of persecution.
  War and Division. Jesus came to go to war with the kingdom of darkness. Read Matthew 10: 34-39. The battle between good and evil means sacrifice, division and martyrdom.
  Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10: 34)
  The Red Heifer. It may be significant that God symbolizes Himself as the calf for this period of death. The sacrifice of the red heifer was used to cleanse the people from death. It is a reassuring symbol of the resurrection for martyrs.
  God who brings him out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for him; he shall devour the nations that are his foes and break their bones. He shall strike with his arrows. (Numbers 24: 8 and Numbers 23: 22)
- The Horse. The red horse symbolizes blood and death.
- The Curse. These are the judgments in the first series of curses. There would be no peace because of constant invasion from our enemies.
  No Peace and Safety. I will appoint over you a sudden terror ... you will sow your seed uselessly for your enemies will eat it up. ... those who hate you will rule over you and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. (Leviticus 26: 16-17)
- The Symbols. The symbol of a sword and the command to "take peace from the earth" points to an era of war. The symbol of the Great Sword also points to the word of God which is "sharper than a two edged sword."
- Jesus: Manasseh ("Make Me Forget"). The name of Manasseh symbolizes the cry of martyrs, "Make me forget what was done to me by my brothers". The blessings for Ephraim and Manasseh are wrapped up in Joseph and are not as clear. But from Genesis 48: 22 we know that the second portion which was given to them was taken by war from the Amorite with the sword and bow of Jacob.
  Church: Southern Tribes. He is the red heifer who submitted in the Garden of Gethsemane. The church is Reuben, who spilled their blood as martyrs, giving their lives like Christ in Gethsemane. They are the violent Simeon with the great sword. They are Gad, the army who takes peace from the earth.
  Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10: 34)
  'I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant ... (Leviticus 26: 25)

The Fulfillment Of The Second Seal (The Roman Persecutions) (200-350) :
The church suffered many persecutions under the Romans but they were still strong in faith. Here we see the great sword of war fighting against the Great Sword of the Word of God. As they spread their faith, they gave up their lives. Ultimately, the Romans themselves had no peace because of the constant bombardment by the Barbarian hordes. This constant attack led to their breakup in 476 AD.

The Curse
| Man and Black Horse |
--- | --- | ---
The curse brought famine. Specifically lack of human wisdom and a period of famine for the word of God. The blessing would have been to be fed from the table of shewbread with the wine of the fruit harvest and the bread from the wheat and barley harvest under the light of the Menorah and the word of God.

The Third Seal
When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come" I looked, and saw, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." (Revelation 6: 5-6)

- The Creature. This was the man. It is probably Christ as the Son of Man. During this period the Antichrist would appear and challenge Him. At the end Jesus appears as the Judge with a pair of scales who rules on behalf of the saints and against the Antichrist. This judgment began in 1844.
- The Horse. The black horse symbolizes spiritual darkness and apostasy.
- The Curse.
  Famine and Drought. I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze ... your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26: 19-20)
  The iron sky and bronze earth lead to drought then famine. No rain can get through the iron sky. No crops can pierce the bronze ground. There is no harvest.
- The Symbols. Scales, wheat, barley, oil and wine are symbols of the harvest.
  - Judgment. God judged the church at this time and gave them over to the little horn because of apostasy.
    And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the little horn along with the continual; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. (Daniel 8: 12)
    The host or church was given over to the power that they went whoring after. Sadly, the continual or the ministry of the Man, Christ Jesus was also handed over to the little horn. The church was in spiritual darkness.
  - Grain Harvest. They represent the seed that grows. The wheat and barley harvest occurred at the Passover and Pentecost. The work and progress produced by the early church was in jeopardy. The word of God was scarce by the second seal, now the fruits of the harvest are missing because truth and the word was scarce. There was a famine for the word of God because of the curse.
  - Fruit Harvest. The oil and wine were products of the fruit harvest at the feast of tabernacles. These were not damaged in this judgment because their fulfillment would be in the future and it was not time to harvest them.

  Grain Harvest | Fruit Harvest
  --- | ---
  Barley | 49 Days | Wheat | 49 Days | New Wine | 1798 | 49 Days | New Olive Oil | First Born
  Christ | 3,000 | Martyrs | 144,000 | General Resurrection
  Passover | Pentecost | Summer Heat | Tabernacles | Second Coming
  First Seal | Seals (2-3) | Fourth Seal | Seals (5-6) | Seventh Seal

- Jesus: Benoi ("Son of Sorrow"). This seal symbolizes judgment and the distribution of valuable items.
  » Benjamin ("Son of the Right Hand"). Jesus is the Son of Man on the right hand of God. Benjamin symbolizes the phase of judgment where there is a division. He is the ravenous wolf that divides the spoil just as the rider of this seal measures on his scale. Ancient scales are a balance which requires the division of the weights between two sides, one is known and the other is unknown.
  Church: Western Tribes. Instead of blessings, the church received unjust suffering. The unfair scales of justice condemned them to death, like they condemned Christ.

The Fulfillment Of The Third Seal (Apostasy) (350-538):
This is the period before the church was handed formal power. There was much compromise and the church was looking to the state for power. The light of God was gone. The word of God was gone. During this time the "Man of Sin" would tear the church away from the Man, Christ Jesus. And the church would be given up because they were unfaithful. This represents a period or phase of church history when human authority and "wisdom" is being substituted for the authority of Christ and God.
The Man of Sin Appears. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4)
The Little Horn with Human Eyes. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly. (Daniel 7: 8)

The Curse
| Eagle and Pale Horse |
--- | --- | ---
The eagle goes to a place of death. This curse brought famine, war, disease (bubonic plague) and Islam

The Fourth Seal
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come". I looked, and saw, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6: 7-8)

- The Creature. This creature was the eagle. Whenever it was used in the context of judgment it was always flying over the dead bodies of the wicked. Jesus conquers the wicked at the end of time.
  They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hastens to the prey. (Job 9: 26.)
- The Horse. Here we see a pale horse in control over death and the grave (Hades).
- The Curse is Doubled. This horse brings the third and fourth series of curses. Events get worse as the curses are doubled. The third brings wild beasts and the fourth brings war, famine and disease.
  » Wild Beasts. I will let loose among your the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie desolate. (Leviticus 26: 22)
  » Sword, Pestilence, Famine. I will bring upon you a sword which will execute judgment for the covenant. ... I will send pestilence among you ... when I break your staff of bread ... you will eat and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26: 25-26)
- The Symbols. Darkness, famine. Here we see death caused by the absence of the word and the light of God. While you could find some hope of a survival of part of the truth in the other seals, here we find utter defeat. The word of God conquered in the first seal. The second seal portrayed an image of clashing swords. The word of God was at war with the sword of persecution. In the third seal, the harvest was scarce and God acted to preserve the future fruit harvest. Here we find no hope except that he did not have authority over all the earth.
- Jesus: Dan ("Death Serpent") and Asher ("Death and Hades"). Dan is a fitting symbol of death because this is the phase where Christ died and was engulfed in darkness. Since the seals say that Hades or the grave was following behind him it means that both Dan and possibly part of Asher represent the fourth seal. Christ was killed with the sword, famine, thirst, pestilence and wild beasts as we demonstrated in the lesson on the twelve tribes
  Church: Northern Tribes. The church suffers the same experience as Christ. Dan was death. Asher was Hades, following close behind. Naphtali represents the struggle of the crusades and inquisition as the church killed other Christians. The wild beasts were the people accusing them. This is what the martyrs experienced during the inquisition and the terror of accusations that led to martyrdom.

The Fulfillment Of The Fourth Seal (Papal Persecution) (538-1740-1798):
Signs: Days of Darkness (535-546). The period began with a great sign all over the world. The physical destruction pointed to the great spiritual darkness, famine and death that had just begun. People believed that the fourth horseman of the apocalypse had begun. In February 535, a great volcanic eruption split the island of Java and created Sumatra. The sound was heard around the world, even in Mexico. The volcanic ash blotted out the sun totally for 18 months so that the day was as dark as night. The light from the sun was as effective as the light from the moon. It rained red water and yellow ash. 536 was the darkest year and was known as the year without a summer.

- Disease or Pestilence. Justinian's plague ravaged Europe and Africa killing over 25 million. They stopped counting and burying the dead in Constantinople because there were too many.
- Wild Beasts. Animals took over as civilizations and cities collapsed.
- Famine. Drought, constant cold and snow and no sunlight stunted the growth of trees and caused famine.
- Death. Some sources claim that 50% of the global population died.

» Dark Ages. The prophecy was fulfilled during the 1260 years of papal domination and mirrored the signs of 535-546.

- Wild Beasts. The curse of the wild beasts specifically brings a loss of children. During this period the church would break apart and the papacy would see the division of the church in the eastern Orthodox schism (1054), the Protestants (1517) and the Anglicans (1529). It lost its children and their numbers were reduced. There was even a Papal schism from 1377-1417 in which there were two popes, one in Rome and the other in Avignon, France.
- The Sword (War). There were many wars of religions which were done to stop heresy. Millions died.
- Disease or Pestilence (1347-1665). The plague also devastated Europe. The worst years were 1347-1351, when 75 million died. One third to half of the population eventually died. There was also a leprosy epidemic.
  » The Great Dying of the Beasts (1319-1327). Even the animals were not immune to a plague.
- Famine. Apostasy had reached so far that there was a famine for the word of God. The word of God was banned.
  » The Great Famine (1315-1317). The beginning of famine. There were rumors of cannibalism. 10-15% died.
  » The Little Ice Age (1320-1850). During the fourteenth to the nineteenth century an unusual cold, damp and bad weather caused famine in Europe because they relied on cereal crops. The grain usually rotted. The worst years were 1545-1750. There were 111 famines in France alone between 1371-1791. Famine led to the French revolution in 1798. Millions died.
  » The Year Without a Summer (1816). The little ice age and the effects of the volcanic eruption on Tambora in 1815 caused snow in July and crops to fail for two years across the globe and triggered famines and epidemics. It mimicked the conditions that existed at the beginning in 535.
  Once again we see local fulfillments at the beginning and end of a long prophecy that copy the real fulfillment.
  » The Irish Potato Famine (1846). In 1845 the fungus that killed the potato arrived on a ship from South America. It quickly spread by wind in three days and infected all the potato for the next harvest because the Irish had only planted one variety of potato called the "lumper".
- Sword of Vengeance for the Covenant. This was the fall of the papacy in 1798 during the French Revolution.

This is the same period described during the testimony of the two witnesses. According to these verses, the punishments were sent by them. This is what the fourth seal shows. Because they are legal punishments from God allowed by the terms of the covenant, they are sent by God on the testimony of two witnesses.
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth. ... These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. (Revelation 11: 3, 6)

The Fifth Seal
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. (Revelation 6: 9-11)

The Curse
| Judge and Martyrs |
--- | --- | ---
They ask for revenge on their enemies and God promises that judgment will come.

The first four seals show the judgement of God against those who deserve the curse. The next three seals show the fifth and final curse as God executes His wrath on the wicked. It begins with the righteous asking for justice and protection that God has promised them.

- The Altar of Sacrifice. Blood was poured out at the base of this altar on the ground. Therefore, it is from this altar that the martyrs blood are crying out for revenge. Similarly, the blood of the innocent man Abel cried out to God.
  Altar. The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. And all the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. (Leviticus 4: 34)
  Abel. And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground. (Genesis 4: 10)
- The Martyrs. Many martyrs were killed during the last seal. This seal occurs towards the end of the 1260 year period when most of the martyrs were killed.
- The Covenant. According to the covenant, God will be their defender and blood avenger. Therefore, on this basis, they legally cry out to God to keep His promises. They ask, how long will He wait to keep his promises. The first four curses had been sent. They were really asking, "How long until the fifth?"
  They were specifically calling for judgment and the fifth and final curse which brings the vengeance and wrath of God. They were told to wait.
  Their request is granted at the beginning of the third thunder with the fall of Babylon. Then the new martyr's receive their white robes during the Latter Rain and then they have to wait through the persecution and the plagues.

  Old Martyrs | 1844 | Judgment | Sealing | Babylon Falls | White Robes | New Martyrs | Persecution | Second Coming
  Feast of Trumpets | Day of Atonement | Mark of the Beast
  --- | --- | ---
  White Robes | Wait (Rest for the Martyrs) | Judging Request of Martyrs is Granted Avenging
  Seven Thunders | Temple | Three Angel's Message | Freedom | Latter Rain | Exodus from Babylon | Vengeance and Wrath | Rapture

- The Symbols.
  - White Robes. They were given rewards. The white robe is the righteousness of Christ. Notice that they were rewarded and told to rest in their graves a while. Remember that the dead are asleep in the grave and they have no knowledge of anything that is occurring. So this is probably a call for justice from the one who represents them in the judgment. This supports the Adventist view that the judgment of the righteous and the decision to reward them occurs before the Second Coming, while they are still in their graves.
    Day of Atonement. You may wonder how can the martyrs be given white robes if the day of atonement in 1844 had not begun? This could reflect the fact that because they will be rewarded, that it is already an accomplished fact. However, remember that the judgment period starts with the Feast of Trumpets ten days before. During these ten days of awe, the people were being sealed. The day of atonement is simply their last chance to keep their names in the Book of Life. So what we learn from this is that at least by this time, the feast of trumpets had started blowing because the sealing was being done.
  - Rest A Little While. The Second Coming and revenge of God in the seven last plagues will not occur yet.
    Promised Resurrection. Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a radiant dew, and the earth will give birth to those long dead.
    Protection of the Righteous. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the wrath is past.
    Wrath of God. For the Lord comes out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no longer cover its slain." (Isaiah 26: 19-21)
    This is a message of rest to three groups as they wait under the protection of God in the sanctuary.
    - Old Martyrs. Rest in your graves, so that you can escape the final tribulation of the last church.
    - Last Church. The church at the end of time lives through the plagues by faith in the sanctuary.
    - All the Righteous. The final rest in the chambers of heaven during the millennium as the wrath consumes the earth and after the millennium as the New Jerusalem is in the middle of hell fire.
  - Other Martyrs. There are still more martyrs under the fifth seal and other martyrs will be killed during the mark of the beast persecution. Then God will take revenge at one time during the plagues.
    In the Jewish branch of the church, Adolph Hitler would kill six million between 1938-1945.
  - Judge Our Blood. This began in 1798 with the fall of the papacy and in 1844 with our selection.
    Messianic Judaism was born in 1850 along with the Zionist movement to return to Israel.
  - Avenge Our Blood. The cup of indignation, mentioned by the third angel, is the seven last plagues.
    the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation ... (Revelation 14: 10)

  NW | North (4) | NE
  --- | --- | ---
  West (3) | (7) | Most Holy Place |  | - |  | East (1)
  | -
  | (5) |
  Souls | Holy Place
  - |  | -
  (6) |  | - |
  SW | South (2) | SE

- Asher ("Death and Hades"). Hades is also known as Sheol or the grave. The fifth seal deals with the righteous who are still trapped in the grave. They are trapped in the storehouse called sheol and have not moved forward individually to the next phase. So they also ask "how long until the resurrection?" They are told to wait for the rest of the dead because we do not go immediately to heaven after death. We must all wait for the rest of the saints who will die. Then, at the resurrection we will all be liberated at one time.
  Church: Western Tribes (South West Diversion). At this point the journey to the Promised Land indicates that they must be diverted from the north east to south west part of the sanctuary in the interest of justice and fairness so that their blessings can be restored. Directly in our path, on this journey we find the martyrs underneath the altar, asking for the delayed blessings because the time has come when there should be no more delay and no more testing.

The Fulfillment Of The Fifth Seal (A Cry for Justice) (1740-1755):
This is a time shortly before the start of the Investigative Judgment period when the sanctuary will be cleansed. These intense persecutions came to an end in the middle of the eighteenth century, approximately fifty years prior to 1798. They had just experienced the height of the burning times (1550-1650). Many Huguenot persecutions during which Louis XIV slaughters 500,000. Bloody queen Mary lit the fires of Smithfield and the Dragonnades terrorized Protestant homes.

The Sixth Seal
I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6: 12-17)

The Curse
| The Wrath of God |
--- | --- | ---
The final curse brings judgment from God beginning in 1844, the seven last plagues at the Second Coming and hell fire at the end

The signs warn the world that this is the time of the end and that the judgment of the wicked is coming. The sixth seal covers the historical period from approximately 1750 until the Second Advent during the time of the end.
Both the sixth and seventh seal are the fifth and final curse. They are the vengeance of God that was promised to the martyrs in the fifth seal.

- Naphtali ("Wrestled and Prevailed"). This seal begins the resurrection. An earthquake accompanies all resurrections because the ground is broken open to release the souls trapped in sheol. For the church, revivals come during this seal and for governments it is revolution and upheaval.
  Church: Western Tribes (Blessings Restored). Here we find that the souls under the altar of the fifth seal have to wait for the resurrection of an army of raiders from Gad who come to complete a war. In the sixth seal, a great earthquake precedes this great resurrection.
- Their Wrath. This is the wrath of both He who is seated and the Lamb who will return. This is the Second Advent of Jesus, and the first of God the Father, coming together in glory to earth. (Mark 14: 62, Luke 9: 26) It is a continuation of their wrath that began with the seven last plagues.
- The Falling Rocks. This is the death penalty execution method. The wicked are stoned to death.
- The Signs. The events of the sixth seal were repeated in the prophecies of Jesus.

  Earthquake | Tribulation | Wrath |  | Blood moon | Stars Fall | - | Heaven Shaken | Sky Split | Second Coming
  --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
  - | Babylon falls | Persecution | Plagues | Sun dark | Church kills | Exodus | Church falls | Cannibalized
  - | Seven Last Plagues | Church falls | Wicked Die | Satan in Prison | Whore torn
  Earthquake | Crucifixion | Wrath | Jesus killed | Disciples fled | Satan falls | Body torn | Raised
  Rome falls | 1260 years | 1780 | Revolution | Papacy falls | Great Disappointment | Prophesy Again

  The signs of His coming and the end of the age were supposed to come immediately after a great tribulation. Christ suffered the same events as He endured the wrath of God on the cross. The fall of Babylon the Great at the end of time is the great political earthquake that triggers the physical and spiritual signs of the great day of wrath. Even on the last day of wrath, the signs are repeated.
  The sun, moon and stars were created to be used as signs.
  Then God said, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. (Genesis 1: 14).
  In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke of the signs of Time of the End and His second coming. He said that immediately following a great tribulation period, these signs would occur.
  Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. (Matthew 24: 29)

  The Mourning Of The Earth
  The image of tearing the sky or the worn out garments of the earth, desolating the earth and later of reducing the earth to ashes are the images of sorrow and mourning. A mourner would typically tear his clothes, shave his head and spread ashes on himself. This shaving of his head is like the desolation of the surface of the earth and the death of the people. So the earth enters a state of mourning at the Second Coming because it experiences so much death and destruction.

  And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes. (Joel 2: 30-31)
- The Mountains and Islands Moved. Here is another spiritual and physical fulfillment. When the mountains are moved the kings and kingdoms of the earth are moved. The islands are like the wealthy, strong and independent.
  » The Mourning Earth (Dust and Ashes). When the earth covers itself with sackcloth and ashes to indicate that it is mourning, the visible sign will be the covering of the earth with volcanic ashes caused by many huge volcanoes erupting.
- The Sky Splits. This sign has not occurred yet. It is possible that it is a separate event occurs just before the day of the Second Coming. But since the skies are a part of the "waters above the heavens" it has the symbolism of other great deliverances through water.
  - Baptism. Baptism is the ultimate deliverance by water. It represents the first death to sin. It is a death that we all must experience.
  - Noah. He was delivered through a great flood.
  - The Red Sea. The sea parted so that Moses could lead Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land.
  - The Jordan River. The river parted for Joshua so that Israel could go to the Promised Land.
  - Jesus. When the body of Jesus was split, blood and water came out and the Spirit also came to wash us clean with a new heart.
  - The Sea of Glass. The righteous will cross over the Sea of Glass on their way to the Promised Land. The splitting of the sky is probably part of that process that will separate "the waters above the earth".
  Deliverance: Isaiah records the same events.
  All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall wither like a leaf withering on a vine, or fruit withering on a fig tree. (Isaiah 34: 4)
  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord has spoken it. (Isaiah 25: 7-8.)
  Access to Heaven: He shall split the curtain of the heavens that has separated us in the same way that the veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place and the veil of His body was split when Christ died. At that time Christ gave us spiritual access to the Most Holy Place. At the Second Coming we have physical access to the Most Holy Place.
  Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants there are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in. (Isaiah 40: 21-22.)
  Land Covenant Ends: Legally, the covenant with Israel ends when the heavens are not above the earth. So Israel cannot legally be in the land after the Second Coming and during the millennium. So, Israel goes to heaven.
  So that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them as long as the heavens remain above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11: 21)
  Israel returns to occupy the land after the 1000 years when God creates new heavens and a new earth. They live in the floating city named the New Jerusalem during the time between the final judgment and the new creation.
  So the doctrine that Christ establishes an earthly kingdom at the visible Second Coming and before He recreates the new heavens and earth cannot be legally correct because the skies are gone.

  Heavens Above the Earth | No Heavens (Sky Rolls Away) |  | New Heavens
  --- | --- | --- | ---
  Abraham | Christ | Remnant | Millennium | Judgment | New Jerusalem | New Earth
  Israel in the Land | Israel in Heaven and the New Jerusalem | Israel in the Land

The Fulfillment Of The Signs (1755-End of Time)
A Great Earthquake. A great earthquake was prophesied to occur after the opening of the sixth seal. On November 1, 1755 (All Saints Day), The Great Lisbon Quake occurred. It was the largest ever recorded earthquake. It was felt on four continents. It has been estimated that it would have measured over 9.0 on the current "Richter Scale".
Another Great Earthquake. The December 26, 2004 earthquake of magnitude 9.3 in the Indian Ocean, hit with the force of five million atomic bombs. Normally an earthquake shakes for 30 seconds, but this shook the earth for ten minutes, rupturing the earth for 780 miles (1300 km), raised the surface of the whole earth 0.4 inches (1 cm), and caused the earth to tilt one inch (2.54 cm) on its axis and spin three microseconds faster. 221,000 people were killed and five million were left homeless.
Political Earthquake. The Papacy and Babylon falls.
Black Sun and Blood Moon. This literally occurred on May 19, 1780, when a darkness occurred in mid-day that was unlike anything ever experienced, with the phenomenon centered in the New England area. (See following quotes):

> "In some places, the darkness was so great, that persons could not see to read common print in the open air, for several hours together: but I believe this was not generally the case. The extent of this darkness was very remarkable." Samuel Williams, "An Account of a Very Uncommon Darkness in the States of New England, May 19, 1780:'" in Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences: to the End of the Year 1783 (Boston: Adams and Nourse, 1785), Volume 1, pages 234, 235.
> "The darkness of the following evening was probably as gross as ever has been observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to light. It wanted only palpability to render it as extraordinary, as that which overspread the land of Egypt in the days of Moses ... If every luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable shades, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet. Considering the small quantity of light that was transmitted by the clouds, by day, it is not surprising that, by night, a sufficient quantity of rays should not be able to penetrate the same strata, brought back by the shifting of the winds, to afford the most obscure prospect even of the best reflecting bodies." Letter of Samuel Tenney (an eye-witness of Rowley, [Massachusetts], dated Exeter [N.H.], December, 1785, in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 1, 1792 (Boston: Belknap and Hall, 1792), Pages 97, 98.
> "The 19th of May, 1780, was a remarkable dark day. Candles were lighted in many houses; the birds were silent and disappeared, and the fowls retired to roost. The legislature of Connecticut was then in session at Hartford. A very general opinion prevailed, that the day of judgment was at hand. The House of Representatives, being unable to transact their business, adjourned. A proposal to adjourn the Council was under consideration. When the opinion of Colonel Abraham Davenport was asked, he answered, I am against an adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause of an adjournment: if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought." Timothy Dwight, quoted in Connecticut Historical Collections, compiled by John Warner Barber (Second edition; New Haven: Durrie 8 Peck and J. W. Barber, 1836), page 403.

The Stars Fall.

Prophesy Again
We are proposing an interpretation that the command to prophesy again in Revelation 10: 11 means that we should repeat all the prophecies of the time of the end. We recognized that there will be two falls of the papacy. Both falls will end with the same signs. Therefore, the earthquake on December 24 may be a repeat of the signs of the sixth seal for the last generation. We will probably also experience another dark day, and either another spectacular meteor shower or devastating asteroid which will trigger a movement back to God at any cost.
Earthquake | Darkness | Stars Fall | Scroll
--- | --- | --- | ---
Fall 1 | November 1, 1755 | May 19, 1780 | November 12, 1833 | Judged 1844
Fall 2 | December 26, 2004 | Future | Future | Future
Second Coming | Earth Split In Two | No Light No Sun | Powers Fall | Sky Scrolls

On the night of November 12, 1833, (early morning November 13, 1833), the greatest meteor shower of in history occurred. It had as many a 100,000 or more shooting stars per hour. The intensity and nature of the stars looked like they were shooting past on all sides (going outward from the center in all directions), just like figs being shaken from a fig tree by a mighty wind. The display was so spectacular that it jump started the modern field of astronomy.

> "The morning of November 13, 1833, was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called shooting stars, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one recorded before this ...
> "Probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another class ..." Denison Olmsted, "Observations on the Meteors of November 13, 1833," The American Journal of Science and the Arts, 25 ([January ?] 1834), page 363.
> "For nearly four hours the sky was literally ablaze ... Careful scientific accounts indicate that more than a billion shooting stars appeared over the United States and Canada alone." Peter M. Millman, "The Falling of the Stars," The Telescope, 7 (May - June, 1940), 57.

The Mountains Moved. A series of devastating volcanic eruptions occurred in this period, spilling ash into the atmosphere which affected the weather for years.

- Laki, Iceland (1783). 9,340 killed including 80% of the livestock. 25% of Iceland's population died of starvation. No summer in Europe and global climate change when acid rain and ash fell over Europe. It lasted 8 months and is the largest lava flow in history (2.9 cubic miles). Winter temperatures dropped 9 degrees in the United States. The bad weather changed history. The American revolutionary war ended in April.
- Tambora, Indonesia (1815). 177,000 dead. Crops failed for 2 years in the year without a summer.
- Krakatau, Indonesia (1883). 36,417 dead. Two thirds of the island disappeared and the sound of the violent eruption was heard around the world.
- Ritter Island (1888). Eruption and tsunami. 95% of the volcanic mountain moved and disappeared.

Notice how the physical signs mirrored the spiritual signs and preceeded them by a few years. The mountains and islands that were moved were all the principalities and powers that were judged resulting in many colonies gaining independence from the empire and the end of slavery.

- Apostasy and Persecution ("Black Sun and Bloody Moon"). The dark sun was the church in the French Revolution (1789). The blood moon was the persecuted church.
- Protestant Denominations ("Stars"). The earthquake and falling stars are the physical signs of the spiritual rift that was occurring. According to the blessings, we should grow to be as numberless as the stars. But the church lost its children or the stars God gave them after the great earthquake or split in unity which began with the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant church broke away into hundreds of stars that fell away from the church and many groups formed after 1833. Many other semi-Christian churches also formed.
  » Martyred Stars. These stars of the reformation also fell by martyrdom.
- Empires Lost ("Mountains Moved"). The colonial powers began to lose their empires and their slaves. The United States declared their independence in 1776 and won the revolutionary war for independence in 1783. The Spanish lost much of their holdings between 1810-1848.

The Sky Rolls Up Like a Scroll. The final fulfillment is a future event. But when the judgment began in 1844, a symbolic or spiritual fulfillment occurred. The scroll that was opened in the heavens was the book that was opened at the judgment.
Scrolls Opened. ... the court sat and the books were opened. (Daniel 7: 10)
But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. (Daniel 7: 26)
A Rare Super Solar Flare.

Fulfillment | Year
--- | ---
Seventh Day Baptists | 1683
| Earthquake | 1755
| Dark Sun | 1780
French Revolution | 1789
Mormon | 1830
| Stars Fall | 1833
| Scroll Opened | 1844
Millerite Movement | 1844
Bahai | 1844
Christadelphian | 1844
Southern Baptists | 1845
Messianic Judaism | 1850
| Super Solar Flare | 1859
Atheism and Evolution | 1859
Seventh Day Adventist | 1860
Salvation Army | 1865
Holiness Movement | 1867
Jehovah's Witnesses | 1870
Christian Science | 1879
| Mountains Moved | 1783- 1888
Pentecostal | 1906
Assemblies of God | 1914
Unification Church | 1954

On September 1, 1859 a giant solar flare erupted causing a geomagnetic storm the next day which created red, green, and purple auroras reaching as far south as Cuba, the Bahamas, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Hawaii and it disrupted telegraph systems. It is the first and the largest solar flare recorded so far.
Charles Darwin produced his book on evolution, "The Origin of the Species" in this year.
I place this under this prophecy because the auroras look like colorful giant sheets with folds and parallel lines and they are sometimes called curtains because of their appearance.

The Fifth Curse. This curse from Leviticus 26: 27-43 and Deuteronomy 28: 15-68 has certain elements which are fulfilled in the sixth and seventh seals.

- Earthquake. The Lisbon earthquake in 1755. Cities fell by earthquake and revolution.
  » City Destroyed. Paris fell in the French Revolution (1789-1798) when the peasants descended like a flood.
  I will lay waste your cities as well as make your sanctuaries desolate ... (Leviticus 26: 31)
- Cannibalism. Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat (Leviticus 26: 29)
  Napoleon's soldiers ate the Egyptian mummies. This generation is characterized by rebellious children whose mouths cannibalize their elders. Our animal food production has caused animal cannibalism to be the method by which even vegetarian animals are fed. One result is the emergence of mad cow disease and prions.
- Sanctuary Destroyed. In 1798, the church of Rome fell. Religion was replaced by atheism and secularism.
- Darkness. The dark day of 1780 was followed by a blood moon.
  and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness ... (Deuteronomy 28: 29)
- Hail. The stars fell in 1833, scattered across the skies, and the wicked ask for the rocks to fall on them.
  The Scattering. You however, I will scatter among the nations ... (Leviticus 26: 33)
  Stars are a symbol of the holy people, so the scattering and loss of the stars in heaven were a symbol of what was being done to the church on earth.
  Few Stars. Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 28: 62)
- Fear, Judgment and Death. The judgment began in 1844 with the call to "fear God".
- Sword. ... and will draw out a sword after you ... (Leviticus 26: 33)
  Two world wars killed 116,531,000 and the threat of global annihilation by nuclear and biological weapons.
- Siege. It shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout your land, and it shall besiege you in all your towns throughout your land which the LORD your God has given you. (Deuteronomy 28: 52)
  Babylon the great captures the admiration of the whole world and persecutes the church.
  Star Struck World. ... And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast. (Revelation 13: 3)

  Independence
  Country | Year
  --- | ---
  Israel | Britain | 1948
  Transjordan | 1946
  Iraq | 1932
  Saudi Arabia | 1932
  Egypt | 1922
  Syria | France | 1936
  Lebanon | 1936

  Economic Siege. And he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13: 17)
- Deliverance. Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. (Leviticus 26: 42)
  » Deliverance for Israel. During the sixth seal and the fifth global curse, God remembered the land of Israel and the covenant with them and returned them to the land after 2000 years because it is the terms of the law which He is now executing. Notice that the covenant is very explicit about naming the other participants in the covenant. Therefore He had to rescue the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Both the Jews and the Arabs (descendants of Abraham) were freed from Ottoman, French and British rule in this period.
  The exiles of God returned home when the nation of Israel was created on 14 May 1948.
  » Deliverance for the World. Slavery was also abolished in this period after it became popular among the nations of the Roman empire. Many colonial nations became independent in the 1850's. This freedom movement has continued through the 1970's.
  » Economic Collapse: Bankruptcy (1798). In the same year that the papacy fell, the Dutch East India Company ("VOC") went bankrupt because of corruption. It was the company that made a business out of shipping slaves through the triangle trade system.
- Exile. Economic forces are causing the greatest movement of populations from rural areas to overcrowded cities and across national borders. Economic exploitation is now occurring so that we have a second wave of slavery or slave conditions in our century. The chilling aspect of this new type of slavery is that human beings are now disposable. During the colonial era, slaves were property and investments that must be protected. Now, even children are a highly prized commodity who are used as sexual and industrial slaves.
- Wrath. The seven last plagues will be sent in the last year but the effects of global warming will cause destruction of biblical proportions that mimic the plagues and will end with the destruction of all cities.
- Sabbath Kept. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths ... (Leviticus 26: 34)
  Ultimately, the land will keep its Sabbaths during the millennium. But the people started keeping the Sabbath during the sixth seal. After hundreds of years of apostasy, the Sabbath message came to many churches. The Seventh Day Adventists began keeping the Sabbath after it was introduced to them in 1846 by Rachel Oakes Preston, a Seventh Day Baptist. They had been Sabbath keepers since 1683.

The Three Angel's Message. All the elements of the fifth curse are repeated in the second fall of Babylon. You can also see the major topics of the warnings of the three angel's message in the fifth curse.

1. Sabbath. The Sabbath will again be an issue. There is a call to Sabbath worship from the first angel. Humans are told to "fear God". In this way they will escape judgment and eternal death. Their only alternative is the fear, judgment and death from the wrath.
2. City and Sanctuary Destroyed. Flee from the city and religion of Babylon the Great which has fallen.
3. Wrath. This angel tells us to escape the wrath of God.

Waves of Birth Pains (Prophesy Again).

Birth Pains | Birth Pains | Birth Pains | Delivery
--- | --- | --- | ---
183+ Years | ? Years (1991-?) | One Year | One Day
Sixth Seal | Time of Trouble | Seven Last Plagues | Seventh Seal | Second Coming

All the elements remind us of the time a child spends in the womb and the birth pain associated with its deliverance through water. Before the birth, the pain is experienced in faster and more intense cycles until the birth. With each cycle the signs of the fifth curse are repeated, requiring that we repeat the prophecies associated with the final curse.

Hurricane Katrina
# | Plague | The Destruction of New Orleans
--- | --- | ---
1 | Sores and disease | Large sores and other diseases from the cesspool
2 | Blood in the sea | Flooding from the sea with the storm surge
3 | Blood in the rivers and springs | Flooding of 80% of the city from the lake and rivers with the broken levees
4 | Heat | High heat and humidity. Over 90 degrees
Famine and drought | Over 70,000 people without food and water in the Superdome and Convention center for five days
Cannibalism | There were rumors of cannibalism. Alligators ate people
5 | Darkness | Moonless night. Power outage for over one month
6 | Loss of support. Great Loss | The lack of support from the government and FEMA contributed to the loss of the city
7 | Disaster from the air | Hurricane Katrina
Earthquake | Events shook up the Bush Administration
Exile | One million homeless scattered across 24 states
This was a single disaster that created all the signs of the plagues and the final curse. The disaster happened during a moonless night, in a period of high heat and humidity. We even had animal attacks from alligators, dogs who were once pets were forming vicious packs, large black flies covering the city and stories of cannibalism. Economic disaster from the loss of oil infrastructure and the key ports used for agriculture. There was chaos, despair and lawlessness. The estimated cost of rebuilding is over $300 billion.

These cycles have no clear beginning date. One can only know that a cycle is occurring because of the physical signs, especially wars and natural disasters. We can only distinguish these signs from ordinary calamities by the scale of the tragedy and the presence of other signs in the series. For this reason, we can assume that the 2004 earthquake is another "great earthquake".
The Destruction of New Orleans. We could also assume that the 2005 destruction of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina is a sign of the coming fall of Babylon the Great just as the fall of Paris was a sign. At the fall of Paris it was the peasants who came in like a flood, but a real flood destroyed New Orleans. The city is French, Catholic, full of immorality and demonic practices. Its fall had all the elements of the final curse and some of the characteristics of the French Revolution.

Sealing: Who Is Able To stand?
We are interrupted between the sixth and seven seals with a sealing of the righteous. The question is asked, "Who is able to stand" at the appearing of God the Father and Jesus Christ, at the Second Advent? It echoes the question asked about the scroll, "who is worthy to open the book?" Jesus was worthy because He overcame. Those who will be able to stand are those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit and overcome with the blood of the Lamb.
This is also the same question we saw in Isaiah 33: 14-17. It asked, "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?" These verses in Isaiah tell us those who are righteous will be able to stand.
Revelation Chapter 7 responds with the 144,000. They will stand. So all the events of chapter 7 do not follow chronologically after the sixth seal. It shows all the people who were being sealed during the application of the curses. They have received the Holy Spirit and have the law written in their hearts. They keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. These are the people who will be able to stand in the Second Coming in the seventh seal. It is time for the sealing to be completed so that God can count His people before the seventh seal.

The Seventh Seal
When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (Revelation 8: 1)

The Curse
The Wrath of God
The last plague of the last curse punishes the wicked as God returns.

When the Seventh Seal is opened, there is silence in heaven for half an hour. Just moments before, Heaven was celebrating and praising God. So why are they now silent?
Using the prophetic day for a year principle we can calculate this time.
One day is one prophetic Year. Two hours is one month.
Half hour in real time is one quarter month or one week or seven days.
Silence In Heaven For Seven Days. One could assume that these are events after the arrival of Christ which last for seven days. Then it would be a period of intense agony for the wicked. However, in the following examples, we see that the waiting period is also a time of testing for the righteous.

- Feast of Tabernacles. This was a seven day feast that ended in a high Sabbath. The ceremonies of the feast of tabernacles prophecy is the time in which the people symbolically live with God and they are pleading, "Lord Save Us". They are being persecuted.
- The Flood. Even after the door of the Ark was closed, Noah had to wait seven days before the rain began.
  It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth. Genesis 7: 10
- Circumcision. A new born son has to wait seven days before he can join in the covenant by circumcision. Circumcision is the cutting off of the outer human body and is a perfect representation of the crucifixion of Christ and the shedding of the old body at the rapture when the church is born into heaven.
- Priests. In the inauguration of the priest, he had to wait seven days at the temple before the Lord came on the eighth Leviticus 8: 33). The church is a family of priests.
- Leper Priests. In the ceremony of the cleansing of the leper, the leper had to wait seven days before joining the rest of the people. We are the former lepers waiting to go to heaven and rejoin the family of God.
- A People For God. Just before they crossed over into the Promised Land, these were the instructions to them. On the day we become a people we must listen to the laws of God and hear the covenant that we agree to keep. The leper priests and all heaven must be silent for seven days as they hear the words of the covenant of God.
  Be Silent. Then Moses and all the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God". (Deuteronomy 27: 9)
  When Jericho fell Israel marched around in silence for six days and on the seventh day they blew the trumpet after marching seven times.
- The Final Battle. The people had just begun their exodus, and Pharaoh pursued them, so God fought for them.
  The Battle in the Silence. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. (Exodus 14: 14)
- Through The Waters. The seventh seal is their detour through the overflowing water as they flee the persuing army of the wicked. They will be in the south west when they emerge. At that point they will meet Gad - the conqueror who raids the earth.
  Judah and Benjamin ("Son of the Right Hand"). After Naphtali it is difficult to know who represents the seventh seal, which is the return of Christ as king from the tribe of Judah, sitting on the right hand of God. The tribe of Judah is waiting His arrival with praises on their lips. Since we chose Benoi ("son of sorrow") to represent the third seal, we believe that Benjamin best represents the seventh because the period between the death of his mother and the renaming by his father represents the sorrow between the fourth and sixth seals. In truth, the One who comes on the right hand of God is a mixture of Gad, the raider on the white horse, and Judah the king and Joseph the one who receives the double portion and symbolized all of these.
  Praise. Judah your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies and your father's sons will bow down to you. (Genesis 49: 8)
  Listen To The Voice Of Judah. ... Hear O lord the voice of Judah and bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, and may You be a help against his adversaries. (Deuteronomy 33: 7)
  During the seventh seal only the voice of Judah should be heard. It raises the dead.
  Joseph, Judah and Benjamin. Therefore, Jesus is Judah and Benjamin is now the church on His right hand. Together, they return to heaven as Joseph with all reproach removed.
- The Uncreation. It was with sound that God created. Now in silence the creation unravels. Silence is death.

Fulfillment: Silence In Heaven For Seven Days
God and Jesus, and the hosts of heaven are coming to gather God's people from the earth. (Revelation 19: 11-14). This is the final week on Earth. The period of the Second Coming. Heaven empties itself to come to earth for the saints.

The Seven Seals And The Jewish Branch
Although the seven seals are probably aimed at the Christian branch of the church. The fact remains that other prophecies show that although the Jews were no longer the Aaronic priesthood, they were still part of the covenant and still had duties as Levitical priests. So the prophecies must address their experience.

1. White Horse. For 3.5 years the disciples ministered until the 490 years ended for the Jewish covenant.
2. Red Horse (The Siege of Jerusalem). The Jews revolted and the warring factions killed each other.
3. Black Horse (The Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD). The scales of justice and vengeance for the covenant were executed against the third generation of Jews after Christ. Famine caused cannibalism. In the end, over one million were killed and the temple was destroyed.
4. Grey Horse (Bar Kokabah Revolt in 132-135 AD). They lost the city and were exiled and scattered among the wild beasts, the unclean Gentiles
5. Cry for Vengeance. So far, over 2 million had been killed by the Romans and the rest were driven off the land and scattered. By 524 AD, they had fulfilled the worst case of all possible time requirements for punishment for the covenant. So, they have a right to ask for vengeance according to the terms of the covenant. If they were going to be punished seven times, then their punishment should have ended in the sixth century. This is when the prophecy announces that they should rest for a while until their brethren were also punished. The Christian church would undergo 1260 years of punishment, beginning in the sixth century.
   » Islamic Rule (638-1898). They were under Islamic rule for about 1260 years.
   » Dome of the Rock (688-1948). Islamic structure occupying the temple mount, completed in 692, but the Jewish state was created 1260 years later on 14 May 1948.
6. Signs. So both branches of the church emerged when the signs appeared in the eighteenth century. The Messianic Jewish movement began as Jews accepted Christ.
   » Zionist Movement (1894-1899). In this period, events spurred the scattered Jewish people to begin the search for a homeland.
   » Aliyah (1891-1958). Jewish exodus out of Europe and Arab countries increases.
7. Silence. Deuteronomy 27: 9 states what will occur in the silence. In this period, the two branches of the church will be united and they will become one fold under one Shepherd. They will be like the tree of life with twelve fruit whose trunk is on either side of the river, but whose leaves unite at the top.

Repetition and Enlargement
The seven seals parallel the prophecies given by Jesus in Matthew 24.

Seal | Topic | Matthew 24 | Mark 13 | Luke 21 | Comment
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
2 | Wars | 6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | Wars and rumors of wars will increase. But this is not the end
3 | False Christs | 23-24 | 21-23 | 8 | Apostasy deceives even the saints
4 | Famine | 7 | 8 | 11 | In many places great famines would occur. There was also a famine for the word of God.
5 | Persecution | 9, 21 | 19 | 12 | The 1260 day persecution that almost wipes out the church
6 | Earthquake | 7 | 8 | 11 | Lisbon earthquake November 1, 1755
Dark day | 29 | 24 | 25 | May 19, 1780
Stars fall | 29 | 25 | 25 | November 13, 1833
Fear, sky splits | - | - | 26 | Global fear of an astronomical event. Judgment
- | Gospel | 14 | 10 | - | The seventh trumpet will cause the end of the world
7 | Second Coming | 30 | 26 | 27 | The end

The Journey Of The Twelve Tribes
You must understand the lesson on the twelve tribes to understand the discussion about which tribe is represented by the seal.
When Christ was resurrected He went to heaven while the church remained on earth. Naphtali symbolized the point of the resurrection of the one with "Good News". The blessing to Naphtali says to go to the south west!
Divert To The South-West. Of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, take possession of the sea [west] and the south." (Deuteronomy 33: 23)
Remember that He was captured by the raiders in the south west and taken immediately to the north, bypassing the blessings in the west. Now He must travel the path that He was denied.

» Timing and Convergence. The way shows an order of experience, not timing. The paths of righteousness symbolize an order for the messages which are to be given and the journey which must be experienced by each group. For, as time progressed, the trumpets, seals and churches were fulfilled in parallel.

Ungodly Affliction (The Seven Last Plagues)
7 Trumpets | 1 |  |  |  |  |  | 7
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
(Laodicea) | 7 | Judgment | Death | Raised | Seven Churches
Defeat Evil |  | 4 | Dan | Asher | Naphtali
5 | 6
Benjamin |  | 3 | 3 | The Way | 1 | 1 | Judah
Manasseh |  | 2 | 2 | Issachar
Joseph |  | 1 | 2 | 3 | Zebulun
Seven Seals | 6 | 5 | 4 | Testing
Gad | Simeon | Reuben
Fortunate Raider | Hated | Afflicted
Godly Affliction

The first trumpet began either with His trail and crucifixion or around the year 1844 to announce the judgment. The opening of the first seal began seven days after His resurrection after He was inaugurated and crowned. The call to the first church began fifty days after His resurrection at Pentecost.

- Seven Seals (The Path Of The Priest-King). Christ went to heaven after the resurrection and followed a path in the west. In this section of the sanctuary are the altar of incense for the High Priest to offer and hear prayers and the ark of the covenant which is the throne of God, our King.
  After diverting back to the south west, the seals follow the path that begins with Joseph using the blessings from Jacob at the beginning of their exodus (Genesis 49). His reproach was removed and He was crowned King and Priest and given the document with the seven seals.
  » The Seventh Seal. The coming of the Lion of the tribe of Judah at the right hand of God.
  » The Seven Seals (The Path of the Church). The church begins the seals with Judah and converge their experience with Christ during the fourth seal. As they suffer ungodly persecution, they begin to understand the suffering of Jesus and the deep love it must have taken for Him to decide to endure.
- Seven Churches (The Path Of The Righteous). From Naphtali the seven churches continued the journey by following the path from Judah. The fact is that they went astray after Judah and followed a path north prophesied by Ezekiel.
  » The Seventh Church. It represents the division of the world into two groups. The wicked are diverted to Dan and the righteous follow the path to Joseph.
- Seven Trumpets (The Path Of The Wicked). Christ was diverted from the path at Gad to immediately face the judgment. This is where the trumpets begin in the north so that they parallel the destruction of the plagues. Each son in the north appears to represent two trumpets, so that each is given double punishment (Revelation 18: 6).
  » The Seventh Trumpet. It symbolically lines up with the work of the seven churches who unveil and finish "the mystery of God".
- Seven Last Plagues (The Punishment of the Wicked). It mimics the trumpets and the wrath in the north.
- Seven Thunders (The Path of the Last Generations). The message of the thunders begin in Naphtali with the call to revival which wakes the dead and sleeping churches who have "the Good News". It converges in time with the last church, the last seal and the last trumpet.

Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15 | Time: 100 minutes Print: 21 pages
Copyright Updated : September 2009 (tribes) Credits: Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008) Thanks to the Holy Spirit for instructing me to write this as a fulfillment of the curses. • Catastrophe! David Keys. 2009 documentary on PBS based on the book. The disaster in the middle sixth century.