RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-03-03	Are The Seals of Revelation 6-8 God's Judgment?
		IIn the book of Revelation there is a scroll with 7 seals to keep the scroll closed. The seals are opened one at a time until all 7 seals are broken or opened. When the 7th seal is opened (Re.8:1), that is when the wrath of God begins on the earth. Some confuse the seals with the Day of the Lord wrath judgments of God which are the trumpet and bowl judgments. We should recognize the difference in persecution coming from man and Satan, and the wrath of God upon the unbelieving world. There are several reasons the seals are NOT the wrath of God. 1. Scripture is clear that Christians will not experience the wrath of God (1Th.1:10; 5:9). 1Th 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. But the 5th seal is the martyrdom of believers (Re.6:9-11). This is not the judgment of God on believers. Rather, it is the persecution of man and Satan toward believers. The believers cry out to God asking "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Re.6:10). These martyred believers did not consider their martyrdom to be God's wrath. They were asking when will it begin? 2. The text tells us the wrath judgment of God is still to come (Re.6:17) Rev 6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? The wrath of God has not begun yet even after the 6th seal is opened in verse 12. When it begins they ask, "who is able to stand?" The implied answer is, no one will be able to. 3. Revelation 7:1-3 warn of God's coming wrath. Yet no harm is to come until God seals the 144,000 and the Great Multitude. Before the 7th seal is opened (Re.8:1) two groups are delivered (Re.7). (1) 144,000 (Re.7:1-8); and (2) Great multitude from every nation (Re.7:9-17) The 'seal' functions to 'protect' the 144,000 Jews in the wilderness and from the Day of the Lord's wrath. 4. The 7th seal opens in Revelation 8:1. Rev 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. This describes the 'calm before the storm' prior to the start of God's wrath judgment upon the earth. The wrath of God begins at the opening of the 7th seal. The 7th seal equals the 7 trumpets because the trumpets come out of the 7th seal. So from the text we observed that the seals are NOT the wrath of God. So what are the seals? The seals are conditions that have to be met before the scroll is fully opened, and the actual judgments begin. Seals 1-4 will prove the guilt of the unbelievers to receive God's wrath because they refuse to repent. By Jesus opening up the seals He is showing His control and sovereignty over the events of the earth. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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