The 7th Seal (Part 1)

See the series here

Before discussing the 7^th, final seal opening on The Lord’s scroll, predicted in Revelation chapter 8, following is a review of what I have shared about the first 4 and the 6th seals events. NB: The 5th seal event (the predicted ‘cry of the martyrs’ from in Heaven), may have no discernible impacts on Earth.  

 

1. The post, He Twice Said, ‘Shortly’, reminds us that, in His Revelation vision to Apostle John, circa AD 95, The Lord twice said described would begin to happen shortly on Earth. The most relevant of those events are judgment impacts on Earth that would occur when He opened several seals on a scroll. Ancient and recent history, and even current events, reveal impacts from opening the first 4 seals began and then significantly scaled up  during the mid-to-end of the Roman Empire. Yet many Bible scholars intuit the first 7 of those events—Him opening the 7 seals on a scroll—will only begin thousands of years later, during the tribulation age, possibly as part of the predicted ~3.5 year apocalypse. I cannot imagine discounting His ‘shortly’ point to that extent.  

2. The post, Four Judgment Henchmen, Explained, notes the impacts on Earth of the first 4 seals were not one-off events, but a set of 4 judgments released whenever The Lord determines, against any land/any people for our persistent, unrepented sinfulness. This is entirely consistent with what Moses, in Deuteronomy 28 and 32, revealed to ancient Jews; and what The Lord later, in Ezekiel 14:12-23, standardized for all peoples. Any cursory review of our history, since Noah et al left the ark, cannot miss how those judgments have literally DOMINATED human history. They undeniably dominate life today!

 

3. The post, Why Earth’s Under Siege, compares the major judgments aspects of the Revelation vision, to how major ancient sieges likely unfolded. Over many years, those sieges would initially attack peripheral towns, before launching the MAIN siege against the capital city. Assyria and Babylon apparently applied this pattern during their multi-year sieges against ancient Israel and its capital, Samaria, and against Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. 

 

4. In His Revelation vision to John, The Lord effectively instructed him to publicize His multi-millennia siege plan against the Earth! The Lord then preserved that vision as the final book of His Bible; and orchestrated its mass publication and distribution across the Earth. Possibly no other aggressor in history has ever published its siege plans beyond its army. What The Lord did was apparently a KEY aspect of His GRACE to humanity. He coupled that plan with His plan of salvation, to allow the spiritually intuitive among us, to ‘GET IT’, and align our lifestyles accordingly. 

 

5. Revelation (Series of Series) notes The Lord’s comprehensive siege plan comprises opening several seals on His scroll, followed by several protracted ‘trumpets’ judgments, and several ‘bowls’ judgments. Most, but not all, of those judgments would result in significant visible impacts on Earth. The latter 2 sets of judgments will constitute the predicted, ~42-month apocalypse. 

 

6. The series, The 6th Seal, Civilization’s Reset?, notes only one of the seals events, is predicted to trigger GLOBAL impacts across the Earth—the 6th seal event. History is clear that this event remains pending as The Lord’s next move against our gross, unrepented sinfulness. I read this as the clear equivalent of the first MAJOR attack against an ancient capital city, after having weakened all significant, peripheral towns and cities! To be clear, from His perspective, the whole Earth may well be the equivalent of ancient capital cities, especially of past empires.

 

7. Bible Raptures – Types and Timings (Series) reviews Biblical history and prophecies concerning the past and predicted, phased resurrection and rapture events for The Lord’s bona fide saints from across the 6 Biblical ages of human history on this current Earth. Revelation 20:5-6 calls these ‘the first resurrection’. Since they comprise a set of events, the word, first, obviously does not simply mean ONE. These were/will be people who will have successfully and sustainably aligned the closing part of their lives, to The Lord’s righteous requirements. The Bible indicates each ‘extraction’ was/will be preceded by a GREAT earthquake, possibly of varying intensities. Thus, I pondered whether the reference to ‘GREAT earthquake’ in Revelation 6, might signal the pending resurrection/rapture event of all 3rd age saints—people who will have been or become real Christians since the Day of Pentecost—the likely start of this current age.

 

So what about the 7th seal event? Revelation predicts there will be silence from heaven for about a half hour. Next, let’s examine that prediction, and my intuitions.

 

See Part 2

The 7th Seal’s Significance on Earth