Part 2b - The First Scroll: The Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets [6-11]
The Seals
- who is commanded to seal God’s servants? Four angels. These are the angels in the second section who are given power to damage the earth. The trumpets don’t start until the sixth seal.
- number four symbolizes creation. 4 winds, 4 corners of the earth. 4 living creatures symbolize all of created order.
- 1st four angels connected with the earth. 2nd 3 angels, the heavenly world. Three is the number of heaven/spiritual reality.
- literal stars falling? no, impossible. This is OT imagery of all the earthly powers being shaken and falling, governments etc. This is not the end of time. There is great fear.
- The trumpets are a detailed explanation of what happens in the 6th seal. the 7th begins the new age.
- See notes on structure
- 144,000 = 12x12. A perfect large number of believers. The seal is the Holy Spirit. This is not what every believer receives at salvation, it is something extra, an extra equipping.
- 7th seal = silence. ½ hour = a long time. This is a pause for rest like the rest on the 7th day of creation.
The Trumpets
1st—4th Trumpets
- the prayers from [6:9-11] are being answered
- [7:9-11] is the Great Praise between the Great Tribulation and the end. It brings us into the next phase of history.
- Trumpets recall the Egyptian plagues. God is plaguing his enemies to let his people go into the promised land of heaven—Exodus imagery.
5th Trumpet
- falling from sky—Lucifer. The abyss is a place where demons are imprisoned before they are destroyed. Cf. Legion—they begged not to be sent there. When demons are cast out this is where they go. Unlocking it lets them free.
- all believers are sealed and can’t be touched.
- people are tortured by their demons. they long to die but can’t.
- angel of the abyss = Satan, the one who unlocked the abyss.
6th Trumpet
- Euphrates = a reference to Babylon? This is “east of Eden” where Cain was sent, thus symbolizing outside the presence of God? Demonic activity.
- the dragon and the two beasts = demonic trinity.
- Dragon = false Father
- beast = antichrist
- False prophet = false Holy Spirit
- But note that at the same time this is happening, people are marrying, burying, and carrying on with normal life (cf. Matt 24). This is happening in the spiritual realm. The plagues are designed to drive people to God, but they won’t repent.
- chapter 10 is an interlude. Like the 6th seal (144,000). We are missing the 7 thunders, but will hear what they are later.
- referece to 7th trumpet: is the end. Cf. Jesus saying a trumpet would be sounded at his return.
- eating the scroll—cf. Ezekiel. Bitter and sweet = a prophecy with good and bad elements. He is told to prophesy again, which is chapter 12.
Interlude: Chapter 11
- temple of God. This is us, believers.
- 2 witnesses = the church, both Jew and Gentile. Same as the 144,000.
- beast from the abyss—Apollyon. Maybe Satan.
- prophesying = giving the gospel. We follow in the footsteps of Christ. (killed, resurrected)
- killed = their witness is silenced for a little while. Jesus comes and then we are raptured. the end.
- olive trees and lampstands—reference to Zechariah. The king and the high priest are pictured with olive trees, they are sustained by the oil. This is Holy Spirit, in the same way we are sustained by him. Paul in Romans compares Jew and Gentile believers to olive trees. There will be a revival among the Jews, maybe during the Great Tribulation, because at the end all of God’s people are sealed.
- sealing up the clouds—reference to Elijah. Water to blood and plagues—ref. to Moses. 2 main prophets of the OT—symbolic of great and powerful prophets.
- whole era is divided into 2 periods of 3½ years, making history a perfect 7. From Christ coming to the Great Tribulation is 3½ years, and from the sealing of the 144,000 to the end is another 3½ years. Sealing of the 144,000 is a great and awesome power poured out on God’s people so they can witness in a time of great darkness.
- 144,000 and the great multitude are different. The great multitude are those who are already dead and with Christ (all believers who die up until the period of the 144,000 after the Great Tribulation). They wear long white robes which symbolizes rest, no work. 144,000 are the army left on earth still alive during this period. They will be fighting the spiritual battle.
7th Trumpet
- the trumpet with Jesus returns. This is the end. We have now covered the whole of history, and the rest of Revelation is an elaboration of what has already been seen.
