The Purpose of the Seals (Revelation 6)
Now that there is someone to open the scroll—to set in motion God’s plan for the end of this fallen creation and open way for the renewed one—the seals are broken. And, while each seal brings about a “sign,” the end is not set in motion until the scroll is opened.
This reminds us of the “Olivet Discourse” Jesus delivered in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Jesus’ disciples had asked Him for the signs that the time of the destruction of Jerusalem would be near. Jesus didn’t give a straight forward answer. He didn’t even give them (and us) simple signs for the ends of all things. He listed several things that they and we should expect to see throughout history, all of which would NOT mean that the end is near.
False Christs, wars, famines, diseases, persecution of believers, earthquakes, and cosmic signs, will all come to pass and none of them will mean the end is near.
That is what we seem to see here in John’s vision. Starting with the second seal we get bloodshed and wars, famine, disease and death, persecution, an earthquake, and cosmic signs. All fairly parallel with Jesus’ prediction.
The first seal introduces a white rider that is a little more challenging to interpret. Everything from Christ Himself, or the Gospel to specific invasions have been proposed. Many choose (with good reason) to interpret the first seal as a conquering force. That can be accepted with an additional detail. This may not be Christ, but antichrist.
If we interpret the seals as details that will come repeatedly without triggering the end of time, antichrists fit nicely in the first seal. Jesus had said that antichrists would come throughout church history. And conquering, liberating power or figure that offers security apart from God carries this spirit of antichrist.
We see this again and again. A country is at a low point. Things are not as great as they once were. A man comes along and campaigns promising to return the land to its former glory. To cast out the foreign leeches. To return them to the good, old, traditional values. He claims he alone can save the country. Despite evidence to the contrary, he claims to be a devout Christian man, and largely due to the votes from the church he carries the day.
It had happened before and it has happened since, usually in very similar ways, but in this case, Hitler in 1933, we now know that we had a textbook example of antichrist spirit. And ironically, it was the Christians and the churches that gave him the edge needed to come to power.
So, the signs Jesus warned us about—as well as the visions of Revelation—are not to scare us or to make us continually think that the end is near. They are to remind us that bad things will happen again and again and we need to stand firm in our faith and hope and not lose our nerve.
This reminds us of the “Olivet Discourse” Jesus delivered in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Jesus’ disciples had asked Him for the signs that the time of the destruction of Jerusalem would be near. Jesus didn’t give a straight forward answer. He didn’t even give them (and us) simple signs for the ends of all things. He listed several things that they and we should expect to see throughout history, all of which would NOT mean that the end is near.
False Christs, wars, famines, diseases, persecution of believers, earthquakes, and cosmic signs, will all come to pass and none of them will mean the end is near.
That is what we seem to see here in John’s vision. Starting with the second seal we get bloodshed and wars, famine, disease and death, persecution, an earthquake, and cosmic signs. All fairly parallel with Jesus’ prediction.
The first seal introduces a white rider that is a little more challenging to interpret. Everything from Christ Himself, or the Gospel to specific invasions have been proposed. Many choose (with good reason) to interpret the first seal as a conquering force. That can be accepted with an additional detail. This may not be Christ, but antichrist.
If we interpret the seals as details that will come repeatedly without triggering the end of time, antichrists fit nicely in the first seal. Jesus had said that antichrists would come throughout church history. And conquering, liberating power or figure that offers security apart from God carries this spirit of antichrist.
We see this again and again. A country is at a low point. Things are not as great as they once were. A man comes along and campaigns promising to return the land to its former glory. To cast out the foreign leeches. To return them to the good, old, traditional values. He claims he alone can save the country. Despite evidence to the contrary, he claims to be a devout Christian man, and largely due to the votes from the church he carries the day.
It had happened before and it has happened since, usually in very similar ways, but in this case, Hitler in 1933, we now know that we had a textbook example of antichrist spirit. And ironically, it was the Christians and the churches that gave him the edge needed to come to power.
So, the signs Jesus warned us about—as well as the visions of Revelation—are not to scare us or to make us continually think that the end is near. They are to remind us that bad things will happen again and again and we need to stand firm in our faith and hope and not lose our nerve.
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