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The Seven Seals of Revelation—Commentary on Revelation 4
Thoughts Before The Journey Chapter One Introduction In Revelation 1 Jesus appears to John in person on the In chapters 2 and 3 the overcomers are promised heavenly rewards. These rewards follow a unique progression:
Sustenance Life Citizenship Administrative power Righteousness like Jesus Supporting the heavenly administration Actually sitting on the Father’s throne
The last thought is found in During the expose of the seven churches overcomers are promised a place in the heavenly scene. In chapters 4 and 5 John is visually brought into God’s throne room – the holy center of the universe. That throne is where the saints will sit and reign with divine Beings. Thus, the meaning of this heavenly vision and what follows is of immense importance to the remnant. The Seals reveal end-time events and players, as we shall discover, associated with executive judgment imagery. That executive authority comes through Christ because He is an overcomer (5:5-6). He reigns, and in a subtle continuation of thematic promises, the overcomer will also reign (1:5-6; The grandeur of this picture has many purposes. Of highest significance is preparation of the remnant for what they will experience in the unfolding of the Seal events. In this vein John’s Apocalypse is to unveil things that “must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1, 19; 4:1). There is an urgency to the message. This has repeatedly come to John in the first three chapters. A timing issue is once again raised. The heavenly scroll that is depicted in the vision in this throne room is sealed. It will be opened by Jesus, the only one capable of the task. But that work will be done in sequence. The Seals will be broken, beginning with the first, followed by the second, right through to the seventh. The churches were not sequentially numbered. They were all mentioned, and the only semblance of order followed a circuitous postal route. But here each Seal is associated by an event of prophetic importance. A penetrating question will present itself as we move through these chapters: “Are we witnessing historical information that has already occurred?” If so, then some of the Seals have already been broken and are of no further significance. Or, “Is the imagery symbolic of a time even future to us (2007)?” Evidence mounts that not one Seal has yet been broken. If that can be firmly substantiated, a major path will be opened to understand subsequent visions in an end-time light. “No single Biblical method of study should be considered sacrosanct, including the historical method of interpretation favored by many Adventists.... Perhaps it is past time for the “To even consider such an idea can be unsettling or frightful for some. E. G. White wrote, ‘There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed and that all our expositions of scripture are without error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people is not proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair.’ [Review and Herald, vol. 69, No. 50] Along similar lines the following was written, ‘Some have feared that if in even a single point they acknowledge themselves in error other minds would be led to doubt the whole theory of the truth; therefore they have felt that investigation should not be permitted, that it would tend to dissension and disunion. But if such is to be the result of investigation, the sooner it comes the better. If there are those whose faith will not stand the test of an investigation of the Scriptures, the sooner they are revealed the better for then the way will open to show them their error. We cannot hold that a position once taken, an idea once advocated, is not under any circumstances to be relinquished. There is but One who is infallible – He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’” [E. G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 125, 1893 edition]2 The sanctuary/throne motif has its parallels in visions of Old Testament prophets. Micah (I Kings “When John on Patmos describes his throne vision, he uses words that merge the two earlier visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel. Although he views the majesty of Israel’s God, he only describes God by His appearance of bright shining ‘jasper’ and red ‘carnelian.’ Further, he sees a halo, in the shape of a rainbow, with an emerald color around the throne (Rev. 4:3), as if to signify that divine mercy surrounds omnipotent justice. John also sees four living beings around the throne, resembling the ones that Ezekiel had described (Rev. 4:6, 7). However, John blends them with the seraphim of Isaiah’s vision, because he says that each being had six wings instead of four (Rev. 4:8) and had one face instead of four (see Ezek. 1:6). He also says that the beings ‘were covered with eyes, in front and in back’ (Rev. 4:6), a detail taken from the wheels of the throne of God in Ezek. 1:18.”3 Why do we have a throne scene, special beings surrounding that throne and concern for who might open the scroll? John is swept into an enthralling experience that focuses on a book. There are significant events that lead up to the opening of the book. Therefore – we must conclude that the book has something recorded in and on it that is a grand finale of a dramatic experience in heaven. We must conclude that that record is something that is of extreme value but only after the seventh Seal is broken. The sanctuary scene clearly begins with Looking at the book chiastically, chapter 12 is the center. What then are the mirror equivalents of chapters 4–7? Chapters 17–21:4. How does this play out as we study Revelation? More than has ever been addressed before, the structural integrity of God’s prophetic messages are based upon promise and fulfillment, warning and judgment, type compared with antitype. These models can be seen in numerous ways from celestial signs, to the 1260-day prophecies, to the tabernacle services, to the very inherent repetitive model of chiastic Biblical structure. This is the reason Ellen G. White often said that history would be repeated. There would be an introductory or type prophetic fulfillment and elsewhere in very similar “mirror” language would be the final or antitypical prophetic fulfillment. This structure of information was heaven’s choice to convey the interplay between the conflicts of evil and good. The type, though literal, becomes symbolic of the final end or fulfillment of the prophecy yet to come. This principle is vital in understanding Revelation. This can be carried further to see that Revelation mirrors much of Daniel. In those parallelisms understanding emerges as to how, and often when, prophecy is fulfilled. This now brings us to the throne room scene where the Seals were removed one by one. This is to be a type of what will occur later. A general picture of this is here outlined:
“Type Antitype Revelation 4:7 Revelation 17-21:4 4:1 Heaven opened 4:4 Thrones – 24 elders 19:4 Throne with 24 elders 5:1 Book with 7 Seals – opened in ch. 6 5:6, 9 Lamb slain 6:2 Jesus rides a white horse going out to horse as conqueror”4 conquer
There is another allusion that can be drawn through the chiastic structure. Revelation depicts details of the final conflict between good and evil. There is broad sweeping imagery of these great contrasts. This is shown in remarkable detail between chapters 4 and 5, and chapter 17. Here we see the sovereign King at the center of the universe preparing to judge. This is compared with the papacy (devil) “sitting” on the “people” of the world with authoritative control. God’s story ends in victory; the papacy is in defeat. This remarkable linguistic play and interplay of messages heightens the anticipation for a resolution to the sin problem. It also inspires hope for those waiting for the final culmination of evil. Revelation 17 opens to the student details of the final years of the papacy – Satan’s false church – state power. The type in the Dark Ages is met with the antitype in the last three and a half years of history. This can all be contrasted with the Creator God preparing to judge and then reacting in His pre-executive judgment by an outpouring of calamitous events – His final warning before the atonement ceases. This study will bring fresh insight into God’s final acts to draw mankind to Himself. It does so as disdainful acts of Satan’s final thrust to captivate the world are unveiled.
Reference: 1 Shea, William H.; “The Cultic Calendar for the Introductory Sanctuary Scenes of Revelation,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 11/1-2 (2000): pp. 120-147. 2 Shumate, Gordon; “Heaven and the Seven Seals,” Revelation Chapters 4-8:5 (Prophecy Research Initiative document –2002). 3 LaRondelle, Hans, Th.D.; How to Understand the End-Time Prophecies of the Bible, (First Impressions, Sarasota, FL), pp. 110-111 4 Hauser, Robert, M.D.; Truth and Consequences – The Logic of Prophecy (Morning Star Ministries; Brookings, OR), 1998, p. 49.
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