Chapters 6 and 8:1-5: the Opening of the Seven Seals {Introduction}

We must beware lest the study of prophecy serve only to amuse the intellect. This is man’s way of abusing God’s revelation of the future. Unfolded to us by the Spirit, the knowledge of the future sheds an important light on the present, and we see all in connection with our Lord Jesus. This separates us unto God. It draws the affections and desires to heaven — to Christ. As the Cross of Christ is the outflowing of all blessing from God to man, so Christ exalted and coming again is the center of all prophetic teaching. Prophecy is connected with Christ, and therefore concerns us, for we are His. They who know this see all prophecy in relation to Christ. We are only happy in tracing the prophetic word step by step in companionship with Him to whom all must bow, and thus the affections and desires are attracted to the Lord Himself. Watchfulness, then, is needed, as well as prayerfulness, lest we tread these holy paths with the mind of a politician, rather than with the heart of an adoring worshiper of our blessed Lord Jesus.
Before entering upon the Apocalyptic seals, let us look at some other Scriptures which seem to me to bear upon this part of the Revelation.
The well-known prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks has not yet been fully accomplished. The sixty-ninth week terminated with the cutting off of Messiah (Dan. 9:26). We read that
seventy weeks (or hebdomads) are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city {Dan. 9:24}.
The prophecy, therefore, refers to Daniel’s people — the Jewish nation, and the city of Jerusalem. The Church of God is not found here. One week only — the seventieth — remains to be accounted for, and observe, it comes in after the rejection of Christ, because he was
cut off {Dan. 9:26}
at the end of the sixty-ninth week. This one week — one seven, hebdomad, or seven years — is divided into two halves. For he [the prince, Dan. 9:26] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week, i.e. at the end of three years and a half, or forty and two months,
he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate {Dan. 9:27}.
This, then, is Daniel’s prophecy concerning his own people, of the last of the seventy weeks. Now, judicial blindness rests upon that people. Having killed the heir, God’s beloved Son, He has not only burned up their city, but has scattered them over the face of the earth, until the elect from the Gentiles are fully gathered in to God. Though natural branches be broken off, God is able to graft them in again, and so all Israel shall be saved; for they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. Prior to that, this seventieth week must have its accomplishment; for the sorrow, distress, and the abomination that maketh desolate, must precede the nation’s blessing. It is, therefore, between the sixty-ninth and this retarded seventieth week that the calling out of the Church takes place. Paul says it is a
mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations {Col. 1:26},
and was
not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit {Eph. 3:5}.
It is no marvel, then, that Daniel should make no mention of the Church, and that his prophecy should refer to his own people. Christ being rejected by Israel, and received at the right hand of God as
the firstborn from the dead {Col. 1:18},
the firstborn among many brethren {Rom. 8:29},
we get a new order of God’s actings; viz. the Holy Ghost is come down to indwell and baptize believers into one body, in union with an ascended Christ, whom God gave to be
Head over all things to the Church, which is His body {Eph. 1:22, 23}.
This action of the Holy Ghost goes on till every member of the
one new man {Eph. 2:15}
is called out, till we all come unto a PERFECT MAN. Then the Lord Jesus will come and receive us unto Himself. After this, the Lord will turn again to His ancient people and city, fulfilling Daniel’s seventieth week, with all its sorrows, and at His appearing in glory bring in the full restoration and blessing of the nation. (Compare Acts 15:14-17.)
The question may be fairly asked, Do we get any allusion to this seventieth week in any of our Lord’s discourses? I reply, Is it likely that a period of such importance to Israel would be unnoticed by our Lord in His intercourse with that people? Let us turn to the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. At the end of the twenty-third chapter, Messiah is virtually
cut off {Dan. 9:26}.
He says,
O Jerusalem . . . how oft would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate! For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord {Matt. 23:37-39}.
As to the city, the beautiful temple must be razed to the ground; for God must now deal with his people in solemn chastisement.
There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down {Matt. 24:2}.
The disciples then say,
Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age? {Matt. 24:3}.
Where, I ask, should we expect a prophetic discourse parallel to the seventieth week of Daniel, to fit in so well as here? for it begins with Messiah virtually “cut off,” and ends with Messiah coming in power and great glory (Matt. 24:30), to put all enemies under His feet, which we know, from other Scriptures, occurs at the end of this week (2 Thess. 2:3; Rev. 19:11). If this view be correct, we should expect to see some corresponding points between Daniel’s prophecy and our Lord’s discourse: and so we do. The prophet speaks of the Man of sin, desolation, and abomination, until the consummation. Our Lord, after speaking of false Christs and sorrows, mentions
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Matt. 24:15),
followed by Christ’s personal return in glory, and the redemption of Israel, as the parable of the fig-tree suggests. Moreover, while we are distinctly told that Daniel speaks of his own people, our Lord gives locality to his prophecy, by saying,
Then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains (Matt. 24:16):
and we may say of nationality also, for it is followed by,
Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day {Matt. 24:20}.
There seems, then, good reason for identifying our Lord’s prophetic discourse, in Matt. 24:1-30, with the seventieth week of Daniel; and there are also remarkable points of similarity between this chapter in Matthew and the seven seals of the Revelation. The prophetic incidents, and also the order of their narration, strikingly coincide. In Matt. 24 we have:
1. False Christs, deceiving many.
2. Wars, and rumours of wars.
3. Famines.
4. Pestilences.
5. Afflictions, many killed, and the gospel of the kingdom preached.
6. The sun darkened, the moon not shining, the powers of the heavens shaken.
7. The sign of the Son of man in heaven, and His coming in the clouds with power and great glory.
In the seven seals of Revelation we have:
1. The emblem of the false Christ having great power and success.
2. War — peace taken from the earth.
3. Famine.
4. Death, and hell following.
5. Souls under the altar crying for vengeance, for being killed for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held.
6. The sun black, the moon red, stars falling, and the heavens departing.
7. Silence in heaven, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake, connected, as I believe, with our Lord’s personal return to the earth with His mighty angels, in flaming fire.
The seven seals being opened may co-extend with the contents of the whole book which the Lamb took out of the right hand of Him who sat upon the throne; and if so, whatever period of this time the trumpets and vials occupy, they may be regarded as terminating at the same time— the personal return of Christ with His saints in judgment. The end, therefore, of each of these series of judgments would be very similar; and so it is. The seventh seal is connected with
thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake (Rev. 8:5);
the seventh trumpet is also marked by
lightnings, and voices and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail (Rev. 11:19);
and the seventh vial has also
voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake (Rev. 16:18).
It is remarkable also, that at the termination of each series there is reference made to the temple of God in heaven. It is quite true that we do not get the temple mentioned in the seventh seal, but we find some of the well-known furniture of the temple spoken of, such as the altar, censer, incense (Rev. 8:3). At the sound of the seventh trumpet, it is said that
the temple of God was opened in heaven (Rev. 11:19);
and when the seventh vial was poured out, we are told,
There came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, saying, It is done (Rev. 16:17).
There are reasons, then, for considering the seven sealed book to contain all the apocalyptic judgments, and to embrace the whole period from the Iamb’s taking the book till the heavens are opened, and Christ comes forth in royal majesty and power to put all enemies under His feet. We must not forget that the “elders,” or heavenly saints, are sitting on thrones in heaven in glorified bodies, before the Lamb takes the book or opens one of the seals. It is well also to observe, that the elders do not appear in connection with opening the sea’s, but the living creatures only are engaged in the first four of these sorrowful enactments. We afterwards see one of them also occupied in giving to the seven angels seven golden vials fall of the wrath of God (Rev. 15:7); and
the first being poured out, there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them that worshipped his image (Rev. 16:2).
Beloved in the Lord, these solemn realities will soon come to pass. How terrible the thought, that living men and women around us shall so shortly feel the hand of God in judgment. Now God bears with man’s wickedness, and preaches peace, through the blood of Christ, to the vilest of sinners; but then He will begin His strange work, and make men feel that justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne. How godly and earnest with souls a consideration of these things should make us!