Sabbath: The Seven Seals
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 6:1-17, Lev. 26:21-26, Ezek. 4:16, Deut. 32:43, 2 Thess. 1:7-10.
Memory Text: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10, NKJV).
Revelation chapter 6 continues the scene of chapters 4 and 5, which describes Christ as worthy to open the sealed scroll, because through His victorious life and death, He regained what was lost through Adam. He is now ready, by opening the seals on the scroll, to carry forward the plan of salvation to its ultimate realization.
Pentecost marked the beginning of the spread of the gospel, by which Christ expands His kingdom. Thus, the breaking of the seals refers to the preaching of the gospel and the consequences of rejecting it. The opening of the seventh and last seal brings us to the conclusion of this world’s history.
Revelation 3:21 gives us the key to the meaning of the seven seals: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (NKJV). Chapters 4 and 5 tell us of Christ’s overcoming and His worthiness, as a result of His sacrifice on Calvary, to be our heavenly High Priest and to open the scroll. The last verses of chapter 7 describe the overcomers before Christ’s throne. Thus, chapter 6 is about God’s people in the process of overcoming so that they might share Jesus’ throne.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 2.
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The opening of the seals provides another apocalyptic sweep through the pages of history, and once again, I challenge our readers and responders to read Rev 6 right through to get the big picture. While the emphasis may be on history, I invite you to find a personal application of these verses.
Maybe Heb 12:1 is applicable here:
Bible talks about 6 seals, the lesson mentions 7 seals. Where am i getting lost. Please assist.
The Bible does talk about seven seals but when it comes to opening them only 6 seals are mentioned in this chapter. Perhaps there is an implicit opening of the seventh seal. You have to wait until Chapter 8 for the opening of the seventh seal. I wonder why.
See Revelation 8:1
"for you were slain" reminds me that Jesus took a huge risk, laying down His divine power to become human and rely on His connection to the Father to live in harmony with the heavenly Principles of Life no matter how tempted He might have been to rely on himself. He then offered Himself as a innocent sacrifice on behalf of our transgressions. This is what the symbol of the slain Lamb means to me. Just as the lamb offered daily continually in the sanctuary reminded Israel to look forward to the Messiah Ex 29:38,39
The event of the seven seal must be understand in the context of the new testament
You are right Ofosa Lydia, but we must also look for application in the modern era.
What made Jesus Christ the only One worthy to open the seals? What does "..the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, ..." have to do with His ability to "prevail to open the scroll and loose its seven seals?
Jesus Christ became Immanuel - One with humanity (Isaiah 7:14), by being born as a human Being, He joined Himself to us, becoming our near kinsman ('goel') Lev. 25:25 (with a practical account of Ruth and Boaz in the book of Ruth 2, 3), with the rights to redeem us. No one else in the entire universe is a near kinsman in the heavens, and therefore Christ is the only One qualified to redeem us.
In addition to what you have said, William, we can also add the complementary dimension of Christ's redeeming work His role as the second Adam.
Where the first Adam "fell" through relinquishing self-renouncing love as the basis for life and living, the second Adam successfully retained this basis thereby once again reinstating humanity's connection back with abundant eternal life.
This does not mean universal salvation for all, but rather the availability to each and every person of the potential for redemption/salvation for each and every person who chooses to actively embrace and apply the grace-gift that is being offered (Jn 3:16).
The seven seals beginning of an end of the earth history.
The beginning of an end in satan's history as the prince of this earth.
Seven is a number represents completeness and perfection.
The seal is perfect only one is worthy to open the scroll.
The lamb that is slain from the foundation is the only one worthy to open the scroll.
1) He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption
Hebrews 9
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption.
2) He will appear a second time, not to bear sin
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The seven seals represent the time between when Jesus was offered as a sacrifice and when He will appear the second time to bring salvation to those waiting upon his return.
“Prophetically, the scene of the first seal corresponds to the message to the church in Ephesus;…” {Sunday, Q1 L5, par. 5}. This explanation leaves out more than half of human history and begins way downstream of the opening of the Great Controversy. This is also inconsistent with her statement {quoted in Tuesday, Q1 L4, par 2}, that the sealed scroll contains “the history of God’s providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church. Herein was contained the divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal, and the history of all ruling powers in the nations. In symbolic language was contained in that roll the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth’s history to its close”. - Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 7.
This suggests something much broader and more encompassing than just the last 2000 years…that the seals represent God’s foreknowledge from the opening of the Great Controversy in heaven to its conclusion.
In brief, the scroll seems very important to open, so one “worthy”(of sufficient weight, capable, fit, etc) of causing the seals to be removed was found in the Lamb of God, who in the next 2 chapters and 1 verse(Rev 6:1-8:1) will unseal the scroll.
The scroll, from God, seems to symbolize the execution of His will/desire regarding the restoration of the “very good” creation of earth soon marred by sin. From God's Word we read: “The Lord...not willing that any should perish”, “this is the will of God, even your sanctification(salvation from sin), “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”, etc. So the scroll is the working out of God's will, which only the sacrifice of Christ was able(of sufficient weight) to accomplish.
So in symbols, we are being taught the events precipitated by Jesus' sacrifice which will allow the will of God to be accomplished on earth, as promised to Adam and Eve the very day they first sinned against God when disregarding His clear and simple statute that required obedience in order to prevent the entrance of sin. What are these events? Some may be surprised, depending on what view they presently hold. Earnest, prayerful study is needed by any who wish to know the truth of this passage in the Revelation. Remember and claim the promise of Revelation 1:1, that God “will show unto His servants...”. We need only to be faithful servants as we apply ourselves to understanding, praying for and receiving the promised wisdom from above.