What are the seven seals of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Today's question is, what are the seven seals of Revelation? In this video I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective.

Then afterwards, as always, I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end.

The seven seals are one of a series of end -time judgments from God. The seals are described in Revelation 6, verses 1–17 and 8, verses 1–5.

In John's vision, the seven seals hold closed a scroll in heaven, and as each seal is broken, a new judgment is unleashed on the earth.

Following the seal judgments are the trumpet judgments and the bowl or vial judgments.

The prelude to the opening of the seven seals in John's vision is a search for someone worthy to open the heavenly scroll in Revelation 5.

John writes, I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

Verse 1. This scroll contains the judgments of God. The fact that it is written on both sides indicates the extensive nature of the judgment pending.

A mighty angel cries out, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?

Verse 2. No one was found worthy of breaking the seals and opening the scrolls, a fact that causes

John to mourn. If the scroll could not be opened, then wickedness would not be judged and evil would continue to infect the earth.

As John is weeping over the unopened scroll and its unbroken seven seals, he receives good news.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.

Revelation 5. Verse 5. Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne.

He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Verses 6 and 7.

This is a picture of Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain, who is also the Lion of Judgment.

Jesus is the only one worthy to judge the world. As He takes the scroll to open the seals and pronounce judgment on the unbelieving world, the beings in heaven glorify

Him with a new song. You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

Verses 9 -12. Amid the worship due to Him the Lamb begins to open the seals.

Revelation 6, verse 1. With each seal open, the scroll is able to be unrolled a little more, revealing bit by bit the judgments

God has in store during the tribulation period. The first four of the seven seals release what are known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse because the judgments appear symbolically, as a horse and rider bringing devastation in their wake.

The first seal introduces the Antichrist, Revelation 6, verses 1 and 2.

From the biblical description, we gather several details. He rides a white horse which speaks of peace at the beginning of the tribulation.

The Antichrist will come under the pretense of bringing peace to the world. He is given a crown which indicates that the

Antichrist will exercise great authority. He holds a bow which shows his true intentions.

And he advances as a conqueror bent on conquest, Revelation 6, verse 2.

When the Lamb opens the second seal, great warfare breaks out on the earth. This is symbolized by a rider with a large sword on a fiery red horse.

The breaking of the third of the seven seals causes famine. The rider that John sees is riding a black horse and holding a pair of scales in his hand.

Then John hears a declaration that people will have to work all day to earn just a little food.

The fourth seal is opened, and John sees a pale horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was falling close behind him,

Revelation 6, verses 7 and 8. The result of this fourth seal is that one -fourth of the earth's population are killed by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The scroll's fifth seal reveals those who will be martyred for their faith in Christ during the Tribulation.

The souls of these martyrs are pictured as dwelling under the altar in heaven. God hears their cries for justice, and He gives each of them a white robe.

The martyrs are told to wait until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed, just as they had been.

God promises to avenge them, but the time was not yet. When the Lamb of God opens the sixth seal, a devastating earthquake occurs, causing massive upheaval and terrible devastation, along with unusual astronomical phenomena.

The sun turns black, and the moon turns blood -red, and the heavens recede like a scroll, being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place,

Revelation 6, verses 12 -14. Survivors of the sixth seal, regardless of their social position, take refuge in caves and cry out to the mountains and to the rocks, "...fall

on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

verses 16 -17. After the opening of the sixth of the seven seals is an interlude in the book of Revelation.

John describes the 144 ,000 Jews who will be protected during the tribulation.

Then in heaven he sees "...a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the

Lamb." Revelation 7, verse 9. These people wear white robes, whole palm branches, and shout, "...salvation

belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." verse 10. John is told who this white -clad multitude is.

"...these are they who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the

Lamb." verse 14. They are given the promise that "...never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst.

The sun will not be down on them nor any scorching heat, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

verses 16 and 17. When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, there is silence in heaven for about half an hour

Revelation 8, verse 1. The judgments that lead up to the close of the tribulation are now visible in the scroll and are so severe that a solemn silence falls upon all of heaven.

The seventh seal obviously introduces the next series of judgments, for John immediately sees seven angels who are handed seven trumpets ready to sound.

An eighth angel takes a censer and burns much incense in it, representing the prayers of God's people, verses 3 and 4.

The angel then took the same censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth, and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake."

verse 5. Once the seven seal judgments are finished, the next part of the tribulation, featuring the seven trumpet judgments, is ready to begin.

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