Churchwork
05-15-2008, 02:45 PM
Are the six seals in chapter 6 already fulfilled, in the process of being fulfilled, or waiting to be fulfilled in the tribulation to come? There are two evidences to show that these are either fulfilled already or in the process of being fulfilled.
(1) In 5.2 it is declared: "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" But by the time of 5.7 the Lamb has taken the book. Will He thereafter wait two thousand years before He opens the seven seals?
(2) Unless God in His dealing is setting aside the church, He cannot acknowledge He is now dealing with the Jews. Yes, by the time of 7.1-8 God does begin to acknowledge the Jews and to choose them as His servants. But this section in chapter 7 follows upon the sixth seal. It therefore logically indicates that the time before the sixth seal is the time of the church.
From these two evidences we may conclude that the six seals are either already fulfilled or in the process of being fulfilled.
6.1-2 "ONE OF THE SEVEN SEALS . . . A WHITE HORSE"
Why use four living creatures to announce the four horses? Perhaps for the simple reason that there are four horses.
6.2 What is the significance of the white horse? There are three different interpretations.
(1) It refers to Antichrist. The reasons are as follows:
a) Christ does not ride on a white horse till in the time of chapter 19. So that this incident cannot refer to Him.
b) In speaking of the tribulation, Matthew 24 relates four things, among which are mentioned false christs. Naturally, then, what is being referred to here should be the false christ.
c) There being a bow but without an arrow indicates that the victory is not real. Thus this cannot refer to Christ.
(2) It alludes to international peace pacts, and the arguments for this interpretation are as follows:
a) White is the color of righteousness, hence the saints wear white garments and the Lord rides upon a white horse. This is peace brought in through righteousness.
b) A bow without an arrow is a sign of peace. International peace is thus maintained with righteous might.
(3) It points to Christ, and the reasons given for this interpretation are as follows:
a) Since the one who rides the white horse mentioned in chapter 19 is Christ, it naturally must be Christ in chapter 6.
b) Since power and authority rendered to the other three horses are given by God, that of the first horse must also be given by God. And whom will God crown except Christ?
c) Only Christ comes forth conquering and to conquer.
d) Christ must have taken the bow before He was crowned. A bow without an arrow implies that the arrow has already been shot and that thus it has dealt the devil a fatal wound. God therefore crowns Christ that He may be glorified.
e) Concerning the four horses, only in 6.4 is the word "another" used, thus intimating that the first horse is different from the later three horses.
f) The priority in God’s plan is that His Son shall conquer—and His conquest is the victory of the gospel. (One of the four living creatures says "Come" [in some old manuscripts it is rendered "Go"], for the living creatures themselves do not speak with the tone of command.) Which of the three interpretations is correct? The third one (pointing to Christ) seems to be more reasonable, hence we will decide on Christ.
6.3-4 "THE SECOND SEAL . . . A RED HORSE"
Red is the color of blood. Taking peace away means war.
The first horse (white) conquers by the bow, so it is battling at a distance. The red horse fights with a sword, so it is battling in proximity. The phrase "to take peace from the earth" proves that war is for the sake of war, not for the sake of ideology. War that aims at "slay(ing) one another" is considered by the Bible to be the worst kind. It accomplishes nothing but death, destruction, and annihilation (Judges 7.22; Zech. 8.10; Jer. 25.15-31; Lev. 26.25).
6.5-6 "THE THIRD SEAL . . . A BLACK HORSE"
Black is the color for famine (Jer. 14.1-3; Lam. 4.8,9; 5.10). In the Bible, wheat and barley are usually shown as being sold by measure; balances are used to weigh precious things. But a balance is here used for wheat and barley, which indicates that every grain is taken into account.
"A measure of wheat for a shilling"—In Matthew 20.2 we find that the wages for a laborer are one shilling a day. This is therefore the daily wages for one person. So what he earns is just enough for his own consumption.
"And three measures of barley for a shilling"—The difference in value between wheat and barley is normally stated in the ratio of one to two, but at this time it has become a ratio of one to three (see 2 Kings 7.16, 18 for the one-to-two ratio).
"And the oil and the wine hurt thou not"—This hints that oil and wine were wasted in other times since they are not staple food. But now they ought not be wasted for it is the time of famine. Nevertheless, this also suggests that vines and olive trees are being kept by God.
For the past two thousand years war and famine and earthquake have increased in number and scope as well as in intensity and in closer occurrence to each other.
6.7-8 "THE FOURTH SEAL. . . A PALE HORSE"
The word "pale" here is the same Greek word translated "green" in Mark 6.39 and Revelation 8.7 and 9.4. Green is the color of grass. When this color appears on the face it signifies either sickness or death. And hence the name of the one who sits on this pale horse is called Death.
"Hades" is the subterranean, unseen world. Hades here serves as a dustpan into which the dead are swept.
By the sword of the red horse, the famine of the black horse, and the pestilence of the pale horse, plus the wild beasts of the earth, one fourth of the world’s population will be killed.
The use of "wild beasts" is one of God’s severest judgments (Num. 21.6; 2 Kings 2.24, 17.25).
(1) In 5.2 it is declared: "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" But by the time of 5.7 the Lamb has taken the book. Will He thereafter wait two thousand years before He opens the seven seals?
(2) Unless God in His dealing is setting aside the church, He cannot acknowledge He is now dealing with the Jews. Yes, by the time of 7.1-8 God does begin to acknowledge the Jews and to choose them as His servants. But this section in chapter 7 follows upon the sixth seal. It therefore logically indicates that the time before the sixth seal is the time of the church.
From these two evidences we may conclude that the six seals are either already fulfilled or in the process of being fulfilled.
6.1-2 "ONE OF THE SEVEN SEALS . . . A WHITE HORSE"
Why use four living creatures to announce the four horses? Perhaps for the simple reason that there are four horses.
6.2 What is the significance of the white horse? There are three different interpretations.
(1) It refers to Antichrist. The reasons are as follows:
a) Christ does not ride on a white horse till in the time of chapter 19. So that this incident cannot refer to Him.
b) In speaking of the tribulation, Matthew 24 relates four things, among which are mentioned false christs. Naturally, then, what is being referred to here should be the false christ.
c) There being a bow but without an arrow indicates that the victory is not real. Thus this cannot refer to Christ.
(2) It alludes to international peace pacts, and the arguments for this interpretation are as follows:
a) White is the color of righteousness, hence the saints wear white garments and the Lord rides upon a white horse. This is peace brought in through righteousness.
b) A bow without an arrow is a sign of peace. International peace is thus maintained with righteous might.
(3) It points to Christ, and the reasons given for this interpretation are as follows:
a) Since the one who rides the white horse mentioned in chapter 19 is Christ, it naturally must be Christ in chapter 6.
b) Since power and authority rendered to the other three horses are given by God, that of the first horse must also be given by God. And whom will God crown except Christ?
c) Only Christ comes forth conquering and to conquer.
d) Christ must have taken the bow before He was crowned. A bow without an arrow implies that the arrow has already been shot and that thus it has dealt the devil a fatal wound. God therefore crowns Christ that He may be glorified.
e) Concerning the four horses, only in 6.4 is the word "another" used, thus intimating that the first horse is different from the later three horses.
f) The priority in God’s plan is that His Son shall conquer—and His conquest is the victory of the gospel. (One of the four living creatures says "Come" [in some old manuscripts it is rendered "Go"], for the living creatures themselves do not speak with the tone of command.) Which of the three interpretations is correct? The third one (pointing to Christ) seems to be more reasonable, hence we will decide on Christ.
6.3-4 "THE SECOND SEAL . . . A RED HORSE"
Red is the color of blood. Taking peace away means war.
The first horse (white) conquers by the bow, so it is battling at a distance. The red horse fights with a sword, so it is battling in proximity. The phrase "to take peace from the earth" proves that war is for the sake of war, not for the sake of ideology. War that aims at "slay(ing) one another" is considered by the Bible to be the worst kind. It accomplishes nothing but death, destruction, and annihilation (Judges 7.22; Zech. 8.10; Jer. 25.15-31; Lev. 26.25).
6.5-6 "THE THIRD SEAL . . . A BLACK HORSE"
Black is the color for famine (Jer. 14.1-3; Lam. 4.8,9; 5.10). In the Bible, wheat and barley are usually shown as being sold by measure; balances are used to weigh precious things. But a balance is here used for wheat and barley, which indicates that every grain is taken into account.
"A measure of wheat for a shilling"—In Matthew 20.2 we find that the wages for a laborer are one shilling a day. This is therefore the daily wages for one person. So what he earns is just enough for his own consumption.
"And three measures of barley for a shilling"—The difference in value between wheat and barley is normally stated in the ratio of one to two, but at this time it has become a ratio of one to three (see 2 Kings 7.16, 18 for the one-to-two ratio).
"And the oil and the wine hurt thou not"—This hints that oil and wine were wasted in other times since they are not staple food. But now they ought not be wasted for it is the time of famine. Nevertheless, this also suggests that vines and olive trees are being kept by God.
For the past two thousand years war and famine and earthquake have increased in number and scope as well as in intensity and in closer occurrence to each other.
6.7-8 "THE FOURTH SEAL. . . A PALE HORSE"
The word "pale" here is the same Greek word translated "green" in Mark 6.39 and Revelation 8.7 and 9.4. Green is the color of grass. When this color appears on the face it signifies either sickness or death. And hence the name of the one who sits on this pale horse is called Death.
"Hades" is the subterranean, unseen world. Hades here serves as a dustpan into which the dead are swept.
By the sword of the red horse, the famine of the black horse, and the pestilence of the pale horse, plus the wild beasts of the earth, one fourth of the world’s population will be killed.
The use of "wild beasts" is one of God’s severest judgments (Num. 21.6; 2 Kings 2.24, 17.25).