Part 7 – The ‘SEVEN SEAL’ Judgments begins with ‘THE FOUR HORSEMEN’

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Proving the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

Before we consider the first FIVE of ‘The SEVEN SEALS’ and ‘The Four Horsemen’ of the Apocalypse, which open the Tribulation Period it would be helpful to first understand the basis of the 7-year Tribulation period itself. Daniel’s “Seventieth Week” Prophecy says Israel would endure a 70th week of years under Gentile rule for a total of 490 years (70 x 7 or seventy weeks of 7 years). Taken together these years are Biblically called the Times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24).

These 490 years are the penalty for Israel’s disobedience and debt due for not permitting “the land” to “rest every seventh year (Lev. 26:34). History records that to date Israel has been held under Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome for a total of 483 of the 490 years prophesied. The 7-Year Tribulation Period is the remainder of the 490 years prophesied for Israel to be under Gentile rule. The titles; ‘Daniels Seventieth Week [a week of 7 years],’ and “the time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Mt. 24:15–31) are titles for the 7-Year Tribulation Period. Daniel’s Seventieth Week or the 7-year Tribulation period make it clear that the Tribulation period concerns ‘the Nation Israel only.’ The Tribulation has no application to the Gentile grace-believers of this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.” This is in perfect accord with Paul’s instruction for us to study by “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15), divide what applies to Israel from the Gentile body of Christ.

Having the foregoing, please now read Revelation 6:1-17 in the KJV, which concerns the FIRST 5 of the 7 SEALS. As you will see the FIRST FIVE SEALS quickly develop into major sufferings of blood, death and martyrdom under the overarching “wrath of God” beginning with the Antichrist on the “White Horse.” Obviously, God is over all that we see in the Revelation period. In the book of Revelation, we have 1) the wrath of man seen in the wars early on in the Tribulation, 2) then the wrath of Satan appears fully through the Antichrist at the midpoint in the Tribulation and, 3) then late in the Tribulation we see the direct “wrath of God.”

The unleashing of Antichrist occurs when the Holy Spirit is removed with the believers of “the body of Christ” are Raptured to heaven. Antichrist cannot become manifested to freely operate on earth until the Lord withdraws the Holy Spirit presence in and through “the body of Christ” on earth as seen here.

3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except [unless] there come a falling away [the departure (the Rapture)] first, and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I [Paul] told you these things

6 And now ye know what withholdeth [i.e., the Holy Spirit] that he [Antichrist] might be revealed [only] in his time.  7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [the Holly Spirit] who now [currently] letteth will let [permit], UNTIL He [the Holy Spirit as restrainer] Be Taken Out Of The Way8 And THEN shall that Wicked [Wicked One, Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 (KJV)

The effects of the Antichrist’s progressive ascendency to power are seen by the four horsemen of Rev. 6:1-8. The FOURTH HORSE (vs, 7-8) is the “PALE HORSE whose Rider Is Named “DEATH.” With the SIXTH SEAL 25% OF THE EARTH’S POPULATION’ DIES BEFORE the 7th SEAL. (See: http://www.artlicursi.com/articles/part-2-four-horsemen-apocalypse ).

Thankfully, the Raptured dead and living believers of “the body of Christ” will be saved out of this world beforehand when Jesus Himself appear “in the air” sky (cf. 1Thes 4:13-18).

The “four horsemen” seen in the first FOUR SEALS open the 7-Year Tribulation Period. There are 3 series of seven levels each bringing the intensifying Tribulations to come upon Israel and the World throughout the 7-year Tribulation period. No doubt he first half of The Tribulation period (3-1/2 years) will be less horrific than the 2nd half. Nevertheless, 25% of the living will die in the first half of The Tribulation (Rev. 6:7-8), so all of this 7-year period certainly bears “the wrath of God” coming upon this rebellious evil world.

In Revelation 6 the Lord Jesus, “the Lamb slain,” opens the FIRST 6 SEALS which address death” coming on earth through intensifying Tribulation. Initially they appear as somewhat common calamities but also with some uncommon physical disturbances on earth and in the sky. These include; chaos, great civil unrest, great war, famine, super earthquakesrecall 25% of the population will die in that time. These may sound common to us but they will become intensified with the opening of the early first Four SEALS that Jesus opens to include the ‘Four Horsemen.’ Jesus of Nazareth had told Israel these “must” occur;

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye [the remnant of Jewish believers] be not troubled: for all These Things Must Come To Pass, but The End Is Not Yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you [the Jews]: and ye [the Nation Israel] shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.(Matthew 24:6-9 (KJV)

Now let’s consider the FIRST 6 SEALS. I will briefly summarize the events that begin with ‘the Four Horsemen.’ The ‘Four Horsemen’ of the Apocalypse described in Revelation 6 arrive early in first 3-1/2 years of the 7-Year Tribulation.

The FIRST SEAL Rev. 6:1-2 - With Jesus opening of the FIRST SEAL, the Tribulation period begins on earth. We know Antichrist is to Confirm[S] The Covenant of Dan. 9:27 to Begin the Tribulation, initially bringing peace for a short time. Israel would soon recognize they had made a pact with the Devil for ‘false security’ (cf. Isa. 28:15). With that begins a seven-year Tribulation that follows the Rapture of the Gentile church, in which God brings judgment to earth in order to purge, reclaim, and renew the earth from the hand of Satan. Some short time, perhaps as many as 6 months after the church, “the body of Christ,” is in heaven, all these divinely shaped calamities will come upon the earth.

The rider on a The FIRST SEAL’s “WHITE HORSE is a geopolitical leader who is referenced elsewhere as the Antichrist (cf. 1 John 2:18; 4:3). He will speak “smooth words” and insert himself into the world’s leadership following the Rapture to bring order out of the resultant chaos. Think of the chaos ensuing with the Rapture of so many. Notably, there is no mention of an arrow with his bow, indicating the bloodless nature of his initial coup (6:2). He will claim victory and peace — represented by his ‘White Horse’ and crown. He will quickly gain worldwide power. Consider the role of the religious Scarlet Harlot religion (likely Rome) who will will give Antichrist credibility in the eyes of the world much as we see Pope Francis is a socialist activist. God to: http://www.artlicursi.com/series/scarlet-harlot-religion-identified for more details. He will initially assume power through recognition, and substance, but without resorting to violence initially. The ensuing sense of peace throughout the world, though, will prove false.

The SECOND SEAL - Rev. 6:3-4 - The fiery RED HORSE (6:4) of the SECOND SEAL (v3) represents bloodshed and chaos. The world devolves into violence, with people beginning to “kill one another” (6:4). I believe it is chaos that will set the stage for the world to cry out for the “One World” government and leader – the Antichrist. He will transition from pretending to be peaceful to wielding a “great sword” (v4), representative of his power to slay people. A parallel to Hitler is instructive because the German chancellor rose to power amid the turbulence of the Great Depression and the burden of reparations to pay for the 1st World War, thus building consensus and support among the German masses before his administration devolved into violence under a totalitarian dictatorship.

The THIRD SEAL - Rev. 6:5-6 - The opening of the THIRD SEAL heightens the world’s chaos, bringing economic instability to the Tribulation period. This is depicted by a BLACK HORSE whose rider holds a set of scales (v5). It appears that inflation will be so severe that a measure of wheat and three measures of barley each will cost a day’s wage to ration a family. The ‘day’s wage’ of a “penny (Grk. denarian, denarius) in Roman currency (6:6). So, in addition to seizing control politically, Antichrist will take over the world’s economic order. Whether global economic instability sets the stage for his control or is the result of his control is unclear.

The FOURTH SEAL - Rev. 6:7-8 - The FOURTH SEAL (v7), with its PALE GREEN HORSE and its ominous rider named “DEATH” (v8), brings an astonishingly severe judgment. In the aftermath of social conflict, a fourth of the earth’s population [25%] will die from a combination of Violence, Famine, Plague, and Attacks by Wild Animals (v8). If this occurred today, the Fourth Seal would bring the demise of approximately two billion people!

The FIFTH SEAL - Rev. 6:9-10 – The FIFTH SEAL appears to be a parenthetical reaction to the killings of the Fourth Seal and the death to follow in the Sixth and Seventh Seals which ushers in the Seven Trumpet Judgments.

We know that after the Rapture of the Gentile “body of Christ” no ‘souls’ of the martyred are to be resurrected until after the Tribulation period (cf. Rev 20:6). So, this Fifth Seal involves the figurative “voice (v10) of the souls of those slaughtered by the Antichrist (v9) for their faith during the early Tribulation period. The martyr’s ‘life blood’ no doubt is in the ground and referred to as under the ‘altar’ (6:9) as the place of their martyrdom. This is much like the Lord speaking figuratively of the “voice of dead Abel’s blood cried unto me [God] from the ground” after Cain killed him.

Rev. 6:10-11 – I expect that the Lord’s words recorded here in John’s Book of The Revelation are as His answer to the blood cry of these martyrs (v 10) to bolster the faith of the yet living believers who may read John’s Revelation as they live and are martyred during the Tribulation period.

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge Our Blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10 (KJV)

The Lord replies “rest a little while longer” until God finishes unleashing his temporal judgments on the earth.

11…it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Revelation 6:11 (KJV).

They then are reminded that even though God’s justice is delayed at times, it always comes.

These martyrs, must include many Gentiles who must have come to faith under Israel’s kingdom gospel’ preached during the Tribulation. Again, all this occurs after the Rapture of the Gentile “body of Christ” who will have been removed from planet earth some years earlier.