Lesson Five

The Fifth and Sixth Seals - Three Millennial Views

Revelation 6: 9-17

a) Fifth seal discussion continued about the saints in heaven and the question about the rapture. Here is a breakdown of the three Millennial views:

i. Amillennial view is an allegorical understanding of the 1000 year reign of Christ. The kingdom of God is reigning now through the binding and loosing activities of the Church. There is no such thing as two resurrections happening at the same time. Both sinners and the righteous resurrect together on the day of the Lord, but the righteous resurrection is called the rapture.

Theological Emphasis: there is comfort in sufferings of the saints; the role of the church being the new Israel; the importance of the kingdom of God.

Theological problems: fails to properly explain all millennium events in Rev 20:1-5. Most Catholics hold this view.

ii. Premillennial view is a literal understanding of Rev 20, where there will be an earthly kingdom for the 1000 year reign of Christ (true peace on earth). This is the historical classical position. This view believes in two different resurrections at two different times. The first resurrection is the believers resurrection (also known as the rapture), which happens before the tribulation period. The second resurrection is for the sinners to face their judgement after the millennium. John 5:28-29 speaks about the resurrection of the dammed. Luke 14:14 speaks about the resurrection of the just. Rev 20:4-5 speaks about both resurrections.

Theological Emphasis: The priority of salvation and/or Israel restoration.

Theological Problem: God taking his Church out of world before it suffers is inconsistent with the book of Revelation and Book of Acts. It is also inconsistent with the way of the cross... the way of Christ; also this view can be attached to unfavourable dispensational teachings. Pentecostals tend to believe this view, especially in America

iii. Postmillennial view is a slight combination of both Amillennial and Premillennial views. This view agrees with the one resurrection of saints and sinners on the day of the Lord (Amillennial view). However it also agrees that the church is not yet glorified (Premillennial view). The kingdom of God through the Church has broken into the world, and continues to bind the strong man (Satan) in the millennium. Jesus' kingdom is established through the Church and a vast majority of people will be saved before Christ returns. Through the preached gospel, the world is going to be "Christianized" before the Lord returns. This view believes this will be the fulfillment of the promise of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3).

Theological Emphasis: A focus for the conversion of souls and the transformation of society. The Church will help save the world. Theological Problems: How can the church be in the millennium period before Christ returns? This view boarders on heretical prosperity gospel teachings.

Which views do you agree with and why? We will come back to this when we get to Revelation 20. By then, we can formulate a better understanding after reading the rest of Revelation. In the mean time, for now it gives us a better appreciation of the rapture theology to be more than a means of getting the saints into heaven.

b) Sixth Seal opened is a response to the question of the martyrs in the fifth seal asking how long. It doesn't answer this question in terms of a time period, but it answers it in terms of vindication certainty, where sinners will experience the chaos of the cosmos on the DAY OF THE LORD. This seal comes with great cosmic disturbance. it points to a breakdown of order near the end of the world, where the universe itself is in turmoil. Unsure if this is to be taken literally or symbolically, but in either case it describes a time of great terror that no one will want to experience and there is nowhere to hide for safety from it. There is no more place to hide from God. God will confront in judgement all whose who have rebelled against his sovereign authority.

i. Even the surety of the ground is uncertain with it succumbing to earthquakes. The earthquake is a divine feature of divine visitation (Ex 19:18; Is 2:19; Hag 2:6). This great earthquake is accompanied by the Sun turning to black like sackcloth and moon turning to blood. Acts 2:20, Peter speaks about this, with the stars of heaven as falling upon the earth. The stars are falling out of the sky can speak about the many galaxies that will be negatively impacted or meteorites falling unto the earth.

ii. For the enemies of the righteous, the day of the Lord will be a day of terror. Read Isaiah 13:7-8. Kings of the earth = those in position of ultimate government authority; princes are next in rank; generals = military authority.

iii. The security of the rich and the mighty will be shattered; all will panic into wide confusion. Read Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21.

c) The wrath of God is a fundamental theme in New Testament teaching. It is present in Romans 1:18 and Revelation 19:15. It is neither personal vindictiveness nor impersonal process of retribution that works itself out in course of history. It is rather the response of God’s holiness to persistent and impenitent wickedness. The prophet Joel describes the day of the Lord as great and dreadful (Joel 2:11 cf 31. It is a day of wrath and retribution (Zeph 1:14-18). The day of God’s (and the Lamb’s) wrath will come and the unanswerable question is, “who can stand?” (v. 17). This question echoes Nahum 1:6 (Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger?”

KEY POINT: Even after all this, it causes none of the people to repent!!!