5. The Seven Seals Jan 26-Feb. 1

INTRODUCTION 

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” (Rev. 1:1, 4:1,2, 5:1). 

John was taken in vision to see and write those eventful “things” which were to take place at the time the judicial-like throng of Revelation 4, 5 should convene as the picture depicts. For us to find the time and application when this judicial-like throng began and who will be judged from the book with seven seals, we must first have a correct understanding of the two most meaningful objects, the opening of the door and the book in heaven. They will give us a clue as to when this judgment began and all who were judged whose names are written in the book. 

A DOOR WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN 

“This door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844.” (EW p42). 

“In 1844 our great High Priest entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, to begin the work of the investigative judgment. The cases of the righteous dead have been passing in review before God. When that work shall be completed, judgment is to be pronounced upon the living.” (1SM p 125). 

The door that was opened in Rev. 4:1 in heaven cannot be any other than the one separating the two apartments, namely, the holy from the most holy, in the heavenly sanctuary, as shown by the earthly sanctuary built by Moses. That apartment was to be opened at the beginning of the judgment, typified by the day of atonement. 

Then we make no mistake in concluding that the scene is the judgment in session, and as the voice said to John, “I will shew thee things which must be hereafter,” it is evident that he looked forward in vision to the opening of the judgment in 1844. 

The prophecy of Daniel 7, 8 also predicted there would be a judgment, and at the end of the 2300 days, the sanctuary would be cleansed; this prophecy ended in 1844, which commenced the investigative judgment of the dead as most Seventh-Day Adventists are familiar with. This doctrine is one of the fundamental pillars of our faith. 

A BOOK WAS OPENED 

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” (Rev. 5:1). 

“There in His open hand lay the book, the roll of 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. (9MR p7). 

Fundamental to a correct concept of the judgment is an accurate understanding of its nature and the reason for the books. As to the latter, John the Revelator says: “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books.” (Rev 20:12). 

Unquestionably, therefore, the books contain both the names and the records of all who are to be judged. And naturally, these names and records were entered while each person was living. “Thine eyes,” says the Psalmist, “did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” (Ps. 139:16). 

“As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses: ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.’ Exodus 32:33. 

And says the prophet Ezekiel: ‘When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned.’ Ezekiel 18:24.” (GC 483). 

The evidence brought forth cannot be questioned that with the book of seals, the judgment opened, and as it began with the righteous who lived upon the earth first and ended with the last, it is positive that the seven seals spread over the entire world's history. Consequently, they include every saint since the world began. The number “seven” bears the same evidence, completeness (see AA p585). 

As there are seven seals in consecutive order, it is clear that our world's history is divided into seven different periods. The judgment begins with the first and ends with the last. Evidently, the first six seals complete the cases of those who were dead preceding the judgment, and while it is in session, but the seventh sealing period, being the last must concern the living. There is sufficient scriptural evidence that all the saved in all ages are sealed with the seal of God; for this reason, the seven periods are called “seven seals,” and the names of those who are sealed are written in the book; consequently, the book is sealed with seven seals. (See John 6:27; Eph. 4:30;1:13). 

THE FIRST SEAL-A WHITE HORSE 

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Rev.6:1,2. 3 

Naturally, the first seal, the seal with which the Judgment opens, must contain the things at the very inception of the human race. Logically, the white horse, the first in the symbolism, identifies the world's original state of being -- pure and sinless with a Divinely-crowned ruler (rider), who at first had no goal but to subdue the earth and to fill it with eternal God-like beings. The earth itself was wrapped in a garb of beauty and purity, with all the wonders on land and in the sea. Nothing was wanting. 

“‘And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.’ Everything that God had made was the perfection of beauty, and nothing seemed wanting that could contribute to the happiness of the holy pair; yet the Creator gave them still another token of His love, by preparing a garden especially for their home. In this garden were trees of every variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit. There were lovely vines, growing upright, yet presenting a most graceful appearance, with their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit of the richest and most varied hues.” (PP p.46, 47). 

The earth in her youth, filled with delicate flowers and covered with a carpet of living green, spanned by the blue heavens, exhibited natural beauty and elegance such as no language can describe. A living wonder without a flaw, which only the great Master Artist could bring forth. 

The First Rider 

“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:2). 

As the white horse represents the beginning of our earth in her sinless state, the rider can be none other than Adam himself, with whom the Judgment began. The crown is a symbol of kingly authority. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Gen. 1:26.) 

The same is expressed in the words, “And a crown was given Him.” Therefore, the Lord set in motion a perfect world, with a king created by the hand of God, and we are the sons of Royalty. “The earth is God's, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ.” (DA 129). 

The rider and his white horse (God's crowned king, Adam, and his peaceful government, his white horse) are, therefore, the first to be weighed on the balances, the first to come in review before the Judicial Throne. Hence, we are again reminded that this character-searching event, the Judgment, is the very thing that was to take place “hereafter” from John's time, years after the first century of the Christian era. 

Conquering and To Conquer 

“Behold a white horse: and he that sat on him... went forth conquering and to conquer.” The symbolical words are the fulfillment of the words spoken by the Creator's lips: “And God blessed them (Adam and Eve), and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” (Gen. 1:28.) 

It was God's plan to multiply the human family, and to have them subdue the earth. Therefore, Adam went conquering and to conquer. Though sin entered, and death claimed the human family, God's plan has been carried out, and the earth is inhabited. Thus he “went forth conquering and to conquer.” 

A DISCREDITED THEORY 

It is the general belief within Adventist that the white horse judgment began in the Christian era. This idea, along with the interpretation of the other seals, was published in a book that was first titled, “Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation” by Uriah Smith, one of the pioneers. Uriah Smith borrowed many of the historian's eschatology on the subject. These historians are not Inspired to interpret the Scriptures (2Peter 2:19-21); therefore, their interpretations should not be considered as the final authority on the word of God. (See Isa. 8:20). 

Seeing that we are studying a judgment scene that began in 1844, the investigative judgment of the dead, and as it first started with those who first lived upon the earth, then logically and Biblical, it first began in the Adamic period. 

Therefore, the white horse period could not represent the Christian dispensation as taught by Uriah Smith because those who first lived on the earth in the Old Testament period would be exempt from being judged. With this being said, Uriah Smith’s eschatology, that the opening of the first seal represents the Christian era, is discredited. 

Because Christ is identified as the one sitting on a white horse in Rev. 19:11, it is also used as evidence that He is the rider on the white horse with His crown and bow in Rev. 6:2. Although logically, it may match the description of Christ and His ministry, biblical it is incorrect, because when the Word was made flesh and dwell among us, John 1:14, Christ came as a servant and not as a king, He wore no crown. (See Luke 4:18). “...He had laid aside His royal crown and kingly robes, and had taken the form of a servant. One of the last acts of His life on earth was to gird Himself as a servant, and perform a servant's part.” (9CCh 299). 

THE THIRD SEAL-BLACK HORSES 

“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Rev.6:5,6). 

The white horse, as we have seen, represents man's government of earth while still pure and free. And now, since black is the opposite of white, the black horse must represent man's government in spiritual darkness and captivity -- a condition opposite to that represented by the white horse. 

As man plunged into sin, his moral and spiritual powers were weakened to the extent that his vision of God's invisible presence was blotted out. The sinner's spiritual corruption and immoral inclinations demanded a visible deity to redeem him from everlasting ruin. Thus the worship of the unseen and omnipresent One was forsaken, and the adoration of idols was substituted. This state of spiritual darkness had overwhelmed the inhabitants of our world in the days of Abram, only about three hundred years after the flood. 

Since there was no record of idol worship before that time, the black horse must represent the period from that date to the Christian era. Evidently, Israel, after the flesh, comes under the period of the black horse. In each instance, when the world reached the climax of Satanic deception, God, in His mercy and love for sinners, was compelled to make certain moves to preserve human probation. At that time, He could not destroy the sinners from the face of the earth and yet keep His promise to Noah. To ensure the preservation of the covenant, He called out Abram from idolatry to the worship of the 6 true God, starting a separate nation by one family similar to that of Adam and Noah; and the result was that the twelve Patriarchs of Israel came forth, of whom God made one great nation. 

The Balances In The Rider's Hand 

Rev. 6:5, last part, “And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.” 

As the white horse rider's crown and bow refer to his privileges, and the great sword in the hand of the red horse's rider shows his prerogative, just so the balances in the hand of the rider of the black horse must have reference to the people and their characteristics, in that period. Balances are used for commercial purposes. Therefore, the symbol denotes the first introduction of a commercialistic idea. Before or about Abram's time, commercial trading between nations was unknown. But this idea was born in the period represented by the black horse. The Phenician-Semitic race is credited with the ever-increasing discovery, with Sidon and Tyre as their chief commercial centers. “Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?” (Isa. 23:8). 

Tyre, the queen of the Phoenicians was but a short distance from Sidon. “In time they were to spread their trade-colonies all over the Mediterranean, and up into other lands, ever on the search for new trade areas and commercial centers. They were the bees of the ancient world carrying the pollen of culture wherever they went. The necessities of trade and commerce drove them to perfect an alphabet, and from them the western world obtained it. In some respects they were unique in the ancient world, and this distinction was interred with them. For they were not interested in conquests, save commercial; they did not mind paying tribute to military powers, as long as those powers did not interfere with their rights of trade. They had a Greek-like capacity for assimilating to themselves whatever Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia or any other phase of civilization offered; but their chief genius lay in invention, technical skill, business activity, and in industry. In the working of iron, gold, ivory, glass, and purple dyes they stood in the ancient world without a peer. 

“... Through their cities flowed the highly profitable trade of Arabia and the East: and their manufacturers were kept busy turning out their products of metals, glass, and purple. By sea and by land they traveled everywhere -- missionaries of trade -- the master-bargainers of the Old World.” -- Essential Knowledge, The Phenicians, Vol. I, pp. 69, 70. 

Hurt Not The Oil And The Wine 

“And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say,...and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Rev. 6:6. 7 

According to Revelation 4:6, the four beasts are round about the throne. Therefore, the throne is in the midst of the beasts. Says John: “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts.” One of the things he heard was, “See thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Therefore, whatever is meant by the symbol, it is not of men, but of God, for it was He who commanded, “Hurt not the oil and the wine.” 

It is an accepted fact by nearly all Bible students that “oil” is used by the Scriptures as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, as in Psalms 45:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Zechariah 4:12. “Wine” is used as a symbol of the blood of Christ, and as the “life is in the blood,” the wine denotes life eternal, found only in “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” Said Jesus, “The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life” -- “oil” and “wine.” The words in the Bible are the “Spirit” and the “Life.” 

Therefore, the command, “hurt not the oil and the wine,” has reference to the Bible -- the Spirit and the Life. But why was the command given to this particular rider? Why not to one of the others? The only answer that can be given is; the period under the black horse and his rider is the one that gave birth to the Bible. The command was obeyed, and the Bible came. In the time of idolatry and dense spiritual darkness, God, in His never failing love, blessed the human family with the gift of His written Word for a Light to the world. The voice from the throne, “Hurt not the oil and the wine,” is the voice in the Bible and the words of Jehovah. 

THE FOURTH SEAL-PALE HORSE 

“And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Rev. 6:7, 8). 

As the Old Testament time closes with the third seal, the New begins with the opening of the fourth seal. Consequently, the pale horse and the non-descript beast of Daniel 7:7, 8, occupy the same period. Evidently one beast must resemble the other or the symbol would not be perfect. Rome was symbolized by a non-descript beast because its government was a mixture of civil and religious laws, with Pagan and Christian doctrines. Therefore, it was beyond description as previously explained. The pale horse has the same meaning, for his complexion is faint, wanting, not having a specific or definite color. Pale -- non-descript. 

The rider represents the ruling heads of government. His name is Death. “Death and Hell (hades or grave as in the revised version) followed with him.” This is a perfect description of the unjust, persecuting Roman power, corresponding to the beast as Daniel saw it: “It devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it.” In the opening of the fourth seal, Rome, under the symbol of the non-descript beast in both his stages (imperial and papal) persecuted its subjects for their religious belief, and millions lost their lives. Therefore, “Death and Hell (grave) followed with him.”  

“And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth: to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Here is given the exact time in which imperial and papal Rome would hold sway over the earth, to kill the followers of Christ by means of these various forms of cruelty. Again, note the perfection of the Scriptures using the pronoun “them,” meaning both imperial and papal Rome, also civil and religious authority. Note the first part of the sentence. “And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth.” This present world, from creation to its end or the beginning of the millennium, shall number 6,000 years. 

The pale horse rider was to have power over a fourth part of the earth. We divide 6,000 into four equal parts, and we have 1500 years. Therefore, the cruel and unjust persecution by Rome was to lose its power at the end of the 1500 years or the fourth part. That is exactly what happened. At that time Martin Luther arose against the papacy and inflicted the deadly wound, by the instrument of truth -- “The just shall live by faith.” And the result was that Protestantism came on the stage of action in opposition to the papacy. Up to the beginning of the fifteenth century the papacy reigned supreme as a king of kings, by the iron arm of the state in the garb of so-called spiritual authority; but at that time her power was broken. 

From the crucifixion of Christ to the “Augsburg Confession,” a document compiled by Luther, constituted a period of 1500 years. This document was signed by the protestant states and adopted as their creed, and was a protest against the pope. So at the time appointed, their power Pagan and Papal, was broken. Thus perfectly fulfilling the symbolical prophecy that “power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth.” Here is a truth that overthrows the idea that the earth has been in existence for longer than 6,000 years. 

It also proves the application of the seals to be absolutely correct. Only four horses are introduced instead of seven, or, a horse to a seal. Four is another Biblical number to denote that the representation by the horses is world wide (four points of the compass). While the number of horses represent the universal effect of the curse of sin the number of seals denote the completeness of the gospel and the sealing of the saints. 

THE FIFTH SEAL-SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR “And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held: 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? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Rev. 6:9-11). 

The certainty that the souls cried from under the altar, the place from which God's truth is dispensed, makes it obvious that they were slain for their firmness in the Word of God and that for their faithfulness, they were given white robes -- they were accounted worthy of eternity. That they were the 9 martyrs of the preceding period, the period of the fourth seal, is clear from the fact that they were already dead when the fifth seal opened. 

Moreover, an altar denotes renewal of faith, reformation. That is what it meant to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the instances they built their altars (Gen. 8:20; 12:8; 26:25; 35:14). The souls' being under the altar indicates that they sacrificed their lives for a cause similar to the cause of the martyrs during the Protestant Reformation. And the question, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge?” also the answer, “that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled,” concretely prove that the persecution and martyrdom of the fourth seal were to overlap the fifth seal and that the Judgment of the dead (the martyrs) was not to begin until after the persecution had ceased, but that then it would certainly begin. 

Says John: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God.” Therefore, it was the Christians who were slain. The altar is also a symbol; thus, it must be considered. An altar is used for worship, and as the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God were under it, we know that it was an altar of true worship -- the reformation by Luther. 

THE SIXTH SEAL-NATURAL DISASTERS 

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” (Rev. 6:12,13) The sixth seal opens with the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755. Following the earthquake the sun was darkened, May 19, 1780, and the moon appeared as blood the following night. The “falling of the stars,” has reference to the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. Jesus, looking forward to the fulfillment of these signs, said: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matt. 24:29.) Therefore, under the sixth seal came the signs of the time of the end -- the great earthquake in 1755, the dark day in 1780 the falling stars in 1833, and the beginning of the judgment in 1844. (See GC p304-306,333). 

THE SEVENTH SEAL-SILENCE FOR A HALF AN HOUR 

“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, 10 and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” (Rev. 8:1, 3-5). 

We have omitted the second verse, for it references the seven trumpets. The silence in heaven for about half an hour cannot be the second coming of Christ, as some have thought, for afterward, the angel with the golden censer and incense offered prayers for the saints from the golden altar. The altar is in the holy place, just opposite the throne that is in the most holy. The two apartments were separated by a veil. On the day of atonement, the veil or door of the earthly tabernacle was opened, and the high priest went in. 

But let it be remembered that the door (veil) was left open while the high priest officiated. Thus the two apartments became one. For this reason, the congregation was not permitted in the holy place on that day, as they were at other times; for the veil being lifted, the holy place also became most holy. So while the door to the most holy was open, the entrance to the holy was closed. Therefore, the high priest alone used both apartments on the day of atonement. (See Lev. 16:17.) Thus, the golden altar before the throne, from which the angel offered the prayers of the saints, was, and is, used in both periods -- before and in the time of the judgment. As the entire judicial tribunal (Judge, Advocate, Elders, etc.) was in the temple after the seventh seal had been opened, it is evident that the judgment was in progress, and probation had not closed at the time of the “silence.” For after the judgment has ceased and probation closed, no man can enter the temple. (See Rev. 15:8). Had the “silence” of “half an hour” pointed to the coming of Christ, at which time He takes his saints with Him, there would be no necessity for the angel to offer their prayers. 

Furthermore, it would be unnecessary to “cast” fire, which is the Spirit of God, from the golden altar to the earth. Again, if the opening of the seventh seal means the coming of Christ, then only those under the six seals would have been considered in the judgment, and there could be no seventh seal, which would show lack of perfection and completeness of the judgment, and of the gospel. It would also be contrary to the number of seals on the book. As the six seals have reference to the six periods in which the saints were sealed, the seventh must also apply to a sealing period; otherwise, it cannot be called the seventh “seal.” 

Now let us consider the truth as taught by the last seal. Note the order of each act carefully. The seal is opened, and silence follows, for it reads: “and when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence.” 

The Revised Version, Weymouth, the Greek, and the Bulgarian Bibles read the same way. The silence was followed by the angel coming to the altar with the censer after he offered the prayers of the saints. And then he filled the censer with fire, and cast the fire to the earth and again the voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. This is the exact order of each event. What made the silence? As the judgment opened, John states: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings and voices;” and the four beasts “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, 11 Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” (Rev. 4:5, 8). The voices are continuous day and night while the judgment is going on. But sometime after the seventh seal was opened, these voices were silenced for about half an hour. After the angel offered the prayers of the saints and cast the fire upon the earth, the voices resumed. “And there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” Evidently, the judgment, for some reason, had stopped, and half an hour later, it resumed. It cannot be otherwise, for if the judgment was going on, and the beasts and the elders kept silent, it would indicate that there was something wrong -- something to which they could not say “amen” and praise God. Therefore, the only proper conclusion is that, for some reason, the judgment retired for half an hour. What made the interruption and brought about the change? Let us first determine the length of the prophetic half hour's time. A day in prophetic time stands for a year. (Ezek. 4:6). One hour is a twenty fourth part of a prophetic year and figuring thirty days to a month, it would be about two weeks. Half an hour would be half of two weeks; therefore, seven literal days. Seven days were used for purification. (See Ex. 29:35, 37; Lev. 12:2; 13:4, 5; 1, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 21). From these references, we conclude that the “half an hour” or seven days stand for the purification of the church, pointing forward to the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3 and Ezekiel 9. 

“‘The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Malachi 3:1. The coming of the Lord to His temple was sudden, unexpected, to His people. They were not looking for Him there. They expected Him to come to earth, ‘in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.’ 2 Thessalonians 1:8.” (GC p424). 

The coming of the Lord to His temple is depicted in Ezek.9, the servant of the Lord comments on this prophecy by saying; “Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them. ‘Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil...Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. (5T p207,208,211). 

“...said the angel, ‘the Lord Jesus shall rise up from His mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary and shall clothe Himself with the garments of vengeance and surprise them at their unholy feast, and they will find themselves unprepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” (5T p690). 

The prophecy of Ezek. 9 reveals the execution of the investigative judgment of the living first with the house of God, the Seventh-Day Adventist church (see 1 Peter 4:17), when Jesus shall “leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them.” This event represents the half an hour silence in the heavenly courts. 

“Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled;…” (1MR 260.2). 

“We are amid the perils of the last days, the time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.” (1888 1303.1). 

“...To His angels He gives the commission to execute His judgments...The work of judgment begins at the sanctuary...Read Ezekiel 9:2-7. The command is, ‘Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.’” (TM 431.3). 

“Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God.” (5T 211.1). 

SUMMARY 

As we have seen, the silence divides the two pre-millennial Judicial sessions, the one for the dead and the other for the living, and the fire from the heavenly altar, the voices, lightnings, and thunderings, descend to earth. These facts, along with several scriptures on the subject, besides the remainder of The Revelation, the chapters after the breaking of the seventh seal, prove that the Judgment of the living, the cleansing of the earthly temple, is something that takes place on earth, not in heaven only. 

The truth, therefore, is trouble-free: Between the Judgment of the dead and the Judgment of the living stands the half-hour silence, the time absorbed in bringing the first Judicial session to a close and in preparing for the second session, the time when Jesus will “leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them,” the time when Jesus “shall rise up from His mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary and shall clothe Himself with the garments of vengeance and surprise them at their unholy feast, and they will find themselves unprepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb.” This is the period of the half an hour silence, when the judgment ends with the dead, and begins with the living, as demonstrated in Ezekiel Chapter 9. 

“Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon--none know how soon--it will pass to the cases of the living.” (GC p490). 

Summary Of Commencement And Termination Of Seals 

The first seal covers the entire period from Adam to the flood; the second, from the flood to Abraham; the third, from Abraham to Christ; the fourth, from Christ to 1500 A.D.; the fifth, from 1500 A.D. to 1755 A.D.; the sixth, from 1755 A.D. to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9; the seventh, to the close of probation. 

However, the seals, in one sense of the word, do not close. They continue and overlap each other. For instance, the earth's inhabitants are still multiplying (Adam -- “conquering and to conquer”); the wars among the nations are increasing, and peace has departed from the earth. Thus, the “sword” is still in the rider's hand. Commercialism is ever-growing (the “balances”), and persecution has not ceased but is to revive, and to bring about trouble such as never was, as described by Daniel the prophet. (Dan. 12:1.) The signs of the times under the close of the sixth seal are speaking louder and louder. But shortly after the close of the seventh seal, everything upon the earth shall cease for a thousand years. 

THE JUDGMENT IN LIGHT OF DANIEL’S PROPHECY 

“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end. Here is the complement of the book of Daniel. One is a prophecy; the other a revelation. The book that was sealed is not the Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel relating to the last days. The angel commanded, ‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.’ Daniel 12:4.” (AA p585). 

That John's vision is a forecast of the same event as that revealed to Daniel (chapter 7), is quickly seen from the following brief comparison: 

DANIEL'S VISION 

1. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down.” Dan. 7:9. 

2. “And the Ancient of Days did sit.” Dan. 7:9, 

3. “A fiery stream issued and came froth from before Him.” Dan. 7:10. 

4. “One like the Son of man came...to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.” Dan. 7:13. 

5. “The books were opened.” Dan. 7:10. 

6. “Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten stood before Him.” Dan. 7:10. 

7. “The judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:10. 

JOHN'S VISION 

1. “And I saw thrones.” Rev. 20:4 

2. “And One sat on the throne.” Rev. 4:2. 

3. “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire.” Rev. 15:2. 

4. “In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts...stood a Lamb.” Rev. 5:6. 

5. “And the books were opened.” Rev. 20:12. 

6. “I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne...and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Rev. 5:11. 

7. “The hour of His Judgment is come.” Rev. 14:7. “And I saw the dead, and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.” Rev. 20:12 

Both seers distinctly declare that the event which they saw was the “Judgment.” The difference between the two scenes is that Daniel was led to look into the Sanctuary while preparations were being made for the Judgment to convene, whereas John was led to look into the Sanctuary after the Judgment had been set up; in fact, John did not only saw the Judgment in progress, but he saw the whole proceeding from start to finish. 

For example, Daniel saw the things while the thrones were being “cast down,” and while the Ancient of Days was moving from the Administrative throne (the throne upon which Christ sat at the Father's right hand -- Rev. 22:1) to the Judicial throne (the throne in the sanctuary). Then it was that the “One like the Son of man came,” “and they brought Him near before” the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:13), not at His right hand. But those who were to sit on the other “thrones,” seats, which were then “cast down,” set up, were not yet come. When John looked in, though, he saw the twenty-four elders already sitting on the thrones. 

Daniel saw the “One like the Son of man” while He was being borne near before the Ancient of Days. But John saw Him after He had been brought there. 

To John, His appearance was like a “lamb,” and one of the elders called Him “the lion of the tribe of Juda.” (Obviously, He is “the Son of man,” the Saviour, the King of Israel -- Christ, the Lord.) Besides these, John also saw the four beasts therein, the candlestick, and the book while it was being opened. 

To repeat, Daniel saw only a part of the preparations, whereas John saw the opening of the Judgment, and the entire proceedings thereafter. 

The Judicial throng, Inspiration makes known, consists of a judge -- the Ancient of Days; of witnesses -- the angels; of an advocate -- the Lamb; of a jury -- the twenty-four elders; of defendants -- the beasts; and of their ruler -- “the Lion of the tribe of Juda.” (That the four beasts are a symbolical representation of the saints, just as the beasts of Daniel 7 are symbolical of the nations, is made clear by the beast's own statement: “...for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Rev. 5:9). 

The student of advancing Truth will also note that Daniel refers to but one judicial session, although he does make mention of the Judgment twice -- first in verse 10 of chapter 7 and second in verse 22. 

“Daniel and Revelation must be studied, as well as the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments. Let there be light, yes, light, in your dwellings. For this we need to pray. The Holy Spirit, shining upon the sacred page, will open our understanding, that we may know what is truth... There is need of a much closer study of the word of God; especially should Daniel and the Revelation have attention as never before in the history of our work. 

“The light that Daniel received from God was given especially for these last days. The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai and the Hiddekel, the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon come to pass. 

“When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience. They will be given such glimpses of the open gates of heaven that heart and mind will be impressed with the character that all must develop in order to realize the blessedness which is to be the reward of the pure in heart.” (TM 112-114). 

Please read “Facing Life’s Record” in Great Controversy Ch. 28 for additional information regarding the judgment scene in the books of Daniel and the Revelation 

SDA Understanding of the Seven Seals

A THE FIRST SEAL. Revelation 6:1-2. 

❖ The first seal was broken, and John saw a pure (white) horse. 

The horseman was brandishing a long-range weapon (a bow) and was victorious (crown). 

❖ This horse is a symbol of the early Church. 

❖ The early Church received power in Pentecost and “went out conquering and to conquer.” 

B THE SECOND SEAL. Revelation 6:3-4. 

❖ Jesus had foretold that the Gospel would face opposition from the powers of evil (Matthew 10:34). 

❖ The Roman Empire persecuted the Christians and shed the blood of many martyrs since the 2nd Century. 

C THE THIRD SEAL. Revelation 6:5-6. 

❖ Black is the opposite of white. The purity of the Gospel of the white horse became corrupted during the period between 313 AD and 538 AD. 

❖ The Bible was abandoned, and the people suffered hunger of the Word of God (wheat and barley). 

❖ However, God still offered salvation through the Holy Spirit (oil) and the blood of Jesus (wine). 

D THE FOURTH SEAL. Revelation 6:7-8. 

❖ The color of this horse is a symbol of spiritual death as a consequence of abandoning the Bible and the principles of the Gospel. 

❖ This is the same time period as the message to the church in Thyatira, a spiritually death church. 

❖ New punishments (death and beasts) are added to the previous ones (sword and hunger). Maybe this is a divine attempt to awake the Church and make her turn away from her apostasy (Leviticus 26:21-41). 

E THE FIFTH SEAL. Revelation 6:9-11. 

❖ In the Temple, the blood of the victims was shed at the Altar of Holocaust (Leviticus 4:25). 

❖ That’s where John—symbolically—saw the people (souls, see 1King. 15:29) that were killed by the Roman Church because of their faith. 

❖ Those martyrs are considered worthy (see Rev. 3:4) and are assured that God hasn’t forgotten them. They must wait for some time until every case has been deliberated and Christ comes again “to give to everyone according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12) 

❖ In that moment, they will be resurrected and will join “their fellow servants and their brethren.” 

F THE SIXTH SEAL. Revelation 6:12-17. 

❖ The signs this verse foretold were fulfilled in the exact order they were listed: 

— 11/1/1755 The Lisbon earthquake. 

— 5/19/1780 Darkness from 10 AM. 

— 5/19/1780 The Moon looks like bloodstained 

— 11/13/1833 Great meteor shower 

❖ We’re living within the time period of the sixth seal, until every person has known the truth of the Gospel. Those rejecting that truth will want to flee from the presence of the Lamb. “And who is able to stand?