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The Seals
The Opening of the Endtime
To properly understand the rest of the book of Revelation, it's important to first outline the main story. This main story of Revelation consists of seven seals, that are opened by the Lamb, seven trumpets that are sounded by angels and seven vials with God's wrath, that are poured out by angels. All of this is completely chronological and according to our estimation will last for about four years. It is chronological because the seven trumpets are handed to angels once the seventh seal is opened and the seven vials are handed to angels once the seventh trumpet is blown. We estimate this to last about four years because we expect the second seal to coincide with the abomination of desolation, at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th and last week of 7 years, hence 3.5 years before the end of this week and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Based on information in the stars of heaven, we estimate the first seal, bringing the white horse, to be opened about half a year before the opening of the second seal.
From Revelation 6 onward, the Lamb's assumption of earthly rule begins. It is one great demonstration of power. This power of the Lamb is the first element in the worship of the angels in Revelation 5. This element of "power" takes up most of the book of Revelation and continues through Revelation 19. The display of the Lamb's power starts with the white horse, the first of the four Apocalyptic horsemen. The white horse stands for the deliverance of God's people, which are under the fiercest of attacks possible by the empire.
The white horse corresponds to the end of Revelation 12, the rescue of the woman that is persecuted by the dragon, the devil that was exiled from heaven and thrown to the earth after the war in heaven was won by Michael and his angels. We see this depicted in the fall of the devil's comet, together with the closeness of the encounters between the planets Saturn and Mercury during the years 2023 and 2024. The white horse also corresponds to elements from the book of Zechariah, which we shall discuss at the beginning of chapter 6 of Revelation. Many expositors of Revelation hold the white horse for the deception of the antichrist. There are many reasons why this interpretation is false, which we shall also mention.
The interference of the Lamb in earthly affairs through 'the white horse' triggers a very hostile reaction from those in power. They are then allowed to demonstrate their full potential. This is seen in the next three horsemen of the apocalypse, that will be released at the opening of the seals 2-4. It may seem strange that the opening of seals by the Lamb will culminate in the power of earthly mortals. But we see this throughout the Bible. Earthly mortals can only exercise their power with God's permission. "You would have no power against me unless it were given to you from above," Jesus said to Pilate.
Furthermore, it seems strange that the power of earthly mortals leads to so much death and destruction. You'd think they should demonstrate how well they can rule the world. But that doesn't happen. Sadly, the earthly rulers have placed themselves under the authority of the liar and murderer from the beginning, and this manifests itself in horrific scenes. Jesus tells his disciples that the last days will be so terrible that, if they were not shortened, "no flesh would be saved."
We certainly should not view the seals 2 - 4 as judgments poured out from heaven on the earth. They are disasters caused by earthly rulers. Heaven sets limits on the exercise of violence, as we will see. There is still a rainbow around God's throne. From heaven, the destructive power of the earthly rulers is tempered, so that the disaster remains limited - 'those days will be cut short' as we just mentioned. The earthly rulers specifically target one group of people: the witnesses of God. Under the seals 2-4, they are literally hunted down to eliminate them completely. We see the effect of this under the opening of the fifth seal, the souls of the slain saints under the altar.
With the sixth seal the immense power of the Lamb will again be revealed. A tremendous earthquake and the shaking of the powers of heaven announce the period in which the Lamb will demonstrate his capabilities. Hence the reaction: all the earth's inhabitants, including the rulers, hide in caves of the earth. And they say to the mountains and 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 His wrath has come, and who can stand?"
The opening of the seventh seal at the beginning of Revelation 8, brings half an hour of silence in heaven - the total opposite to the effect of the sixth seal - a monstrous quake on earth. Seven trumpets are then given to the seven angels that stand before God and the trumpet judgments start. The first four of them ignite calamities that come from heaven, a continuation of the earthquake of seal 6. Between the seals and the trumpets, an intermezzo (chapter 7) shows how God will use his old people of Israel, with all twelve tribes (except Dan), to bring a great multitude out of all nations into salvation by the Lamb. Hundred-forty-four thousand from the twelve Israeli tribes will be sealed between the earthquake of the sixth seal and the calamities of the first four trumpets.
Two other intermezzo's in the book outline the spiritual background of the ruling entities who have humanity in their grip and lead it in resistance to God. These are the devil, the world empire and the kings that belong to it, controlled by the devil, and the false church, which has deviated from God and sought salvation with the empire and its kings. It is a historical development of two and a half thousand years that finds its final fulfillment in the last three apocalyptic horsemen, the beast, the false prophet, and Babylon the Great. At the outpouring of seven vials with God's wrath, the Lamb will bring an end to all these enemies of God and humanity once and for all.
Next - Revelation 6
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We estimate the time from the first to the second seal to be 6 months. We estimate the seals 2-6 to last for about twelve months. The intermezzo between the first six seals and the seventh seal, starting the 7 trumpets, in which the The complete picture of the Endtime according to our estimation is as follows:
Seal 2-6 Intermezzo Four trumpets Intermezzo Trumpets 5,6 Vials-End
12 5 4 2 18 1
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