Introduction to the
Seven Seals
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Let's talk to God before beginning this new section:
Lord,
Once again we thank You for giving us this great privilege of being able to search and
understand the book of Revelation.
After studying the letters to the seven churches, we now wish to start on the subject of
the seven seals.
Please guide us while we study this part of prophecy, so that we may grasp the message You
want to give us through the seven seals. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 1:11
What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven
churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to
Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Revelation 1:19
Write the things which you have seen, and the things
which are, and the things which will take place after this.
The previous lessons allowed us to study the letters to the seven churches, and
their prophecies about the Church, from John's time up to Jesus' return.
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Revelation 4:1
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing
open in heaven.
And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying,
«Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.»
Following these seven letters, another set of seven prophecies was presented to
the apostle John, showing «things which must take place after
this»: the seven seals.
But before receiving the visions about the seven seals, John witnessed a majestic scene
taking place in heaven.
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Revelation 4:2,3
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set
in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a
rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
In his vision, John was transported up to God's heavenly throne, where a solemn
scene of adoration and praise is taking place in honor of the Creator.
We will come back to this scene in a future lesson about the four creatures and the 24
elders.
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Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne
a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
Isaiah 29:11
The whole vision has become to you like the words of a
book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying,
«Read this, please»;
and he says,
«I cannot, for it is sealed.»
Then John saw, in the right hand of God, a scroll written on both sides.
This scroll being sealed with seven seals, John could not read it.
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Ezekiel 2:9,10
Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me;
and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.
Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and
written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
Exodus 32:15
And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the
two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand.
The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.
God had already used works written on both sides to pass on His great messages,
such as some prophecies and His Ten Commandments.
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Revelation 5:2-4
Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
«Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?»
And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to
look at it.
So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at
it.
To reveal the contents of the scroll, the seals had to be loosed. But no one
was able to do it.
It wasn't a matter of strength, but rather a matter of worth: «No
one was found worthy to open and read the scroll.»
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Revelation 5:5
But one of the elders said to me,
«Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to
open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.»
Here is great news for John and for us! Someone was finally found worthy to
loose the seven seals, because of His victory.
But who is this «Lion of the tribe of Judah», this «Root of David», and what victory is involved?
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Genesis 49:9,10
Judah is a lion's whelp (...).
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until
Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Luke 3:23,33,34
Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty
years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, (...) the son of Judah, the son
of Jacob (...).
First, the «Lion of the tribe of Judah» is Jesus
Christ, who has prevailed over evil, sin, and death.
This title refers to Jacob's prophecy about his son Judah, announcing that from his
descendants would come Shiloh, a word which designates the Messiah.
And Jesus indeed belongs to the line of Judah.
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Jeremiah 23:5
«Behold, the days are coming,» says the Lord, «That I
will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute
judgment and righteousness in the earth.»
Revelation 22:16
I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these
things in the churches.
I am the Root and the Offspring of David.
As for the expression «the Root of David», it
also designates Jesus Christ, just as He Himself clearly confirms it.
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Revelation 3:21
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world.
Finally, by His death and His resurrection, Jesus Christ achieved a complete
and resounding victory over evil, death, and the world.
This great victory made Him worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.
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Revelation 5:6,7
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and
of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it
had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
out into all the earth.
Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
John's vision continues with the subject of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of
God slain for our salvation.
This Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes. What is the meaning of such a description?
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John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
«Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!»
Revelation 13:8
And all who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast],
whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain.
First, let's remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God.
When we accept His sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, our name is written in the
Lamb's Book of Life.
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Daniel 8:22
As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its
place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation.
Deuteronomy 33:17
His horns are like the horns of the wild ox; together
with them He shall push the peoples to the ends of the earth.
The horns symbolize authority, power, rule, royalty.
As for the number seven, it indicates perfection in Bible prophecy.
Therefore, the seven horns of the Lamb symbolize His perfect dominion over all the nations
of the earth.
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Zechariah 4:2,10
I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with
a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps. (...)
These seven (...) are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole
earth.
Revelation 4:5
From the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and
voices.
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits
of God.
The seven eyes of the Lamb, which are the seven Spirits of God, symbolize His
omniscience.
By the Holy Spirit's action, He sees and knows everything.
The lesson «Letter to the Church of Sardis» gave
us a description of the seven Spirits of God.
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Revelation 5:8,9
Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and
golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying:
«You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have
redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.»
And now, what is this sealed scroll that only the Lamb can open?
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1 Peter 1:10,12
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you. (...)
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the
things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to
you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into.
The scroll sealed with seven seals contains the destiny of mankind. Now, the
Bible clearly explains what that destiny is: «The wages of sin is
death.» (Romans 6:23)
By His sacrifice on the cross, only Jesus can offer us another destiny, that is, eternal
life. This is why He is the only One able to open the seven seals.
When He opens the scroll, Jesus will reveal the destiny each one has chosen.
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Revelation 5:9
You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals;
for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation.
Revelation 7:10
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and
to the Lamb!
Just like the letters to the churches, the seven seals describe seven stages of
history.
The opening of the seventh seal leads to Jesus's return, then revealing to everyone the
destiny each one has chosen here on earth.
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Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song, saying:
«You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals.»
Revelation 14:3
And they sang as it were a new song before the throne,
before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except
the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
The opening of the seven seals, revealing the contents of the scroll, led the
audience to sing a new song.
What was the theme of that song?
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The theme of the new song emphasizes salvation, our final deliverance:
«Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done
marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord
has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has openly shown in the sight of the
nations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the
ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.» (PSALM 98:1-3)
«I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also
brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth.» (PSALM 40:1-3)
«Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the Lord is
right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is
full of the goodness of the Lord.» (PSALM 33:3-5)
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Revelation 5:9,10
And they sang a new song, saying:
«You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have
redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and
have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.»
The new song emphasizes the salvation of people coming «out
of every tribe and tongue and people and nation».
Furthermore, it brings out the glorious victory of Jesus, which allows His redeemed people
to be granted access to the eternal kingdom, and to become priests to God.
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Jesus Christ's salvation makes us a kingdom of priests to God:
«Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and
keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the
earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.» (EXODUS
19:5,6)
«(...) Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler
over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.» (REVELATION 1:5,6)
«Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second
death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with
Him a thousand years.» (REVELATION 20:6)
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Revelation 5:9
You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals;
for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation.
Revelation 12:11
They overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony.
Let's remember that we entirely owe our victory over evil to the blood of Jesus
Christ, who allows us to overcome sin, and inherit eternal life.
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Our victory does not depend on our own merits, but on the blood of Jesus:
«You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like
silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but
with the precious blood of Christ.» (1 PETER 1:18,19)
«In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace.» (EPHESIANS 1:7)
«Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus (...).»
(HEBREWS 10:19)
«To [Jesus] who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us
kings and priests (...).» (REVELATION 1:5,6)
«Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood [Christ] entered the Most
Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.» (HEBREWS 9:12)
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Revelation 5:11,12
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels
around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:
«Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!»
Finally, as Jesus was about to loose the first seal, the entire audience
directed to Him great praise containing seven elements, once again emphasizing the
perfection of Him whom we adore.
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Revelation 5:13,14
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth
and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
«Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb, forever and ever!»
Then the four living creatures said, «Amen!»
And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever.
The scene ends with this solemn act of adoration toward the Father and the Son.
Jesus will now loose the seven seals, and we will study their prophetic content in our
next lessons.
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Let's thank God for all His blessings:
Our Father in heaven,
The apostle John was comforted by these words: «Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the
scroll and to loose its seven seals.» (Revelation 5:5)
We will be forever thankful to You for the victory of Jesus which reveals the scroll and
its seals, but which above all allows us to overcome evil, and to inherit eternal life.
May Your Spirit guide us, as we start on the study of the seven seals. In the name of
Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: In: «Photo Gallery 25,000» by Media Graphics
International, CD #4, AUSTR060.JPG. Screen 2: MANISCALCO, Joe. In:
«Revelation Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #5 («Sept Messages Particuliers
de Jésus»), p.1. Screen 3: BURGKMAIR, Hans. «Saint John the Evangelist
on Patmos» (1518), Alte Pinakothek, Munich. In: «Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse»
(GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.11. Screen 4: In: «La
Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society, 1988, p.75. Screen 5: In: «La Révélation - le grand
dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.83.
Screen 6: In: «Awake» magazine (February 22, 1989), New York, Watch Tower Bible
and Tract Society, p.17. Screen 7: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible
Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957,
p.181. Screen 8: BLAKE, William. «The Four and Twenty Elders Casting
Their Crowns before the Divine Throne» (1803-1805), Tate Gallery, London. In:
«Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997,
p.17. Screen 9: «Lions do their best hunting on the plateaus of eastern
Africa.» In: «Deluxe Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 2000 Edition», Compton's
Home Library, 1999. Screen 10: OTTO. «The Ascension». In: «Beautiful
Bible Stories» (MARTIN, Patricia Summerlin), Southwestern Company, 1964, p.450-h.
Screen 11: BLOCH, Carl. «Come Unto Me». Landskrona Church, Sweden.
Screen 12: BLAKE, William. «The Four and Twenty Elders Casting Their Crowns
before the Divine Throne» (1803-1805), Tate Gallery, London. In: «Revelation - Art of
the Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.17. Screen 13:
MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen
Works, MLI Software, JM128.BMP. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 14: In:
«The Watchtower» magazine (July 15, 1994), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society, p.7. Screen 15: In: «The Bible Story, volume 2» (MAXWELL,
Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1954, p.165. Screen 16: ALBEREGNO,
Jacobello (d. 1397). «Vision of Saint John the evangelist on Patmos», Galleria dell'
Accademia, Venice. In: «Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville
Press Publishers, 1997, p.16. Screen 17: In: «Prophecy Seminars»,
Seminars Unlimited, 1989, Daniel lesson #30 («Sharing Daniel's Message with the World»),
p.5. Screen 18: ANDERSON, Harry. In: «God Cares, volume 2» (MAXWELL,
C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1985, p.146. Screen 19: In:
«La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and
Tract Society, 1988, p.86. Screen 20: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «Uncle
Arthur's Bible Book» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association,
1968, p.198. Screen 21: HEASLIP, William. In: «The Bible Story, volume
9» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957, p.51. Screen
22: GREENE, Nathan. «The Family of God». In: «Inspirational Fine Art», Hart
Classic Editions (www.hartclassics.com), p.3. Screen 23: JUSTINEN, Lars.
In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (April 1995), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.13.
Screen 24: RUIZ, Eduardo. In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (April 1995), Pacific
Press Publishing Association, p.8. Screen 25: In: «La Révélation - le
grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988,
p.121. Screen 26: JUSTINEN, Lars. In: «Questionnaire Adulte de l'Ecole
du Sabbat», Pacific Press Publishing Association, Fourth Quarter, 1998, front cover.
Table of Screen 26: STEEL, John. In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (April 1993),
Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.10. Screen 27: In: «La
Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society, 1988, p.317. Screen 28: In: «Photo Gallery 25,000» by Media
Graphics International, CD #4, HAWI1067.JPG.
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The test of Lesson 30 is waiting for you!