Part 2b - The First Scroll: The Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets [6-11]

The Seals

who is commanded to seal God’s servants? Four angels. These are the angels in the second section who are given power to damage the earth. The trumpets don’t start until the sixth seal.
number four symbolizes creation. 4 winds, 4 corners of the earth. 4 living creatures symbolize all of created order.
1st four angels connected with the earth. 2nd 3 angels, the heavenly world. Three is the number of heaven/spiritual reality.
literal stars falling? no, impossible. This is OT imagery of all the earthly powers being shaken and falling, governments etc. This is not the end of time. There is great fear.
The trumpets are a detailed explanation of what happens in the 6th seal. the 7th begins the new age.
See notes on structure
144,000 = 12x12. A perfect large number of believers. The seal is the Holy Spirit. This is not what every believer receives at salvation, it is something extra, an extra equipping.
- Note that these are all “the servants of God” [7:3], not a special elite group of Christians
7th seal = silence. ½ hour = a long time. This is a pause for rest like the rest on the 7th day of creation.

Summary of The Seven Seals

They span all of history, from the ascension of Jesus, the Lamb into Heaven though to eternity.
There are two parts to this period:
- Wars and rumours of wars, famines etc (the four horsemen)
- An intensified period of conflict in which true believers (the sealed) are protected

The Trumpets

1st—4th Trumpets

the prayers from [6:9-11] are being answered
[7:9-11] is the Great Praise between the Great Tribulation and the end. It brings us into the next phase of history.
Trumpets recall the Egyptian plagues. God is plaguing his enemies to let his people go into the promised land of heaven—Exodus imagery.

5th Trumpet

falling from sky—A fallen angel. The abyss is a place where demons are imprisoned before they are destroyed. Cf. Legion—they begged not to be sent there. When demons are cast out this is where they go. Unlocking it lets them free.
all believers are sealed and can’t be touched.
people are tortured by their demons. they long to die but can’t.
angel of the abyss = Satan, the one who unlocked the abyss.

6th Trumpet

Euphrates = a reference to Babylon? This is “east of Eden” where Cain was sent, thus symbolizing outside the presence of God? Demonic activity.
the dragon and the two beasts = demonic trinity.
- Dragon = false Father
- beast = antichrist
- False prophet = false Holy Spirit
But note that at the same time this is happening, people are marrying, burying, and carrying on with normal life (cf. Matt 24). This is happening in the spiritual realm. The plagues are designed to drive people to God, but they won’t repent.
chapter 10 is an interlude. Like the 6th seal (144,000). We are missing the 7 thunders, but will hear what they are later.
reference to 7th trumpet: is the end. Cf. Jesus saying a trumpet would be sounded at his return.
eating the scroll—cf. Ezekiel. Bitter and sweet = a prophecy with good and bad elements. He is told to prophesy again, which is chapter 12.

Interlude: Chapter 11

temple of God. This is us, believers.
- Gentiles means unbelievers.
- 42 months = 3½ years.
- 1260 days = 3½ years.
- See list of symbols in Revelation
2 witnesses = the church, both Jew and Gentile. Same as the 144,000.
beast from the abyss [11:7] is Apollyon [9:11] — Maybe Satan.
prophesying = giving the gospel. We follow in the footsteps of Christ. (killed, resurrected)
killed = their witness is silenced for a little while. Jesus comes and then we are raptured. the end.
olive trees and lampstands—reference to Zechariah. The king and the high priest are pictured with olive trees, they are sustained by the oil. This is Holy Spirit, in the same way we are sustained by him. Paul in Romans compares Jew and Gentile believers to olive trees. There will be a revival among the Jews, maybe during the Great Tribulation, because at the end all of God’s people are sealed.
sealing up the clouds—reference to Elijah. Water to blood and plagues—ref. to Moses. 2 main prophets of the OT—symbolic of great and powerful prophets.
whole era is divided into 2 periods of 3½ years, making history a perfect 7. From Christ coming to the Great Tribulation is 3½ years, and from the sealing of the 144,000 to the end is another 3½ years. Sealing of the 144,000 is a great and awesome power poured out on God’s people so they can witness in a time of great darkness.
144,000 and the great multitude are different. The great multitude are those who are already dead and with Christ (all believers who die up until the period of the 144,000 after the Great Tribulation). They wear long white robes which symbolizes rest, no work. 144,000 are the army left on earth still alive during this period. They will be fighting the spiritual battle.

	Twelve apostles (representing New Testament believers)
Twelve tribes = O.T. believers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36
	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48
	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60
	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72
	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84
	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96
	97	98	99	100	101	102	103	104	105	106	107	108
	109	110	111	112	113	114	115	116	117	118	119	120
	121	122	123	124	125	126	127	128	129	130	131	132
	133	134	135	136	137	138	139	140	141	142	143	144

7th Trumpet

the trumpet with Jesus returns. This is the end. We have now covered the whole of history, and the rest of Revelation is an elaboration of what has already been seen.

Summary of the First Scroll

Spans all of history, from the ascension of the Jesus, the Lamb into Heaven though to eternity.
There are two parts to this period:
1. Wars and rumours of wars, famines etc
  - the four horsemen (with Jesus on a white horse, building his kingdom)
2. An intensified period of suffering in which true believers (the sealed) are protected
  - Plagues on a physical level (like those in Egypt)
  - Demons who were imprisoned are let loose, but cannot hurt true believers
    - Purpose is to bring people to repentance
  - This builds up into some kind of final conflict with the forces of evil
  - It ends with the final judgement, but there the scroll comes to an abrupt end

Updated on 2011-05-27 by Andrew Fountain - loveintruth.com/teaching

Symbols in Revelation

This is not supposed to be a comprehensive and definitive list, but a rough guide to the most common symbols.

Numbers

Number	Meaning
3	God (trinity), divinity
4	the Earth (four winds & corners [7:1], four living creatures [4:6], four horsemen, four angels who damage the earth [7:2])
7	Perfection, the days of creation
3½	Half of the full number. This can be half way through 7, or a number cut short
12	A unity which can be divided into parts: 12 tribes, 12 Apostles, (also 12 hours in a day and 12 night) So 144 (12x12) is the idealized completed and united people of God
24	Representing Old and New Covenant people of God

Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
Great Red Dragon	Satan
Woman who gives birth to Christ and to believers	The covenant community
Beast from the Sea	Evil empires and political structures opposed to Christ that culminate in the Antichrist
False Prophet	Demonic power (fake of the Holy Spirit)
The Prostitute/Babylon	System focussed on sensual pleasure and idolatry
Heads	Usually kingdoms
Horns	Power (sometimes kings)
the Abyss	Place of imprisonment of demons until they are finally judged [Luke 8:31]. (Called “bottomless pit” in KJV.)
stars	angelic beings (good or evil)
Sun darkened & stars fall	Used in O.T. for the falling of earthly powers [Ez 32:7; Dan 8:10; Joel 2:10] also [Matt 24:29]

Parallels

Good	Evil
God the Father	Satan
The Lamb: Jesus Christ	The Beast: Antichrist—a fake, not divine at all but human
The Holy Spirit	The False Prophet—gives power to do lying signs and wonders and causes people to worship the Antichrist
Woman attacked by Dragon = Bride = New Jerusalem	The Prostitute = Babylon (destroyed just before [?] the wedding of the Bride)
2 Witnesses = 144,000	Demonic armies [9:7-11; 11:7] who do signs and wonders [16:14]

Updated on 2011-05-27 by Andrew Fountain - loveintruth.com/teaching