Revelation 2: 1- 8: 1
Let's begin to see if we can discern God's timeline of how and when He's told us all these end-time events will roll out.
When we look at the Book of Revelation, we can see the things that will happen, and the other prophets and Jesus can fill in a lot of the details of how it will all look.
John's writing of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is not strictly chronological. Many of these things can overlap and happen in a very chaotic manner, so I see John putting a little order into the message by arranging all the seals in order, all the trumpets in order and all the bowls or vials in order. But the happenings they reveal could all be going on at overlapping times.
The letters to the churches come first. These are actual congregations in real geographical places that were all concurrent in John's time, for him to write to them. And they were also prophetic (2: 1- 3: 22).
This Church Age is almost finished, and we can look back at history to see that all the same characteristics that were in those congregations in John's day would also display in the Church throughout the Church Age. There is no specific demarcation line ending one church personality before the next is evident, as all the characteristics have overlapped in different times and in different places through these centuries.
We can look at the rest of this Book of Revelation the same way.
Toward the end of the Church Age, John was called up into Heaven to witness the opening of the Scroll, which was in Heaven. But the events written in the Scroll will take place both in Heaven and on Earth (4: 1).
John describes the scene in heaven, and it looks like all these angels and elders and living beasts are all heavenly beings (4: 2- 5: 14). They are worshiping and praising the Lamb who was slain and purchased men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and "they" (the men, not "we") will be a kingdom of priests and reign upon the Earth (5: 8-10).
Then the seals were broken and the Scroll was read.
The first four Seals are the "Four Horses." This looks to me like the heads of governments in the world, and what is happening is how the governments' actions are affecting the people of the world (6: 1-8).
The first is a "king" who comes to his position of authority with military power that he does not need to use, as he has a bow but no arrows. This looks like subterfuge or an election (6: 1-2).
The second Seal reveals that the governmental heads are waging war with one another, much bloodshed all over the world in different places. Wars and rumors of war (6: 3-4), (see also Matthew 24: 6).
The third Seal shows that all these governmental edicts are resulting in a famine among the people everywhere, with the price of a small meal equal to a whole day's work; but the oil and wine for the affluent will not be affected by this economic devastation. The haves and the have-nots (6: 5-6).
The fourth Seal reveals the demonic authority behind the governmental entities, which brings death to a fourth of all humanity, being exposed to warlike bloodshed, persecution, starving, disease and sickness, and even wild animals let loose (6: 7-8). (Could these be animal-derived sicknesses unleashed upon the world?)
All these events are on this Earth. The next Seal will show us what is happening in Heaven at this time.
The fifth Seal brings the scene back into Heaven, and John looks into the heavenly Temple, and hears from under the altar there the cries of the martyrs who have lost their heads in the severe persecution that has been happening during the time of all four of these government heads (6: 9-11).
They are told to be patient to wait for the rest of the martyrs that will be killed through the rest of the time allotted to the world, during the World Government takeover, which will begin the Tribulation. This power will only endure for seven years.
The sixth Seal brings us back down to Earth to witness the extraordinary and miraculous happenings when the End comes and the Lamb is appearing, breaking through the clouds into the sky (6: 12-17), (see also Matthew 24: 29-31).
This terror of the world-wide earthquake, darkening and reddening of the sun and moon, stars disappearing, the sky splitting apart, and all the mountains going flat and the tsunamis completely overflowing all the islands of the world will cause all the wicked and evil people to panic, because the wrath of the Father and the Lamb are coming down upon them as He appears.
The seventh Seal brings us back to Heaven, where there is silence for about a half an hour (8: 1). Why would Heaven be silent, if all the angels and elders and living creatures praise and worship God continuously without pause?
Could it be because King Jesus has gathered them all to bring them with him for the Battle of Armageddon? We are told, the Lord my God shall come, and all the qadowsh, (holy ones) with you (Zechariah 14: 5). Saints are "holy ones" as also are the holy angels and other residents of Heaven. So if the Lamb will bring "all the holy ones" with Him from Heaven to the Earth to reap and judge and set up His Kingdom, maybe the passing of time is different in Heaven than it is on Earth, like illustrated in The Chronicles of Narnia books. A half-hour in Heaven could be hours, or even days, or longer, here on Earth.
We have begun to look at some of the things that we should expect to be happening around us, now at the end part of the Church Age. These Seals being opened in order may give us these events in chronological order in themselves, but what else may be happening during this same time?
O my Father, please open our eyes to see what You want us to understand. Father, there have been great and godly people who have written about these things, but they all do not agree with each other on how to read them. Please help us understand according to Your Truth in order to recognize when we are in the midst of Your fulfilling these prophesies.
O Father, it's not easy to see the whole picture when we're still in the middle of it! We can only see what is in front of us, and around us. Show us how to put these pieces together properly to get a glimpse of what the puzzle is all about. That way we will be able to fill in the gaps of the pieces that are still missing.
Father, You have given us all the pieces we need, to see what we need to understand; please give us wisdom and discernment to make it all out, and be prepared to face what is next in Your Program.
Strengthen us and give us courage to stand up to the onslaught of what the enemy's minions attack us with, and fight them with the spiritual armor and weapons You have given us, and after having done all, we will stand.
And we will get the victory through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, willing to die for our King! (12: 11).
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lamb of God, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
