READING TIME: 2-3 MINUTES
December 13, 2019
Could you please give a summary of the seven seal judgments during the future seven-year Tribulation?
The seven seal judgments (Revelation 6 and 8) (the first four seals are considered a unit):
1st Seal (6:1-2) (cf. Matthew 24:4-5) — The Middle East ruler becomes a world ruler (cf. Matthew 24:5) and he has a bow without arrows possibly showing that he will set up a world government by peaceful diplomacy rather than by military might (cf. Revelation 13:4).
2nd Seal (6:3-4) (cf. Matthew 24:6-7a) – a rider on a red horse (possibly representing war, blood, and death) takes peace from the earth. This is equal to the wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom in Christ’s Matthew 24:6-8 statement regarding the beginning of birth pangs.
3rd Seal (6:5-6) – severe famine (cf. Matthew 24:7b) will come as a result of war (famines commonly followed military conflicts, as seen in previous two seal judgments) since crops will be destroyed. The famine is so severe that money will buy only one-eighth of the normal quantity of food. Prices skyrocket due to the food shortage. This is equal to Christ’s statement about famines in Matthew 24:7-8.
4th Seal (6:7-8) (cf. Matthew 24:7) – a pale green horse comes on the scene resulting in war, famine, death, and plague. The most severe of the seal judgments. The result is that ¼ of the earth’s population will be killed.
The Remainder of the Seal Judgments
5th Seal (6:9-11) (Matthew 24:9-10) — converted multitudes from every nation are martyred because of their faithful witness and declaration of God’s Word (cf. Revelation 7:9-12). They are wondering how long it will be before God takes revenge on those who killed them. Their prayer of vengeance is answered in Revelation 16:4-7 during the 3rd bowl judgment.
6th Seal (6:12-17) — natural disturbances, catastrophic judgment, and universal fear of divine wrath (cf. Revelation 6:12-14 with Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:15-17 with Matthew 24:32-25:26). The catastrophic judgment includes: a great earthquake, the sun turning black (cf. Joel 2:2, 10, 30-31), the moon becoming as blood, the stars of heaven falling like ripe figs, the heavens appear like a scroll rolled up (cf. Isaiah 34:4), and every mountain and island on the earth moving because of the earthquake.
7th Seal (8:1) – this seal contains/introduces the trumpet judgments, so it is a conclusion to the seal judgments and preparation for the seven trumpets. After this seal is opened there is silence in heaven for about half an hour (contrast this with 4:8). This ominous silence is an indication of the horrible events to follow (an eerie silence before the terrible upcoming terrible storm) and this silence will allow the prayers of the saints to be heard.
Sources Used
Showers, Renald E. Maranatha: Our Lord, Come! A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church. Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995.
Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, vol. III, pp. 52-53, as mentioned in Showers 1995, 113.