6:1-9

Opening the Seals

 Revelation Chapter 6.  See “Overview: Seals”.

 

            My position is that the Sealed book of Revelation is that which Daniel sealed in Daniel 12: 4, 9, describing the prophetic future of the nation Israel up to the end of the nation in AD 70  Since the book of Revelation describes the “end”, the Sealed Book is now being opened.  Following is a brief overview of the broad outlines of the events and activities of the Jews as depicted in the extant records of the period of time between Daniel’s prophecy and the end of the nation:

 

First Seal:

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (Revelation 6:1-2)

 

            White is a symbol for purity.  This appears to be the chastened remnant returning from Babylonian captivity carrying the ‘bow’ of promise and wearing the victor’s crown.

            In relation to Daniel’s prophecies of the eras of the world kingdoms in the time between the Babylonian captivity and the coming of Christ, this rider may represent the return of the Jews to their homeland under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah.  They were chastened and purged of their sins, going forth under the Covenant of God.  Although the Babylonian faction, who wrote the Talmud in later years, claimed to be the pure Jews, it is evident from the Scriptures that it was those who returned to Palestine who claimed to be “the holy remnant”.  (For example, Ezra 9:8, 14)

            The Greek word for ‘bow’ is tózon, and is the same word used to translate the Hebrew word for ‘rainbow’ as in Genesis 9:13-16.  The ‘rainbow’ in Genesis was the sign of God’s covenant promise of peace.  It is possible therefore that this rider was not a warrior but a peacemaker.  Against this might be cited the fact that “He went forth conquering and to conquer.”  He wore a victor’s crown.  It is possible, however, to conquer peacefully, as Christ has indeed proven.

            According to Jewish tradition, if the people were worthy, their king would come to them riding on a white horse, but if they were not worthy, he would come to them riding on a colt, the foal of an ass.  (Matt. 21:2-11; Zechariah 9:9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:30-38.)  This rider indicated that the people were ‘worthy’, purged from their sins.

            This figure is somewhat analogous to the innocence of Adam and his commission to take dominion over the earth.  His mandate from God was not to commit violence against the earth and its creatures, but to tend them, to subdue them.

 

Second Seal:

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)

 

            The red horse and its rider take peace from the earth, men slay one another, and the rider carries a great sword.  This speaks of the internal strife and division amongst the people. It is reminiscent of the fall of Mankind in the garden and Abel’s slaying of Cain.

            It may possibly refer to the time when the new temple and the remnant were again captured in about 428 B.C.  We have ample evidence to know that it was a time of great unrest among the people as well as the enmity of their neighboring nations.

 

Third Seal:

Revelation 6:5-6:  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

 

            This rider carries the scales for weighing merchandise and pricing his commodities quite high.  The Jews became worldwide merchants in this era of time.  They established trading colonies throughout the known world at least from Babylon to Spain, from Gaul to Ethiopia and even into India.  Hosea 12:7 is a referent behind this verse, enlightening its meaning: “A trader, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress.”  The Hebrew word here translated ‘trader’ is Canaan, meaning ‘trafficking in commerce’.  The balances of deceit are in his hand: “He loveth to oppress.”

            This figure is reminiscent also of the Law which is often depicted as the balance scales of justice, where the deed is weighed and the punishment is balanced against it.

 

Fourth Seal:

Revelation 6: 7-8 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

            This rider represents the four deadly plagues of war, famine, pestilence and wild beasts.  By these four a fourth of the earth/land is killed.  Hades follows Death, without hope of eternity.  The riches brought by merchandising had attracted the beasts of prey and their ravages of war.  This specifically happened in the Maccabean era when Antiochus Epiphanes came and desecrated the Temple, forbad the Jewish worship and slew many of the saints.  It is reminiscent of the penalty of the Law, which is Death.

 

Fifth Seal:

Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.

 

            In Rabbinic literature the phrase “souls under the altar” refers to the martyrs who were buried in Palestine.  In order to prevent the flight of people during perilous times, the Rabbis said that to be buried in Palestine was equal to being “under the altar” and that only souls buried in Palestine would be in the resurrection.

            The purpose of this passage in the book of Revelation is to show that those saints martyred in the Maccabean revolt have been given white robes and are resting, but their blood is awaiting its vengeance until the Saints in the New Testament era have also been martyred.

 

Sixth Seal:

Revelation 6:12-17:  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?:

 

            Here God shakes the heavens and the earth.  Prophets, priests and kings fall.  There was a great shakeup of the Jewish nation during the Maccabean era, for the succession of the priesthood from Aaron ended when Onias was deposed as priest.  Also, some of the illegitimately appointed priests took upon themselves the office of kingship, in violation of the covenant with David.  This condition of illegitimate priests and kings lasted until the end and helped to bring down God’s wrath upon the nation.  Indeed, Israel ceased to exist as a nation at this time; it became definable only by their adherence to the Law,[1] (as interpreted by the Rabbis).

            This shaking brings us up to the time of the last seal.  This period was divided into a “time, times and dividing of times”.  (See Introductory Articles: “Calculating the Seventy Weeks”).  The first period was the three and one-half year period after the abomination of desolation when Onias III was slain.  During this time the temple was desecrated but was restored, cleansed and rededicated.  Similarly the last literal seven year period was divided into two 3 ½ year periods: from the beginning of the great persecution in AD 62/3 (Suntime) when Peter and Paul were both martyred to AD 66/7 was about 3 ½ years, then from AD 66/7 the actual siege of Jerusalem began and lasted about 3 ½ years to the final destruction.

            Then there was approximately 140 years, (“times”= [2] 70 year periods) from the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees to the time that Herod the Idumean was appointed King.  At this time, Herod the Idumean ruled in Judea.

 

Beasts of the Earth

 

Revelation 6:8. “Beasts of the earth.”

 

            The term ”beasts of the earth” should be understood in the context of the concept of the Flesh.  Pharisaic Judaism considered all Gentiles, (i.e., the ‘uncircumcised’), as “beasts”, that is as merely Flesh, not a spiritual entity.  However, Christianity taught that circumcision was a matter of the heart, not of the Flesh, and that those in Christ had received this circumcision.

            The concept of Flesh vs. Spirit can be traced back to the first sacrifice.  Cain‘s rejected offering, (Gen. 4:1-16), does not represent favoritism or unfair discrimination by God.  To the contrary, he was rejected because he did not “do well.”  God chided Cain for his wrath and dejected countenance and said: “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”  Clearly, Cain’s life was not pure.

            Merely making an offering did not justify him.  He should also rule over his flesh.  As God had commanded Man in the beginning to rule over every living thing that moves upon the earth, this included his own flesh.  After the entrance of Sin into the human family, the blood sacrifice was instituted to symbolize this dominion.  Cain made the same mistake that many religious people have made since, that of performing the rite without the reality. 

            God further instructed him that:

If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

That is, if he, Cain, did not do well, then the body of sin lay in wait to devour him, as a beast of prey.  But the body of sin was subject to his desire and he, Cain, should rule over that body to cause it to do well instead of evil.  Unredeemed Flesh is thus portrayed as a devouring beast, if not conquered.

            The Flesh is also spoken of as a beast to be cared for and dominated by man in Cain‘s statement concerning Abel: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Apparently, since he had rebelled against the sacrifice, which signified his dominion over his own flesh, he also sneered at the thought that perhaps he was also a shepherd or caretaker for his brother’s fleshly life.  As if to say, “How much more do you expect of me?  Is it not enough that you require me to shepherd my own flesh without also asking me to take care for my brother’s?”

            God, except in Christ, does not endorse the dominion of man over man.  This does not mean he is not to be his brother’s “keeper”; it means he is not to be his brother’s destroyer.  God institutes governments, but they are only legitimate under God.  Although the Flesh must be subject to rightful authority, the Spirit of Man must be free.  The Spirit is only subject to God’s dominion.

            At the Fall, the Flesh became the great battle ground of the Spirit.  Because God cannot lie and because He had given Man dominion over all flesh, He did not forcefully take that dominion back from Man after the Fall.  Rather, He taught them and showed them through the sacrifices to take their own dominion back.  The final culmination of this teaching was demonstrated in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

            The writer of Hebrews says:

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings thou has not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure.’  Then I said, ‘Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,’ as it is written of me in the roll of the book.’  When he said above, ‘Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘Lo, I have come to do thy will.’  He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (RSV 10:5-10)

            Thus, not only Jesus, but every Man is given a body for his sacrificial offering to God, (Rom. 12:1-2).  Just as Christ gave His body as a sacrifice to do the will of God, so each Man can present his body to God, to prove what the will of God is.

            Satan, on the other hand, stole man’s dominion over the Flesh and would take him into bondage if man allows himself to be overcome by him.  Satan’s appeal to Eve was through the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy.

            The sacrifice of Cain was not acceptable because it did not crucify the Flesh.  This was what God required for redemption.  God taught Cain that the Flesh, sinful as of a beast’s, was subject to Cain and that he was responsible for ruling over it, (4:7).  Cain’s attempt to please God without crucifying the Flesh resulted in more condemnation and brought out the personality of the beast in him, as demonstrated by his irresponsible conduct toward his brother.

            The uncontrolled Flesh then rose up to rule over Cain, even as God had warned.  It caused him to be so full of wrath that he slew his brother.  Then the beastly instinct of self-preservation made him lie to God and, instead of repenting, accused God of punishing him, when indeed it was his own deeds that brought about his punishment.

            He was so much in the beastly image at this point that he feared he would be slain by everyone that he met, knowing that man was given dominion over the beasts.  At that time he was banished from God’s presence and received a mark upon himself.  This was God’s brand to show that this was His “sheep,” although straying, and only He was entitled to take its life.  It was the “mark of the beast” in that it showed the character of Cain to be that of a beast.  (See also “Mark of the Beast” Commentary on Revelation 13:16.)

 

Duties and Responsibilities to the Flesh:

            In the realm of Man’s dominion over the Flesh, responsibility for its proper care and use must also be taught.  He must nourish and cherish it, (Eph. 5:29).  However, the Spirit must be preeminent; the Flesh is merely a tabernacle for the dwelling place of the Spirit.  The Flesh must not be allowed to dominate the Spirit.

            As a flock of sheep are loved and cared for by the shepherd, even more are we to attend lovingly and carefully for our own flesh.  Just as sheep must be nourished, sheltered, and protected, and given proper medical attention, so must Man attend to the needs of his own flesh.  He should provide “green pastures” and “still waters.”  But even as the sheep are for the use of their master and are expendable for his purposes, so must our flesh be for the uses and purposes of the spiritual Man, and his Master Shepherd, God.

            As the shepherd would not wastefully slaughter his sheep, so we should not needlessly deny the flesh.  However, we must not starve the spiritual Man merely in order to gratify the desires of the flesh.

            The Flesh is also seen in Scripture as the specially loved household pet.  The Hebrews did not take unclean beasts as household pets, but sometimes took the lambs of the flock.  Dogs were unclean and so were kept at a distance and used for herding the sheep.  A herdsman would not keep an animal that could not be tamed, nor would he take an unclean beast into his household.  Just as it is necessary in taming and training an animal to apply strict disciplinary measures, so it is necessary for us to discipline our flesh and bring it under the dominion of the Spirit.  It is deadly to the Spirit to live in a body that is unclean, undisciplined and rebellious.  (The passage in Matthew 5:29-30 shows that the flesh must be sacrificed if it is dangerous to the spiritual Man.)

            The lamb for a pet became the “darling” of the family; that is, the “first little beast,” or “only one,” or “dearly beloved.”  The word “darling” comes from the same root as “deer,” originally meaning “a beast.”  Psalm 22:20 show the Psalmist crying out for the preservation of his fleshly life from those who were his enemies.  He called it his ‘darling’: “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.”  And again: (35:17) “Lord, how long wilt thou look on?  Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.”  This plea was answered when Christ‘s Body was raised from the dead as the promise of resurrection for all those who trust in Him

            The passage in Ephesians 5:29 instructs husbands to love their wives even as their own bodies.  They are to nourish and cherish her even as Christ does the Church.  The wife was considered to be the “darling” in Nathan‘s parable which he told to King David about the man who had only one little ewe lamb. (See 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10.).


[1]Israel was no longer a nation….  Jews were given a status that permitted them, though lacking national identity, to exist as a definable entity…Israel’s transition from a nation to a law community had been made….The distinguishing mark of a Jew would not be political nationality, nor primarily ethnic background, nor even regular participation in the Temple cult… but adherence to the law of Moses,” (Bright, History of Israel, 391-2)

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