THE STORY OF THE
SEVEN SEALS

Revelation 6:1-8:1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I First Four Seals

Part II Who Opens the Seals? The First Seal The Second Seal The Third Seal The Fourth Seal The Fifth Seal The Sixth Seal The Seventh Seal

The Second Seal

"And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come [and see—Alexandrine omits]."

"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

 

"He"	The Lamb.
"I"	The John Class.
"Second seal"	The period is approximately from CE 70-313. The "angel" is John.
"Second beast," "Living Creature"	The attribute of God’s love.
"Come"	Action instructions for the vision to unfold.
"Red horse"	The pure doctrines now became polluted with sinful heresies.
"Him"	The rider, the apostate element in the church.
"Power"	To take away peace with troubling doctrines and teachings.
"Kill"	The ability to expel or ostracize those who refused false teachings.
"Great sword"	The Scriptures greatly abused and misrepresented.

    These symbols indicate the steady decline of truth in the church. When most of the apostles lived, false teachers were not able to subvert the doctrines easily.
 

Apostle Paul Preaching

 

   They had to work covertly and avoided confronting the apostles directly. When only John was left, he was still able to put down heresies. However, the boldness of apostates in the church increased.
    In 3 John 9, we read: "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." If this boldness existed while the beloved John still lived, imagine what happened at his death!
    If Diotrephes could ostracize and expel the beloved John from his congregation, we see how quickly this apostate element began the work of destroying the truth, introducing Greek philosophy, and limiting truth in the congregations. This was the period of the ascent of the bishops to power and stature.
    Bishops began to rule, and the autonomy of the congregations was soon lost. The rise of the clergy found them carefully separating themselves from the laity. The Word of God needed to be defined and explained in councils and synods. The laity were subjected to the bishops. The rise of antichrist had little resistance in the church. It needed only to tread carefully with Pagan Rome.
    The second seal revealed how the battle for truth would be lost. When John died, an open road appeared before the antichrist. Riding the "red horse" of sinful doctrines and teachings, the conquest of the antichrist still found pockets of resistance in faithful leaders. They were able to move forward by confusing many with brilliant entreaties, using Greek philosophy and worldly wisdom to ensnare the confused masses.
    The nature of Christ was heavily under siege in this period. It paved the way for Greek philosophy to bring in many errors on the nature of man, fashioned after pagan concepts.
    The angel of Smyrna was warned and he prepared those who knew the voice of the "true Shepherd." It is amazing how small errors led to greater errors. Soon many lost their way, being beguiled by false teachers.
    John revealed what was happening in his time. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us." 1 John 2:19
    If this was happening while John still stayed the course for the church, we realize that great carnage would follow the Apostle John's passing. It did.

Click to go to the following:

         TOPICAL STUDY ON THE SEVEN SEALS:
Seven Seals Part I - Part 2
1st Seal - 2nd Seal - 3rd Seal - 4th Seal - 5th Seal - 6th Seal - 7th Seal

CHAPTER/VERSE BY VERSE STUDY ON THE SEVEN SEALS:
1st to 6th Seal [Revelation 6] - 7th Seal [Revelation 8:1]

 

TOPICAL STUDY ON THE SEVEN TRUMPETS:
Prelude to the Trumpets - 1st Trumpet - 2nd Trumpet - 3rd Trumpet
4th Trumpet - 5th Trumpet - 6th Trumpet - 7th Trumpet

CHAPTER/VERSE BY VERSE STUDY ON THE SEVEN TRUMPETS:
1st through 6th Trumpet [Revelation 8,9] - 7th Trumpet [ Revelation 11:15-19]

 

TOPICAL STUDY ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES:
7 Churches Topical Study Home Page
Ephesus - Smyrna - Pergamos - Thyatira - Sardis - Philadelphia - Laodicea

CHAPTER/VERSE BY VERSE STUDY ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES:
7 Churches Verse by Verse Home Page
Ephesus - Smyrna - Pergamos - Thyatira - Sardis - Philadelphia - Laodicea

 

Topical Study Home Page - Chapter Study Home Page  
- Sinaitic Manuscript - Questions - Glossary.

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