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Scripture Reading: Rev. 6—9
In the book of Revelation there are four big sevens — the seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. These four sevens are the composition of the entire book. In the previous chapters we saw the seven churches. Now chapter 6 begins to speak of the second seven, the seven seals.
At the time that this book was written, the church and in particular John, its writer, were under the persecution of the Roman Empire. Revelation speaks of the Roman Empire and of the Caesars, but even if the writing had fallen into the hands of a Caesar, it would not have been understood. This is because John wrote this book in a way that can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle. Therefore, unless we have spiritual understanding, we cannot understand its contents. Because we have the spiritual wisdom today, we can understand Revelation and put the puzzle together to give us a clear picture.
Please refer to “The Chart of the Seventy Weeks and the Coming of Christ, with the Rapture of the Saints” at the beginning of this book. In 1940 I spent many days to compose this chart, and since that time I have labored in the Lord to improve it. This chart helps us to see the sketch of Revelation, putting together the jigsaw puzzle. Without such a chart it is difficult to understand this book.
The number seven in the Scriptures is always composed in one of two ways: four plus three or six plus one. The first seven mentioned in the Scriptures is in the first two chapters of Genesis. The number seven there is composed of six plus one, six days with another day. The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls in Revelation are composed both of four plus three and six plus one.
The number four signifies the creatures, as represented by the four living creatures, whereas the number three represents the Triune God. Four plus three signifies an improvement from the creature to the Triune God, whereas three plus four indicates a degradation from the Triune God to the created things. The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are composed of four plus three, indicating improvement. On the contrary, the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are arranged as three plus four, indicating degradation. The first three churches form one group, and the last four form another. In the first three epistles, for example, the Lord says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” and then He gives a promise to the overcomers (2:7, 11, 17). In the last four epistles the Lord first gives a promise to the overcomers and then says, “He who as an ear” (vv. 26-29; 3:5-6, 12-13, 21-22). This indicates that in the churches many things are degraded. Therefore, they need the Lord’s judgment. Due to the Lord’s judgment, there is a real improvement. Without the Lord’s judgment, the things in the hands of man always degrade, but due to God’s judgment there is an improvement.
Seven is also composed of six plus one. Six signifies man, since man was made on the sixth day, and one represents the unique Creator. Therefore, six plus one signifies the created man plus the Creator, which is an improvement.
The number twelve in the Bible is composed not with six but with four multiplied by three. Twelve signifies that God and man, man and God, are mingled together. In the age of the church there is seven, signifying God plus man, but in eternity there will be twelve, signifying God mingled with man. Addition turns into multiplication to produce twelve, the mingling of God with man in eternity.
The first four seals are represented by four horses (6:1-8). The first horse is white, the second is red, the third is black, and the fourth is pale. Each of the four horses carries a rider. It is easy to see that the rider of the second horse is the personification of war. In war people are killed, so this horse is red, which is the color of blood. The rider of the third horse is also not a person; he is the personification of famine. He holds a balance in which wheat and barley are weighed, indicating a great shortage of food, and the oil and wine should not be harmed because they are precious during a famine. This famine is due to war. The fourth rider is death. Famine follows war, and death follows famine. Due to the lack of food, there is famine and pestilence, which cause many to die. Thus, the fourth rider is also not an actual person but a personification.
Now we must find out who or what the first rider is. Most Bible expositors are of two opinions. One school says that the rider is Antichrist, and the other school says that the rider is Christ. Both interpretations are against the principle in this chapter, because the other three riders are not real persons but personifications. In order to be consistent, the first rider must also be something personified. The rider of the first horse is the gospel. As the gospel of peace, the rider carries a bow in his hand with no arrow, for the arrow has been shot on the cross. On the cross the arrow hit the enemy, Satan, and defeated him. Now the victory has been won.
If we read this portion carefully, we will see that the four horses do not run one after the other. Rather, this is a four-horse race; all the horses are running at the same time. Immediately after the ascension of Christ, these four matters began to run like horses in a race. According to history, as soon as Christ ascended, the horse of gospel preaching started to run. Simultaneously, war proceeded, followed by famine and death. These four horses encompass all the events that have transpired in human history since the day of Pentecost, including military, political, financial, and educational matters. Not one matter is not included in these four horses.
Without these four horses, there is a big gap in the scriptural prophecy of human history. If the four-horse race will occur in the future, as expositors such as J. N. Darby taught, there would be no prophecy telling us what would transpire from the time of the Lord’s ascension until the great tribulation. We would know only the ascension of the Lord followed by the great tribulation. Darby held the view that even Revelation 4 takes place after the church is taken from the earth. This view, however, does not fit the context of these chapters. Rather, the four horses in chapter 6 give us a picture of what happens from the Lord’s ascension to the time of the great tribulation.
Everything that has happened on the earth among the human race is included in these four horses. Commerce, for example, is related to the third horse. The big corporations today are not doing a great work. In principle, they are still saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius and three choenixes of barley for a denarius” (v. 6). They are producing bread for eating according to the principle of commerce. In the same way, the military establishment is working for the second horse.
These four things — the preaching of the gospel, war, famine, and death — are four horses running a race, and they are still here with us today. The Lord is very wise in giving us this picture as a full history of the human race from the time of Christ’s ascension to the beginning of the tribulation. On what horse are we? We have to say that we are on the first horse, the preaching of the gospel of peace, which goes forth conquering and to conquer. We have to preach the gospel; we must not stop the white horse. We do not care about bread, related to the third horse, and we are not afraid of the second or fourth horse. We are with the first horse, the preaching of the gospel as the victorious rider, the overcoming one.
The first four seals are one group. Following this, verses 9 through 11 speak of the fifth seal. At this point the time is near to the end of this age. The souls of the martyred saints underneath the altar cry out, saying, “How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (v. 10). This does not take place exactly at the start of the tribulation but very close to that time. These martyrs have been very patient, waiting for a long period of time until the four horses will have almost finished their race. Because the Lord has not yet avenged their blood, they are still crying out.
These are the souls of the martyrs who were killed for the Lord’s testimony. They are not yet resurrected; they are still underneath the altar. The altar is a type of the cross, which was set up on the earth. Hence, underneath the altar must indicate a place somewhere under the earth. This is the Paradise mentioned in Luke 23:43 and pictured in 16:22-26. The souls of the righteous ones, the martyrs, are now in Paradise waiting for the Lord’s avenging.
To be underneath the altar also has another meaning. To be underneath the altar is to be a drink offering, poured out before the Lord upon the altar, as Paul was (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6).
When the fifth seal is opened, the end time is very close; it is very near to the time of God’s avenging. Therefore, the Lord told the martyrs to rest yet a little while (Rev. 6:11). Moreover, the Lord gave each of them a white robe. The color white indicates justification; the martyrs are justified in the eyes of the Lord. However, they have to wait until the number of their fellow slaves who are about to be killed for the Lord’s testimony is completed. We have to believe that more will suffer death for the Lord before His coming. In particular, more will be killed during the time of the great tribulation.
When the sixth seal is opened, there is a change in the signs of the universe (vv. 12-17). The heaven changes, including the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there is a great earthquake. There will be two calamities of the shaking and changing of the earth and the hosts in heaven. The first will occur at the beginning of the great tribulation (vv. 12-14; Joel 2:30-31; Luke 21:11), and the second will occur after the great tribulation (Matt. 24:29-30; Joel 3:11-16; Luke 21:25-26). What is covered in the sixth seal is the first calamity.
It is a help in reading the book of Revelation to realize that there are insertions between certain chapters. Chapter 7 is the first insertion, between the sixth and seventh seals. Therefore, chapter 8 actually continues chapter 6.
Revelation 7:1-8 speaks of the one hundred forty-four thousand of the remnant of Israel, who are sealed by God. In principle, when we read Revelation, we need to apply the things in it literally, unless doing so does not give the proper meaning; in that case, we should interpret them symbolically. This portion of chapter 7 should be understood in a literal sense. These chosen and sealed Israelites do not refer to Christian Jews. The believing Jews are reckoned as members of the Body of Christ and are not to be considered among the Jewish people. Even among the Jewish people, however, there will be a certain number who truly will be serving God at the end of this age. They also will be the people of God.
In verses 1 through 3 the four angels holding the four winds of the earth are given the order not to harm the earth, the sea, or the trees. Later, as a result of the first four trumpets, the earth, the sea, and the trees are damaged (8:7-9). Before the Lord judges the world with the damage of the four trumpets, however, God will be mindful of those among the Jews who have the fear of God, and He will care for them by sealing them.
The number of those sealed is one hundred forty-four thousand, which is twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes. As we have seen, twelve is three times four, indicating the mingling of the Triune God with humanity. Twelve is also the number of eternal perfection and eternal government. The one hundred forty-four thousand does not include the entire nation of Israel, because the tribe of Dan is not represented among them (7:5-8). According to Ezekiel 48:1, however, in the coming millennium Dan will still be counted among the tribes of Israel. The one hundred forty-four thousand here includes only the remnant of the Jews who truly fear God. Before the judgment of the four trumpets, God will preserve these few from the coming calamities.
The insertion between the sixth and seventh seals shows us how God will be mindful of His people, both of Israel and of the church. Before the damage brought in by the seven trumpets, God will take care of His people, desiring, if possible, to save them from these calamities. After the one hundred forty-four thousand among the Jews are sealed, Revelation 7:9-17 shows the general state of the redeemed ones from the time of their rapture into the presence of God to eternity. If we compare the scene in verses 9 to 17 with chapters 21 and 22, we can see that it corresponds with the condition in eternity. Therefore, it transpires after the rapture of the saints.
Through many years of careful study, we have seen that even before the sixth seal some overcomers will be raptured. We say this because it is from the beginning of the sixth seal that God’s judgment on this earth changes. Before the sixth seal, all the calamities brought in by the four horses are natural; due to war there is the shortage of food, and there is pestilence, resulting in death. Beginning from the sixth seal, however, the calamities are supernatural. The sun, the moon, and the stars are changed, and the earth suffers an extraordinary earthquake. Some of the overcomers will be raptured before these supernatural calamities begin. In this way the insertion of chapter 7 indicates that before the damage of the supernatural calamities, God will take care of His people who fear Him, both among the Jewish people and within the church.
Here I cannot go into much detail. I can give you only a hint about these matters. In order to see these things clearly, please refer to the chart mentioned above and read Revelation again, many times if possible. In my Bible the book of Revelation is nearly worn out. This book is a big jigsaw puzzle, and we must be familiar with each piece in order to put it together.
Revelation 8:1-5 describes the scene in heaven before the trumpeting of the seven trumpets. In this scene the prayers of the saints are brought to God by Christ. These prayers of the saints are symbolized by the golden censer, not the incense that is added to the censer. The incense added to the censer signifies the resurrected Christ, who is added to the prayers of the saints. In this way the prayers of the saints are very effective and affect the throne of God in heaven. As a result, the fire of the altar is cast to the earth. On the one hand, the casting of fire to the earth is the answer to the saints’ prayers, which are made effective by Christ as the incense. On the other hand, the fire is the judgment of the subsequent trumpets. Therefore, the judgment of the trumpets is the answer to the prayers of the saints with Christ added to them. Because God hears the saints’ prayers, which are made effective by Christ as the incense, the answer to those prayers is poured out from the throne in heaven.
The content of the seventh seal is the seven trumpets. The seven trumpets added together equal the seventh and last seal, which extends into eternity. The seven trumpets comprise the seventh seal, and within the seventh trumpet are the seven bowls. As we have seen, the number seven in Revelation is composed of four plus three. The first four seals comprise one group, and the last three are another. Seven is also composed of six plus one. Revelation 6 speaks of the first six seals, and chapter 8 begins to speak of the seventh seal.
At the first trumpet, hail and fire mingled with blood are cast to the earth, burning up the third part of the earth, the third part of the trees, and all green grass (v. 7). When the second angel trumpets, the third part of the sea becomes blood, and the third part of the creatures in the sea and the third part of the ships are destroyed (vv. 8-9). At the third trumpet, the third part of the rivers and fresh waters are damaged (vv. 10-11). When the fourth trumpet sounds, the third part of the sun, the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars are smitten (v. 12). One-third of the earth with the trees, one-third of the sea with all the things in it, one-third of the fresh waters, and one-third of the things in the heavens are damaged by the first four trumpets.
Today people say that whatever happens to the earth is natural, but at that time they will realize that what is happening is supernatural. That only one-third of everything is damaged will indicate that there must be a sovereign One who is arranging these things. Moreover, as the fourth seal, Death and Hades damage only the fourth part of the earth (6:8), but the four trumpets damage the third part, indicating that the damage is intensified.
After the first four trumpets a warning is issued to all the people who dwell on the earth (v. 13). In principle, we are sojourners on this earth, not those who dwell in it. Do not be “those who dwell on the earth.” As Christians, we should not settle down. Rather, we should be a migrating people. We are the children of Abraham, who migrated, traveled, and sojourned all the time. Some may need to migrate from the West Coast to the East Coast, passing through Idaho, Missouri, Chicago, and other places in the Midwest, Boston, Washington, D.C., Florida, and then on to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Do not be settled; do not be “those who dwell on the earth.”
The warning in verse 13 consists of three woes, in which Satan, who is cast down from heaven to the earth, damages the earth as much as possible. Verses 1 through 11 of chapter 9 speak of the first woe, which is also the fifth trumpet. When the fifth angel trumpets, a star out of heaven falls to the earth. By reading this book carefully, we can realize that this star is the fallen Satan. In Luke 10:18 the Lord said that He saw Satan falling like lightning out of heaven; that was the judgment of Satan. Revelation 9:1 contains the execution of that judgment, which also corresponds with 12:9-10.
After being cast out of heaven, Satan is given the key of the pit of the abyss. When he opens this bottomless pit, many evil spirits come out in the demon-possessed locusts (9:1-3). At the time of Moses locusts were a great judgment on the Egyptians (Exo. 10:12-15). The fifth trumpet, however, will be a woe of supernatural locusts. These locusts will have tails like scorpions to sting people and torment them for five months. Due to this suffering, people will seek death, yet death will flee from them. These locusts will do a great deal of damage, which will be a real suffering. We do not like to say much beyond this, as some do with their wondrous interpretations of the locusts. We do not care for such interpretations; we receive only what is according to the Word of God.
Revelation 9:11 says that these strange locusts have a king, who is the angel of the abyss. Many believe that this angel is Satan, but this is not so. According to 11:7 and 17:8, the beast, Antichrist, is the one who comes out of the pit of the abyss. Antichrist, as the king of the demon-possessed locusts, has a name in Hebrew, Abaddon, meaning “destruction.” This word is used also in Job 26:6; 28:22 and Proverbs 15:11. He also has the name Apollyon, which in Greek means “destroyer.” Antichrist will be the destruction and the destroyer.
The sixth trumpet is the second woe, which is more serious and intensified than the fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:12-21). Verses 12 through 15 say, “The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are yet coming after these things. And the sixth angel trumpeted, and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the golden altar which is before God saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year that they might kill the third part of men.” The first four trumpets damaged only the earth with the trees, the seas, and the rivers, and the things in the heavens. They did not directly damage men’s bodies. At the fifth trumpet, however, the scorpions sting men’s bodies, and at the sixth trumpet not only are men’s bodies damaged, but the third part of men are killed (v. 18).
Verse 16 says, “And the number of the armies of horsemen was two hundred million; I heard their number.” I do not like to suggest too freely where these two hundred million horsemen will come from, but we should consider what part of the world can produce this many horses; that is where the trouble will arise. Verses 17 through 21 continue to show us what the sixth trumpet will be like. This entire portion of the earth at this time will be full of armies — the army in verse 16 alone will have two hundred million horsemen — and a third part of men will be killed. That will be a real woe to the human race.
