The Seals of Judgment

I have a series of Bible study books by a scholar named, Irving L. Jensen, so below are a few outline notes from the one on the Revelation. Why the Revelation? My church has an adult Bible study where we just started a study in this book. This is an outline of Jensen’s work with a few of my own additions.

1. Seal 1 – the white horse (Revelation 6:1-2)
   1. The announcer (1st creature) and the command to come.
   2. The action and the conqueror with a crown.
2. Seal 2 – the red horse (Revelation 6:3-4)
   1. The announcer (2nd creature) and command to come.
   2. The action of taking peace from the earth.
3. Seal 3 – the black horse (revelation 6:5-6)
   1. The announcer (3rd creature) and the command to come.
   2. The action of the pair of scales, a famine is at hand.
4. Seal 4 – the pale horse (revelation 6:7-8)
   1. The announcer (4th creature) and the command to come.
   2. The action of Death, and Hades following behind.
      1. Power over a fourth of the earth.
      2. Power to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.
5. Seal 5 – (Revelation 6:9-11)
   1. The martyrs under the altar given a white robe asking, how long O Lord?
   2. The Messiah’s reply – wait until the right number of fellow servants are killed/martyred.
6. Seal 6 – (Revelation 6:12-17)
   1. Unprecedented catastrophe involving earth and heaven (Revelation 6:12-14).
      1. Earthquake.
      2. Sun hidden.
      3. Blood moon.
      4. Stars fall.
   2. Understandable conduct by world leaders (Revelation 6:15-16).
      1. Hid in caves.
      2. Called on the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the Lamb.
   3. Unquestionable conclusion correct (Revelation 6:17) the wrath has come, who can withstand it?
7. Sealing of God’s servants (Revelation 7:1-8)
   1. The sealers (Revelation 7:1-3)
      1. Holding back the four winds.
      2. Hold back from harming the land and sea until the sealing in complete.
   2. The sealed (Revelation 7:4-8) sealing 144,000, 12,000 from 12 tribes.
      1. Levi is included when they received no inheritance.
      2. Joseph is named but not Ephraim, who is usually paired with his brother Manasseh.
      3. Dan is totally left out.
      4. Why are Gentiles left out?
8. Singing of God’s servants (Revelation 7:9-17)
   1. A great multitude no one could count (Revelation 7:9).
      1. White robes.
      2. Palm branches.
   2. From every nation, tribe, people, and language (Revelation 7:9).
   3. People cried out in a loud voice: salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:10).
   4. Angels worshiped SAYING… (Revelation 7:11-12)
      1. Amen.
      2. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, strength to our God.
   5. Who are these in white robes? (Revelation 7:13-17)
      1. Their suffering: those coming out of the great tribulation.
      2. Their salvation: saved during the tribulation.
      3. Their service: they continually serve God in the temple.
      4. Their Savior: the Lamb will feed, lead, protect, and comfort his people.
9. Seal 7 – (Revelation 8:1-3)
   1. Seal opened and the 30 minutes of silence (compare to Revelation 7:9-12).
   2. Seven angels standing before God with seven trumpets.
   3. Supplementary angel with a golden censer.
      1. Incense offering.
      2. The prayers of God’s people (what may be the subject of these prayers?).
      3. Both going up to God from the angel’s hand.
      4. The censer is then filled with fire from the altar and hurled to the earth, resulting in thunder, rumbling, lightning, and an earthquake.

NOTES:

1. Seal 1 – some interpret this rider to be of Satan’s domain. Others take him to be Christ, the rider of the white horse in Revelation 19:11. How does the description of the next three riders support the first view?
2. Seal 2 – What state of the world do you see described by the words, “kill one another”?
3. Seal 3 – How is this a symbolic picture of famine? Apply Matthew 20:2 to the situation that a measure of wheat was approximately what a laborer would eat in one meal.
4. Seal 4 – the extent of death in the world is stated specifically here. Is a literal interpretation of the last sentence in Revelation 6:8 a natural one?
5. Seal 5 – in identifying the martyrs, consider this…
   1. Are the martyrs people of God?
   2. If the rapture takes place before the seals, and the seals are in chronological order, the martyrs will become believers after the rapture and during the tribulation. Does this tell us by whom they will be evangelized?
   3. If the rapture takes place some time after seal 5, who are these martyrs?
6. Seal 6 – What is the main characteristic of this judgment?
   1. Is there any reason for not interpreting the signs as actual celestial events (Isaiah 13:6-13, 34:4, Joel 2:1-2, 10, 30-31, Matthew 24:7)?
   2. Is there any numerical statistic of deaths cited?
   3. What is the effect of the seal on the people?
   4. What are the multitudes recognizing by their words in Revelation 6:17?
   5. The heritage of God’s servants.
      1. Sealed from harm on the earth.
      2. Privileged to sign in heaven.
      3. Qualified to serve in heaven.
7. Chapter 7
   1. How is the question in Revelation 6:17 answered in chapter 7?
   2. What is a clue as to whether or not this passage should be interpreted literally?
   3. Do the 144,000 experience the seal judgments?
   4. How are the two songs listed different?
   5. Various interpretations…
      1. How does Romans 11 fit concerning Israel. Has that prophecy been fulfilled?
      2. Are we to interpret this as literal Jews?
      3. What phrase identifies these Israelites as believers?
      4. Is this great multitude different from the servants in the previous paragraph?
8. Terms:
   1. Hell (Revelation 6:8) properly translated hades, a world of deceased unbelievers. See Revelation 1:18, 20:13, 14. Gehenna appears in Luke 12:5 but not in Revelation (more the lake of fire and the second death).
   2. Fourth part of the earth (Revelation 6:8) these are significant numbers.
   3. All the tribes of the children of Israel (Revelation 7:4) believing Jews, note the 12 tribes in the list.