I always keep in mind though, the world will be in chaos when the rapture occurs, and even worse afterward. That's when the anti-Christ will take the stage and become the abomination that creates desolation and makes world peace. He claims to be God, he signs the peace treaty. There's peace for 3.5 years, then for 3.5 years the evil one will be out to destroy the Jewish people and Christians that are left behind. So are the seals broken prior to the rapture, or after the peace treaty is broken? The bible tells us that we will endure some of the bad things, before Jesus stops it by taking His believers, His church home. Revelation 3:10 states " Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth. " There are many verses that point to the rapture, it will come at an hour that is not known, except by the Father. Matthew 24 really explains well what will happen. Jesus told the disciples that they, as well as all believers would face persecution, but it will be shortened.
Whether we are in the times of the seals being broken as we speak, or in the times that prior to the seals being broken, we have to keep looking up, looking for Jesus, worshiping Him and reaching out to all. We were commanded to do that, read Matthew 28. Keep focused on what is important, but there is nothing wrong with studying God's word, praying that He opens revelations of His word to you, and gaining understanding. But we have to keep giving people the Good News.
There are sites out there that do help try to explain what the each of the seals mean, but be careful, some of the sites may lead you down the wrong path. Click on the words below and it will take you to some of these sites.
7 seals
Voice of Evangelism
Worldwide Bible Study
The Seals:
1st seal - "I looked and there before me was a white horse. Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. Many different people interpret this differently. I am not totally sure what it means. Could it mean that Satan was given more authority to try to tempt us? To try and wage war against the saints? To try and conquer the earth and mankind is Satan's goal. Not because he wants to see us in hell with him, but to prevent us from spending eternity with Jesus. Could the evil one be loosed even more to try and tempt each of us at this point?
2nd seal - The rider on a red horse. This one was given the authority to take peace from earth, to make men turn on each other and kill, with the sword. I know wars have been around for centuries, but stop and think about how terrible wars have been since WWI and WWII. Literally, millions died in those 2 wars, not to mention all off the wars worldwide since the beginning of the 20th century.
3rd seal - The rider on a black horse, holding a pair of scales in his hand. The statement "A quart of wheat for a day's wages and 3 quarts of barley for a day's wages and do not damage the oil or the wine" bring chills to me in the times we live in now. How much are you currently paying for food? Look at the increase in prices, look at the price of bread, milk, meat, oil, gas, look at the price of everything! Prices for everything are increasing fast, anywhere from 5% to 100% and more increases. Bet your cost of living raise last year was only 3% or less wasn't it? There are 37 nations on the brink of complete starvation. We are experiencing the rationing of rice in the US now. For the first time in American history, we are importing wheat because we cannot grow enough for all the demand. Corn prices are high, soybean prices. Market hog prices have gone up from $.40 per pound to over $.62 per pound in approximately 6 weeks. Market cattle prices are high. Gas is high, utility bills are high. Has this seal been broken? If not, imagine how much worse things will be when it really is broken!
4th seal - If you have seen the movie Tombstone, you know this verse. "I looked and there before me was a pale horse. It's rider was named Death and Hades followed closely behind Him." What does all this mean? To read on, it says that they were given power over a fourth of the world to kill by sword, famine, plague and beasts of the earth. Wow, imagine that. Have you seen this? Have you watched the news lately?
Killing by the sword, or murder, manslaughter, however you want to call it. Death by murder or war is there every day, each second that goes by. Plagues, can you see it? The whole world is watching as diseases, viruses, pathogens are all increasing in size and spreading fast. Look at the bird flu, it's mutating and at some point will jump to humans. Cancer is another one. Famine, is there starvation across the world, especially Africa? Do we see it right here in America? Yes, we do. Beasts of the earth, hmmm, have you noticed lately how many shark attacks, coyote attacks, bear attacks, dog attacks, alligator attacks and even unknown animal attacks (New Mexico).
Again, this seal may not be broken, but when it is broken will it become much, much worse? Yes, and even if the seal is broken right now it will continue to escalate.
The last sentence, about not damaging the oil and wine, or in other words, don't hurt the rich. I am not talking about Bill Gates, and Donald Trump here. Rich societies, that have the control over those things. How much money do the royal families of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait and other nations have? I have seen pictures of the homes of some of these billionaires and was blown away by them. One house was large enough to probably house 1, 000 people without crowding them. Even as we speak, Egyptians are starving, yet their muslim brothers in Saudi Arabia have not wanted to send money and food to help them.
5th seal - This is an amazing moment in detailed in the bible. Those that have been slain for the Word of God, ask, how much longer Lord? It seems that they are witnessing the persecution of those still on earth that believe and worship Jesus. They ask the Lord, how much longer before you avenge the blood of the saints? They are told to wait a little while longer, while the number of the servants and brothers is complete. Only God understands how many that number is.
What's written in these verses that make me think that possibly the first 3-4 seals will be broken prior to the rapture and beginning of the tribulation. Could the first 4 seals be broken, the rapture occur, then after the perfect time, the 5th seal is opened? As I have said before, only God knows, but since there is no indication of when the breaking of the seals start or how long the affects of each seal are implemented before the next seal is broken. I cannot even speculate on the amount of time for each one of those things to occur. One thing is for sure, by the 5th or 6th seal, or at least after the breaking of one of these seals, we are in the tribulation and saints are being killed for Jesus!
6th seal - Just open up any news website, newspaper or turn on the news today. In it you will read about earthquakes, about how the earth is changing (some call it global warning), or read about the tsunami that occurred in 2004. The things that are listed in the 6th seal are occurring as we speak. But not to the magnitude that they will occur when the 6th seal is broken. Earthquakes so powerful, mountains crumble, islands disappear!
Each year that goes by we are in the preparation state for this time. Earthquakes are increasing each year. The earth is getting warmer, and even islands have disappeared during the 2004 tsunami. The earth at some point will burn up and be refined.
Could it be that the rapture occurs after the breaking of the 6th seal, or is the rapture to occur at the same time of the breaking of the 6th seal? After the breaking of the 6th seal, the 144,000 are sealed, the wind is also stopped, which could also mean that the Holy Spirit is taken at the point. Without the Holy Spirit on earth, and without Christians on earth, how bad is it going to be? It is obvious that between the 6th and 7th seals there is a specific time period, only known to God, but as it states in Revelation 7; 13-14, we know that those seen by John in white robes are those that have come out of the great tribulation.
The 7th seal will opened after this. There will be silence in heaven for about a half hour, then the unleashing of the 7 trumpets begins.
It's also possible that the 7 trumpets (1-4, 5-6, 7 ) bring an end to the first 3.5 years and usher in the last 3.5 years. Is that when the 2 witnesses will be on the streets of Jerusalem preaching about Jesus? At this time also, is Satan allowed to go after the Jewish people, as stated in Revelation 12, and the evil trinity comes out of the sea to attack as well?
Again, only God knows in very finite detail how, when and where all these events will take place. The main thing is to know Jesus as your savior. To acknowledge before men that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and that God raised Him from the dead on the 3rd day. Keep looking up, focus on God's word, have fellowship with other believers and please, reach out to all about who Jesus is.
Click on any of the highlighted or underlined words and it will take you to other links, bible scriptures or sites of interest for you to read. It may help what I wrote make sense!
You don't want any of your loved ones Left Behind!
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