pg 1 :: pg 2 :: pg 3 ::

Summary

Four key points need to be emphasized as we conclude this section on the breaking of the third seal. First, a person cannot reach the intended meaning of apocalyptic prophecy without some understanding of the five essential Bible doctrines. This is because the doctrines of soul sleep addresses the two resurrections and the destruction of the wicked at the end of the thousand years. (Revelation 20) Second, the doctrine of parallel temples explains the need to cleanse Heaven’s temple. (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 8 and 9; Daniel 8:14) Third, the doctrine of the Ten Commandments, including the observance of God’s seventh day Sabbath, explains the coming persecution of the saints, because a great controversy will occur over worshiping God after His judgments begin to fall. (Revelation 8 and 13) Last, the doctrine of salvation through faith in Jesus, rather than through “the church,” explains why Jesus is going to tear down the religious systems of the world during the Great Tribulation so that religious paradigms will not obstruct His offer of salvation! (Revelation 17)

History reveals that the advancement of truth comes at a high price, and majorities of people are unwilling to pay the price. It is much more comfortable to remain within the social and religious comforts of fellowship than to follow the Spirit into the desert of rejection where often, you are alone with God. The Bible represents people as sheep for good reason. They prefer to flock together. They also tend to follow the leader (political and religious) without thinking or thoroughly studying matters for themselves. Consider the total sum of religious thought that Hindus, Moslems, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, atheists and pagans believe today. All of these different ideas about God came from spiritual leaders who are as blind as the lay people they guide are. (Matthew 23:16)

Humanity’s diversity in religious beliefs proves that people are capable of believing anything and everything. Our diversity also proves that our beliefs systems have nothing to do with eternal truth. Even though Catholics and Protestants insist their views come directly from Scripture, a cursory review of Scripture can demonstrate otherwise. Truth is not determined by a majority vote or acceptance. Thoughtfully consider these words: “Truth is not what I believe. Truth is not even, what I know. Truth is fact. I may not believe it. I may not know it. That does not change it. It is nevertheless, waiting to be discovered and believed. Truth does not depend on the unsettled and changing opinions of men. It was truth before it was believed. It remains truth whether it is believed or not. Reason does not originate or create it. It merely discovers it. Consequently, reason is not a source. Truth goes back beyond reason. Others would have us believe that the church is the source of authority, particularly in matters of theology. They are wrong. The church is the product of truth. It does not originate it. It came into being by accepting divine revelation. It is the source of that revelation. Truth goes beyond the church, it is antecedent to it.” (When a Man Dies, Carlyle B. Haynes (1882-1958); p.5)

The breaking of the third seal occurred about 1844 and with it, the five essential teachings of Jesus have been rediscovered. These five doctrines have been understood for more than 160 years. Recall for a moment, how the first three seals fit together perfectly. The doctrine of salvation through faith in Jesus is the first essential doctrine. It came first and caused Protestants to separate theologically from Catholicism. After the Catholic Church’s power over Europe was broken in 1798, Protestant missionaries spread the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus all over the world. The breaking of the second seal brought on a campaign to translate and distribute the Bible, because Jesus requires discipleship from every soul who receives His salvation. (John 15:14; Hebrews 5:9) The widespread distribution of the Bible afforded ordinary people the privilege of discovering the teachings of Jesus, and various Protestants accepted and practiced three essential truths during the first part of the nineteenth century – salvation through faith in Jesus, souls sleep, and observing the Ten Commandments. The breaking of the third seal brought on a campaign to inform the world that Jesus had begun to cleanse Heaven’s temple, and the doctrine of the Second Coming became better understood. William Miller, and later, Seventh-day Adventists, became players in this development. The end result is that today, right now in fact, a great stage for an upcoming drama has been set. The five essential teachings of Jesus are known and the book of Daniel has been unsealed. Now that we have the four rules of apocalyptic interpretation and the five essential teachings of Jesus, we have the tools necessary to unlock the intended meaning of Daniel and Revelation. This is highly important because the fourth seal will be broken next!

Before I, close this section on the third seal, I must point out an interesting parallel. The first thing Jesus did after He began His public ministry on Earth was to cleanse the temple in Jerusalem. “To those who sold doves He said, ‘Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!’…Then the Jews demanded of him, ‘What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all of this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’” (John 2:16-19) It is interesting to discover that Jesus cleansed the earthly temple after forty-six years of construction, and it took forty-six years from the time that Jesus began breaking the seals in 1798 to begin cleansing Heaven’s temple in 1844.

Three Campaigns Underway

Now that we have examined the first three seals, consider for a moment how the first three seals relate to the next three seals. Look at the chart below and notice that when the first seal was broken, the Holy Spirit started a campaign in 1798 that will climax at the breaking of the sixth seal (the Second Coming). When the second seal was broken, the Holy Spirit started a campaign around 1800 that will climax after the breaking of the fifth seal (the martyrdom of many saints because of the Word of God). When the third seal was broken, the Holy Spirit started a process in 1844 (the judgment of the dead) that will climax after the fourth seal is broken (the judgment of the living). Notice how the first three seals start campaigns that relate to the next three seals during the Great Tribulation!

Seal #4 – Pale Horse – Coming Next – The Authority of Jesus Revealed

“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come! I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the Earth.” (Revelation 6:7,8)

According to rule One of apocalyptic prophecy, the breaking of the fourth seal has to occur after the breaking of the third seal in 1844. For reasons that will be presented in our study on the 144,000, the breaking of the fourth seal has been “on hold” since 1994. This means the commencement of the Great Tribulation could begin any day.

When Jesus breaks the fourth seal, the Holy Spirit will depart Heaven’s temple on a campaign of death and destruction. The face of the fourth living creature is that of an eagle. (Revelation 4:7) This face represents swift and deadly destruction. Notice how parallel language was used in Jeremiah’s day: “This is what the Lord says: “Look! An eagle is swooping down [for destruction], spreading its wings over Moab.” (Jeremiah 48:40, insertion mine)

The mission of the Holy Spirit is personified with the name of “Death” in this text. The grave (Greek: Hades) follows “close behind” because a fourth of Earth’s population will die. There will be death on a global scale not experienced since the flood. The final generation is about to see a display of the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit implements His command. The breaking of fourth seal marks the sudden and irreversible start of the Great Tribulation. (Revelation 8:2-5; Matthew 24:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Revelation 7:1-3)

Holy Spirit – Agent of Wrath?

It may seem contradictory at first that the Holy Spirit should be an agent of death and destruction since He is called “The Comforter” in the KJV or the “Counselor” in the NIV. The problem with this definition is that it provides a limited view of the attributes of God. The Holy Spirit is mentioned in the first and last chapters of the Bible as a separate and distinct member of the Godhead. (Genesis 1:2; Revelation 22:17) The Holy Spirit is God. (Matthew 28:19,20) He has the same powers and prerogatives as the Father and Son. (John 16)  He is called various names in the Bible such as “The Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17), “The Spirit of Grace” (Hebrews 10:29), “The Spirit of the Lord” (Ezekiel 11:5), and “Spirit of God” (Romans 15:19). At times, the Holy Spirit has enabled men to do incredible things. For example, Samson’s great strength came from the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him [Samson] in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat…” (Judges 14:6) “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him [Samson] in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle….”  (Judges 14:19)

Shortly after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit killed a husband and wife in Jerusalem for lying. This single event imposed a great deal of respect for the Holy Spirit among early Christians. The death of Ananias and his wife was similar to that of Uzzah when he irreverently touched the Ark of the Covenant and was struck dead. (2 Samuel 6:7) Remember, the presence of the Holy Spirit was prevalent in the early church, and the killing of Ananias and Sapphira elevated respect for the honesty and integrity in a dramatic way. Carefully review the story: “Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostle’s feet. Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Did not it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was not the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God [the Holy Spirit].’ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, ‘Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?’ ‘Yes, she said, ‘that is the price.’ Peter said to her, ‘How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.’ At that moment, she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” (Acts 5:1-11, insertion mine)

A Great Awakening

When the fourth seal is broken, a powerful campaign will begin to reveal Jesus Christ to the world. God’s awesome wrath will stun Christians and non-Christians alike. Christians will be overwhelmed because today’s concept of “Jesus” is grossly unlike the real Jesus. His destructive judgments will shatter the false perceptions about Jesus that Catholics and Protestants have created. Non-Christians will also be awestruck when they witness the wrath of Jesus because there is no god that can stop His power and authority!  It is interesting to notice how Jesus’ wrath will rip up the Earth and tear down billions of false paradigms at the same time. The net effect of God’s wrath is that the world will be forced for a short time to hear the testimony of Jesus.

Jesus is waiting for the appointed hour to arrive. Jesus has given the people of Earth every grace and opportunity, but the gospel of Jesus is no longer going forward. The population of Earth is multiplying faster than the gospel can be told. Moral degeneracy is rampant. Religious bias is impenetrable. Violence is everywhere. When Jesus breaks the fourth seal, He signals the end of His patience with Earth’s rejection of righteousness and truth. Earth’s corporate cup of iniquity has overflowed. The wrath of Jesus will last 1,335 days and come in two waves. The seven first plagues will be accompanied with the offer of salvation through faith in Jesus, but the last seven plagues will not contain mercy. God’s wrath will accomplish a number of things that His love and patience have not achieved. The ears of the survivors will be unplugged so they can hear the truth about Jesus. The eyes of the survivors will be opened because the blinders of religion will be removed. The clearest and brightest presentation of truth ever told will commence. The 144,000 will speak with unvarnished clarity. Jesus has carefully and deliberately designed the course of events during the Great Tribulation so that as many people as possible can be saved. (2 Peter 3:9) Given these facts, we can only begin to appreciate the depth of man’s arrogance and ignorance when wee see the level of wrath Jesus must use to get the attention and respect of the human race.

The breaking of the fourth seal marks the beginning of the time of wrath. “He [Gabriel] said: ‘I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.’” (Daniel 8:19, insertion and italics mine) The appointed time of the end is called “a time of wrath” because everyone on earth will suffer wrath.  People who obey God will feel the wrath of their government and people who obey their government will feel the wrath of God. Every nation will reel from the execution of God’s four deadly judgments – sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. The destruction of the fourth seal is described in Revelation 8 as the first four trumpets. Twenty-five percent of Earth’s population will perish over the course of a few weeks. Currently, this means more than 1.5 billion people are about to perish because God’s wrath and the religious systems of the world say nothing about the opening of the fourth seal. Why is this? The answer is arrogance and ignorance.

pg 1 :: pg 2 :: pg 3 ::