The Seals of the Scroll

18. (a) What does Jesus receive in the heavenly court? (b) What do the rides of three of the horsemen of Revelation chapter 6 mean for mankind living today?

¹⁸ In Re chapters 4 and 5, for example, John sees a wondrous vision of Jehovah’s celestial court. The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is there, and he receives a scroll with seven seals. In Re chapter 6, Jesus opens six of the seven seals, one after the other. When the first is opened, a rider on a white horse is seen. He is given a crown and rides forth “conquering and to complete his conquest.” (Revelation 6:2) This is Jesus, the newly crowned King. When he began his victorious, kingly ride in 1914, the Lord’s day began. When the next three seals are opened, three more horses with their riders appear. These are frightening manifestations, representing human warfare, famine, and death by pestilence and other causes. They confirm Jesus’ great prophecy that his heavenly presence in royal power would be marked on earth by great wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and other disasters. (Matthew 24:3, 7, 8; Luke 21:10, 11) Truly, Christians must heed Jesus’ words to the seven congregations if they are to endure at such a time.

19. (a) During the presence of Christ, what reward is given to faithful anointed Christians who have already died? (b) What horrendous events are foreshadowed by the opening of the sixth seal, leading to what question?

¹⁹ At the opening of the fifth seal, an event in the invisible spirit realm is revealed. Anointed Christians who have died for their faith are each given a white robe. Evidently, with the presence of Christ now a reality, the heavenly resurrection has begun. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 3:5) Then the sixth seal is opened, and “the earth,” Satan’s earthly system of things, is shaken by a great earthquake. (2 Corinthians 4:4) “The heaven” of human rulership under Satan’s control is rolled up like an old scroll, ready to be thrown away. Terrified, rebellious humans cry out in despair to the rock-masses: “Fall over us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”​—Revelation 6:13, 14, 16, 17.

20. Who is able to stand during the great day of the wrath of Jehovah and of the Lamb?

²⁰ And who is able to stand? Why, Jesus has already answered that question. Those who “hear what the spirit says to the congregations” will stand in that great day of wrath. And to confirm this, John goes on to learn of the sealing of the last ones of the 144,000 and the gathering of a great crowd out of all nations to survive “the great tribulation.” (Revelation 7:1-3, 14) But now it is time for the seventh seal of the scroll to be opened and more dramatic visions to be shown to John and, through him, to us today. The following article discusses some of these.

1. What do the opening chapters of Revelation include?

THE book of Revelation contains thrilling prophecies that have their fulfillment in our day. The previous article considered some of them, including the opening of six symbolic seals. These opened seals revealed the devastating ride of the four apocalyptic horsemen in these “last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1; Revelation 6:1-8) They also told about those who will rule with Christ in heaven and those who will survive “the great tribulation” to live on earth forever. The six seals show that God’s “appointed time” for executing judgment “is near.”​—Revelation 1:3; 7:4, 9-17.

2. How are the seven symbolic trumpets of Revelation chapter 8 to be used?

² But there is one more seal, the seventh. Revelation 8:2 tells us what is revealed when it is opened: “And I saw the seven angels that stand before God, and seven trumpets were given them.” Re 8 Verse 6 says: “And the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.”