Bringing Light to the Dark World.
Students of the Seven
Seals
All True Christians are
students of God’s unsealed Word.
In this work
- to unfold this mystery - I will not use Scholarly language; I will not use
philosophy or psychology. I will show Scripture and pray that the Holy Spirit
weds with your spirit that ye may gain understanding. – Eric W. King
__________________________________________________________________________________________
This document is for all Christians. Written by Eric William
King (August 23rd 2021)
(This document contains things that I have spoken about
before but with much more information - EK.)
In our
Christian Bible we find what we refer to as the septenery mysteries. The Bible
talks about the Seven Dispensations; each one is introduced with a covenant.
These covenants were changed and added to throughout our planets history. God
keeps all of His covenants. We read about the Seven Churches, the Seven
Trumpets, the Seven Bowls of God’s wrath, the Seven Thunders, Seven Days
containing the creation story, etc.
“And the
words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES.” [Psalm 12:6]
Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant and that New Covenant
is contained in the Seven Seals. Will ye not contemplate this marvelous
mystery?
In Holy
Scripture seven represents completion. We have 66 books in our Christian Bible
and our Bible is complete! The number six represents man; man was created on
the sixth day. We have 66 books in our Bible showing that God used man to write
the Old Testament(6) and the New Testament(6).
Because our
Bible is complete it is spoken of as “sealed with Seven Seals”. The apostle
John wrote the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He wrote
this in 96 AD and that was nearly two centuries before the Bible was put
together as we have it today. There was no Christian Bible yet. In Revelation
ch.5 the apostle John is shown the completed Bible as a seven-sealed title
deed. At first he wept because nobody was found worthy in heaven, on earth or
under the earth to open it up and reclaim this fallen world. But then “behold,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to
open the scroll and its seven seals.” [Revelation 5:5]. This of course is Jesus
Christ – only He can open and properly explain the Bible to us.
The Holy Bible is the
Completed Scroll
We believe
that the Christian Bible is the Seven Sealed
Scroll seen in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 5:1) This Scroll
(the Bible) is only “open to” (understood by) those who have truly accepted
Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) as their Lord - God and Savior. (Isaiah 29:18)
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s word is open unto us now in this
time, the church age - dispensation.
(John 14:26)Though we will never fully understand ALL of God’s word in this life He reveals enough to get us where we
need to go. (1st Corinthians 13:12)
Just as Moses
was commanded to make a “copy” of the tabernacle in heaven, the written Bible is a “copy” of the
unadulterated Word of God in heaven and gifted to us.
During the
time of the first apostles “title deeds”
(property deeds) were written on scrolls and sealed with wax seals.
(Jeremiah 32:8-15; Ruth 4:1-14) The person who purchased a title deed was
called the “redeemer”.
(Ruth4:1) These title deeds, if good, contained the entire history of the land
or property in question. It (the scroll) was usually written on both sides
(Jeremiah 32:8-15).
There were two
copies made…one sealed and one open.
(Jeremiah 32:11)
So our
Christian Bibles are copies of this important “title deed” – the “open” copy.
Our Bibles contain the will of God
and God loves us so much that he has given us the complete story in the Bible
(written on “both sides” – Old & New Testaments). We call it “the Vision of ALL”. (Isaiah 29:11)
Those who are
not “born from above” (not truly
converted Christians) may read the Scriptures but never gain full
understanding. They may read it as a history book or just some religious book but they do not truly
recognize it for what it is, the Word of God.
Thus “it is sealed to them”. God says to those
who ridicule the Bible;
“For you this whole vision is nothing
but words SEALED IN A SCROLL. And if you give the scroll to someone who can
read, and say to him, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I can’t; it is
SEALED.” Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read
this, please,” he will answer, “I don’t know how to read.” [Isaiah 29:11-12]
In other
words, neither the educated nor uneducated will understand it but only those
who are truly saved. God says that many people may claim to be Christian but
they are not.
“The Lord says: “These people come
near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are
far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” [Isaiah 29:13]
Only True Christians can
Understand the Scroll
Some cults
are teaching that the Seven Sealed Scroll is an extra book of judgment. They do
not understand that God’s word is complete – there
are no additions.
Why is this Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to His
church such a mystery? Because God will not be mocked!
The Bible can
be broken into four parts basically and these are; “The Torah” (first five books of
Moses, “The
Writings” (from Joshua to “Song of Songs”), “The Prophets” (from Isaiah to
Malachi) and finally the entire “New Testament” (from Matthew to Revelation)
and each one of these tells us not to add to them.
1-“The Torah” – do not add (Deuteronomy 4:2;
12:32)
2-“The Writings” – do not add (Proverbs 30:6)
3-“The Prophets” – do not add (Isaiah 45:23;
Hebrews 1:1-2)
4-“The New Testament” – do not add (Revelation
22:18-19)
The final
revelation of Jesus Christ is called “The Book of Revelation”. This final
letter of St John says it all. It explains the final war and who will win. It
explains where the Devil and all those who follow him will end up. We need no
“new revelation”. It is an insult to God to believe that the Holy Scriptures
are incomplete.
Many Pentecostals
like to add “new revelations” and are no
different than the Seventh-Day Adventists
and Mormons
in this regard. They
are playing with extreme danger! Many of these types like to write their “latest” book “containing
new revelations” for your excitement.
Jesus warns
us; “false
Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders,
so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24)
Jesus did send some true prophets after His death
and resurrection to help spread the Gospel before the cannon [books] of Scripture became complete. He sent St John to
finish up the ultimate prophecy; the Revelation of Jesus Christ (as penned in “The Book of Revelation” - the actual title
of the book is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”).
It is not “a” revelation (revealing) of Jesus Christ but it is “THE”
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Also, only
Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) can
properly explain the Scriptures for us. Many people who become true students of
the Seven Seals receive “new revelation”, a deeper understanding of God’s word
but the vision is all right here before their eyes – it is not a separate
vision or revelation; it is simply found already in the Word of God.
Through the
prophet Isaiah God explains that a time would come when many would see and
understand the UNSEALED SCROLL.
“Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder
upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the
intelligent will vanish.”
[Isaiah 29:14]
So all the so
called “Bible Scholars” must now pay
attention. God will use the simple to explain the Scroll. “When they saw
the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men,
they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
[Acts 4:13]
Only Jesus can Open the
Scroll
“In that day the deaf will hear the
WORDS OF THE SCROLL, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” [Isaiah 29:18]
And what will
they gain from the Scroll?…..
“Those who are wayward in the spirit
will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [or “learn doctrine” KJV].” [Isaiah 29:24]
It was during
the time Jesus Christ walked on this planet in the flesh that He began to open
the Scroll to His true disciples. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he
explained to them what was said in ALL THE SCRIPTURES concerning himself.” [Luke 24:27]
Only the Lamb
of God can open the Scroll. [Revelation 5:5]
“Then
he opened [unsealed] their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” [Luke 24:45] He unsealed it for them.
Only those who have the Holy Spirit can understand the Scroll – the Word of
God. This wisdom became “opened” during the Church dispensation.
“…we speak of God’s SECRET WISDOM, a wisdom that
has been hidden [SEALED] and that God destined for our glory before time began.” [1st Corinthians 2:7]
“This is what we speak, not in words
taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing
spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” [1st Corinthians 2:13-14]
Jesus said; “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given
to you [true disciples]. But to those on the outside everything is said in
parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever
hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven’”.
[Mark
4:11-12]
Some ancient
portions of God’s word were SEALED until “the time of the
end” not “the end of time.”
In other words, since Jesus Christ ascended back into heaven we have been
living in the “time of the end” – the last days.
So now the Scroll is being opened!
The Sealed becomes the
UNSEALED
Some portions
of specific prophecy were sealed until our time. God informed Daniel of the Old
Testament; “He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the WORDS ARE CLOSED UP AND
SEALED until the TIME OF THE END (not the “end of time”)”. [Daniel 12:9]
We also read
what God said to the prophet Habakkuk; “Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tables so that a herald may run with it. For the
revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove
false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not
delay.” [Habakkuk 2:2-3]
So some
things that God tells us about we must “wait”,
it will indeed come to pass. When Israel became a legitimate nation again on
May 14th 1948 it fulfilled Bible prophecy. The prophecy was
already written down, it was not a “new revelation” but we had to wait for its
fulfillment. Many things that God spoke to us about are now coming to pass, in our generation.
God commands
His true people; “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things
you do not know.” [Jeremiah 33:3]
When we read
the Scroll [the Holy Bible] we are to “eat all of it”, which means we are to
take it all in and “digest” the message. The Scroll is written on both sides,
the Old and New Testament. Even the prophets of old were shown the completed
Word of God. Notice what the prophet Ezekiel experienced regarding this:
“Then I looked, and I saw a hand
stretched out to me. In it was a SCROLL, which he unrolled [UN-SEALED] before
me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and
woe [it contains judgment]. And he [God] said to me, “Son of man, eat what is
before you, EAT THIS SCROLL; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened
my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.” [Ezekiel 2:9-10; 3:1-2]
The apostle
John saw the completed New Testament.
We read about this in Revelation chapter ten. John sees a giant angel dressed
in spectacular light and he has one foot on land
and another at sea, showing that the
message would travel across the globe.
When this
angel “gave a loud shout like the roar of
a lion” [Rev. 10:3] he shouted what sounded like “SEVEN
THUNDERS”. These are all the
septenery mysteries of the Bible – including the Seven Dispensations.
This is the
message of the UN-SEALED SCROLL. The true Gospel Message – the Straight Testimony.
This angel was holding “a little SCROLL,
which lay
open [unsealed] in his hand.” [Rev. 10:2] This little Scroll depicts the New
Testament which was to help unseal the Old Testament.
When Apostle
John heard the “SEVEN THUNDERS” he was about to write down the message he heard but
was told; “Seal up what the seven thunders have
said and do not write it down.” So even in Apostle John’s day the
Bible was not yet complete…it was to come latter. He was basically told to “wait”.
But we are
promised that in the final “time of the end”, our day, the message was to be told. “But in the days when the seventh
angel is about to sound his "trumpet", the MYSTERY OF GOD will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants
the prophets.” [Revelation 10:7]
Note: The word "trumpet" does not exist here in the original text showing that this is the 7th messenger to Laodicea and not the seventh trumpet angel.
Where did God
announce this to His “servants the prophets”? Here it is in Isaiah….
“In that day the deaf will hear the WORDS OF THE SCROLL, and out of gloom and
darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” [Isaiah 29:18]
Just like the
prophet Ezekiel, Apostle John was to take the Scroll and “eat it”.
“Then the voice that I had heard from
heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take THE
SCROLL that LIES OPEN [unsealed] in the hand of the angel who
is standing on the sea and on the land.”
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the LITTLE SCROLL. He said to
me, “Take it and EAT IT. It will turn your
stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” I took the LITTLE SCROLL from the angels hand and ate it.
It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach
turned sour. Then I was told, “You must
prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” [Revelation 10:8-11]
Are we also
“eating” this “little book” – the New Testament? As true Christians, YES we are! We notice that after Apostle
John “ate” it he was to “prophesy again”
about “many peoples, nations, languages and
kings.” Did John do this? No. He died on the Island of Patmos, a slave to the true gospel.
So how does
Apostle John “prophesy again”? Through
us…the John Class.
True Christians are spreading this final
Revelation of our Lord and Savior – Jesus the Christ. We have the
Straight Testimony!
Now, because
only “the Lamb of God” can open
for us the precious Scroll we must let Him open up each one of the Seven Seals.
Let Jesus Open the
Scroll
Regarding
the “Book
of Revelation” Apostle John is NOT
the revelator. It is Jesus Christ who is doing all of the “revealing”. It is now time for the true saints to show how Jesus Christ has
opened up these revelations for us. For it is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.”
The Bible and
all of its meaning was sealed to the fallen world – completely hidden. Why has fallen man been claiming that he can
open this Scroll properly? The Bible tells us that it was “sealed” and that
only the Lamb of God could open it.
Apostle Paul
understood the “unsealed mysteries” and he was entrusted with them, to help reveal
them to the True Church. Jesus revealed the mysteries to him. “So then, men
ought to regard us [the true Apostles] as servants of Christ and as those
ENTRUSTED WITH THE SECRET THINGS OF GOD.” [1st Corinthians 4:1]
The Seals Open for the
Saints
In the gospel
of Matthew Jesus Christ gives an outline which interprets each one of the
Seven Seals for us. We have to remember that these seals [which unlock the
Bible] have always been open to the true
saints of God. The first four seals explain what are known as “The Four Horsemen” of the Apocalypse.
Though we
shall find that these Four Horsemen will have one final ride…they have in fact been riding since Adam and Eve.
Jesus Christ has not yet opened His perfect copy of the Bible in heaven. When
He does every word will be perfectly fulfilled. [Revelation ch.6&7]
In the mean
time Jesus is allowing us to understand the Scroll. In the gospel of Matthew
the disciples ask Christ three questions regarding the finality of the “end times”. These are:
1-When shall these things be?
2-What shall be the sign of thy coming?
3-And of the end of the world (age)?
Here is how
you can begin to understand the Seven Seals as explained by Jesus
Christ Himself:
1st Seal – False Christ’s (Compare Matthew 24:4-5 to Revelation
6:1-2)
2nd Seal – Wars (Compare Matthew 24:6-7 to Revelation 6:3-4)
3rd Seal – Famines (Compare Matthew 24:7 to Revelation 6:5-6)
4th Seal – Pestilence and Death (Compare Matthew 24:7-8 to
Revelation 6:7-8)
This ends the
Four Horsemen…
5th Seal – Martyrdoms (Compare Matthew 24:9-13 to Revelation
6:9-11)
6th Seal – Physical Changes (Compare Matthew 24:29-30 to
Revelation 6:12-17)
7th Seal – The rest of Revelation which leads to the Second Coming.
Clearly Jesus
Christ Himself opens these seals to us and explains the revelation. We can say that the first four seals have been
happening to one degree or another since the fall of Adam and Eve. After Adam
and Eve forfeited the title deed to planet earth by sinning Satan maintained
his status as “god of this world”. [2nd
Corinthians 4:4]
Adam and Eve
had the chance to represent all of humanity but they failed the test. They
inherited sin and passed it on to all of their offspring. In fact, all of
creation became infected. We are experiencing the results of their choice even
now.
Though the
first four seals (the Four Horsemen)
have been going on since Adam and Eve they will in fact have one final ride and
that will be during the final Tribulation
period. Actually, all of these seals have been happening to one degree or
another [God has always talked with His children and warned them through His open word] but they will have a climax
during the time of the final
Antichrist.
God has been
opening His word to all of His people throughout each of the dispensations of
time. The final dispensation will be the seventh – the Millennial Reign of Christ.
As Jesus
Christ opens His copy in heaven, He perhaps begins to review each of the Seven Dispensations, the entire history
of our planet – the planet that He
created and came back for. Remember, His copy is perfect…the Perfect
Translation of the Bible! (Every word
shall come to a complete fulfillment!) When Jesus begins to do this
opening of the sealed Scroll in heaven Satan gets angry and begins his campaign
against Christ here on earth. Satan does
not want Jesus to fully reclaim this planet.
Many people
think that the opening of each seal is translating what Satan is doing on earth
or that the Seven Sealed Scroll is merely a scroll which contains final
judgments. The fact is Jesus will be judicially acting out His right to reclaim
His “purchased possession”. The Seven Sealed Scroll represents the finality and
perfection of God’s WORD…..which tangibly is our Holy Bible. It is the title deed to this planet.
When the
Christian Bible came together in its finality it became the open copy of this planet’s “title deed”
(Jeremiah 32:11). It (the Bible) is open
to the Christian Church through the “revelation of Jesus Christ”, yet it is not fully understood by the
Christian Church. “Written on both sides” denotes the Old & New
Testaments. Enough has always been made known for a person to hear the Good News
and awake knowing Jesus Christ as Savior (Luke 24:27).
The “closed copy” of the scroll (the perfect
translation of the Bible – the Scriptures) is depicted as a “sealed scroll”
in heaven awaiting its opening. This means that the “redeemer” has a time
coming soon when He claims back fully His “purchased – title deed”. The
Scriptures say that we were “bought with a
price” and that Jesus became “poor”
that we might become “rich”
(2
Corinthians 8:9).
Title
deeds are explained in:
*Jeremiah 32:8-15
*Ruth 4:7-10
Jesus will reclaim when
all His True Children are Saved
Why is He
waiting to fully reclaim? Because through the Apostle Paul’s ministry the plan
of God is calling in people from “every nation,
kindred, tribe and tongue” (Romans 11:13). Apostle Paul made known the “mystery of the church” and when the
last Gentile that is going to get saved
gets saved, this church age shall close
(Romans
11:25).
We are
promised that the “sealed book (scroll)” would be more fully open to us
(Christians) in the last days (Isaiah 29:18; 29:24; Daniel 12:9). Some of these mysteries are spoken
of in the parables of Jesus. Jesus said; “The secret of the kingdom has been
given to you (true Christians). But to those on the outside everything is said
in parables…” (Mark 4:11)
God promises…;”In
days to come you will understand it clearly.” (Jeremiah 23:20)
We
(Christians) are to “eat” the Word of God and through prayer gain understanding. Again, the prophet
Ezekiel in a vision saw God’s word (message) in the form of a scroll and he was commanded to
figuratively “eat it” (take it all in, understand it). We read about this in
Ezekiel ch.3.
Our attitude
toward the Scriptures (the Christian Bible) governs our conceptions and
conclusions. We hold to Sola Scriptura (the Bible Alone).
Our teachings do not allow for additions or subtractions from God’s word. All
of our biblical doctrine must be found in Scripture and taught from
Scripture. Having stated that, we also
recognize the importance of understanding other things such as the Seven Rules
of Biblical Interpretation which help substantiate additional facts.
The best
evidence of the importance of our ministry is transformed human lives. Those who have studied here and
become regenerated children of God are the bright
lights of this planet. They are learning the Scroll, the Will of God.
True Christianity is not a religion; it is a way of life. True Christianity is
a healthy relationship with God, Divine Intelligence.
Seven Dispensations
There are Seven Dispensations and seven
distinct covenants which introduce these seven dispensations in the
Bible. Part of understanding Gods word means that we understand the
sevenfold mysteries, the septenery mysteries. (7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, 7 bowls of God’s Wrath, Seven
Dispensations...etc.)
NOTE: The entire Bible can be broken up into seven distinct
dispensations. Each one is introduced by a covenant between
God and the human race.
Dispensations are
periods of time in which covenants-agreements are made
between God and humanity. The Bible teaches that seven main covenants have been given
throughout God’s dealing with humanity. We serve a covenantial God; He
has been in constant relationship with His creation throughout our space/time
continuum. The “Seven Seals” (Christian Bible) unroll all the dispensations unto us – an
outline of the entire Plan of Salvation. In other words, God’s Word
is full of septenery mysteries (mysteries in sets of seven).
______________________________________________
These mysteries - found
and properly taught - in God’s word are never to be taken lightly. “So
then, men ought to regard us (apostles) as servants of Christ
and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.”
(1 Corinthians 4:1)
Jesus is Knocking
In this Laodicean Period of the Christian
church Jesus is doing something…He is knocking at your door. Do you hear
Him? (Revelation 3:20) (Proverbs 3:5-6) God has stirred up a spiritual
storm on this planet…through this storm Jesus is giving THE KNOCK!
We are immersed in
the Whirlwind Prophecy! The storm has begun! (Jeremiah 25:12-38)
As true Christians it is
time to accept the pure doctrine of Sola
Scriptura. It is time to follow
the Shepherds Way…our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We
must obey God above man. (Acts 5:29)
Spiritual Food for
TODAY!
“..Gold refined in the fire.”
Now: Today
the church finds itself broken apart into denominationalism.
(Acts 20:28-31) The Laodicean period started in AD 1900 and continues on in our
time. (2nd Peter 3:3-4) Here at “The Shepherds Way” &
“Nugget of Truth” we teach that after the first 400 years of the church
(during the Pergamos Period) Satan introduced the false Christianity by melding the church
and state (creating a religio-political system). Also the Babylonian mystery
religions infiltrated the church. The
“world of sectarianism” began. (The Nicolaitans infiltrated the
church – Revelation 2:15)
The “Babylonian Cup” started to enter the
church during the Pergamos Period. Through the modern ecumenical movement this
cup has entered in fullness. We are now officially in the Whirlwind Prophecy. (Jeremiah 25:12-38)
Today the false
teachings are blossoming in America through all of the fallen
denominations. This is the Laodicean condition of the church. It is no
longer a big deal to have distorted views about Jesus and the Bible. As long as
you call yourself “Christian” everything is okay. These false teachings have
entered the theological schools and “New Age” psychology has become the “new world religion”. Today those
caught in the fallen world of Christendom are being
called OUT of Babylon! God’s word is calling them
out.
God wants to keep His
children free from false worship. Why? Because true worship has to do with
proper relationship. If one truly loves God he or she will also hate that which
is displeasing to God. We (as true children of God) are commanded to stay away
from those who out-right hate God. (2nd Corinthians 6:14-17)
Distancing oneself from
old religious practices can bring problems. Close friends and
even relatives may oppose such a change in your lifestyle. To
become a true Christian one must truly count the cost. (Matthew 10:32-37)
The true Christian
Church has the WORD of God.
Our attitude toward the
Scriptures (the Christian Bible) governs our conceptions and conclusions. We
hold to Sola Scriptura (the Bible Alone). (Proverbs 30:6) Our teachings do not
allow for additions or subtractions from God’s word. All of our biblical
doctrine must be found in Scripture and taught from
Scripture. Having stated that, we also recognize the importance of understanding
other things such as the Seven Rules of Biblical Interpretation which help
substantiate additional facts.
Please stay with us here
at “The Shepherds Way”. We truly believe that we have the food that the
Laodicean church needs to awaken. We have been blessed to have the
pure connection with the first Antiochene Church. Study God’s word with us as
often as you can. Learn the doctrines - become “sealed with the Truth”.
(Isaiah 8:16; Ephesians 1:13-14) Learn just where we are in prophetic history.
Learn and understand the Whirlwind Prophecy. (Jeremiah 25:32;
23:19-20)
Through the Whirlwind Prophecy even the false-Christians are being exposed.
(Jeremiah 25:32-38; 1st Peter 4:17)
May God seal
you with His Word,
Eric William
King (August 23rd 2021)
Some more insight by a
Bible Student about the Seals....
Anyone who has bought a house or a piece of
property is familiar with a title deed. Properly executed, a deed establishes
legal ownership. In fact, the modern term “Title Company” commonly refers to
commercial businesses that make it their specialty to research, secure and
officially record ownership titles. What is true in the modern world was
equally true in the ancient world. Property laws in ancient law codes, like the
Code of Hammurapi, describe accounts of sales, receipts and deeds—even to the
point of authenticating the document through a notary. Even an ancient buyer
had to be sure of the seller’s title!
In the Bible, we encounter such a title deed
in the career of Jeremiah, when God instructed the prophet to purchase a piece
of property from his cousin Hanamel ben Shallum (Jer. 32:6-16). Here, the deed
of sale was signed, sealed and witnessed. It is of special interest to note
that the title deed is described as being sealed, but that alongside it there
also was an unsealed document. The unsealed document served as an abstract—a
description of the property and terms accessible to anyone who wanted to read
it. The sealed title, on the other hand, had to be preserved from any changes,
which is why it was sealed in order to remain sacrosanct. Both documents were
deposited by Jeremiah in a clay jar for safe keeping, much as hundreds of years
later the people at Qumran deposited their precious scrolls in clay jars.
Sometimes, the “sealed” and “unsealed”
documents were combined into a single document. To understand this, one must
appreciate the fact that typically scrolls were inscribed on only a single
side. (Imagine, for instance, trying to read a scroll on both sides
as it is being unrolled.) After a scroll was sealed, however, one could write
the abstract that originally was on a separate document on the outside of the
sealed scroll (which would be the backside). As such, the contents of the
sealed scroll remained intact, but the abstract, which now appeared on the
outside of the sealed scroll, did not require a second document. This type of
text gains the technical name of a “double-deed”, and such a text, written on
both sides, is called an opisthrograph. Good examples are known from
ancient Mesopotamia. You also can find one briefly referenced in Ezekiel, when
in his commission the prophet was shown a scroll written on both sides. Two
excellent ancient examples of such double-deeds can be found in the Brooklyn
Museum, Brooklyn, New York and the Israel Department of Antiquities and
Museums, Jerusalem. The latter was discovered at Elephantine, a Jewish
community in the 5th century BC in Egypt. Both deeds are
secured with a cord, and over the knots in the cord is a clay bulla,
a lump of clay which has been impressed with a seal to secure the document.
Printed in Hebrew characters on the outside of the sealed document is the
Hebrew word for “Deed”.
This brings us to just such a double-deed in
the New Testament. In the Apocalypse of John, the elder John is shown a scroll
“written on both sides and sealed with seven seals.” Almost certainly, this
scroll represents an ancient title deed. Indeed, archaeologists have discovered
a very similar deed—one tied with seven cords, no less, each cord sealed with
its own bulla—at Wadi Daliyeh near Jericho. (This one also is
preserved in Jerusalem by the Israel Department of Antiquities.) John seems to
know the meaning of the sealed scroll, but he is distressed that no one is able
to open the seals. Whatever this vision means, the seven-sealed scroll seems to
represent a title deed to something, and the only one able to open the
scrolls—the only one who is entitled to do so—is the Lamb. This factor, in
turn, likely reflects on the Lamb’s qualifications to be a redeemer or buyer,
for such a title under Israelite redemption laws could only be “bought back” by
someone who was in the family. I would suggest that the seven-sealed scroll
represents the title deed of the world. God intends to reclaim the world as the
final act in his redemptive purpose, and this includes not only the final
redemption of his own people but also the judgment and overthrow of evil.
The redemptive ability of Jesus Christ to
open the scroll, as in ancient times, rested on his qualifications. He was both
willing and able, and he was a close relative who was descended from Judah and
David. Most important, he was the Redeemer of the people of God. The seven seals clearly signify events to
occur on the earth (6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12; 8:1). If the seven-sealed
scroll is such a double-deed, it suggests that God intends to reclaim a world
which has been infiltrated by evil, and the final stage of this reclamation
will come in the climactic events described in the Revelation. The
Lamb who was slain, who already has procured salvation for all humans through
the cross and resurrection, is worthy to open the seals, heralding the
consummation. In the end, the foremost plea in the Lord's Prayer
will be answered. His kingdom will come--his will shall be done (Mt.
6:10; Rv. 11:15)!
If this interpretation
that the seven-sealed scroll represents the title deed to the world is allowed
to stand, then the opening of the seven seals represents precursors to the
end. The idea that judgments would be poured out upon the world
before the end is strongly rooted in the Hebrew prophets. Some of
the passages in Revelation describing the opening of the seals directly allude
to such Old Testament texts, such as, people hiding in the caves of the earth
for fear (Is. 2:19//Rv. 6:15), the darkening of the sun and the moon turning to
blood (Is. 13:10; 24:23; Eze. 32:7; Jl. 2:10, 30-31; 3:15//Rv. 6:12), the
rolling up of the sky like a scroll and the falling of the stars like figs (Is.
34:4//Rv. 6:13-14), and the giving of the nations over to slaughter (Is.
13:15-18; 34:2-3; Eze. 32:3-6; Jl. 2:1-9//Rv. 6:4). The Book of
Daniel, while not listing such stereotypical woes, generalizes that prior to
the end there would occur "a time of distress such as has not happened
from the beginning of the nations until then" (Da. 12:1), and Jesus
reiterated this statement (Mt. 24:21//Mk. 13:19). Such trauma,
sometimes referred to as the "woes of messiah," was a characteristic
of Jewish apocalyptic in the intertestamental period and
later. Lists of disasters and cosmic disruptions describe the
darkening of the sun, the turning of the moon to blood, the shaking of the
mountains (Testament of Moses, 10), plagues of pestilence, famine, earthquakes,
war, and hail (Apocalypse of Abraham, 30; 2 Baruch, 70).
Admittedly, this
interpretation takes the Book of Revelation in a futuristic sense (and for
whoever wants to know, I follow historic premillennialism as an interpretive
model). Those who adopt a preterist or historicist model for interpreting the
book will doubtless find other explanations for the opening of the seven seals.
Nonetheless, however, one interprets the final meaning of the Apocalypse of
John, the imagery of a title deed embodied in the seven-sealed scroll should
remain a constituent part of the interpretive process.
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