Begin to Understand the Seven Sealed Mystery
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 angel’s 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 servant’s
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 meantime
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,
By Presbyter 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.
What is the Seven Sealed Scroll?
Above: Presbyter King gives interesting information regarding the Seven Sealed Scroll.
*Latter-day Message to Laodicea
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