Sealed?

Acts 2:17-21

7 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' NKJV

19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

In our previous study we looked at the application of Joel’s prophesy for the church and Lord willing we will get into the details of Joel’s prophesy for the world and the nation of Israel. We have been discussing the Spirit’s reign on the earth through the embodiment of Christ in the church. The purpose of His reign is to “seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). Again, God’s purpose in pouring out the Holy Spirit was for the proclamation of the Word of God through this mystical body - the church; for His Spirit was given to all flesh to “prophesy” in the last days. The last days are not referring to the millennial reign of Christ, but the reign of the Holy Spirit.

Heb 6:4-6

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. NKJV

Therefore the last days begin with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and ends with the removal of the church (1Thess. 4:17), which marks the beginning of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 12:5).

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

I don’t want to skip verse 19, but we need to notice here, first, that before the Day of the Lord comes these signs will take place in the world to make it known that Christ is coming to set up His rule with a rod of iron (Rev.12:5). The Spirit’s reign is a reign of grace, but when Christ Himself comes it will be merciless. Therefore, all the more reason to apply the means of grace, and be watchful for these signs; for He has not appointed the church to wrath, but to salvation (1Thess.5:9). Therefore, we as His children are called to encourage one another daily for our redemption draws near.

Luke 21:28

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." NKJV

. . . I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath:

We should take serious thought that the reign of the Holy Spirit, since it is a reign of grace, will be provoked, and His anger will be poured out on the unbelieving world; for she (the world) will blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31).

Jer 23:20

20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. NKJV

Jeremiah tells us that the Lord’s anger will be understood perfectly when these things take place. The church will have to go through some tribulation, but the greatest heat of it will be upon the world and Israel. Israel will understand perfectly when these things take place so as to look upon the pierced Messiah. The Holy Spirit’s anger will be shown with signs and wonders in the heavens above and the earth beneath. According to Joel’s prophesy these things begin at the closing of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the earth. What will these signs be?

. . . Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

Joel gives us three signs, but he does not give us great detail. John’s revelation is able to give us a better layout. It is important to note that the seals of Revelation are like an overview of what is inside the scroll. In the days of the apostles when letters were sent they were sealed with an emblem that was impressed into wax that kept the scroll from unraveling or being opened before it was delivered. If the seals were broken the recipient knew that the scroll was tampered with. In the same way we must overview what is in the scroll, before we are able to understand what will be delivered, as Jeremiah said, “In the latter days you will understand it perfectly”. That means in the days that the seals are broken open, we will understand perfectly what is taking place. There are seven seals that would seem to indicate that the blood, fire, and vapor of smoke of Joel’s prophesy is what is being referred to in John's visions/revelation.

Rev 6:1-2 First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. NKJV

The first seal could easily be referring to blood due to the warrior who has a bow and a crown. This will be some sort of political figure who has power to take over parts of the earth; for he will go out “conquering and to conquer.” Surely this will leave a bloody mess. This figure rides a white horse indicating that he will do some kind of good through this conquering. The following seal would indicate the opposite.

Rev 6:3-4 Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. NKJV

This one indicates a ruthless warrior who shows no mercy; for he takes peace from the earth, causing people to kill one another. This sounds a lot like Islam to me, but that is mere speculation. A fiery red horse indicates the rage and anger of this powerful figure. Surely this will be a bloody mess. The fiery red dragon(Satan) may also be the power behind this figure(Rev. 12:3).

Rev 6:5-6 Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." NKJV

This seal summarizes the poverty that will take place. A black horse symbolizes the darkness of it. Surely due to the poverty, theft, murder, and jealousy there will be violence throughout the earth.

Rev 6:7-8 Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. NKJV

The blood that will be shed increases with every seal. I believe these seals are being opened as we speak, and the things with in them increase with greater measure coming to a consummation. This seal releases the powers of hell without restraint to a wide spread measure throughout all the earth. Basically, the blood that is shed in the first three seals is caused from man’s natural sin that leads to death, but the forth and latter seals are caused by demonic powers that increase man’s sin in the earth (Rev. 9:3).

Rev 6:9-11 Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. NKJV

This seal is referring to the death and blood of Christian martyrs throughout the “last days” until it’s consummation. Notice that God’s wrath is not poured out yet, therefore, we know that the seals are just summaries of what the scroll contains. The trumpet judgments give a sequential order of the warnings to the earth of Christ’s coming judgment.

Rev 6:12-17

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances

12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" NKJV

The sixth seal is the seal that is awaiting to be fulfilled. This indicates the wrath of the Lamb or “the Day of the Lord”. It is important to note that the Day of the Lord is not a single day, but a period of time after the rapture of the church when God’s wrath is poured out on the world to prepare for and include the Lord’s 1000 year earthly reign. (Rev. 19 and 20)

I find it very interesting that in John’s vision immediately after the sixth seal, which marks the beginning of God’s wrath or “The Day of the Lord”, we find this little section of the tribes of Israel being sealed "sandwiched" between the seventh seal. This further emboldens my mind, that the tribes of Israel being sealed, is in preparation for them to remain upon the earth during the outpouring of God’s wrath on the sons of disobedience (Rev. 12:6). Israel is going to be chastened by God during this period, but she will not be defeated nor destroyed.

Rev 12:1-6

12 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. NKJV

The woman who is being referenced here, is Mary who gives birth to the Christ, but Mary also represents the whole nation of Israel in this vision. Remember in our last study that a transition of power is taking place from the national institution of Israel to the global institution of the church. The child referenced here is the Christ, but the Child also represents the whole body of Christ. In other words Israel gave birth to the church through the Apostles.

And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

After the dragon (Satan) is thrown to the earth he seeks to devour the Child as soon as it was born. Again, as Satan was working in Herod to kill all the male children, two years old and under, and fails (Matt. 2:16), Satan again uses Rome and Israel to try and stamp out the church as soon as she is born (Acts 7&8).

She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

I say the Child represents the whole church because Christ shares His rule with the saints (Rev. 2:26; 19:15; 20). Also, as Christ was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:2,9), the church will be taken up in the same manner to meet Him in the clouds (1Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:50-53). This part of John’s vision is strategically placed here to mark the beginning of the “Day of the Lord” when Israel (the woman) flees to the wilderness for the final 3 ½ years in which God’s wrath is poured out in the bowl judgments(v.6). The church does not remain in the world during this time frame, but there is a safe place is prepared for the remnant of Israel during this time, for those who have ears to hear.

1 Thess 5:5-11

5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. NKJV