Tribulation, Seals and Judgements

The Seven Seals

The Tribulation is the end of the Jewish Age, which was not completed because of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and the ushering in of the Church Age. The Church will have been raptured and in heaven. Revelation 4 and 5 give us a glimpse of what will be going on in heaven. A book with seven seals needs to be opened and the angels will be looking for someone worthy to open it. In Revelation 5:6-8 we see the Lamb – the Lord Jesus Christ take the book.

"And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (Revelation 5:6-8, NASB)

The book will be an ancient scroll of paper with seven seals. The Lord Jesus Christ will break the First Seal and then unroll it a little bit. He will then break the Second Seal and unroll it a little more. He will continue breaking the seals until six have been broken. These reveal the characteristics or panorama of the Tribulation. The Seventh Seal is not opened until Revelation 8. Revelation 7 is evangelism in the Tribulation. This principle to be demonstrated is God always brings grace before judgment. Out of the Seventh Seal comes the seven Trumpet Judgments.

The First Seal

The First Seal will be a period of dictatorship, a period of power politics through projecting the personality of a person in place of his ethics, character, etc. God’s judgment will come through dictators. The white horse is a symbol of conquest. Napoleon, Japanese generals, and Roman generals all rode white horses. Rev. 6:1-2.

"Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer." (Revelation 6:1-2, NASB)

The Second Seal

The Second Seal will be a period of warfare. In Revelation 6:3-4, the red horse will be a war horse with red being the color of blood. Until Christ returns to the earth, there is going to be war. Matt. 24:6.

“When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.” (Revelation 6:3-4, NASB)

“"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” (Matthew 24:6, NASB)

The Third Seal

The Third Seal will be a period of famine and inflation. In Revelation 6:5-6, the rider of the black horse will hold a pair of scales which represent inflation, scarcity of food, therefore famine.

“When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine."” (Revelation 6:5-6, NASB)

The Fourth Seal

The Fourth Seal will be a period of death. In Revelation 6:7-8, the pale or ashen horse will be a deathly green whose rider will wield the “sword” in warfare and bring death from famine and disease. The “wild beasts of the earth” will bring violence and death from runaway crime perpetrated by evil personalities and death from wild animals.

“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:7-8, NASB)

The Fifth Seal

The Fifth Seal will be a period of martyrdom of Tribulational believers. Rev. 6:9-11.

“When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” (Revelation 6:9-11, NASB)

The Sixth Seal

The Sixth Seal will be a period of unusual natural and celestial disturbances. Two sources of natural catastrophe will be activity of certain divine laws with very unusual weather conditions, floods, earthquakes, etc. as well as celestial disturbances such as meteorites, etc. Rev. 6:12-13.

“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.” (Revelation 6:12-13, NASB)

Revelation 7 indicates there will be great evangelism in the Tribulation. Grace always precedes judgment.

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:” (Revelation 7:4, NASB)

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:13-14, NASB)

The Seventh Seal

Out of the Seventh Seal comes the seven Trumpet Judgments, which will be terrifying. When this seal is broken, there will be silence in heaven for 30 minutes. Rev. 8:1.

“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (Revelation 8:1, NASB)

Trumpet Judgments

The trumpet judgments which will take place in the Tribulation will be directed toward the Gentile unbelievers who will be responsible for the deaths of the Tribulation martyrs. The prayers of believers who have been martyred during the Tribulation will be heard by God, which will result in the Trumpet Judgments. Rev. 9:20-21; Rev. 8:3-5.

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21, NASB)

“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:3-5, NASB)

The Trumpet Judgments will be delayed until the 144,000 evangelists have been sealed. Revelation 7:1-3 occurs before Revelation 8.

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."” (Revelation 7:1-3, NASB)

The first six seals will be warnings and are found in Revelation 6. The Seventh Seal will be opened, which contains the seven Trumpet Judgments. The first four Trumpet Judgments will use nature for the judgment and are described in Revelation 8:7-13.

First Trumpet

The First Trumpet will be against vegetation. Hail, fire, and blood will result in one-third of the earth being burned with fire including one-third of the trees and all green grass. Rev. 8:7.

“The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” (Revelation 8:7, NASB)

Second Trumpet

The Second Trumpet will be against ocean transportation and sea life. One-third of all sea life will die and one-third of transportation by sea will be destroyed. Rev. 8:8-9.

“The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Revelation 8:8-9, NASB)

Third Trumpet

The Third Trumpet will be against sanitation and fresh water. One-third of the fresh waters for domestic use will become so polluted that many will die. Rev. 8:10-11.

“The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.” (Revelation 8:10-11, NASB)

Fourth Trumpet

The Fourth Trumpet will be against illumination. Darkness will be increased during both day and night. The light from the sun, moon, and stars will be reduced which will affect adversely all types of life on earth. Rev. 8:12.

“The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.” (Revelation 8:12, NASB)

The last three trumpets are judgments against people and are directed against mankind. Emphasis is on the last three trumpets. The last three trumpet plagues are also known as the Three Woes.

Fifth Trumpet

The Fifth Trumpet is also called the First Woe. This will be the first invasion due to the release of bound fallen angels from Tartarus. They will bring torture without death in the middle of the Tribulation. They will torture unbelievers until they desire death. Rev. 9:1-12.

“Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 9:1-4, NASB)

“And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.” (Revelation 9:5-6, NASB)

Sixth Trumpet

The Sixth Trumpet is also called the Second Woe. This will be the second invasion of fallen angels during the last half of the Tribulation. The purpose will be to judge and destroy those guilty of killing believers in the Tribulation. The prayers of Tribulation martyrs will be received and answered by God. Rev. 9:13-21.

Four super angels from the underworld under the command of Satan will lead an army made up of 200 million angels. One-third of the human race will be killed. Death will be brought by three means - being burned to death by fire, by smoke or being deprived of oxygen and suffocating, and by brimstone or sulfur which refers to the shock from detonation of gunpowder. Rev. 9:17.

“And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.” (Revelation 9:17, NASB)

Seventh Trumpet

The Seventh Trumpet is also called the Third Woe and includes the Baptism of Fire. The Seventh Trumpet is the announcement of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. Within 10 days after the Two Witnesses ascend, the Second Advent will take place. The Baptism of Fire will be the blood bath of judgment where all remaining unbelievers will be removed from the earth at the Second Advent. Rev. 8; Rev. 9; Rev. 11:15.

“Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."” (Revelation 11:15, NASB)

Vial or Bowl Judgments

The final judgments of the Tribulation before the Second Advent are the seven Vial or Bowl judgments. Seven angels administer these seven last plagues. These vials or bowls are God’s judgment of ecumenical religion at its peak. The reason for these seven last plagues will be just and fair because the Tribulational religious system will persecute and martyr those who are believers.

All seven Vial Judgments (also called bowls or drinking goblets) are judgments against religious unbelievers. They are designed to evangelize those who do not yet have the Mark of the Beast. For those unbelievers who will choose to accept the Mark of the Beast, their decision is considered by God to be final. The vial or bowl judgments will not touch believers.

The source of the seven last plagues is from the temple of the tabernacle in heaven. These seven last judgments represent the principle that the last hope for the unbeliever is evangelism by disaster. However, God never tampers with the free will of man, but puts them in a condition where they will give the Gospel a hearing.

The seven angels hold the rank to administer these judgments and this is necessary because they are going to be opposed by demons. Rev. 15:6.

“and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.” (Revelation 15:6, NASB)

The ecclesiastical religious system in the Tribulation will reject the work of Christ on the Cross, and therefore God sends them seven Vial Judgments, each containing the wrath of God. Each will be poured out upon those who reject the work of Jesus Christ.

The last four Vial or Bowl Judgments will be administered about 14 weeks from the end of the Tribulation. The First Vial or Bowl Judgment will cause a loss of health from a type of skin cancer that is not designed to kill them, but to make them realize they are very close to dying and designed to awaken them to their need of Jesus Christ as their Savior. Rev. 16:2.

“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.” (Revelation 16:2, NASB)

The Second Vial or Bowl Judgment will cause a loss of food from the sea. It will be designed to make them realize they need something besides food and materialistic things in life. Rev. 16:3.

“The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.” (Revelation 16:3, NASB)

The Third Vial or Bowl Judgment will be loss of fresh water. An angel protects the water supply. The fact that all people drink water and are sustained thereby is the grace of God. Rev. 16:4-7.

“Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it." And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."” (Revelation 16:4-7, NASB)

The Fourth Vial or Bowl Judgment will be weather catastrophe. This will be extreme heat for a short period of time, but not enough to tamper with their volition. Rev. 16:8-9.

“The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.” (Revelation 16:8-9, NASB)

The Fifth Vial or Bowl Judgment will be judgment by epidemic. Rev. 16:10-11.

“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11, NASB)

The Sixth Vial or Bowl Judgment will be military disaster. This prepares the way for the kings of the East and brings military forces to a place for their slaughter at the Second Advent. Rev. 16:12-16.

“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.” (Revelation 16:12-16, NASB)

The Seventh Vial or Bowl Judgment will be against the leadership of ecclesiastical religion. Four types of judgment will be involved - natural disturbance, judgment of cities, topographical upheaval, and hailstones. They will still reject Jesus Christ as Savior. Neither the love approach nor the judgment approach will budge the unbeliever from negative volition. Rev. 16:17-21.

“Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.” (Revelation 16:17-21, NASB)

Similarities to Plagues Moses performed in Egypt

The Vial or Bowl Judgments are similar to some of the plagues which Moses performed in Egypt. In the first plague, Moses turned water to blood. Exodus 7:17-18. The second and third vials also turn water into blood. Rev. 16:3-4.

“'Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. "The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile."'"” (Exodus 7:17-18, NASB)

“The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.” (Revelation 16:3-4, NASB)

In the second plague, frogs came through the land. Exodus 8:2. The sixth vial has demons like frogs operating against the rulers of the earth. Rev. 16:13.

“"But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs.” (Exodus 8:2, NASB)

“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;” (Revelation 16:13, NASB)

The sixth plague produced boils. Exodus 9:8-9. The first vial produces cancerous sores on the skin of religious people. Rev. 16:2.

“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. "It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt."” (Exodus 9:8-9, NASB)

The seventh plague produced hail. Exodus 9:22. The seventh vial will also produce hail, but this hail will be larger than the world has ever seen and will be huge in size and weight (100 pounds). For comparison, the world’s largest hailstone ever recorded weighed a little less than two pounds and measured 8 inches in diameter. Rev. 16:21.

“Now the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."” (Exodus 9:22, NASB)

“And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.” (Revelation 16:21, NASB)

The ninth plague produced darkness. Exodus 10:21. The fifth vial will produce darkness. Rev. 16:10-11.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt."” (Exodus 10:21, NASB)

Each Vial Judgment is designed with one purpose - to hit the world with maximum pressure at the end of the Tribulation in order to wake them up so that they will realize their need of Jesus Christ as Savior. Maximum pressure is bonafide, provided it does not tamper with human volition.