What are the seven Seals of Revelation?
The seven seals in Revelation are not events themselves but a preview or table of contents for what is written inside the book in God's hand, revealing the major agents and themes that will unfold once the book is opened in Revelation 8 and following.
The seven seals cover a book seen in the right hand of God, sealed shut and written on both sides. Only the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is found worthy to open it. As each seal is broken, John does not hear the words read aloud, instead he is shown a vision, being told to "come and see" rather than "come and hear." This is because the seals themselves do not trigger events on earth; they announce, in vivid picture form, what is already written within the book, much like a table of contents describes chapters before you read them.
The first seal reveals a white horse whose rider carries a bow, receives a crown, and goes forth conquering. The second seal reveals a red horse whose rider is given power to take peace from the earth and to cause men to kill one another with a great sword. The third seal reveals a black horse whose rider holds a pair of balances, showing control over famine and economic hardship, tied to the words, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine" (Revelation 6:6). The fourth seal reveals a pale horse ridden by Death, with Hell following after him, and the two are given power over a fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, hunger, death, and the beasts of the earth.
The fifth seal shows the souls of those slain for the word of God and for their testimony, crying out from under the altar, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" They are given white robes and told to rest a little season until the number of their fellow martyrs is complete. The sixth seal is different from the rest: rather than pointing to one theme, it gathers up a sweeping vision of everything the book will later unfold in detail, a great earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon becoming as blood, the stars falling, the heavens departing as a scroll, and every mountain and island being moved. Men hide in the dens and rocks of the mountains, crying for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. This same seal includes four angels holding back the winds until the servants of God are sealed, the sealing of a hundred and forty four thousand from the twelve tribes of Israel, and a vision of a great multitude in white robes, who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, standing before the throne worshiping God and being comforted, so that they hunger and thirst no more and God wipes away all tears from their eyes.
The seventh seal is the final binding force that had kept the book closed. When it is opened, there is silence in heaven for about half an hour, not because something new is beginning, but because the outward writing has now been fully revealed and the book itself can finally be opened and read. Right after this silence, seven angels are given seven trumpets, and another angel offers incense with the prayers of the saints at the golden altar before casting fire onto the earth, followed by voices, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. This marks the true beginning of the events contained within the book itself, the trumpet judgments, the vials of wrath, and ultimately the establishing of Christ's kingdom on the earth.
The scriptures
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
From the books
This answer is drawn from these passages in the Mary Banks Faith Library.