Questions about prophecy
What does the Bible say about the end?
Each answer comes from the books of Dr. Mary Banks, with the scriptures it rests on and the books it is drawn from.
The Seven Seals
The scroll opened by the Lamb, and the four horsemen.
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.
Who is worthy to open the seven sealed book?
Only Jesus Christ, called the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David, was found worthy to open the sealed book and loose its seven seals.
What does the first Seal and the white horse represent?
The first seal shows a white horse whose rider carries a bow, is given a crown, and goes forth conquering; one teaching says this rider is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, while another teaching says the four horses (including this one) are real angelic beings sent by God, and that this rider pictures a conquering spirit of deception used as judgment on those who reject the Gospel.
What does the second Seal and the red horse represent?
The second seal reveals a red horse whose rider is given power to take peace from the earth, causing war and mutual slaughter, and he is armed with a great sword; this rider is identified as an angel who oversees matters of war and peace on the earth.
What does the third Seal and the black horse represent?
The third seal opens to reveal a black horse whose rider carries a pair of balances, representing famine and severe economic hardship on the earth, with food rationed and sold at inflated prices while oil and wine remain untouched.
What does the fourth Seal and the pale horse represent?
The fourth seal shows a pale horse whose rider is named Death, with Hell following close behind, and together they are given power over a fourth part of the earth to kill by sword, famine, death, and wild beasts.
Who are the souls under the altar in the fifth Seal?
The souls under the altar in the fifth seal are the martyrs, those slain for the word of God and for the testimony they held; they are believers who gave their lives for their faith in Christ.
What happens when the sixth Seal is opened?
When the sixth seal is opened, John sees a great earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon becoming as blood, the stars falling, the heavens rolling back like a scroll, and every mountain and island being moved, followed by the sealing of the 144,000 and the appearing of a great multitude of the redeemed before the throne.
Why is there silence in heaven at the seventh Seal?
The silence in heaven when the seventh seal is opened marks the moment when all the outward writing on the sealed book, previewed through the first six seals, has been fully revealed, and now the sealed book itself is about to be opened so its hidden contents, the trumpet and vial judgments, can begin to unfold.
Who are the four horsemen of the Apocalypse?
The four horsemen are the riders of the white, red, black, and pale horses revealed when the Lamb opens the first four seals in Revelation 6; they are real angelic beings sent by God, not symbols of nations or the devil, and their identity is clarified by the four spirits of heaven in Zechariah.
Are the Seals events or announcements of events?
According to this teaching, the Seven Seals are not events happening on earth but announcements or previews of what is written inside the sealed book; the actual events begin only once the book itself is opened and read, starting with the trumpet judgments in Revelation 8.
How do the Seals relate to the Trumpets and the Vials?
The Seven Seals are not events in themselves but a kind of table of contents that previews what is written inside the sealed book; once the seventh seal is opened, the book itself unfolds as the actual Trumpet Judgments and Vial Judgments that occur on the earth.