God the Father, sitting on his throne, was holding something in His right hand. It was a scroll the creator of the universe had personally authored. The apostle John attests to this in a vision. “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.” (Revelation 5:1). John then weeps much because no one was deemed worthy enough to open the scroll. But one of the “elders” around the throne informed John that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Jesus) was worthy to open the scroll because of His sacrifice on the cross. (Revelation 4:5,9). “Then He (Jesus) came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” (Revelation 4:7)
In the days when Revelation was written, official scrolls containing privileged information were sealed with a wax seal embossed with a royal impression denoting authority. Unauthorized removal resulted in severe punishment. This scroll was sealed with seven such seals, an indication of the importance and perfection of what was written therein. These seals were placed there by God Himself. Only one person in all the universe other than the Father could unseal this document. The Son. In Revelation chapter six, we see Jesus opening the scroll.
The timing of the unfurling of this scroll is critical. It marks a change in God’s focus toward mankind. Judgment is beginning. It represents the commencement of the prophesied 70th week of Daniel, the “time of Jacobs’ trouble”, a seven-year period often called the tribulation. It’s the final stage of human government on this earth prior to the establishment of Jesus’ kingdom. It is marked by the pinnacle and end of Mystery Babylon’s rule and the God-permitted rise of the antichrist to his position of power. The beginning of this seven-year period coincides with the “confirmation of the covenant” mentioned in Daniel 9:27. It ends with the battle of Armageddon, the resurrection of those belonging to Christ, and Jesus’s physical return to reign on the earth.
All this is authorized by Jesus to commence when He opens the scroll. All the turmoil caused by evil mankind, the dominance of the antichrist, and the judgments from God, beginning with the release of the four horsemen and ending with the horrific bowl judgments are set in motion. I’ll address these “four horsemen” in a subsequent post. As Jesus pops each one of these seals, John sees a vision of a particular event occurring during this week. Keep in mind that these events are not happening immediately as each seal is broken, John’s visions are what is happening. He sees a sequence of events beginning with the release of the first of the four horsemen and ending with God’s full wrath poured out on the ungodly. These events cannot begin to happen until the scroll is fully opened and unfurled and Jesus’s approval of the actions and judgments contained therein is given.
At present, we are nearing the end of the sixth millennium since creation. The events and judgments described in this seven-sealed scroll take place over the last seven years of this millennium. Then comes the seventh millennium, the kingdom reign of Christ. This means we’re close. We’re fast approaching the time when Jesus takes the scroll from His Father’s hand. Are you ready?
Maranatha, Jim
❤️