Fr. Abraam Sleman's Blog

  Multitude Before the Throne (Rev. 7:9–17) The previous vision (Rev. 7:1-3) revealed God sealing seal the one hundred and forty-four thousand, forming a new creation in Christ and demonstrating the characteristics of this new creation. Here is another vision where God reveals the new creation appears as a great multitude of people in their eternal blessedness. They are before the throne of God in the full manifestation of His Kingdom. Showing them in heaven is intended to encourage the church toward its heavenly triumph, a needed message for the church at all times, especially in the time of spiritual decline and suffering. Great Multitude 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, John saw a multitude, too large to count, before the throne. The four-word description “na...

  One Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand (Rev. 7:4–8) The seal of the living God, in (Rev. 7:3), denotes the indwelling of God’s Spirit in the believers (1 Cor. 3:16). The seal of God is not exclusive to the disciples at the Pentecost. Instead, it is for all believers in Christ. God seals His people, making them as one body of the new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). According to the Spirit, they are Israel of God (Gal. 6:16; Gal. 3:26–29; Rom. 2:28–29). 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousands of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:  The identity of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, in (Rev. 7), is heavily debated. However, many commentators see them, and their number one hundred and forty-four thousand, as symbolic. Most of the numbers in the Book of Revelation have symbolic significance. John identifies the sealed people and their origins as a symbol of the characteristics of the new creation in...

  Angels of the Winds (Rev. 7:1–3) 7:1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.  The expressions “after this” or “after these things” are usually followed by the verb eidon (“to see”). They are used several times in Revelation to introduce a new vision (Rev. 4:1; 7:1, 9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1). [1] The use of “after this” in this passage depicts events that come chronologically after Chapter 6. [2] The scene now goes on from revealing the impact of Christ’s resurrection and the glories that would follow (1 Pet. 1:11). The phrase “the four corners of the earth” refers to the whole earth by designating the four primary points on the compass (north, south, east, and west), from which the four winds originate. The Four Angels As the vision unfolded, John first saw four angels that looked as though God had given them power ove...

  The Sixth Seal (Rev. 6:12–17) With the opening of the first five seals, God has revealed His plan thus far. First, he sent His Eternal Word, incarnated, and became man without sin (the first seal). Then God made the Lord Jesus Christ sin by carrying our sins (the second seal) and becoming a curse (the third seal). Finally, through the eternal Spirit of God, Christ tasted death (the fourth seal) and went to Hades (the fifth seal). In sequence, it makes much sense to view breaking the sixth seal as revealing the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and leading to the glories that follow (Rev. 6:12–17). 6:12 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. The opening of the sixth seal revealed what looks like worldwide catastrophes, including the first of three great earthquakes, mentioned in  (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18–19). If we take these events literally...

  The Fifth Seal (Rev. 6:9–11) 6:9 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. The Lamb broke the fifth seal, and God revealed another milestone in the divine plan. John saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar (Rev. 6:9). Under the Altar The imagery of the souls under the altar has its roots in the Old Testament. When the priest presents an animal sacrifice on the altar, the priest pours the remaining blood of the offerings at the base of the brazen altar (Lev. 4:7,18,25, 30). According to (Lev. 17:11), the flesh's life (the soul) is in the blood. So, the souls went under the altar when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed their blood (Gen. 4:11). Hebrews believed all souls of the dead, whether they are righteous or evil, go to Hades. So Jacob said to his children, “you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol [Hades] in sorrow” (Gen. 42:38, NASU). According...

  The Fourth Seal (Rev. 6:7–8) 6:7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” The fourth seal follows the pattern of the first three. The Lamb broke the seal, and the fourth living creature heralded the fourth horse and its rider. 6:8 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. The Description of the Horse A Pale Horse John describes the final horse as ashen (pale). Chlōros (ashen, pale), from which the English words “ chlorophyll” and “chlorine” derive, refers to a sickly, pale, yellow-green color. More specifically, it describes green vegetation (Rev. 8:7, 9:4; Mark 6:39). The horse’s color vividly portrays the pale-green pallor of the decomposition of a corpse. Fittingly, the rider who sat on the pale hors...

  The Third Seal (Rev. 6:5–6) 6:5 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. As the Lamb of God opened the third seal, the mighty voice of the third living creature heralded the coming of the third horse and its rider. The Description of the Horse A Black Horse Scriptures connect the color black with famine. Thus Jeremiah said,  “Our skin has become as hot as an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine” (Lam. 5:10, NASU). The Description of the Rider Having a Pair of Scales The balance (scales) symbolizes judgment. So to pronounce God’s judgment to Belshazzar, the king, God said to him, “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting” (Dan. 5:27). Balance also symbolizes famine. A shortage of food will always increase prices and force the government to ration what is available. “To eat bread by weight” is a Je...

  The Second Seal (Rev. 6:3–4) 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Christ, the Lamb of God, opened the second seal. The second living creature announced the revelation of the second element in God’s plan of redemption through Christ. The Description of the Horse 6:4 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. The full description of the riders fits perfectly with sin, which takes peace away, causes war between nations, and makes people kill one another. Fiery Red Horse John saw a rider on a “fiery red” horse. “Red” occurs many times in Revelation to symbolize the evil that leads to terror and bloodshed: the red dragon (Rev. 12:3), the red beast (Rev. 17:3). The Description of the Rider Taking Out Peace It was granted to the rider “to take peace from the eart...