Fr. Abraam Sleman's Blog

  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...

Intro to the Seven Seals The vision of the scroll, introduced in chapters 4 and 5, begins here. Christ received the scroll sealed with seven seals from God (Rev. 5:1–7). The first four seals reveal four horses and their riders. These are commonly called “The Horses of the Apocalypse” (Rev. 6:1–8). Many commentators assume the Horses of the Apocalypse represent the work of the Antichrist, who will soon unleash a series of end-time devastations. Thus, some commentators have exchanged the passage’s Christ-centered view for a demonic one over the last century!  On the other hand, many Christians believe the white horse (the first rider) symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ. It would make no sense that opening the scroll would bring destruction and calamity to God’s people. The bitter weeping of John as he was looking for someone worthy to open the sealed scroll would also make no sense if disaster followed the opening of the scroll (Rev. 5:4). Likewise, the praises in heaven would also mak...

  The Lamb and The Scroll (Rev. 5:1–14) The indescribable majesty and glory of God trigger praises to God by the four living beings and the twenty-four priests. They begin a series of hymns in awe, celebrating God as the creator.  The events of chapter 5 occur right after those of chapter 4. The focus of attention now shifts to a seven-sealed scroll in the hand of God. No one could read or open the scroll because God sealed it with seven seals, and no one was worthy to open it. 5:1 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. The Scroll The Greek word “ βιβλίον Biblion” does not refer to a book in the modern sense but to a scroll (Rev. 6:14). A scroll was a long piece of papyrus or animal skin rolled from both ends into the middle. Writers used such scrolls before the invention of the codex, or modern-style book, consisting of pages bound together. The Scroll’s Contents The preterists,...

The Letter to Sardis (Rev. 3:1–6)   Sardis was the capital city of Lydia in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). During its days as a Roman city, Sardis became an important Christian center. However, the city’s complacency and reliance on past glory affected the church at Sardis: “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). Sardis, the dead church, was like “whitewashed tombs which... appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones” (Matt. 23:27). Its thriving, healthy appearance masked an inner decay. [1] The Correspondent 3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. The Lord Jesus Christ draws His descriptions from the vision of “the One like the Son of Man” (Rev. 1:12–17). The letter to Sardis outlines an additional component from the salutation, in (Rev. 1:4, where th...