THE FOURTH AND FIFTH SEALS, AND THE “WHITE ROBES” IDENTIFICATION

06-29-14  This message may be viewed live streaming video at www.tabernacleofmoses.org commencing today Sunday at 11:00am, and repeated 24/7 for one week; thereafter, the audio and notes without video are archived.

SYNOPSIS: THE FIRST THREE SEALS

All Seven seals are presented in chronological order, one built upon another

(Rev 6:1-8)  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 [strong delusion]: 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 [war – the color of blood]: 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 [famine and pestilence]; 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.

1. (Mat 24:7,8)  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes [Gk: commotions, gales], in divers [many] places.  All these [strong delusion, war, famine and pestilence] are the beginning of sorrows.

THE FOURTH SEAL OVERVIEW

(Rev 6:7,8)  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 [pale is the color of the dead]: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him [for the unsaved]. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and [to kill] with hunger, and [to kill] with death, and [to kill] with the beasts [Gk: a dangerous animal: - (venomous, wild) beast] of the earth. [I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. Eccl 3:18] 

A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN OCCURENCES WITHIN THE FOURTH SEAL

(Mat 24:9-14)  Then [during the course of the fourth seal] shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake [i.e., because of our witness for Jesus Christ]. And then shall many be offended [Gk: “scandalized”; entrapped, tripped up (fig. stumble or enticed to sin, apostasy or displeasure)], and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets [including the news media] shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity [Gk: illegality, wickedness /// lawlessness] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold [i.e., even the best of professing pseudo-Christians shall become drawn to, distracted by, and “choked [Gk: strangled completely] with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” Luke 8:14; this is seed sown among thorns]. But he that shall endure [Gk: patiently suffer] unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come [i.e., the end of the fourth seal, and…].

THE SIGN

OF THE ONSET OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION

(Mat 24:15-20)  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place [the ultimate perversion: a woman President of the United States of America, the most powerful position in the world, directly equivalent to being the High Priest of the world], (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day [strict limitations on sabbath day walking distance for Jews]:

THE GREAT TRIBULATION (THE FIFTH SEAL)

(Mat 24:21,22)  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake [indicating that we shall still be here in the flesh] those days shall be shortened.

(Rev 6:9-11)  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the [“brass… brasen” altar: Exo 27:1-8] 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 [the color of innocence and purity] 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 [shepherds, pastors] also and their brethren [sheep, congregation], that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled [i.e., come to an end, i.e., the end of the fifth seal].

THE “WHITE ROBES” IDENTIFICATION OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION SAINTS OF Rev 6:9-11

(Rev 7:13-17)  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes [ref: Rev 6:11]? and whence [from where] 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 [pure and innocent] 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.

A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN OCCURANCES WITHIN THE FIFTH SEAL

(Mat 24:23-28)  Then [during the great tribulation] if any man shall say unto you [The Lord is speaking unto living Christians], Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not [Why not? Because “the kingdom of God is within you” Luke 17:21; and “the glory which shall be revealed in us” Rom 8:18]. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders [greatly intensified strong delusion]; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [However that is not possible, if we are saved, because we have the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:6) dwelling within us]. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth [instantly] even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be [He shall suddenly arise out of us]. For wheresoever the carcase is [Gk: dead body: corpse], there will the eagles [eagle saints: Isa 40:31] be gathered together [Gk: sunago; assembled].

1.  Commentary: “so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” = At the ascension of Jesus Christ,   two men who stood by in white apparel (two angels) said “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come [referring to His Second Coming] in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). “into heaven”? Please note that Jesus said “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Where does God live, for wherever God lives is His kingdom and His heaven. Jesus Christ undeniably lives with God as part of the triune Godhead in heaven. Well then, let us see… Jesus came (arose) the first time out of Mary (Heb: rebellious) who formerly represented all unsaved mankind, and at His Second Coming, He shall arise again out of us many brethren (now obedient), who represent all saved mankind (Rom 8:18; 2 Thes 1:7,10,12). In effect, we are pregnant.

2.  Commentary: “for wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” = This is a description of true saved Christians, those Christians which are alive and remain at the time of our Lord’s Second Coming being “caught up together with them [the dead in Christ] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thes  4:17), an experience extra-biblically known as “The Rapture.”

3.  Commentary: “be gathered together” = Gk: sunago is the assembling of the wheat into the barn of the Lord Jesus Christ, versus the Gk: sullego or the collection of the tares to burn them (Mat 13:30).

a. Commentary: “barn” = a structure assembled of, in order, wild trees, wooden boards, finished (mature) men. The barn of Jesus Christ is the New Testament biblical fulfillment of the Old Testament types and shadows of the Garden of Eden (fruit trees), Noah’s ark, and the tabernacle of Moses.

THE SIXTH CHRONOLOGICAL SEAL (A WONDERFUL SEAL – FOR US)

(Rev 6:12,13)  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 [shall not give her light], 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.

To be continued…, the Lord willing. Amen