Revelation 6-7: First Six Seals and the Redemption of Israel

I believe that the symbolic First to Fifth Seals in Revelation 6:1-11 metaphorically describe tribulations that began about 20 centuries ago and are still ongoing, which include: 1) conquests, tyrannies, and empires, 2) wars and assassinations, 3) financial disasters and famines, 4) death and pestilences, and 5) martyrdom of God’s people. These also correspond to what Jesus described in the Olivet Discourse: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places…” (Matt. 24:7). Luke adds “pestilences” to the list (Lk. 21:11). Jesus also said: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death…” (Matt. 24:9), referring to both Christians and Jews. It cannot be denied that this is precisely what has been happening worldwide ever since Jesus spoke those words.

Referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Jews from their land about 2,000 years ago, Jesus added: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matt. 24:21). It is important to see that Jesus said those words in the context of Israel and the Jewish nation, since Luke specified: “wrath against this people.” They would fall by the edge of the sword and be taken captive among all the nations, while Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk. 21:23-24). Even though Israel saw its temporary demise during the Roman Empire (as predicted in Daniel 8:17, 23), it is now restored back in its land. The “end” that we expect to come sometime in the future has yet not arrived. Jesus clarified: “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet” (Matt. 24:6). As quoted by Luke: “And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Lk. 21:9). In other words, even after the destruction of the Temple and dispersion of the Jews, “the end” would not be right away.

Regarding the Sixth Seal, I don’t believe that it represents the “Day of Wrath” or mid-point of the “seven years of Tribulation,” as the Midtribulationists propose, but is merely a foretaste and warning to unbelievers of what is later to come. Even though the “kings of the earth” and all peoples may feel that this is “the great day of their wrath” (referring to the wrath of Him “who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb”), it really isn’t. That is merely the way unbelievers interpret the catastrophic events which the Christians often predicted. If taken literally, it would mean the total annihilation of all creation and the solar system, because it says that all the celestial bodies will be cast out of their place and the land masses on earth will disappear. Those literal events would represent such a catastrophe that no one could survive!

What if this Sixth Seal is also to be understood metaphorically? What if it is just enough suffering to make unbelievers fear, repent, and believe in Jesus (Yeshua)? After all, the resurrection won’t occur until the Seventh Trumpet sounds (Rev. 11:12), and we won’t see an absolute disappearance of all things until much later with the “new heaven” and “new earth” (Rev. 21:1). What if these events are supposed to be seen as signs of the soon appearing of the Lord in the clouds to raise His saints, offering a last opportunity to the unsaved to believe in Him? These could represent extended global crises that will happen (and are already happening) throughout the world. We have experienced many catastrophic events around the world in our times, and people are giving much attention to apocalyptic scenarios in the news and through movies and books. These definitely do not represent the end of the world, but are events sufficiently shocking enough to draw the attention of all people, both believers and unbelievers, especially the Jews.

This is also very similar to Joel 3, where God announces that there will be a moment of decision before the “day of the Lord” when He comes in judgment. The heavens will turn dark, and there will be great earthquakes, similar to the Sixth Seal, but it is described in warning as merely being “near,” while the Lord is a refuge to His people in Jerusalem.

“Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel” (Joel 3:14-16).

Thus, I propose that the Sixth Seal is just a prelude to the Seventh Seal, which in turn includes the signs and events surrounding all Seven Trumpets as its sub-components. God orders the angels to wait and not harm the earth until “the servants of God” have received His “seal” on their foreheads, which is clearly a representation of the Holy Spirit (Rev. 7:1-3). Revelation 7:1 begins with the Greek words “kai metá tavta,” translated in the ESV as “after this.” Nevertheless, “metá” more often carries the idea of a closeness or link between two things, rather than a separation. This Greek phrase actually connects one thing to the next, so it should be better understood to mean “and together with these things,” or “and in accompaniment of these things.” Clearly, there is a direct correlation between the signs of the Sixth Seal and the redemption of Israel, plus the events of the symbolic “seven Trumpets.” They should all be described as occurring during or near each other, rather than separately. Thus, my understanding is that those things which we read in Revelation 7:1-8 will occur closely together with the heavenly signs of the Sixth and first Six Trumpets, leading up to the end of the “tribulation of those days” (Matt. 24:29). The symbolic 144,000 among Israel who will receive God’s “seal” does not limit the amount of those who will be saved to only 12,000 from each tribe, but to the whole community of Israel that will come to the saving recognition of Yeshua as their promised Messiah. (Rev. 14:1 also states that these will have the Lamb’s and Father’s name “written on their foreheads.”) This could also represent what Joel 2:27-32 says about God’s people returning to Him and receiving the Holy Spirit during the tribulation of the last days before the resurrection/rapture:

“You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh [i.e. believers in the New Covenant]; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions…And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved [rescued by leaping out]. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape [or are delivered], as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls” (Joel 2:27-32).

From the above verses (note that in the original Hebrew text, this segment is identified as Joel 2:27 and Joel 3:1-5), I perceive 5 main eschatological events: (1) Israel will believe in Yeshua as their God and Messiah, and nevermore be put to shame. Afterwards, (2) they will receive the Holy Spirit. (3) The world will see heavenly wonders and signs, which will come before (4) the “great and awesome day of the Lord” [His appearance], when (5) the Lord will save or gather the survivors whom He calls forth (Matt. 24:29-31). As in Daniel 12:1, the Hebrew word “malat” in v. 32 implies a rescue by leaping out, or also an escape.

Revelation 7:9-17 also begins with “metá tavta” (“at the same time”), and describes innumerable multitudes of those saved from every nation, tribe, people, and language group of the world standing before the throne and the Lamb. I understand that this could be all the saints that are already in heaven, those that were previously saved out of their tribulations, or could also include those who are waiting to be raised at the Seventh Trumpet and joining them as one body. God has wiped away all their tears, and the Lamb will guide them to “springs of living water” (Rev. 7:17). What I see as very significant is that verse 14 identifies these people as “the ones coming out of the great tribulation…” This is the only place in the entire book of Revelation where the term is used, precisely regarding all believers, including the Jewish people. All will have survived their tribulations and are identified as washed in the blood of the Lamb: “…They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). The similar description of the 144,000 people in Revelation 14:1-5 also refers to the salvation of Jewish people, as these “follow the Lamb” and “have been redeemed from mankind” (v. 4).

Thus, I understand that the first Five Seals represent an extended period of time during the past two millennia until now. And God has and will continue to obtain Israel’s attention during the upheavals of the symbolic Sixth Seal and first Six Trumpets in order to reveal Himself to His people and “seal” them with His Holy Spirit. The Jewish people have always looked for special divine signs, and Jesus once referred to the sign of Jonah as something that illustrated His death and resurrection (Matt. 12:39-40). Thus, these signs of the symbolic Sixth Seal and first Six Trumpets will be such eye-openers for the Jewish people that they will recognize them as the announcement for their long-awaited Messiah. They will see these as the “footsteps of the Messiah” (Ps. 89:51), which is a common Jewish concept, and they will finally believe that Jesus (Yeshua) was their Messiah all along! There are already many Jewish Messianic believers, and many more are seeking Him because of their tribulations. Among the orthodox Jews there are several popular songs asking the Messiah to not hide His face from them anymore, as it says in Ezekiel 39:29: “And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”

We must remember that God temporarily hardened the Jews’ hearts so that the Gentiles would have the opportunity to be grafted into the olive tree and partake of the holy roots (which represent Jesus or Yeshua). Then the Jews will also come to believe (Rom. 11:13-26). Christians should feel a debt of gratitude to them, even though it means that the Jews missed out on their blessing for almost 2,000 years. But their epic moment of spiritual revelation and understanding is described by Zechariah, when he said:

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zech. 12:10).

All Israel will mourn when they realize that they had been wrong for so many centuries and had unnecessarily suffered so many disasters, all because they would not believe in Yeshua as the Son of God and Messiah. But this is something only God can do, as He takes advantage of their tribulations and worldwide disasters to reveal Himself to His people. According to the following verses, each tribe and family will receive this revelation on their own and not through evangelistic efforts or through the teaching of their rabbis: “…the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves…” (Zech. 12:12).

This will be the most epic moment in all of Jewish history! How God will do this is impossible to know, but their centuries of denial and rebellion will finally come to an end, and they will realize their horrible mistake. At that moment, “there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1). This sealing of the 144,000 is also the ultimate fulfillment of God’s original purposes for His kahal (ekklesía, as termed in the Septuagint). At this moment, Jews and Gentiles will truly become one congregation of called-out people. God’s “church” or ekklesía will become its true and rightful self, a holy union of both Jewish and Gentile people of God, “one new man in place of two” (Eph. 2:15), as illustrated by the anticipated heavenly joy and celebration in Revelation 7:9-17 and 14:1-5.

Jesus clarified that before He appears in the clouds to raise His elect (Matt. 24:29-31), we should watch the “fig tree,” which clearly represents Israel. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near” (Matt. 24:32). Figuratively, Israel will “sprout leaves” and “branch out,” ready to produce its “fruit,” which seems to refer to their reestablishment as a nation. Jesus implied that this would come only after many long centuries of desolation, as He said:

“See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Mat 23:38-39). 

The Jews will joyfully welcome Him and receive Him as the One who comes in the name of HaShem (the unpronounceable Name) as their own long-awaited Messiah!

“So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:33-34).

Thus, the generation that sees Israel’s salvation and the heavenly signs is the one that will see Him appear in the clouds to gather His people!