The Mystery of the Seven Seals (Pt. 6a)

THE SIXTH SEAL:

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake...

Jesus opens the sixth seal and the first thing John sees is an EARTHQUAKE. This speaks of a great shaking to precede the sixth church age, some event that was to impact every nation on the planet. I believe the shaking referred to here began with WWI and WWII.

This period of world war had the following effect on the church...

The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, 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. (Rev 6:12-13)

The "sun" speaks of the witness of the Holy Spirit. The "moon" speaks of the witness of the church. And the "stars" speak of the witness of individual believers.

Sackcloth was worn in ancient Israel as a sign of grieving or mourning. Here we see the "sun" (Holy Spirit) in a state of grieving over the result of this "earthquake".

"Blood moon" was a typical expression in the ancient world to describe a lunar eclipse. During such an event, as the earth passes between the sun and moon, the shadow of the earth turns the "moon" blood red. This speaks of the witness of the church (moon) being cut off from the Holy Spirit (sun) by the shadow of the earth (world).

The expression "untimely figs" refers to figs that appear in winter. These figs were inedible and would easily fall from the tree if shaken by a wind. Here John describes the "stars of heaven" falling to the earth like these winter figs. The "stars" speak of individual believers. Their fall to the earth speaks of a fall from the Kingdom into worldliness. The "wind" that shakes them from the Kingdom is a doctrine rooted in worldly not Godly wisdom, specifically, a watered down gospel.

But why was the church effected this way by world wars?

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (Rev 6:15-16)

John sees men of every station of life suddenly fearing the wrath of God because of this "earthquake" (wars and rumors of wars). He sees these men running into "dens and the rocks of mountains" to hide from God's wrath.

This speaks of the untold thousands of men, women, and children who, out of fear of things to come, flooded into the church (dens, rocks) during this era of world wars. The result was a worldwide church that quickly swelled in numbers. However, for the most part, these were people who wanted Jesus as their savior, but not as their Lord.

With the mainstream church overflowing with carnally minded people, the doctrines of the church gradually became more and more reflective of what the carnal heart would tolerate. Teachings had to become more "user friendly" to maintain the ranks and keep the people coming to church and tithing.

The direct result of this was the grieving (sackcloth) of the Holy Spirit (sun).

Pt. 2 to follow...