Inquiring Minds… Opening the Seal Judgments

Part 2

Tim Moore: Well, Nathan, that’s a lot to unpack in a single episode, but it’s important that we lay down a marker for what John records as the future foretold for those who have rejected Christ during this age of grace.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, we could really make a dividing line between the Church Age and the Tribulation time period based on what? The Rapture of the Church. And when we go to Revelation 4:1, we get a type of rapture as John is brought up to Heaven. It says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which much take place after this.'”

So it’s a beautiful scene of an end of the Church Age, which began at Pentecost. The Church is translated up to Heaven. We get our glorified eternal bodies. We’re now with John standing before the Throne Room of God in all its glory.

Tim Moore: We surely are. And as a matter of fact, John records just how wonderful it is with the worship, the four living creatures crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” And even at the end of chapter four, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

I think we’ve talked before how John is instructive to us. He does not have to say, “Oh, woe is me. I come from a people of unclean lips. I am a man of unclean lips,” because this side of the cross, John’s sins were already covered by the blood of Christ, just like yours and mine. So unlike Isaiah, we have nothing to fear when we come into the very presence of God.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, when we go back to Isaiah and Ezekiel, what their experience was being taken up to the Throne of God, the description is pretty similar except for this thing here. He sees the sevenfold Spirit of God, which is the Holy Spirit, but he sees 12 thrones with 12 elders sitting on the thrones, that wasn’t in the Old Testament. And it points to the fact that the Church is no longer here on Earth.

Elders is always a term for the Church Age elders. In other words, if you’re a believer, you’re one of the elders, and it very well may be that those of us who are saved will rotate and sit on those thrones. So it shows that something has changed in Heaven from John, from Isaiah and Ezekiel’s time.

Tim Moore: Well, I don’t know that I’ll get very much time on one of those thrones. Nathan and I may not be amongst the first that get to sit on them.

Nathan Jones: Pull it up, get a number. Right?

Tim Moore: Get a number. We’ll pull a number.

Nathan Jones: 10 million…

Tim Moore: Okay. I’m going to be waiting a while. But the point is we don’t know who are on the thrones. We do know that they are representative of those who are considered elders. We know even in Scripture, some of the writers of the letters were called the elder. And so this is a term that applies, it would seem primarily to the Church.

But there is a tremendous sadness in John even as he’s here in the Throne Room of God because as the scene unfolds, he sees something else that causes him to lament because, “In the right hand of Him who sat on the throne,” we’re in chapter five verse one, “a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. Now, our translation says book, you’ll hear us talk about scroll because in the old days, they didn’t have books the way we have printed and bound. They had scrolls and they were typically rolled up and then sealed oftentimes with wax.

This particular book or scroll has seven seals. “And a strong angel,” it says. Here you go, Nathan, with the mighty angels of Revelation, “Proclaiming a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?'” And John records, “No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look in it.” And he begins to weep greatly because no one is worthy until there’s someone who steps forth worthy to break the seals.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, it’s interesting about seals because we have to go, I guess the closest thing that we could think of is, in the old ancient Roman times or Middle Ages, when a king had a message that had to be delivered, he didn’t want the messenger or anybody else reading it. So they’d take wax and they’d melt it on the seal. And he’d take his signet ring, which is the, like you’ve got there from the Air Force, that stamps it. “Okay, this is the Air Force. You can’t read it unless you’re a colonel.” But the king would stamp it.

But what’s interesting, it’s seven, which is representative of the Sevenfold Spirit of God, the Seven Spirits of God or the Holy Spirit, and no one can open up this scroll. Now, what’s important about this scroll, it’s the title deed to the Earth. Now, no human has ever given up or been perfect or sacrificed. No angel has, even though they’re in their perfection, and haven’t sinned, are still worthy to open that scroll because that scroll came from the very Throne of God.

No wonder John started weeping and crying because all of humanity is lost if Satan continues to be the one dominating the Earth and controlling it because the title deed hasn’t rested in the Savior yet.

Tim Moore: It hasn’t rested in the Savior. And so we see that this Savior, in the form of a lamb, comes and is able to take the scroll and immediately those who are gathered around the throne break out into what is called a new song, “Worthy are You.” Who are they speaking to and of? Jesus Christ, to take the book and to break it seals for You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood, men from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
As an aside, Nathan, I think some people say, “Oh, you Christians, why do you have to talk about blood?” You know what? We do so because that’s how Scripture describes the purchase price of our souls, of our salvation, it was the blood of Jesus Christ. So it’s not something we came up with. It’s exactly what God described as what was effective for securing our salvation, the blood of the Lamb. And you, Jesus Christ have made them, that’s all of us who have put our trust into Him, to be a kingdom and priest to our God and they will reign upon the Earth. There’s another promise of that, which is to come when we return to the Earth with Him.

Nathan Jones: It’s interesting that Jesus showed up not in His earthly body, not in His glorified body, not the radiance we read earlier in Revelation 1, but as a lamb. And not just a lamb, a lamb had a slash across its throat, which is a ceremonial sacrifice. And He had seven horns and seven eyes. And it tells us right there. Folks, if you’re ever wondered, you know, the Book of Revelation, how does it make sense, these symbols?

The Revelation usually tells you. They are the Seven Spirits of God, the Sevenfold Spirit which we know is the Holy Spirit. In other words, He comes from the Throne of God itself. And isn’t it interesting that Jesus comes as a symbol first, and it must have really perplexed John, to see this, a dead lamb is going to be the One who’s worthy to take the seal? But somehow he knew that that was a representation of Jesus Christ.

Tim Moore: He did. And evocative of our own ministry namesake, I skipped over the verse in verse five.

Nathan Jones: That’s good.

Tim Moore: Where it says that he is told as he is weeping by one of the elders, who is already there in Heaven, “Stop weeping, behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its Seven Seals.” So he’s told, “Here comes the Lion, from the tribe of Judah.” But as he turns to look, he sees a lamb. It is the same person manifest as both the Lamb who was sacrificed, the Lamb of God, and the roaring Lion of Judah. So, folks, if you wonder, that’s what we get our name as a ministry. The Lamb & Lion Ministries points to the Lamb and the Lion who is no other than Jesus Christ.

Nathan Jones: And, remember, Jesus came first as a Lamb to suffer and die for our sins and will be coming back as a conquering Lion. Sometimes people get the Lamb and the Lion transpose in our name, but it’s Lamb first, then Lion.

Tim Moore: Amen. Well, obviously, Nathan, we look forward to the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the Earth during the Millennium. You’ve written about that extensively. When we get to reign, just as it describes in verse 10, because we have become a kingdom and priest to our God. Again, that’s not because of any merit of us, but because we were purchased by God for this purpose and we glorify Him along with all those in Heaven.

Nathan Jones: One of the great promises of the Church, and you could find it even in the Old Testament when it talked about the Old Testament saints, is that those who are faithful to the Lord are promised to rule and reign with Him. So this victory isn’t just the Lamb’s victory. And all glory and power is due to Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to take this scroll.

But the fact that He shares it with His children, that we become heirs and followers, and this goes all the way back to one of the reasons that Satan rebelled against God. He was disgusted that God’s creatures made in His image, who were so weak compared to the angelic world, would then be elevated over the angelic world and get to rule over them. That really bothered him.

Tim Moore: It does, to this day.

Nathan Jones: Yeah. And it’s again how God uses the small and weak to show His glory. He takes us in our fallen human sinful selves. He dies for us. You know, what an act of love. He cleanses us with His blood. And then He promotes us over His kingdom. I mean that’s just…

Tim Moore: It makes me want to break out and worship right now, which is why…

Nathan Jones: Yeah, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain…”

Tim Moore: Right, exactly. The Revelation Song, many of you love. I could sing it for you now, but I won’t do that at the moment. But straight from verse 12, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and honor, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and glory, and blessing.” And so we sing and praise the Lord Jesus Christ right now. We don’t have to wait till we get to Heaven. But I can just imagine the multitudes that will be shouting His praise in Heaven, and John tries to capture that.

And so here already in chapter five, we have a number of different worship songs recorded. And, Nathan, we have the privilege of joining with them in our human bodies, with our human voices right now.

Nathan Jones: And it’s not just the angelic world around the Lord; it’s not just the Church who will be raptured up there. Verse 13, “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and as such in the sea, all proclaim, ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever!'”

Do you know that one day, folks, we are going to sit, I think, stand, if you’re one of the elders you’ll be sitting before God. And we are going to join in this chorus, that’s part of the worship, the awe and majesty of God we’ll be bathed in. And, folks, we just can’t help fall. I am a terrible singer, Tim, unlike you who’ve got a great voice. Worship is just hard for me. And I’m looking forward to that day where it just flows naturally because finally in the presence of God, you can’t help but scream, “Worthy, worthy, worthy,” because He is worthy.

Tim Moore: Well, brother, you can make a joyful noise. Or like I tell a lot of my friends who say, “I don’t know if I can be in the choir,” we need some designated smilers because some choirs need more fellas and gals to just stand up there and smile because some people cannot smile whilst they sing. I enjoy singing and smiling when I’m praising the Lord God.

Nathan Jones: Bob Newhart said there’s a group that sits in the back, they’re the monotones, I’ll be back there with Bob Newhart.

Tim Moore: Well, you’ll be doing it in glory of the Lord, to praise Him. And that’s the most important thing.

Nathan Jones: Amen.

Tim Moore: So the bottom line is this glory that Jesus is receiving, and as Nathan said, every creature that has ever been created will confess that Jesus is Lord really determines not your fate eternally, you know you are going to say Jesus Christ is Lord. But the question is, will you do so of your will during this life, or will you do so on bended knee because you are forced to after this life?

So that’s really where we’re going today because the next chapter six is the Sealed Judgments. As Jesus Himself breaks the seals, we see the ramifications of what befalls the Earth on those who have been left behind.

Nathan Jones: Yeah. So we use chapter four and five to go up to Heaven. The Church is in Heaven. You won’t see the Church again until they return with Jesus in chapter 19. So we’re not talking about, if you’re saved now, you’re a member of the Church, we will be with the Lord in Heaven during this time.

But chapter six brings us down to the Earth in a time period called the Tribulation. Daniel tells us it’s seven years long, and it’s where God will pour out 21 of His judgments. The first seven are called the Seal Judgments because, as we said, that seal, that scroll has seven seals on it, and each one Jesus is popping the seal and releasing a judgment upon the Earth.

Tim Moore: Yeah. And so we will step through those fairly quickly today, because we’re going to study them in greater detail. Today our emphasis is on the question of whether you are sealed, in other words, sealed in Christ, or whether these Seal Judgments will befall you.

But as we move through them, as He breaks the First Seal, Nathan, you hear the first of these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, because the First Seal breaks and a white horse is sent forth and given to conquer. The Second Seal is broken, and a red horse is granted power to make war. The Third Seal is broken, and a rider, I should say, on a black horse is allowed to inflict famine on the Earth. And then the Fourth Seal, an ashen or a gray horse, with a rider that is called Death. I mean his very name is described, personified as death. And he’s given authority to kill one quarter of humanity.

So just in these first four Seals, we have the ability to conquer, to make war, to inflict famine, and to bring death to a quarter of the world’s population. In today’s terms, that’s a billion-and-a-half people.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, sometimes there’s a general misconception that the first half of the Tribulation is all peaceful. And the second half, the Great Tribulation is where all the judgments are. But from the onset, from the very breaking of the First Seal, we see this white horse rider whom we know the Bible says is the Antichrist. He’s that one world ruler that the globalists are trying to elevate who will one day come, and he comes with a bow and out of arrows. In other words, he’s a peacemaker. And he’s going to bring peace to the world supposedly. But once he’s got all the power, he shows his true self. And that’s the second horse war.

It’s interesting, when you look at the wars throughout history, what do you have? You have a great leader, a king who comes out. He wants to conquer and make his empire great. But what’s he end up doing? All the guys who are warriors are no longer farming or doing manufacturing. So poverty comes. From that poverty, disease and death. And so that’s going to happen on a global scale. Tim, the tragedy, when you think a quarter of the world population in just the first year or so of the Tribulation, I mean at eight billion people, that’s two billion people dead.

Tim Moore: So we know this is going to be a horrific time. No one wants to try to live through this because, let’s be frank, Nathan, even if someone was left behind and had the ability and the determination to accept Christ after the Rapture, they’re still going to be a part of the world population that suffers through these various judgments. And of course we know that because those who put faith in Christ after the Rapture leads us to Seal number five.

As the Fifth Seal is broken, then we see that there are martyrs under the altar in Heaven, and they are crying out to the Lord God. And they cry out with a loud voice saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” So, yes, there have been martyrs throughout the Church Age. There were martyrs in the Old Testament who had faith in the Lord God, but in Jesus Christ, specifically, throughout the Church Age, and yet they will be killed widespread during this Tribulation era.

Nathan Jones: Yeah. And this is something where a lot of people get this confused, because they think this is the Church being martyred. And they’ll look through the 2,000 years of church history and say that this is representing the last 2,000 years. But that’s not the truth. We’ve got to put in the Rapture of the Church. So the Church cannot possibly be there to be suffering. These folks are what we call Tribulation Saints. They’re the ones who will get saved after the Rapture.

Now 2 Thessalonians 2 makes the argument that those who go into the Tribulation with hard hearts, the Lord’s going to harden. He’s going to let them believe the Antichrist deception. And they’ll turn against those who have open hearts, accept Jesus as savior, and there’ll be a great martyrdom during that time. There’ll be a Babylonian religion, a Kumbaya, one world religion that will greatly persecute both Christians and Jews. And so this is sad, sad testament, that the fact that the entire—the anger that we saw at the Charlie Kirk assassination from the left is going to be on a global scale against Christians during that time.

Tim Moore: It certainly will. And, folks, those who wonder, well, is this the wrath of God, or is this just the Antichrist putting His wrath on the Earth or Satan through the person of the Antichrist? We get the answer to that question as Jesus breaks the Sixth Seal.

Because as He breaks the Sixth Seal, we see a great earthquake. So great that mountains are moved, islands are moved, the Sun turns black, maybe with all the ash in the air, the moon turns to blood. Nathan, we’ve got people who are always clamoring after the latest or the next blood moon as if it’s significant. That’s not what this is referring to. This is during the Tribulation itself.

Stars, great meteorites fall from Heaven and the sky, as the sky has rolled up. We think this could be some kind of a nuclear disaster as the Antichrist continues to exert his authority on the Earth. But the people who are living on the Earth recognize that they are living through the wrath of the Lamb.

This is in verse 16. “They say to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.'” Nathan, there’s no question that Jesus is breaking the seals. He is unleashing these various judgments, even allowing those who are wicked in their motivation, to exert authority on the Earth. But He is the one who is allowing this wrath to befall those who have rejected Him throughout this age.

Nathan Jones: Yeah. I’m always surprised that you see people who place the Rapture at the middle of the Tribulation or three quarters of the Tribulation. They say, “Well, the first half of the Tribulation is the wrath of man and the wrath of Satan.” But then how do you get past chapter 6:17? “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Or when you skip up to the Bowl Judgments in Revelation 15, it says, “The wrath of the lamb has ended.” Who opens each of those seals?

It can only be the Worthy Lamb, Jesus Christ. So that argument that this isn’t the wrath of Jesus, but the wrath of man or Satan doesn’t flow because of this verse. God could use the wrath of man and Satan to accomplish His goal. And that’s clearly what He does with the fifth Seal Judgment. But you’re absolutely right. And nuclear and nature, when you see videos of a nuclear bomb exploding and the sky rolls up like a scroll, I mean this is a prophecy about nuclear war.

Tim Moore: I would think it is. And we are not definitive about that.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, we’re not dogmatic.

Tim Moore: We’re just saying that it seems to fit what we understand through our modern sensibility of recognizing the technologies that exist. Well, Nathan, before we turn our attention to the Seventh Seal, which actually…

Nathan Jones: You have to skip to chapter eight.

Tim Moore: Yeah, exactly. A time of silence. Folks, we want to emphasize even right now, that we don’t want anyone to suffer through these Seal Judgments. It’s our prayer that every person watching this program or even hearing from someone who has watched this program will turn to Jesus Christ, confess their sins and accept His offer of salvation. To that end, we have a special offer for you with a new product from Lamb & Lion Ministries, talking about the Rapture and the urgency of sharing the Good News that there is salvation in none other than Jesus Christ.

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Part 3

Tim Moore: Well, welcome back to our program, talking about Seals or Sealed in the Book of Revelation. Nathan, as we closed out, we had broken the Sixth Seal. And just before we get to the seventh, the question is asked, who is able to stand? This chapter even ends, verse 17 of chapter 6. Who is able to stand? I think the answer is that, to that question, is only those who have put their faith in Christ. But this brings us to the Seventh Seal that is broken, and it is so horrific in what is yet to come, that there’s silence throughout Heaven.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, we’ve come with Seal Judgments, and we’re not talking about aquatic mammals. We’re talking about those seals on a parchment, that are broken. But differences between, okay, we saw the Seal Judgments, and now we get to chapter seven and we see a people who are sealed, the verb, not the noun. And this is where, folks, we get into the 144,000.

The 144,000 are going to be Jewish people, young men. It seems like they’re all virgins. So they’re probably late teens, early 20s. They will go into the Tribulation unbelievers, but they will accept Christ 12,000 from each tribe. And the Lord will put a seal on them to protect them. So even though they live through the Tribulation, they’re protected from satanic attacks. And we see that because of the great amount of martyrs that come out of the Tribulation, the fact these guys are evangelists…

Tim Moore: Yes, they are.

Nathan Jones: Dr. David Reagan used to say that 144,000 Apostle Paul’s will be out there shaking the world.

Tim Moore: That’s right. Exactly. And Jewish Apostle Paul’s, just like the original, who will be very emphatic, shall we say, and convincing. We don’t want to wait till that time to give our hearts over to Jesus Christ. And that’s our appeal to you today. But we know that there will be a number of people who do during the Tribulation.

Again, if you think, “Well, I’ll just wait and see and if the Rapture occurs, then I’ll trust in Christ.” Folks, you’re not guaranteed to live through today or this week or this month. So you cannot take that chance.

But, Nathan, as this Seventh Seal is broken, again we realize there’s yet more to come. And so it is portended by a period of quiet in Heaven. It’s 30 minutes of absolute silence.

Nathan Jones: Which shows that the world is preparing for something even worse. So as bad as the, I mean we’re talking about a quarter of the world population being killed and you’re saying, “Nathan, there’s going to be something worse than that.” Yes. The following seven Trumpet Judgements are even worse than the Seals. And after that, the seven Bowl Judgments, even worse as well.

The point is that Heaven needs to take a moment of silence before God sends those trumpeters out to trumpet their next seven Judgments. But even though the Seventh Seal is often considered, the judgment is the Seven Trumpets, it’s also surrounded by some other things, too. Noises, thunder, lightning, and great earthquakes over the Earth. So there are some physical judgments that come with the Seventh Seal.

Tim Moore: There certainly are. And we know that really everything we’re describing about the Seal Judgments, the Seals that await those who have rejected Jesus Christ and endure the Tribulation, of course many of them killed during the Tribulation, by the wars, the famines, by the Antichrist himself, we don’t want that to befall anyone listening today.

And yet everything that is described really is a fulfillment of what is said in Hebrews 10:31. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And the context is to fall into the hands of the living God who has wrath for those who have rejected His son, who have rejected His offer of salvation.
So our appeal to you right now is, don’t reject the living God. Accept the Lamb who was slain for you before the Lion of Judah roars and breaks these various Seals that fall on your head.

Nathan Jones: And people wondering, why in the world would God put such judgements upon the world? Well, you’ve gone through difficult time periods in your life. And you know that when difficulty comes, that’s when the atheist and the foxhole, so to speak, there are none, because they’re calling out to God for help. And this is how God gets the world to finally get to their knees, and either as we see curse God in the Sixth Seal Judgment or call upon Him for salvation.

Tim Moore: Well, as Billy Graham used to say, “The same sun that melts the butter, hardens the clay.” We pray that your heart will be melted and yielded to the Lord God.

Closing

Tim Moore: Well, obviously we entitled this episode, “Seals or Sealed.” The fact of the matter is that there are only two outcomes for people who are left behind following the Rapture. You are either going to be sealed as a redeemed follower of Christ and likely martyred or you will suffer through the wrath of the Lamb as the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments are poured out on the Earth and the Earth experiences unparalleled Tribulation.

Nathan Jones: John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, because the wrath of God abides on him.”

Even if the Lord comes for His Church next week, no one watching today is guaranteed to live to see it. That is why we urge you to confess your sinfulness and place all your trust in Christ alone. Call upon Him and believe in Him, and you will be saved from the wrath to come.

Tim Moore: This program will air shortly after Thanksgiving in the United States, and we certainly have much to be thankful for, but the angels in Heaven rejoice when a single sinner turns to the Lord and is redeemed. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ and gained eternal life, we would love to rejoice with you as well. Just reach out to us and let us know that you have chosen to be sealed by Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Nathan Jones: If you’d like to take a deep dive into the Book of Revelation, just call the number on the screen and order our Revelation Study Guide. It’s filled with QR code links to audios that will help you understand all that John recorded.

And if you’d like to be able to share the hope of the Rapture and a warning to those who are lost, just reach out to us and request our new tri-fold track entitled: Before It’s Too Late. It is a quick and easy read that explains, “What the Rapture means to you.”

Tim Moore: In our next Inquiring Mind Series episode, we’ll return to Revelation to consider the joy filled hope it represents to followers of Jesus. For now, we look forward to joining with the myriad of saints and angels worshiping the Lord around His throne. Even now, we sing the new song of Revelation 6: “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals, for You were slain, and purchase for God with Your blood, men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made us to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and we will reign upon the Earth. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

Amen, and amen. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! And Godspeed!!

End of Program