This is a condensed summary of a very detailed study of the letters, trumpets, bowls and seals of The Book of Revelation which goes verse by verse through the relevant sections of the Book. The Interpretations in the study and the summary below are based on the replacement of the numbers and Biblical symbols in the Biblical text with their interpreted meanings.
The seven seals appear to summarise the Church age from the viewpoint of a series of enfolding events. The opening of the seals reveals the state of God's people at their various stages, what is in store for them (declared by The Trumpets) and what the outcome will be (the Bowls) during that period in time. The opening of each seal details the successive external forces that would be at work, both collectively on the church as a whole, and individually, in the life of the followers of Jesus. They are called seals, because the events spoken of were sealed or hidden away, having been determined by the foreknowledge of God, but their contents hidden and unknown until they came to pass, or are revealed in prophecy, as is the case here.
The Trumpets are the declarations of the key events of that era relating to the followers of Jesus, both collectively and individually. They delineate the conditions which would characterize the successive stages in their progress.
The bowls represent what is "poured out" on the people of that era, and are therefore the consequences or outcome of the events taking place at that time.
The church was commended for having tried and found guilty those who called them selves apostles, and who were not, and found them to be liars. They had been patient and diligent in doing God's work, but some had lost the intensity of their first love (for God and for the Kingdom of Heaven).
A sower sows good seed in a field. It falls on a variety of grounds, but the seed which falls on the good ground is established and grows.
Interpretation: It is universally accepted that Jesus was referring to himself as the sower, and that the seed he sowed was the word of God as encapsulated in the message of the gospel that he preached. He refers to it as the words of the Kingdom, that being the kingdom of God, the establishment of which was the theme and aim of his ministry. The various 'grounds' described in the parable are evident in the lives of people whose encounters with Jesus and the 12 Apostles are recorded in the gospels and the Book Of Acts.
Summary: Jesus broadcasted the message of the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven (kingdom of the spiritual) through his teaching (the seed). There were a variety of responses to the message (seed), but that which fell on good ground (people receptive to his messge) became established in the Kingdom of Heaven and grew after he had left.
The image is of a rider on a white horse - a warrior who comes with a bow and wearing a crown.
Interpretation: a rider indicates a person from another place or location who delivers a message or proclamation from the king to his troups who are in battle. A horse signifies strength and power in battle; white signifies cleanliness and purity. A bow signifies a conflict, a crown signifies victory in battle.
Summary: the key event of this era is the arrival of a messenger (Jesus) from a king (God) to his troups (followers of Jesus) in battle (against evil). The messenger leads the attack (bow) and is victorious (the crown) in the battle (defeats evil).
The arrival of hail, fire mixed with blood thrown to earth, one third of the earth, trees and green grass burned up.
Interpretation: The mixture of fire (the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit), ice (used to stop food going off; water represents the cleansing, purifying nature of the Word of God), and blood (signifies a blood covenant) is not natural, so this is a divine intervention. This falls (or is poured out from above) upon a third (God's people, the remnant) of the Earth (the place or nation involved in the prophecy), the trees (shelter or protection) and green grass (food and nourishment) are burned up as the fire (The power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit) which achieves its purpose. Trees signify shelter or protection and grass signifies food and nourishment. There are all engulfed by the Word of God, hence the word of God has removed (burned up) and replaced the people's source of shelter and nourishment with the ice (preservative), which is melted by the fire and turns into water (the cleansing, purifying word of God), which is essential to sustain life and promote growth.
Summary: the followers of Jesus in this era (the third) have received from God the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit (fire) and the cleansing word of God (ice), all of which have achieved their purpose.
Ugly and painful sores on those who had the mark of the beast and worship his image.
Interpretation: The first bowl affects only the people who worship the Beast and who have therefore given their allegiance to it rather than God. The Beast signifies a Kingdom, government or political power. If the first era represents the 1st century church, the Beast could be symbolising the religious authority of the day (the priests, pharasees etc), or the political authority of the day (the Roman Empire). Taking on its mark symbolises identifying one's self with that authority, worshippping its image symbolises placing one's allegience and devotion to it over and above one's allegience and devotion and God.
Summary: Just as Satan afflicted Job with boils (Job 2:7) so the followers of the Beast are afflicted with painful and ugly sores. In Deu 28:35 painful boils were deemed to be a judgement on those who disobeyed God.
The early church (one third - the 'remnant') as depicted in the four gospels and the book of Acts in the New Tastament, first under Jesus, then under the guidance of the Twelve Apostles. I suspect that the events of the first era are those to which Verse 1 or Chapter 1 declares as being "at hand" - right now.
Just as the beginning and ending of the astrological age is not clearly defined by an actual date when an "all change" occurs, or to use another example, the transition from childhood to adulthood, so it seems to be with the passage from one "church" age into the next. The changes come gradually, with the characteristics of one blending into and eventually being fully replaced by the one that follows. Defining when this age, and the other six that follow, is replaced by the next is therefore not an exact science. I have made my estimates by comparing what the Book of Revelation says will happen and what history says did happen and at what time, but these are only my conclusions based on the evidence that I found. Like the whole of this study on the Book of Revelation, the conclusions I have reached are based on that evidence; it is up to each reader to view the evidence for themselves and reach their own conclusions.
Design by W3layouts
