Revelation 5: The Book with Seven Seals

In Revelation 5:1-7 “him that sat on the throne” had a book in his right hand, sealed with seven seals.

Jesus, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, the lamb as it had been slain, took the book from the right hand of “him that sat on the throne”. 

Only Jesus was worthy to loose it’s seven seals.

This takes us back to Revelation 1:1

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…

3…for the time is at hand.

According to Revelation 1, God the father (Yahweh) gave the revelation of Jesus Christ to Jesus Christ to show unto his servants.

That’s what we see being played out in Revelation 5.

WHAT IS THIS BOOK WITH SEVEN SEALS?

Let’s take a look at Daniel…

Daniel 12

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end…

9 Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Daniel’s vision was sealed “till the time of the end”. 

Jesus had authority to loose the seals set upon Daniel’s vision because the time of the end was “at hand” (Rev. 1:3).

What did Daniel prophesy?

Daniel 9

26…the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate…

The Greek word for week שָׁבוּעַ šāḇûa’ can mean seven years, therefore “the midst of the week” denotes a three and a half year period beginning when “the sacrifice and the oblation” ceased.

A similar passage is found in the last chapter of Daniel

Daniel 12

11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

1290/360=3.58 years

Again, Daniel described a three and a half year period beginning when the “daily sacrifice” was “taken away”.

WHEN DID THE SACRIFICE CEASE? WHEN WAS IT TAKEN AWAY?

In around August of 66AD Eleazar Ben Ananias, Governor of the temple, refused to receive sacrifices from the Romans. 

According to First century historian Flavius Josephus, “this was the true beginning” of the Roman-Jewish war.

WOJ 2.17.2

…Eleazar, the son of Ananias the high priest, a very bold youth who was at that time governor of the temple, persuaded those who officiated in the divine service to receive no gift or sacrifice from any foreigner. This was the true beginning of our war with the Romans for they rejected the sacrifice of Caesar on this account.

I just want to mention that a few months prior to this event some very important things happened. 

In April-June of 66AD (during Passover and Pentecost) several miraculous signs were witnessed, for example “chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor…running about among the clouds". (Wars of the Jews 6.5.3)

Also around April of 66AD Gessius Florus (the 7th Roman procurator of Judaea) sent soldiers to confiscate money from the temple treasury. They was met with resistance and as a result Florus ordered 3600 Jews to be killed.

WOJ 2.14.6-9

6…Florus…sent some to take seventeen talents out of the sacred treasure, and pretended that Cæsar wanted them…Some also of the seditious cried out upon Florus, and cast the greatest reproaches upon him, and carried a basket about, and begged some spills of money for him, as for one that was destitute of possessions, and in a miserable condition. Yet was not he made ashamed hereby of his love of money, but was more enraged…

9…and called out aloud to the soldiers to plunder that which was called the upper market-place, and to slay such as they met with. So the soldiers…did not only plunder the place they were sent to, but, forcing themselves into every house, they slew its inhabitants; so the citizens fled along the narrow lanes and the soldiers slew those that they caught, and no method of plunder was omitted: they also caught many of the quiet people, and brought them before Florus, whom he first chastised with stripes, and then crucified. Accordingly the whole number of those that were destroyed that day, with their wives and children, (for they did not spare even the infants themselves), was about three thousand and six hundred.

This was the unofficial start to the Jewish Revolt.

However it wasn’t until August 66AD that the sacrifice ceased, as prophesied by Daniel.

In Matthew 24 Jesus warned his disciples…

Matthew 24

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet…

16 …let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:

WHAT WAS THE ABOMINATION DANIEL SPOKE OF? 

It was (at least in part) Eleazar's refusal to receive sacrifices from the Romans for in doing so he “invited" Rome to “make war upon them”. Furthermore Eleazar had no authority to introduce “novel rules”. 

The “high priests and principle men" of the city tried to convince Eleazar to “not omit the sacrifice” but to no avail. 

WOJ 2.17.2&3

2…and when many of the high priests and principal men besought them not to omit the sacrifice… they would not be prevailed upon….

3. Hereupon the men of power got together, and conferred with the high priests, as did also the principal of the Pharisees; and thinking all was at stake…took counsel what was to be done…they did now irritate the Romans to take arms against them, and invited them to make war upon them, and brought up novel rules of a strange Divine worship, and determined to run the hazard of having their city condemned for impiety…unless they grow wiser quickly, and restore the sacrifices as formerly, and indeed amend the injury…

Finally, if we continue reading in `The Wars of the Jews’ Book Two, we find the actual word “abominations” used with regard to Eleazar’s men murdering Roman soldiers on the sabbath day.

WOJ 2.17.10

…Metilius, who was the Roman general, sent to Eleazar, and desired that they would give them security to spare their lives only…but as soon as…they had all laid down their shields and their swords, and were under no further suspicion of any harm, but were going away, Eleazar's men attacked them after a violent manner, and encompassed them round, and slew them…thus were all these men barbarously murdered…the city was all over polluted with such ABOMINATIONS, from which it was but reasonable to expect some vengeance, even though they should escape revenge from the Romans; so that the city was filled with sadness, and every one of the moderate men in it were under great disturbance…for indeed it so happened that this murder was perpetrated on the sabbath day, on which day the Jews have a respite from their works on account of Divine worship.

By August 66AD the city of Jerusalem was “all over polluted” with abominations. 

Jesus’s warning to flee Judea in Matthew 24 was recorded a little differently in Luke 21.

Luke 21

20 …when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21…let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains…

Not long after the cessation of the daily sacrifice, around November of 66AD, Gaius Cestius Gallus (Governor of Syria) led a Roman attack upon Jerusalem. 

WOJ 2.19.4-8

4….And on the…thirtieth of the month Hyperbereteus, [Tisri], when he had put his army in array, he brought it into the city…

6…had he but continued the siege a little longer, had certainly taken the city; but it was, I suppose, owing to the aversion God…he was hindered from putting an end to the war that very day.

7. It then happened that Cestius…recalled his soldiers from the place, and by despairing of any expectation of taking it…he retired from the city, without any reason in the world…

8 He then made his army march on as far as Bethoron. Now the Jews…covered the Roman army with their darts…till the distress they were at last in was so great, that they betook themselves to lamentations, and to such mournful cries as men use in the utmost despair…

Cestius “put his army in array” against Jerusalem and would have “taken” the city except for several military blunders that, according to Josephus, were “owing to the aversion of God”.

By late November Cestius and his army were completely overcome in the battle of Bethoron. 

This shock defeat not only prolonged the Jewish Revolt but allowed many to flee the city.

WOJ 2.20.1

After this calamity had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink…

Though Josephus does not specifically mention Christians it makes sense that Christians, recalling Christ’s words on the mount of Olives, may have fled Jerusalem and indeed Judaea at this time.

Interestingly, Revelation 12:6 describes a “woman” fleeing into the wilderness and being fed there for 1260 days which (when we divide it by 360) equals…yes…exactly three and a half years.

1260/360= 3.5 years

The Roman siege upon Jerusalem began in April of 70AD (during Passover) and lasted five months.

From August 66AD when the sacrificed ceased to April 70AD when the siege began is roughly 3 1/2 years.

When did John pen the book of Revelation? 

Though the most popular view is that it was penned around 95AD it makes sense to me that it was penned in 6?AD, a short time before the Roman-Jewish war began, which is why Revelation (when written) was about things that would “shortly” come to pass.

Some believe the 3 1/2 years began a little earlier than August, around April or May. 

Some believe it began a little later. Whichever way you slice it, Daniel’s 3 1/2 years led up to the Roman Siege of 70AD in which the “city and sanctuary” were destroyed.

Understanding the first few verses of Revelation five is important for understanding chapters six to eight in which the seven seals are opened.

Parable of Sheep and Goats, Wheat and Tares in Context

In this article I’m going to explain the parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25, also the parable of the Wheat and Tares in Matthew 13.

Matthew 25 contains three parables- the Ten Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats.

The parable of the Ten Virgins begins with the phrase

1...the kingdom of heaven be likened unto...

The parable of the Talents begins with the phrase

14...the kingdom of heaven is as...

It makes sense that the third parable is also about "the kingdom of heaven", which

the gospel of Matthew, as a whole, puts much emphasise on.

In Matthew 3 John the Baptist preached

2…repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand 

In Matthew 4 Jesus preached 

1…repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

In Matthew 10 Jesus sent out his 12 disciples to preach 

7…the kingdom of heaven is at hand

“At hand” meaning near.

This gives us an inkling as to the time-frame of Matthew 24 and 25.

Let’s dive into the sheep and goat parable.

Matthew 25

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Let’s back track to Matthew 24 where the Olivet Discourse began.

Matthew 24

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

First of all I want to mention, as I’ve done before, that “world” is from the Greek word aion. The KJV translates it as “world” but most versions translate aion as “age”, including the NKJV. I believe “age” is the more accurate translation for this text.

Let’s continue in Matthew 24.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

How many people read these verses and think they’re about events happening either now or in the future? How many people read “the end is not yet” and assume it means the literal end of the world? Let’s continue on.

9 …ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another…

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Who would be hated and betrayed? Who would have to endure to the end?

Let’s go to Matthew 10 and read what Jesus said to his 12 disciples before sending them out to preach the gospel.

Matthew 10

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth…

7…as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents…

22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Almost the exact same words as in Matthew 24! It was Christ’s 12 disciples who would be hated, betrayed and martyred for his name’s sake. 

Back to the Olivet Discourse.

Matthew 24 

14 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.

Again, most people think this verse refers to the literal end of the world but let’s weigh it against Matthew 10.

Matthew 10

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Whoa! Jesus told his disciples that he’d return before they’d even gone over the cities of Israel.

Therefore “the end” cannot mean the end of the literal world rather the end of the Old Covenant Age.

Jesus made a similar statement to his disciples in Matthew 16.

Matthew 16

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

He made a similar statement to the high priest Caiaphas.

Matt 26

64…Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Notice how these verses describe Jesus coming in clouds, glory and with angels. Does that sound similar to the parable of the Sheep and Goats?

Matthew 25

31…the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

Let’s now get into the details of the sheep and goat parable.

Matthew 25

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand…

35 I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me…

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38-- When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand…

42 I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not…

45…Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Let’s compare this directly to Matthew 10

Matthew 10

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying…

9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves…

11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

13 And if -- the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

Christ’s disciples travelled without money or extra clothes hence they relied on others to house, feed and clothe them. The next two verses are important.

14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Jesus said those who did not receive his disciples or their message, would experience God’s wrath on the “day of Judgement”.

Now take special note of the next two verses… 

40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Compare those to the parable in Matthew 25

Matthew 25

35…I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink…

40…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The parable of the sheep and goats describes “the day of judgement” mentioned in Matthew 10. 

On “the day of judgement” sheep and goats were divided according to what? According to how they treated Christ’s 12 disciples whom he sent out. 

Did they welcome them into their houses, feed and clothe them? Did they received their message?

Hence Matthew 10 establishes the time-frame for both Matthew 24 and 25. A very narrow time-frame. 

While we’re in the gospel of Matthew, is there another parable that sounds similar to that of the sheep and goats? Yes, the Wheat and Tares.

Matthew 13

24…The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25…his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat…

27…the servants of the householder came and said unto him…

28…Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Here is Jesus’s explanation of the parable…

38…the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39…the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire…

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father…

As in Matthew 24, “world” is aion, which can be translated “age”.

Notice that Jesus identified the “tares” as “children of the wicked one”.

Let’s go to John 8

37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me…

39…If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me…

41 Ye do the deeds of your father…

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning….

The Pharisees were the “children of the wicked one”, the “tares” that were gathered out of God’s kingdom at the end of the Old Covenant Age because nothing that does iniquity could abide in the New Covenant Kingdom of God.

Finally Matthew 15 confirms that the “pharisees” were the “tares”.

Matthew 15

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Now I want to briefly consider the parable of the Sheep and Goats, Wheats and Tares in light of the bible as a whole, beginning at Genesis.

In Genesis chapters 1-3 God made the heavens, earth and sea. He planted a garden with the tree of life in the midst. When Adam and Eve sinned they were cast out of the garden and two angels kept the way of the tree of life.

In Exodus we read that the tabernacle of Moses had an outer court, holy place and most holy place in which the ark of the covenant sat. Two cherubim covered the mercy seat (Ex. 25:20-22)

Sound similar to Genesis?

The purpose of the tabernacle was so that God could dwell among his people.

Exodus 25

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Kings and Chronicles describe a “cloud" and “glory” filling the “house of the Lord” to the point where the priests could no longer work there (1 Kings 8:10&11, 2 Chronicle 5:14, 7:1&2)

Hence clouds and glory represent God dwelling among his people.

In Leviticus 16 we read how only the high priest could enter the most holy place once a year and sprinkle the blood of an animal upon the mercy seat to make atonement for the children of Israel.

Hebrews explains how Jesus entered the tabernacle “not made with hands” (Heb. 9:11), sprinkled his own blood upon the mercy seat then SAT DOWN (Heb. 10:12). The mercy seat became his THRONE.

Hebrews 1:8

…Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

In Matthew 25 we see Jesus seated upon his throne, coming “in his kingdom” with glory and “all the holy angels”.

Jesus came to SPIRITUALLY restore the garden of Eden thus restore access to the tree of life.

In Matthew 3 John the Baptist preached

2…repent ye for he kingdom of heaven is at hand…

In Matthew 4 Jesus preached

1…repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…

In Matthew 10 Jesus told his disciples to preach

7…the kingdom of heaven is at hand…

In Matthew 6 Jesus said to pray as follows… 

10…thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

The New Covenant Kingdom of God came to earth 2000 years ago! Not in a literal sense but a spiritual sense.

God dwells among his people NOW. Gods people have access to the tree of life NOW.

Hence on the “day of Judgement”, the wheat was gathered into the barn, the sheep inherited the kingdom prepared for them.

However Just as Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden, the religious people of Jesus’s day were the “tares” gathered out of the kingdom, they were the sheep sent away into everlasting punishment because nothing that does iniquity can enter or abide in God’s Kingdom of righteousness.

I hope this article inspires you to question commonly held beliefs and dig into the bible for yourself, allowing scripture to interpret scripture. God bless.