Hi Gerlinda,

Let me try and answer your response with what I understand is happening in Rev. 5. I covered this already in my study but it bears repeating and maybe clarifying. The book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, from His ascension until His Second Coming. What John is seeing in Rev.5 is a pre-Christ heaven, or heaven before Christ ascended. Why else is he weeping when no one is found to open the sealed book?

“And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.” Rev 5:2 -4

The New Testament speaks much about Pentecost on earth, what occurs in this chapter is a view of what happened at Pentecost in heaven. This is a view of Jesus ascending to heaven and sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, as promised to his disciples. He sent what the Church needed to overcome the world and the tribulation thereof.

The rest of the seals depict what the Church will endure before His second coming, and how through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit they will be able to overcome these tribulations and be able to stand until He returns.

Jesus is reclaiming the earth from Satan’s influence…why would he send the Antichrist? Why would he send evil? Evil is already in the world. He is sending the only weapon that will overcome the attacks of the world…Himself in Spirit as the Holy Spirit. He already gave His body, now He sends His Spirit. The only way His believers will overcome War, Famine, and physical death will be to be made alive by the Holy Spirit in which they attain eternal life, and therefore need not worry about losing their physical life. The other seals are the tools of the devil that Christ allows to be used against the church…war, famine, disease and death….which believers are not to fear and are able to endure by having the Holy Spirit living in them. This also denotes the war between flesh and spirit in each person.

Jesus tells us that we will have tribulation in the world...but to be of good cheer because He overcame the world, and we as born again believers will also be able to overcome the world with His help...via His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, living inside us. Wars, famine, disease and death have always been in this world, they are not just something that happens in the end times!! These things may intensify, but they have always been in this world.

The book of Revelation is not just about the end times, much of it has been fulfilled. It is much more about Jesus and His Church and what He did to redeem His people. From His ascension to His Second Coming…His story….history. We are very close to His Second Coming, very little of the book is still future…we need to keep this in mind. We make too much of this book being about the antichrist, when in all actuality it is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Right now the Church is between the 5th and 6th seals...as stated in my post about the first 5 seals being opened.

We are seeing this from such different perspectives we may not find common ground. This is an interesting discussion and one that offers interesting insights into both sides of this issue. Thanks for participating in it.

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.