Are the first six seals revealed in the Olivet Discourse? Making this connection unlocks the true purpose of the seals and the timing of the rapture. Be prepared to rethink the time of the Great Tribulation and discover what most end-times experts get wrong.
Rethinking the First Six Seals
Let’s start by taking a moment to forget all of our preconceptions about a pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture. Let’s try and put aside all the things we have been taught and let’s simply walk through the scripture.
You see, I believe that understanding the connection between the Oliver Discourse and the seals is key to unlocking revelation. Not only that, but I believe this connection is key to correctly discern the signs of the times. But if we hold onto preconceptions, we can be blind to what the scripture is saying.
When I first sought to understand end-times scripture, I did not have a background in eschatology. I did not understand the arguments between pre-trib view and post-trib views. So when I read the scriptures, I read them without preconceived notions. Later, when I read the arguments for pre-trib and post-trib, I realized the arguments of both had merit. However, it is the underlying assumptions about the scriptures that skew the interpretation. I’ll explain this in an upcoming post, but for now, let’s just stick to scripture.
The Signs in the Olivet Discourse
Let’s start with what is referred to as “the Olivet Discourse”. The Olivet Discourse refers to a conversation between Jesus and four of His disciples on the Mount of Olives as found in the synoptic gospels, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In this discussion, Jesus gives us the signs leading up to the Great Tribulation. These signs, in order are as follows (per Matthew 24 unless otherwise stated):
- False prophets – deception among those claiming Jesus is the Christ or claiming to be Christ
- Wars and rumors of wars, nation (i.e. ethnos, peoples) will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom
- Famine
- Earthquakes and pestilence (Luke 21)
- Persecution and martyrdom
Before moving on, let’s agree that these are signs and not judgement. We know this first because Jesus is answering His disciples’ question, “What will be the sign of your coming…?”
Also, let’s agree that these signs are before the Great Tribulation. We know this because after these five signs, Jesus tells us, “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”
I’ll discuss the sixth sign later because it occurs after the start of the Great Tribulation. We know this because Jesus says, “Immediately after the distress of those days,” before he describes the signs in the heavens.
The First Five Seals
Next, let’s look at the first five seals:
- The rider on a white horse out to conquer (false prophets of Christianity)
- The rider on the red horse to take peace from the earth and make men kill one another
- The rider on the black horse announcing scarcity to grains
- The rider on the ashen horse bring death through murder, famine, pestilence and wild beasts
- The souls of believers martyred
The Signs of the Olivet Discourse Match the Seals
Do you see the parallels of the signs and the seals? Now I ask you, would the list of the signs of the Olivet Discourse and the seals of Revelation 6 list the same topics, in the exact same order if they were not describing the same events? To take a position otherwise without evidence in scripture would be illogical.
Now that we know the signs and seals describe the same events, we can understand the nature of the seals. That is, that the seals are not God’s judgement; they are not His wrath. They are signs.
Also, Revelation 6 reinforces this truth. After the fifth seal, the martyred souls ask, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” By this statement, we know that judgement has not yet come. Additionally, after Jesus opens the sixth seal, the inhabitants of the earth call out, “…For the great day of their wrath has come…”
These are signs that will let the faithful know that Jesus is near to coming. Signs that draw people to repentance and the seek out God. Signs that will lead to a great harvest of souls. We know this is the case, because after describing the signs Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Are the Signs Manifesting? Are the Seals Opened?
The signs Jesus described are happening right now. Each one of these signs is occurring in the earth as I write this. In fact, they are rising in both frequency and intensity. After reading this post, explore the posts and linked articles and you will see that the signs are manifesting around us. (see my post, Prophetic Signs Appearing Daily)
But does this mean that the first five seals have been broken and the scrolls opened? It is hard to know for sure, but I believe that is very possible, even likely. If we announce our belief in this, worldly people think we are disillusioned. However, what does Jesus say?
“For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man….” – Matthew 24:38-39
Also, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him…” – Matthew 24:42-44
Lastly, “He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” – Matthew 16:2-4
Take to Heart the Signs We See
In that last scripture, Jesus is chastising the pharisees who have not recognized the signs of their Messiah’s coming. As a result, He calls them a wicked and adulterous generation.
Do you want to be like the pharisees? I don’t. Take these signs to heart and prepare for what is coming next.
The Sixth Sign, The Sixth Seal
Next comes the sixth seal. Like the fist five seals, the parallels between the signs of the Olivet Discourse and the seals are obvious. But this is even more so with the six seal. Let’s look at these scriptures side by side.
You can see that these scriptures are clearly describing the same event. This event is also described in Joel 2:30-31 as occurring before the “day of the Lord comes.” I will talk more about the sixth seal in the next post.
Conclusions about the Signs in the Olivet Discourse and the Seals
I want to summarize what we can learn from a comparison of these scriptures.
- The signs in the Olivet Discourse described the same events as the six seals of Revelation
- The first five signs/seals are before the start of the Great Tribulation
- The first five signs/seals are signs, not judgement, not wrath
- The sixth sign/seal is at the beginning of the Great Tribulation
These truths will form a basis for the next posts. From these truths we will be able to determine with confidence the timing of the rapture. See my post The Timing of the Rapture is Clear, also Has Jesus Opened the Seals?
The Word
Matthew 24 – …As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”…
Luke 21 – …“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”…
Revelation 6 – Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.