In the divine administration Christ, as the Lion-Lamb, the overcoming Redeemer, opens the scroll of God’s economy (Rev. 5:3-7; 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12; 8:1). In Revelation 5:1 the One sitting on the throne has a scroll in His hand sealed with seven seals. These seven seals are the contents of the scroll, and the scroll itself is the new covenant, enacted with the blood of the Lamb. Hence, the new covenant is a scroll covering the redemption of the church, Israel, the world, and the universe.
Here we see the secrecy of God’s administration in the universe. Throughout the centuries, wise men have earnestly tried to learn the secret of the universe. But they failed because they did not have the revelation. Although the new testament was enacted by the death of Christ, it has been a mystery to mankind. In the book of Revelation the resurrected and ascended Christ opens the scroll of God’s economy.
As the One who opens the scroll, Christ is portrayed as the Lion-Lamb, as the overcoming Redeemer. In Revelation 5:5 we have this word: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then verse 6 goes on to speak of a “Lamb standing as having been slain.” Christ is both the fighting, victorious, and overcoming Lion and the Redeeming Lamb. As the Lion, He is the Fighter against the enemy, Satan; as the Lamb, He is the Redeemer for us. He has fought to redeem us, and He has won the battle over the enemy and accomplished redemption for us.
As the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Christ has overcome the enemy of God. He has solved this problem for God and has removed the hindrances to the fulfillment of God’s purpose. God’s purpose needs someone to carry it out who can solve all the problems of God. The problems which God had were the rebellion of Satan and the fall of man. As the Lion, Christ has defeated rebellious Satan, and as the Lamb He has taken away the sin of fallen man. Because He has solved these problems for God, He is worthy to open the scroll of God’s economy and its seven seals.
Christ opens the first four seals in Revelation 6:1-8. These seals comprise four horses with their riders in a four-horse race. These riders are not real persons but personified things. The rider of the second horse, the red horse, is war (v. 4); the rider of the third horse, the black horse, is famine (vv. 5-6); and the rider of the fourth horse, the pale horse, is death (v. 8). According to historical facts, the rider of the first horse, the white horse, is the preaching of the gospel. White signifies clean, pure, just, and approvable. The white horse with its rider is a symbol of the preaching of the gospel which is clean, pure, just, and approvable both to men and to God. Immediately after Christ’s ascension, these four things-the gospel, war, famine, and death-began to run like riders on four horses and will continue until Christ comes back.
The opening of the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9) discloses Christian martyrdom from the first century to the time near the end of this age. As the gospel is being preached, there is always the martyrdom of the faithful saints.
In Revelation 6:12 Christ, the overcoming Redeemer, opens the sixth seal. This seal, which marks the beginning of supernatural calamities, is God’s answer to the cry of the martyred saints in the fifth seal. After the opening of the sixth seal, the Lord comes in to shake the earth and the host of the heavens. This great shaking will be a warning on earth to repent and turn to God. This calamity is not the actual wrath of God. Rather, it indicates that God will soon come in to avenge the martyred saints and to vindicate Himself.
Whereas the first four seals of the scroll of God’s economy are simultaneous, the fifth and sixth seals are consecutive. The seventh seal includes everything from after the sixth seal to eternity future. Thus, the seventh seal, consisting of the seven trumpets, is all-inclusive.
Revelation 8:1 says that when the Lion-Lamb “opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an hour.” This silence indicates solemnity. At the opening of the seventh seal, all heaven becomes silent because the age is about to be changed. The period before the opening of the seventh seal was the age of God’s toleration. For the sake of His purpose of preaching the gospel to produce the churches to fulfill His eternal plan, God has been tolerating the sinful situation on earth. But with the opening of the seventh seal the age of toleration is terminated, and another age is brought in-the age of God’s wrath. The opening of these seven seals is Christ’s work as the overcoming Redeemer in the divine administration.
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