7 seals indicate a pre-wrath rapture|6th seal rapture

The Scroll with Seven Seals

October 2026

Bible passages are copied from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV),

Background

A Heavenly sealed Scroll is introduced in Revelation chapter 5. This Scroll in Revelation is similar to the scroll of indictment of the Jews in Ezekiel 2:9. The Ezekiel scroll applies only to Israel and tells of the consequences of their sins. The Scroll in Revelation applies to the entire world.

It is likely that the Scroll contains the consequences of those persons remaining on the earth after the Rapture. This is the Wrath of God and will be unleashed when the Scroll is opened.

Many readers assume that the Revelation Scroll appears at the beginning of the seven-year period of Daniel 9:27. This assumption, however, is not found in the Bible. The Scroll may appear at the beginning of the Seven Years, but it could as easily appear either before or after the beginning of the Seven Years.

Picture copied from the Internet article at:

http://mdrministries.com/author/admin/page/34/.

Scrolls have been found with multiple seals that are all on the outside of the scroll as seen above. All of the seals must be broken before the scroll can be opened. It is most likely that the seals of this very important Scroll are around the outside of the Scroll. This is even more likely as we are told that the Scroll is written on both sides (Revelation 5:1). If a two-sided scroll were opened section-by-section as the seals were broken, the two sides would not coordinate because the front and back of a scroll unroll and are read from opposite ends.

There are some people who believe that Jesus is causing Tribulation events (Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 8:1) to happen as He breaks the seals. This cannot be. Jesus surely cannot be causing the actions depicted in the opening of the fifth seal. At the opening of this seal we see martyred Christians. They call out, “How long, Sovereign Lord holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood” (Revelation 6:10). God allows suffering and martyrdom of righteous people for reasons we may not understand, but He does not cause them. Why would these martyrs ask God to avenge their blood if God was the one who caused their martyrdom?

As Jesus breaks the seals on the Scroll, we are shown a progression of scenes as they happen on earth.

Opening the Seals

First Seal--Antichrist the King and Warrior (Revelation 6:1-2)

Antichrist is seen going forth into the world as a king and a mighty warrior making himself known to the world.

Second Seal--War (Revelation 6:3-4)

The breaking of the second seal shows a portion of the world at war. Antichrist is very powerful, but he is not the dictator of the world at this point. If he were the dictator of the world there would be no need for war.

Third Seal--Famine (Revelation 6:5-6)

Famine is not surprising in a time of war. Getting food can be very difficult for besieged or defeated people. We are told not to damage the oil and the wine—this may be a reference to the rich and privileged having plenty of provisions and not being directly involved with any the wars.

Fourth Seal--Death and Hades (Revelation 6:7-8)

Obviously, there is much death in a time of war. After the devastation of war, death may continue in the form of illness or in the form of unrestrained and hungry animals. The fact that a fourth of the world is affected indicates the seriousness and the extent of these wars.

Everything that has happened this far has not specifically targeted Jews or Christians. As horrible as the wars described at the breaking of the first four seals may be, this is not the time of unequaled distress as described by Jesus to Christians in Matthew 24:15-21; this is not the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7); this is not the biblical Tribulation. If a fourth of the world has been devastated, that still leaves three fourths of the world outside of these horrors. Many regions of the world may be affected by Antichrist, but only the Jews and the Christians are truly focused upon in true Tribulation (Revelation chapter 12).

Fifth Seal--Christian Martyrdom (Revelation 6:9-11)

When the fifth seal is broken, we now see a time of Tribulation. We can see that the ‘abomination’ has happened following the events of the fourth seal and before the breaking of the fifth seal. This aligns timewise with Satan being tossed to earth by the Archangel Michael at the midpoint of the seven years (Revelation 12:7-9) and Satan’s hostilities against Jews and Christians (Revelation 12:13-17).

Some Christians will be protected during the time of Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Two groups of Jews are also protected by God: the 144,000 sealed Jews (Revelation 7:1-8) and the Jews who escape from Israel as Antichrist is invading (Revelation 12:6). We can be sure that Satan and Antichrist will oppress all other Jews and Christians except for those who express allegiance to Antichrist. Please note and remember that no one who accepts the mark of Antichrist can be saved (Revelation 14:9-11)

Sixth Seal--Jesus Returns to Claim His Own (Revelation 6:12-17)

It is made clear in this passage that the Tribulation and the Wrath of God are not the same thing.

The Name of Jesus is not mentioned in this passage, but the events listed and the reaction of the population left on earth can leave no doubt but that Jesus has made a very public Appearance and has Raptured His followers (Matthew 24:29-31). The Rapture of the Christians at the opening of the sixth seal is the redemption of the Christians out of the Tribulation and clearly lets us know that the Wrath of God is only now to begin (Revelation 6:17).

Seventh Seal--God's Wrath (Revelation 8:1-9:21)

Once this last seal is broken, the Scroll will be opened and the Wrath of God will be unleashed upon the earth. This time period is also referred to at times as 'the Day of the Lord.'

God’s Wrath includes the Trumpet Judgments (Revelation 8:1-9:21) which will continue until the end of the seven years; the Bowl Judgments (Revelation 16:1-21) which will begin after the end of the seven years and continue only for the Gentile world until the Battle of Armageddon. The Battle of Armageddon is shown to the Apostle John in two separate visions (Revelation 16:17-21, Revelation 19:11-21) and will end the Wrath of God.

Endtime Events Following the Wrath of God

Following the Wrath of God and before the Thousand-year Reign of Christ (Revelation 20:4), the sheep and goats will be separated (Matthew 25:31-46). This separation is also shown in Matthew 13:24-30 and Matthew 13:47-50. Both Righteous Israel and Gentile nations will move forward into the Thousand-year Reign of Jesus (Revelation 20:4). These nations will need to be organized in peaceful ways unlike any earlier time in history.