The Fifth Seal – Part One

The Fifth Seal

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.“
Revelation 6:9

One of the major themes contained in the Book of (the) Revelation is the mystery of the Sealed Book. It is a Book to which Moses, many centuries prior, had referred in his pleading with God.

“So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written…”
Exodus 32:31-32

To which God responds:

“But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me,
I will blot out of my book.”
Exodus 32:33
(May we hold this truth in the fear of the Lord that we may not arrogantly sin).

The scriptures contain several references and warnings, including one where God specifically states that He will blot out a name written in this Book because of deeds committed and gross errors embraced. We would do well to take heed. Men’s foolish doctrines concerning His judgments and determinations reveal their pride and gross indifference to Him by intruding into things over which God Himself holds absolute sovereignty. I present a few examples where the one from the Book of Revelation is spoken directly to the Church at Sardis (may we heed His Word).

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:4-6 (NKJV)

“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus*, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
Jude 1:5 (* Such is the original Greek found on the oldest manuscripts)

It is not the intent of this writing to delve much into the magnificent mysteries of this Book (at this time) other than to give some background to the significance of the Seals and their openings.

The Sealed Book (Scroll)

“Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
Revelation 5:1-2

This same Book of which Moses spoke had been Sealed because of Adam’s transgression. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of God, and the Cherubim and a flaming sword were placed to keep man from the Tree of Life. It is here we touch on the magnitude of the consequences of man’s fall from the Life of God and the necessity of the Book of Life being sealed.

The Sealed Book is eternal. It contains the names of those who were called, chosen, and faithful in Christ from the foundation of the world. Moses knew his name was written on its sacred pages, and Jesus told the disciples to rejoice that their names were in this Book. Judas was NOT for he was the “son of perdition” though he spent years beholding the works and the words of Jesus. Peter encourages us “to make our calling and election sure…” by the evident growth of our faith unto the full revelation of the Love of God (2 Peter 1:5-11)! May we be instructed that we may become wise in the fear of the Lord!

The Voice Of The Lord

The righteousness of God is revealed in His dealings with His beloved creation. We can see the suffering of God as His Voice walked in the Garden.

“And they heard the voice of the Lord God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”
Genesis 3:8

“And the Lord God called unto Adam,
and said unto him, Where art thou?”
Genesis 3:9

God well knew where Adam was physically. The cry that went from Him was because of the loss of Adam relationally. There was a severing and a disuniting of Adam from the Godhead, that magnificent UNITY which had together purposed man’s creation. “Let US make man in OUR image…”

One of the most profound truths ever impressed upon my spirit is that everything concerning God is RELATIONAL. His love, His benefits, His Word, and most importantly, the unveiling of Himself can only be enjoyed, known, and experienced by our relationship with Him. The religious seek to hold Him by their understanding of His Word, by their works, by their overt prayers, or by what they “believe” (just as the Jews of Jesus Day), somehow thinking that God must ascribe to their notions of Him (being blinded in their own conceits and arrogance).

The true child of God holds His truth in reverence of His sovereignty, understanding that their place in Him is one afforded by His mercy; there is no sense of entitlement or self-righteousness. A corresponding wonder of humility envelopes those who rightly feel the immensity of a Love of which we are most unworthy.

That same Voice that walked in the Garden still echoes throughout the ages:

“Adam… where art thou?”

The Love of God calling out to HIS creation with the eternal longings of desire and relationship faintly begins to resonate within His children. The nearer we draw to Him, the louder and more significant will that Voice becomes, moving us to become sounding boards to the world in which we live.

Once again, the significance of that Voice in each of us is known by our relationship with Him rather than by our “knowledge” concerning Him. My wandering heart is enflamed, unified, and fully engrossed when I am near Him. There is something so overwhelming in His presence that it seems eternity is not sufficient to sit in His wonder.

When the Bridegroom draws near, the Shunamite cries out to Him in the Song of Songs.

“His left hand is under my head,
and His right hand doth embrace me…

“I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
by the roes, and by the hinds of the field,
that ye stir not up, nor awake My Love,
till He please…”
Song of Songs 2:6-7

In these sacred moments, we must do nothing to disturb the Holy wonder of His embrace and the sanctity of our intimate concourse with Him.

The Voice of Him that cried out in the garden fully anticipated Adam’s fall, for the scriptures declare that Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It is essential to point out that though God knew Adam’s failure, the great I AM is ever in the moment suffering with Adam’s misery and as His Redemptive purpose in those who are to become the “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.”

The insipid religious concepts of man that seek to bind His Being within the confines of their own understanding attempt to categorize Him by either Calvinism or Arminianism, fail miserably to understand God’s Omnipotence. The Calvinist smugly assures themselves of their standing with Him because they “ascribe” to the truth of His “predetermined will,” failing to note that by transgressions and wrong attitudes, He may “blot out” their/our name in His Book (Revelation 3:5), while the Arminian exalts his “free will” as the determining factor of God’s outcome.

“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that sheweth mercy…”
Romans 9:16
(read the context)

The true child of God refrains themselves from the “foolishness” of man’s wisdom and casts themselves upon His Mercy in the spirit of humility.

“And said, Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3

The entrance into all that He has purposed will be received upon the grounds of our unworthiness and His ultimate faithfulness. The Kingdom of God awaits our conversion and our growth into the child-like wonder of promise in each who would enter its Holy dominion.

(continued in Part Two)

Please take time and listen to the Podcast: PODCAST – The Book of God Part 3

“The Kingdom of God is not going to be advanced by our churches becoming filled with men, but by men in our churches becoming filled with God.”
– Duncan Campbell

This article is best read as one document, but it is broken down into shorter segments to maximize retention.

The Fifth Seal Series:

The Fifth Seal – Part Two

The Fifth Seal – Part Three

The Fifth Seal – Part Four

The Fifth Seal – Weep Not

The Fifth Seal – Part Six – The Sealed Book

Brian Troxel