The Fifth Seal
The fifth seal is a point in history. 
The first four seals (Rev 6:1-8) describe the timeless realities of the church age. [Show More]
In contrast, the fifth seal describes a specific point in history after many of God’s people have been killed for their faith and before many more will be killed. At that point, white robes are given to those who have already been killed, and they are told to “rest” for a little while longer until the number of their brethren, who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed (Rev 6:9-11).
The purpose of this article is to determine what this point in history is. To be identified so specifically, it must be very important. Since it is followed by the signs of Christ’s return (Rev 6:12-17; cf. Matt 24:29), it must be part of the End Times. It must be much later than Christ’s ascension because there are four seals between Christ’s ascension and enthronement (as described in Revelation 5) and the fifth seal.
The Sealing
A Point in History
The Seal of God is not always available. Revelation 7:1-4 describes a point in history when it becomes available. After four angels have been holding back the four winds of destruction, a fifth angel brings the Seal of the living God to earth. While the four angels continue to hold back the four winds, the fifth angel begins to seal the 144,000.
Parallel to the Fifth Seal
For the following reasons, the Sealing (Rev 7:1-8) is parallel to the fifth seal:
1) Both describe a specific point in history that divides time into the past, the present, and the future. What happened before that point continues afterward (Killing of God’s people in the seals and holding back the four winds in the Sealing). [Show More]
2) Both announce a delay. In the fifth seal, the souls must “rest a little while longer, and in the Sealing, the release of the winds is delayed (Rev 7:1-3).
3) In both, the purpose of the delay is to allow God’s people to become ready:
Fifth seal: The delay is required to ‘complete’ their brethren (Rev 6:11). This has been interpreted as completion in character, not in literal number. [Show More]
Sealing: The delay is required to seal God’s people (Rev 7:3). 144000 are sealed (Rev 7:4-8). This number must be understood qualitatively, symbolizing the perfection of God’s end-time people, not as a literal number. [Show More]
4) In both, a token of salvation is given to God’s people, namely white robes in the fifth seal and the Seal of God in the Sealing (Rev 6:11; 7:3). [Show More]
5) Both are followed by the sixth seal. Since the sixth seal begins with the signs of Christ’s return (Rev 6:12-14) and ends with Judgment Day (Rev 6:15-17), the sealing of God’s people must logically be completed before the sixth seal, similar to the fifth seal.
6) Both are followed by the mass destruction of the Seven Last Plagues:
A previous article concluded that the first part of the sixth seal, in which a great earthquake displaces all mountains and islands (Rev 6:12-14), is the Seven Last Plagues. Since the fifth seal precedes the sixth, it precedes the Seven Last Plagues.
Another previous article concluded that the “winds” of Rev 7:1, which will “harm” the earth and sea (Rev 7:3), are another symbol for the Seven Last Plagues. Since the Sealing precedes the release of the winds, the Sealing also precedes the Seven Last Plagues.
Conclusions
Given these similarities, the Sealing and the fifth seal describe different perspectives of the same event. In particular:
1) The fifth seal is the point in history when the angel brings the Seal of God from heaven.
2) The subsequent ‘completion’ of their “fellow servants” in the fifth seal (Rev 6:11) describes the same period as the subsequent sealing of the 144,000 (Rev 7:3-4).
The Little Open Book
In Revelation 10, an angel brings something else out of heaven at a specific point in time, namely a little open book (Rev 10:1-2), meaning that the church receives a special message from heaven. He gives it to John to eat and tells John to “prophesy again” (Rev 10:9-11). For the following reasons, the Sealing (Rev 7:1-4) is parallel to the Little Open Book in Revelation 10:
In both, something is brought down from heaven. In the Sealing, it is the seal. In Rev 10, it is the little open book (Rev 10:1-2).
Both the Sealing and the Little Book are the first of a two-part interlude between the sixth and seventh elements of their respective series.
Both describe a point in history, with things happening before that time and continuing after that time.
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- In the Sealing, the winds have been kept in check in the past, and the angels will continue to keep them in check.
- In Rev 10, John is told to “prophesy again” (Rev 10:9-11), meaning that he (symbolizing the Church) also prophesied before the Little Book was brought from heaven.
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Daniel’s End Time
Since the Book of Daniel is the foundation on which Revelation rests, and since this point in history time is so important in Revelation, we should expect to find it also in Daniel’s prophecies.
The End Time
Daniel’s prophecies were ‘sealed’ (Dan 12:4), meaning that they were not understood. But, during the Time of the End, the church would learn the meaning of Daniel’s prophecies (Dan 12:4, 9). Therefore, the End Time is a period and not a point in time. [Show More]
The End of the Age
The End Time will conclude with the “End of the Age” (Dan 12:13) when God’s people will be rescued during a period of great distress (Dan 12:1), and the dead will be raised (Dan 12:2, 13).
Time, Times, and Half a Time
Daniel 12 mentions the “time, times, and a half” (3½ times) in the context of the End Time but it is first mentioned as the period when the 11th Horn of the fourth animal in Daniel 7 would persecute God’s people (Dan 7:25). Since the 11th Horn has been identified as the Church of the Roman Empire that survived as a distinct organization after the Roman Empire fragmented and which grew in power to become the Church of the Middle Ages (read article), the 3½ times possibly refers to the Middle Ages when the Church reigned over the kings and nations of Europe. That would mean that the 3½ times precede the End Time.
The Little Open Book
The Little Book (Rev 10) relates to Daniel’s End Time; namely, it symbolizes the end-time understanding of Daniel’s prophecies that was promised by Daniel 12:4 and 9. This is made clear by the many allusions in Revelation 10 to Daniel 12. In brief summary, the allusions include the following:
(a) Both Dan 12 and Rev 10 include an oath (Dan 12:7; Rev 10:6).
(b) Both the oaths are made by supernatural beings (Dan 12:7; Rev 10:1)
(c) Both supernatural beings stand above the waters, symbolizing the people of the world (Dan 12:7; Rev 10:2)
(d) Both lift up their hands to heaven and swear by Him who lives forever and ever (Dan 12:7; Rev 10:5, 6).
(e) Both oaths are about “when the end will come” (Dan 12:6-7; (Rev 10:7).
(f) Both oaths are made in the context of a book. In Daniel, the book is Daniel’s prophecies, which are sealed (Dan 12:4, 9). In Revelation, the book is open (Rev 10:1).
(g) Both books are first sealed and later opened. The Greek of Revelation literally says: “the book, the one having been opened.”
(h) In both chapters, there are two other beings in the context, namely, the two witnesses in Revelation (Rev 11:3) and one on each side of the river in Daniel (Dan 12:5).
(i) The message that John has to preach is about kings, which fits the book of Daniel. (Rev 10:11) [Show More]
Conclusions
These similarities imply that the book in Rev 10 is the same as the book in Dan 12, which symbolizes understanding of Daniel’s prophecies.
Consequently, John’s eating of the little book (Rev 10:10) symbolizes his understanding of Daniel’s prophecies, and the “prophesy again” (Rev 10:11) is the preaching of that understanding.
Since Daniel 12 promised that the book of Daniel will be understood in the time of the end (Dan 12:4), the End Time begins when the angel brings the little book from heaven.
Overall Conclusions
(1) These four parts in the prophecies – the fifth seal, the Sealing, the little open book, and Daniel’s End Time – describe the same period.
(2) Both the seal of the living God and the little open book are brought from heaven at the beginning of Daniel’s End Time. In other words, God’s people will be sealed during Daniel’s End Time.
(3) The Fifth Seal is the beginning of Daniel’s End Time. [Show More]
(3) Daniel 12, similar to the fifth seal, mentions the killing of God’s people both before and during the End Time.
Overview
The Fifth Seal
While the first four seals (Rev 6:1-8) describe the timeless realities of the church age, the fifth seal is a point in history (Rev 6:9-11). Before that point, many of God’s people have been killed for their faith. But many more will be killed after that point. To be identified so specifically, this must be a very important point in history. Since Jesus began to break the seals after His ascension, and since the fifth seal is it is followed by the signs of Christ’s return (Rev 6:12-17; cf. Matt 24:29), it must relate to the End Times.
The Sealing
Revelation 7:1-4 also describes a point in history. The Seal of God, with which the 144000 are sealed, is not always available. It comes from heaven at a specific point in history (Rev 7:1-4). The similarities to the Fifth Seal, such as that both announce a delay until God’s people are ready and that in both a token of salvation is given to God’s people, imply that the Fifth Seal is the point in history when the angel brings the Seal of God from heaven.
The Little Open Book
In Revelation 10, an angel brings something else out of heaven at a specific point in time, namely a little open book (Rev 10:1-2), meaning that the church receives a special message from heaven. The similarities imply that the arrival of the Little Open Book coincides with the arrival of the seal.
Daniel’s End Time
Daniel’s prophecies were ‘sealed’ (Dan 12:4), meaning that they were not understood. But, during the Time of the End, the church would learn the meaning of Daniel’s prophecies (Dan 12:4, 9). Therefore, the End Time is a period and not a point in time. There are strong allusions in Rev 10 (the Little Open Book) to Daniel 12. For example, both include an oath made by a supernatural being who stands above the waters. Both lift up their hands to heaven and swear by Him who lives forever and ever. These similarities imply that the book in Rev 10 is the same as the book in Dan 12, which symbolizes understanding of Daniel’s prophecies. In other words, the Little Book comes down from heaven in Daniel’s End time.
Overall Conclusion
The fifth seal is the beginning of Daniel’s End Time. The Seal of God and the Little Open Book come from heaven at that point in history.
I am follower for the fact
Thank you for “revealing“ Revelation.