“Revelation 6–14,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Revelation 6–14
As part of his revelation, John saw a vision of the Lamb of God opening the first six seals of a sealed book. He recorded prophecies about important and troubling events that will occur just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He saw two prophets who would be killed in Jerusalem and resurrected three and a half days later. John described the War in Heaven and Satan’s efforts to destroy the followers of Jesus Christ on earth. He also prophesied of the Restoration of the Savior’s Church and the separating of the righteous from the wicked.
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Background and Context
What do we know about the first six seals?
The book, or scroll, with seven seals represents 7,000 years of human history. Each seal represents 1,000 years. Jesus Christ was the only one worthy to open each seal. After each seal was opened, John saw visions of events in human history. One scholar observed: “The seals’ images are symbols showing a general outline of how history will flow, but the images should not be taken too literally. Taken together, they show the general downward trend of humankind resulting in the great battle of the last days.”
The following chart identifies the first 6,000-year period. It also offers possible interpretations of the symbols John saw.
|
Seal |
Possible Interpretations |
|---|---|
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First seal (Revelation 6:1–2) |
The color white typically symbolizes purity. The bow, as a weapon, can symbolize war. A crown can symbolize victory. The first seal may refer to a time that was “the greatest triumph for righteousness the world had ever achieved. During this period Enoch and his people laid the foundation of Zion, and righteousness was truly on the offensive.” |
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Second seal (Revelation 6:3–4) |
The color red “suggests that the rider carries death through violence and bloodshed.” In the rider’s hand is a sword, symbolizing “violent death coupled with all the fury of war. It also carried the idea of authority to punish evildoing.” The second seal may refer to the widespread wickedness and violence in the days of Noah. So great was the wickedness of this time that the people tried to kill the prophet Noah. |
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Third seal (Revelation 6:5–6) |
The color black symbolizes “agony and death due to pestilence, famine, disease, and drought.” The “pair of balances,” or scales, was used in times of severe famine to weigh bread. A measure of wheat would feed an adult for one day and cost one penny. A penny was a day’s wage, so it took a full day of labor to pay for one day of food. The third seal could refer to the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which were defined by famine. |
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Fourth seal (Revelation 6:7–8) |
The Greek word translated as pale was often used to describe someone who was sick or dead. Hell, which likely refers to spirit prison, symbolizes the place of the dead. The fourth seal seems to refer to the era of warring empires of Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Having rejected the warnings of prophets, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah often found themselves victims of these conquering empires. Israel and Judah also fought against one another, resulting in the death of many people. |
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Fifth seal (Revelation 6:9–11) |
In his vision, John saw people killed under an altar because of their testimonies of God. In Old Testament times, altars in the house of the Lord were used for sacrificing animals. The blood of these animal sacrifices was used in different ways. One scholar noted: “In some rituals the blood was collected in a bowl and poured out at the foot of the altar of sacrifice. (See Leviticus 4 for examples.) Pouring out the blood suggests a freely willed, total commitment of life to the Lord. … The souls John saw under the altar had freely given the Lord their all. … They poured out their lives at the altar of God.” Many early Christians, including nearly all of the original Twelve Apostles, gave their lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were given white robes, symbolizing purity and “signaling their moral victory and also [the Lord’s] pledge for future eternal glory.” |
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Sixth seal (Revelation 6:12–17; 7:1–17) |
The sixth seal represents the time before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. John noted seven events that will happen during this time: an earthquake, the darkening sun, the moon becoming as blood, stars falling, the heavens opening as a scroll, mountains and islands moving out of their places, and people trying to hide. Similar events are recorded elsewhere in scripture. John also referred to seven types of natural disasters and seven classes of people who will hide. The number seven often represents completeness and may indicate that no enemies of God will escape His wrath in the last days. |
What do we know about the four angels and the angel ascending from the east?
The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the four angels John saw in his vision are sent by God. These four angels are “given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness.” The “angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel.”
What does it mean to place a seal in the foreheads of God’s servants?
(Compare to Revelation 9:4.)
In ancient times, a seal was used “to indicate ownership and to provide protection.” In this passage, the seal placed in the foreheads of God’s servants “is symbolic of the divine protection that will keep the righteous safe during the coming period of strife and destruction.” This seal includes both physical and spiritual protection. One scholar suggested, “The sealing enables [God’s servants] to respond in faith to the trials through which they pass, so that these trials become the very instruments by which they can even be strengthened in their faith.”
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that placing a seal in the foreheads of God’s servants “signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure.” (For more information about this sealing, see “Revelation 22:4. What is the significance of God’s servants having His name in their foreheads?”)
Who are the 144,000?
(Compare to Revelation 14:1–5.)
The Lord explained to Joseph Smith that the 144,000 “are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.” The work of the 144,000 high priests could have symbolic reference to the work performed under priesthood keys in latter-day temples. The Church of the Firstborn refers to those who are faithful to their covenants with Jesus Christ and become partakers of His glory. (See “Hebrews 12:22–23. What are Mount Zion and the Church of the Firstborn?”)
Who are the people in white robes?
The people in white robes standing before the throne are the righteous people gathered by the 144,000 out of every nation. They stand in the presence of the Father and the Son, having received their exaltation The image of the righteous people with palm branches in their hands is similar to the Savior’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Palm branches can symbolize victory and joy. The robes washed and made “white in the blood of the Lamb” symbolize the righteous people being purified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
What do we know about the seven angels with trumpets?
The opening of the seventh seal in John’s vision is accompanied by frightening depictions of destruction. The Lord revealed that the seven angels blowing their trumpets represent the time when the “Lord God [will] sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man … ; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.” The number seven often represents completion.
What is wormwood?
Wormwood is a plant with a bitter taste. Wormwood may symbolize the “bitter troubles, calamites, and disasters that will unfold” in the last days.
What is the bottomless pit?
The Greek word for bottomless translates to “of the shaft of the abyss.” The Greek word for abyss means “depth” or “bottom.” In New Testament times, many would have understood the bottomless pit to be a “vast subterranean region that was the home of the dead.”
The Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that the key to the bottomless pit was given not to Satan but to “the angel.” This reading emphasizes that God has ultimate control and that Satan has power only as God allows.
What is the significance of the locusts and scorpions?
Locusts, or grasshoppers, were a terrible plague in ancient agricultural societies because they could quickly destroy crops and cause famine. For example, Exodus 10:12–15 and Joel 1:2–7 provide accounts of the destructive power of locusts. “Combining the image of locusts with that of scorpions gives a quality of great harmfulness and thus heightens the sense of terror the scene creates.”
Who will be protected from the calamities of the last days?
The Apostle John saw in his vision that certain calamities preceding the Second Coming would affect “only those … which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” This corresponds with other scriptural promises that in the last days those who are faithful will ultimately be protected.
Though the Lord promises spiritual protection to the righteous in the last days, the Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that some may not be physically protected from harm: “[I] explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape’ [see Doctrine and Covenants 63:34]; still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith [see Habakkuk 2:4]; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God.”
What is the meaning of Abaddon and Apollyon?
Abaddon is a Hebrew word meaning “place of destruction.” Apollyon is a Greek word meaning “to destroy.” These words indicate that the objective of the king of the bottomless pit is to use his army to destroy.
How many will die in battle?
God’s messengers will unleash a terrible destruction during the last days before the Savior’s Second Coming. John declared that an army of “two hundred thousand thousand” (200,000,000) people will fight in a battle. We do not know whether that number is symbolic or literal. John also recorded that “the third part of men” will be slain. Of this prophecy, Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, “The slain will be a third of the inhabitants of the earth itself, however many billions of people that may turn out to be.”
What does the little book that John ate symbolize?
The Lord revealed the following about the little book that John ate: “We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things.” Eating the book likely indicates that John accepted his mission to gather the tribes of Israel. That the book was “sweet as honey” in John’s mouth but “bitter” in his belly may suggest that his mission would include joyful and painful experiences.
What is the significance of the time periods in John’s vision?
The holy city will be “tread under foot” for 42 months, or three and a half years. Likewise, the two witnesses will prophesy and testify of Jesus Christ for 1,260 days, or approximately three and a half years. The two witnesses will be killed, and their bodies will lie in the street for three and a half days. In the scriptures, particularly in Revelation, the number three and a half often describes a time of tribulation during which Satan is allowed to do his work. Since three and a half is half of seven, which symbolizes perfection and completion, it may represent something that is interrupted in its course or not completed. It may also suggest that God is not done performing His work and that the devil’s work will not last.
What can we learn from the Joseph Smith Translation about the woman, the woman’s child, and the dragon?
In his vision, John saw a woman, the woman’s child, and a dragon. The Prophet Joseph Smith provided the following insights:
|
Symbol |
What Is Represented |
|---|---|
Symbol A woman (Revelation 12:1) | What Is Represented “The church of God” (Joseph Smith Translation, Revelation 12:7 [Gospel Library]) |
Symbol The woman’s child (Revelation 12:2) | What Is Represented “The kingdom of our God and his Christ” (Joseph Smith Translation, Revelation 12:7 [Gospel Library]) |
Symbol A dragon (Revelation 12:3) | What Is Represented “The devil, … also called Satan” (Joseph Smith Translation, Revelation 12:8 [Gospel Library]) |
The Joseph Smith Translation makes it clear that Satan will not prevail in his war against God’s kingdom on earth.
Currently, the Church of God is an ecclesiastical organization. But when the Savior comes again and makes “a full end of all nations,” the kingdom of God will also have political jurisdiction over all people on the earth.
What do we know about the War in Heaven?
Satan sought to destroy our agency and desired God’s glory for himself. When Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior, Satan rebelled and started the War in Heaven. In this war, “Satan and his followers fought Jesus Christ and His followers.” Because of their rebellion, Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven and denied the right to receive mortal bodies.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “This war in heaven was not a war of bloodshed. It was a war of conflicting ideas—the beginning of contention.” He also noted that Satan’s motive was “to gain personal acclaim even over God Himself.”
Of Satan’s continued effort to destroy us, Elder Dale G. Renlund said: “Lucifer is an accuser or prosecutor. … He spoke against us in the premortal existence, and he continues to denounce us in this life. He seeks to drag us down. He wants us to experience endless woe. He is the one who tells us we are not adequate, the one who tells us we are not good enough, the one who tells us there is no recovery from a mistake. He is the ultimate bully, the one who kicks us when we are down.”
Learn More
Book of Revelation
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David A. Edwards, “Joseph Smith and the Book of Revelation,” Ensign, Dec. 2015, 60–65
Overcoming the Accuser
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Dale G. Renlund, “Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 104–7
The War in Heaven
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Gordon B. Hinckley, “An Unending Conflict, a Victory Assured,” Ensign, June 2007, 4–9
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Larry R. Lawrence, “The War Goes On,” Ensign, Apr. 2017, 32–39
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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Great Adventure,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 86–90
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Topics and Questions, “War in Heaven,” Gospel Library
Media
Video
“War in Heaven” (2:05)
Images
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, by Viktor Vasnetsov
The Grand Council, by Robert T. Barrett