The Bible Challenge: Day 284

The scriptures read are Ezekiel 29-30, Psalm 83 and Revelation 6.

Ezekiel 29-30. Judgement announced for Pharaoh, Egypt and its allies.

Psalm 83. A beautiful Anglican psalter version of this psalm sung by an adult and boys choir.

Revelation 6. Time to open the scroll. But first: what is the scroll?

According to the historicist (H) school, it is God's purposes and designs for the world and his church.

According to the preterist (P) school, it is the sentence passed by the heavenly court on Jerusalem for shedding the blood of the martyrs. Christ will carry out the sentence.

According to the futurist (F) school, it's the title deed to earth which is being reclaimed from Satan. Christ is the kinsman who redeems or buys back at a great price the property we forfeited.

According to the spiritual (S) school, it is God's redemptive plan, in the form of God's last will and testament. Only Christ, his heir, can execute it.

When the lamb breaks the first 4 seals, 4 horsemen ride out. They are traditionally identified as Conquest (white horse), War and /or Bloodshed (red horse), Famine (black horse) and Death and Hell (pale horse). Most futurists think the rider of the white horse is the Antichrist (a name not found anywhere in Revelation.) I must point out that, aside from the last horseman, Revelation doesn't give them names.

The breaking of the seals sets off (H) the last centuries of the Roman Empire till its fall, (P) the revolt of the Jews leading to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD at the hands of Rome, (F) the Rapture of the church and the Great Tribulation, or (S) the cycles of war, martyrdom, judgment and the fall of human governments throughout history while God remains sovereign.

BTW if you are looking for the Rapture (which is not mentioned anywhere in Revelation) futurists see it in John's being taken to the heavenly court several chapters before.

The martyrs are those from the era each school sees this as depicting.

The signs in heaven and on earth unleashed by the breaking of the sixth seal represent (H) Constantine becoming emperor, (P) the Day of the Lord, (F) either literal or symbolic signs of the last days, or (S) the Second Coming. Since the spiritual school isn't tied to specific historical events, they don't see everything in Revelation as unfolding chronologically, but with a lot of overlap and rewinding because parts of this are happening simultaneously with the 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of wrath.

What those fleeing say as they seek refuge recalls Malachi 3:2.