Tract Number 15

To the Seven Churches

THE BREAKING OF THE SEVEN SEALS

 --The Signs Of The Times--

   The first and most important thing that takes place in this solemn assembly, is the opening of the book.  It should be remembered, too, that the book is sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5:1).  It being in seven sections, each section individually sealed, seven seals in all are consecutively broken, permitting each section to unfold its own contents: The first seal, or section of the book, discloses the things of Revelation 6:2; the second, the things of verse 4; the third, the things of verses 5 and 6; the fourth, the things of verse 8; the fifth, the things of verses 9 to 11; the sixth, the things of verses 12 to 17 and of chapter 7; the seventh, the things of chapters 8 to 22.  That the seventh seal contains chapters  8 to 22 is immediately seen by the fact that each chapter is connected with the conjunction "and."  In other words, The Revelation, save for the first five chapters, is but a reproduction of the things which were on record within the seals, and which as a result of the breaking the seals were pictorially displayed in John's sight.

   Now Truth clearly points out that The  Revelation is not made up of something which originated with John's vision, but that it is made up of the things which the sealed book contained and which were then  made known.  Since the writings of John recorded the things which the sealed book revealed at the instance its seals were broken, Inspiration entitled them "The Revelation" -- the sealed things unsealed, the secret things revealed.

   The basic points in chapters 4 and 5, the chapters aforequoted, are these: