The first four seals opened.
The opening of the first four seals provides an overview of what Lucifer would do in response to his expulsion from heaven. His main goal was to prevent the coming of the Messiah into the world. Lucifer, Satan, knew that if the Messiah did come, that would be the end of him and his followers. The Sounding of the first six trumpets fills in more detail about what the first four seals introduced. The first seal depicts Satan riding out of heaven on a white horse, which signifies his victory. He won a battle but not a war. He convinced one-third of the angels in heaven to follow him. However, he also is shown riding with a bow, a symbol of an intent to continue his fight. Satan is bent on winning a permanent home for himself and his followers. Therefore, he went out of heaven, determined to fight as many battles as needed to secure for himself a long-enduring kingdom. Revelation 6:2.
“…And a crown was given to him.” Revelation 6:2. Lucifer won a battle by convincing one-third of the angels to join him in rebellion, but he did not win the victor’s crown. He had not deserved it either because he won the loyalty of angels by deceit. Nevertheless, the victor’s crown was given to him, signifying that it could and will be taken away from him at the right time. Unfortunately, humankind gave him the earth in the first man, Adam, which Satan established as a basecamp from where he would carry out his evil plans.
Lucifer immediately implemented his worst evil plans upon gaining the earth as his principality. However, as depicted in the opening of the second, the third, and the fourth seals, Satan could, with his evil acts, impact only one-third of humankind. Revelation 6:3 – 8. He enticed most of the earth’s population to practice evil and violence toward one another. He aimed first to drive humankind away from God and thus disrupt God’s plans. However, Lucifer could not adequately fulfill his goal because he was not a sovereign owner of the earth. His authority as the prince of this world was limited. Therefore, he had to be allowed to implement his evil plans. (Revelation 6:4). Accordingly, he enticed people to practice great violence. Genesis 6:11, 12. However, God intervened and ensured that humankind would not perish before the Messiah was born at the right time. Therefore, the yielded believers can be confident that God is in charge and his plans will be accomplished.
The opening of the fifth and sixth seals, read the next blog.
