If your into to understanding the sequence and timing of the Second Coming, there is one critical event that you had better get right, and what is that? It’s the opening of the Seventh Seal.
Judging from the comments I hear and read on this topic, I’m going to say that those (within the church) who think we are already in the seventh seal outnumber those who think we are still in the sixth seal. However, in this case, I don’t think that the majority opinion is going to be enough to make it so. After all, it’s not exactly something you can determine by a vote, is it?
Prior to 2000, Cleon Skousen, whom I hold in high regard, put together a presentation on what he thought would happen in the next 25 years. If memory serves me correctly, he said that he thought the 7th seal would open in 2000. I believe his presentation had a pretty big impact on folks because whenever I come across a 7th sealer as I like to call them, they almost always say it opened in 2000.
OK, so lets get into the scriptures and see how things are working out so far. Our starting point is of course Rev. 8, we read the first six verses:
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
So we learn in verse one that the “seventh seal” “opened” and “there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” I’m going to assume for the sake of simplicity that we are all in agreement that the half hour of silence is 21 years.
In verse 6 John writes “And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” As we keep reading on through chapters 8, 9, 10 and 11, John gives us detailed accounts of what happens with the sounding of the trumpets of each of these seven angels. In the first part of chapter 11, which comes under the venue of the sixth angel, we read:
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
We know that Christ will come to the Jews as their long-awaited Messiah at the conclusion of the 42 months or 1260 days. And if the 7th sealers got it right, that would also be the end of the half hour of silence, right? After all, D&C 88:95 tells us:
And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the faceof the Lord shall be unveiled;
This all may be sounding good and looking good but there’s a problem here, a fly in the ointment as they say. And what’s the problem? It’s the fact that it’s already 2019. If the half hour of silence ends in 2021, that means that Gog and his army of 200 million should have started to “tread” Jerusalem “under foot forty and two months” back in 2017. The “two witnesses” should already be prophesying in Jerusalem.
Now, to be sure, there are other excellent arguments for our still being in the sixth seal that are every bit as compelling and every bit as scriptural as what has been presented in this blog. However, it’s going to have to wait until I’ve time to pick up where this installment ends.
In the