So indeed, James P was spot on!

THE SYMBOLIZATION OF THE THIRD SEAL.

"And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." Rev. 6:5, 6.

As we have seen, the white horse represents man's govemment of earth while still pure and free. And now, since black is the opposite of white, the black horse must represent man's government in spiritual darkness and captivity -- a condition opposite to that represented by the white horse.

This is confirmed by history: Even as far back as Abraham's time, only about three hundred years after the flood, idol worship had overwhelmed the inhabitants of the world. It was then that Abraham left Haran, his father's house and country (Gen. 11:31; 12:1). His descendants, Israel, at length became slaves to Pharaoh, and afterwards to Nebuchadnezzer, King of Babylon.

The pair of balances in the rider's hand should even more definitely point out the period into which the black horse and its rider extend, and which they represent. As we have already seen the bow of the first horseman represents the means by which Adam subdued the earth (for all the human race came through him); and the sword of the second horseman, the means by which Adam's descendants took peace from the earth.

In similar manner, the balances of the third horseman must necessarily represent that which humanity next introduced. And what besides some sort of commercialism could the symbolism portray? Anyone can readily recognize that a man with a pair of balances must have something to do with buying and selling.

In Abram's time, commercial trading between nations was unknown. But during the following period, the period represented by the black horse, the idea was born. It was then that Sidon and Tyre became the chief commercial centers. And Inspiration propounds the question: "Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?" Isa. 23:8.

Tyre, the queen of the Phoenicians was but a short distance from Sidon. "In time they were to spread their trade-colonies all over the Mediterranean, and up into other lands, ever on the search for new trade areas and commercial centers. They were the bees of the ancient world carrying the pollen of culture wherever they went.

The necessities of trade and commerce drove them to perfect an alphabet, and from them the western world obtained it. In some respects they were unique in the ancient world, and this distinction was interred with them. For they were not interested in conquests, save commercial; they did not mind paying tribute to military powers, as long as those powers did not interfere with their rights of trade.

They had a Greek-like capacity for assimilating to themselves whatever Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia or any other phase of civilization offered; but their chief genius lay in invention, technical skill, business activity, and in industry. In the working of iron, gold, ivory, glass, and purple dyes they stood in the ancient world without a peer.

"... Through their cities flowed the highly profitable trade of Arabia and the East: and their manufacturers were kept busy turning out their products of metals, glass, and purple. By sea and by land they traveled everywhere -- missionaries of trade -- the master-bargainers of the Old World." -- Essential Knowledge, The Phenicians, Vol. I, pp. 69, 70.

The command, "Hurt not the oil and the wine," came from the midst of the throne, from the Ancient of Days, not from the horseman. Hence, the two commodities, oil and wine, represent not only something which only God can create but also that which He determines to preserve while wicked men would destroy it; thus the necessity for Him to command against anyone's hurting them.

And what other such spiritual commodities could the oil and wine at that particular time -- the time of the black horse -- represent but those products which the Bible then brought forth? Moreover, it is an accepted fact by nearly all Bible students, that "oil" symbolizes prophetic, truth, truth that throws light on the future, that lightens the traveler's path (Ps. 45:7; Zech. 4:12); and that wine represents that part of the truth which makes the recipient of it glad, makes him act differently than before (Isa. 61:1-3).

To summarize, it is obvious that the command, "Hurt not the oil and the wine," forbade interference with the writings of the Scriptures, again showing that the breaking of the third seal unveils the period in which the alphabet was invented and in which commercialism was originated; the period in which the Bible was being written, and in which one nation subjugated another; the period that gave birth to Empires.

Hence, while the Old Testament time is closed with the third seal, the commencement of the New is unveiled in the symbolization of the fourth seal.

Source: To the Seven Churches, V.T. Houteff

THE SYMBOLIZATION OF THE FOURTH SEAL.

"And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." Rev. 6:7, 8.

Since the pale horse falls in the same period as does the non-descript beast of Daniel 7:7, 8 (see pp. 16, 17), the period subsequent to the third seal, they consequently resemble each other. Indeed, its color being faint, wanting, not having a specific or definite hue or character, the horse is in the last analysis non-descript, too.

Very evidently the rider of the pale horse is synonymous with him who spake against the Most High, with him who was to wear out the saints, "and think to change times and laws." Dan. 7:25.

He is seen to represent the climax of idolatry. The ancient Roman government is fittingly symbolized by the non-descript beast, because in truth its administration was an admixture of civil and religious laws, of Pagan and Christian doctrines. No one could actually tell whether the Roman government was Pagan or Christian, Jewish or Gentile.

The rider's name, "death," also perfectly fits the then persecuting spirit and cruelties of both the Jews and the Romans. History and prophecy alike confirm that the Roman subversive power "devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet." Dan. 7:19.

The truth concerning the "fourth part of the earth," over which power was given unto them "to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth," is easily discovered: Dividing 6,000, the years from creation to the commencement of the millennium, into four equal parts, gives 1500 years ("the fourth part"), in the end of which time the power was to wane.

Again, it being true that the slaying of the saints began with the crucifixion of Christ, this "fourth part of the earth" therefore began at that time and ended with the "Augsburg Confession," a document compiled by Luther and presented at the Diet of Augsburg to the Emperor, Charles V, in 1530, -- exactly 1500 years after the resurrection of Christ (considering that the Christian era is 3 1/2 years pre-dated), the time the Roman power did wane.

These deductions become even more impeachable in the light of the historical fact that the Protestant clash against despotism, finally caused the persecution to cease. So it is that this part of the scripture under discussion, was fulfilled in 1530 by the weakening of the Jewish-Pagan and Christian-Pagan powers' killing with sword, hunger, death, and beasts.

(This part of the prophecy, incidentally, overthrows the erroneous idea that the earth has been in existence for longer than 6,000 years.)

At this point it is well to note that while the number of horses, four, represents the four corners of the compass, the number of seals, seven, denotes the completeness of the gospel, the sealing of the saints.

Source: To the Seven Churches, V.T. Houteff

THE SYMBOLIZATION OF THE FIFTH SEAL.

"And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Rev. 6:9-11.

The certainty that the souls cried from under the altar, the place from which God's truth is dispensed, makes obvious that they were slain for their firmness in the Word of God, and that for their faithfulness they were given white robes -- they were accounted worthy of eternity. That they were the martyrs of the preceding period, the period of the fourth seal, is clear from the fact that they were already dead when the fifth seal opened.

Moreover, an altar denotes renewal of faith, reformation. That is what it meant to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the instances they built their altars (Gen. 8:20; 12:8; 26:25; 35:14). The souls' being under the altar, indicates that they sacrificed their lives for a cause similar to the cause of the martyrs during the Protestant Reformation.

And the question, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge?" also the answer, "that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled," concretely prove that the persecution and martyrdom of the fourth seal were to overlap the fifth seal, and that the Judgment of the dead (the martyrs) was not to begin until after the persecution had ceased, but that then it would certainly begin.

source: To the Seven Churches, V.T. Houteff

THE SYMBOLIZATION OF THE SIXTH SEAL.

"And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. 6:12, 13.


It is one of the Denomination's fundamental beliefs that the prophecies of the sixth seal began to be fulfilled with the great Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755. Following the earthquake, May 19, 1780, the sun was darkened, and the moon appeared as blood the following night. Then came the "falling of the stars," the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833 (The Great Controversy, pp. 304-309, 333, 334).

Looking forward to these celestial demonstrations (the signs of the times), Jesus forewarned that they were to appear "immediately after the tribulation" had ceased (Matt. 24:29). So, while peace, wars, commercialism, script, and persecution are the signs of the times and the identification of the first five seals, in like manner the earthquake, the dark day, and the meteoric shower are the signs of the times and the identification of the sixth seal.

These global disturbances and celestial exhibitions between the years 1755 and 1833, in themselves, however, appear to be forecasts of the things which take place during the great and dreadful day of the Lord." If this be true, then the earthquake foreshadows the forthcoming shaking, sifting, among the nations, as predicted by the prophets:

"Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with His anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue as a devouring fire: and His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err." "And the fir trees shall be terribly shaken." Isa. 30:27, 28; Nah. 2:3.

The darkening of the sun would bespeak the closing of the gospel, the end of probationary time, the time when man "shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, and shall not find it." "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people." Amos 8:12; Isa. 60:2.

The moon, associated with the sun, makes a fitting symbol of the church, the agency by which the Word of God, the light of the world, is reflected. The moon's becoming as blood immediately following the darkening of the sun, refusing to reflect light, would be an appropriate omen of the church's having finished her work of salvation, no longer needing to reflect the Light of the gospel.

And the church herself is, of course, at that time imbued with eternal life, delivered from destruction as were the firstborn in the dwellings where the door posts had been painted with the sacrificial blood on the evening of the Passover in the land of Egypt.

The falling stars are suggestive of the great and terrible day of the Lord -- the day in which "the heavens...pass away" (2 Pet. 3:10), the day in which all their host is dissolved, and in which the Devil and his host, also the wicked in the church and in the world, "shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree." Isa. 34:4.

All these signs stand as faithful witnesses that the sixth seal, the sixth period of time, brings the great day of God, the wrath of the Lamb.

"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev. 6:14-17.

In these verses are pictured the fate, the fear, and the smitten conscience of all who are not able to stand in the day of the Judgment of the living, the great and dreadful day of the Lord -- the wrath of the Lamb in the great "time of trouble such as never was" (Dan. 12:1), the day following the appearance of the antitypical "Elijah the prophet" (Mal. 4:5) -- yes, the day in which those who have not clad themselves in the wedding garment, are cast into outer darkness, there to gnash their teeth (Matt. 22:11-13).

Also in these scripture (Rev. 6:14-17), asserts the Spirit of Truth, "two parties are brought to view. One party permitted themselves to be deceived, and took sides with those with whom the Lord has a controversy. They misinterpreted the messages sent them, and clothed themselves in robes of self-righteousness." -- Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 268.

Thus it is that while the first four seals carry us through the periods of the day in which the works of man are made manifest,the last three seals carry us through the day of God, the day in which His Truth and His works are made manifest.

That there should be a climax of some kind in the Judicial work at this particular point of the Scriptures (Rev. 6:14-17), is not a mystery. Its being stamped with the events which end the reign of sin, and this being realized by even the sinners themselves, is a very good indication that during the sixth seal the Judgment of the dead closes, and the preparations for the Judgment of the living begin. It is the "dreadful day" for the wicked.

Moreover, as the first phase of the Judgment passes with the sixth chapter of Revelation, the second phase begins with the seventh chapter; that is, it begins with the sealing of the living saints, the first fruits. It is the "great day" for the righteous.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." Rev. 7:1-4.

From the implication that "the four winds" are to blow and the four angels are to hurt as soon as the servants of God are sealed is seen looming the "time of trouble" such as never was (Dan. 12:1).

Moving from the four corners of the compass, the winds must represent a worldwide disturbance of some kind. Very obvious it is, too, that their blowing and the angels' hurting, represent two armies in conflict. The wind's blowing is, of course, the anger of the nations against the saints; and the angels' hurting is doubtless the Lord's judgment falling upon His enemies. In other words, the angels and the winds together represent a trouble between God and the nations involving both saints and sinners. Indeed, it is the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

The difference between the "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world" (Matt. 24:21), and the "time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation" (Dan. 12:1), is that during the "great tribulation" the saints are slain (Matt. 24:21, 22), whereas during the "time of trouble" they are delivered (Dan. 12:1).

That the angels' holding the winds does not denote their restraining the nations from warring among themselves, is made clear by the fact that the winds were not held from clashing wind against wind (nation against nation), but rather from hurting the earth, the sea, and the trees.

Moreover, that the nations from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west were engaged in World War I, and also in World War II, although the 144,000 are not yet sealed, is another irrefutable evidence that the trouble which is forecast by the winds' blowing and the angels' hurting, is yet future. That it is a global disturbance, is again seen in the fact that the winds on the one hand, and the angels on the other hand, are to trouble both earth and sea.

It being a foregone conclusion that Satan is against the saints, and that the Lord is against the truth-hating and evil-doing multitude, the subject becomes crystal clear: When let loose, the winds are to strike against the faithful "remnant," against those who are left after the earth has opened her mouth and swallowed up "the flood," the "tares" (Rev. 12:16, 17); but the angels who are stationed to hurt, are to smite those who make war against the remnant.

Those whose names are found in the book, are "delivered." Dan. 12:1. Seeing that the 144,000, the servants of God, are not as yet sealed (not yet enclosed, protected, guarded, and ready to take their stand with the Lamb on Mt. Sion, but rather are still commingled with the tares) the angels are commanded to forestall the clash.

Consequently, when this sealing work is completed, then the angels who hold the winds, will let the winds blow, and the angels who are to hurt the earth, sea, and trees, will then commence their given work.

Otherwise stated, to let the winds blow, is to permit the two-horn beast to decree "that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Rev. 13:15); and to let the angels hurt, is to allow the Lord's decree to take its course: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." Rev. 14:9, 10. This warning is followed by the forecast:

"The four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men." Rev. 9:15.

Both decrees will be in force after the 144,000 are sealed.

Here is seen that from among the first fruits of the harvest, come the 144,000, the servants of God for the closing work of the great harvest. These are the first saints ever to have been relieved of the "tares" among them. Get ready, Brother, Sister, for the time is at hand.

We have now seen that the first six seals reveal a phase of truth covering the history of the world from Adam's time on to
our time. This phase of truth reveals the sealing of the first and second fruits: From among the first fruits come the 144,000 -- 12,000 out of each of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Down through the centuries they have descended first as Jacobites and then as Christians. After these, come the second fruits, the great multitude out "of all nations." Rev. 7:9-17.

(The theory that the living saints at the coming of the Lord are only 144,000 in number, is discredited in that it leaves no chance for even one person to be saved from a nation other than the descendants of Jacob, not even from the descendants of Abraham, save through Jacob himself. Moreover, the theory makes the term "first fruits" a vain thing because it does not advocate second fruits.)

Although this is the only part I read, that makes no sense.

Ro 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

And why couldn't there be second fruits even if the only ones alive at the coming of the Lord are the 144,000?

Galatians 3:29 GSNT And if you belong to Christ, then you are true descendants of Abraham and his heirs under the promise.

"Although this is the only part I read, that makes no sense."

lol, try reading it ALL and admitting that which makes sense instead of only pointing out that which doesn't. That is EXACTLY what the Pharisee's did with Jesus, whatever made clear sense they ignored, but focused exclusively on what error they could find and dwelt on that. I've haven't heard one "I didn't know that or that makes sense" from you only sarcasm and slights and doubtful comments.

For instance, try reading those seal posts and find something good and sensible and share it. If you read them COMPLETELY you might learn something.

"Those who allow prejudice to bar the mind against the reception of truth cannot receive the divine enlightenment. Yet, when a view of Scripture is presented,many do not ask, Is it true--in harmony with God's word? but, By whom is it advocated?

And unless it comes through the very channel that pleases them, they do not accept it. So thoroughly satisfied are they with their own ideas that they will not examine the Scripture evidence with a desire to learn, but refuse to be interested, merely because of their prejudices.

The Lord often works where we least expect Him; He surprises us by revealing His power through instruments of His own choice, while He passes by the men to whom we have looked as those through whom light should come. God desires us to receive the truth upon its own merits--because it is truth." (Test. to Ministers, p.105-106)

That last quote is in the context that when that report was written (1947) there was quite a few of the leaders and laity that were of the belief that the saint total would only be 144,000 (both from the church and the world). So in today's context this would not be applicable, as both the Shepherd's Rod believers and the SDA believe that there are to be more than 144,000 to be translated at the second coming.

The difference in the two, is that the Srod people believe that the 144,000 are those who survive the church judgment (yes, it's quite sad! See Test. for the Church, vol.1, p.608-609) and that they go out into Babylon to bring in the "great multitude"*Rev. 7:9). So there is both the 144,000 sealed saints (per Ezek. 9) and millions from the world (marked or sealed by rejecting the Sunday law) that are translated.

The SDA believe that the 144,000 are "special servants" of God(see Doug Batchelor studies) and that the vast majority of other SDA survive (Ezek. 9 doesn't happen during probation) through out the time of trouble and the millions around the world come into the current existing SDA church (complete with all it's abominations (abortion upon demand allowed, SDA corporation as a "creature" of the state laws,dress and diet reform gone amuck, etc, etc.)

And that is just the point of the Shepherd Rod study and belief.

They believe the 144,000 are the escaped ones from the Ezekiel nine slaughter in which pretty much all Adventists are killed, which supposedly takes place BEFORE THE SUNDAY LAW.

THEN -- these 144,000 go out to establish a whole KINGDOM of people gathered from all nations in present day Palestine where they live under a Davidian type ruler in peace (after God also takes care of the beast) until Jesus comes.

Your response is exactly what they were trying to get people to give, in order to build on their future kingdom concept.