Seven seals

The seven seals is a concept of Christian eschatology, found in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, which states that when the world reaches its end, seven "seals" will be opened. A book with seven seals is first mentioned in ). The first four of the seven seals are commonly referred to as the four horsemen / four horses of the Apocalypse.

Bible scholars associate the seven seals with the seven Spirits of God [cite web |url= http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/wolston/SPIRIT13.html |title= Thirteen Lectures on the Operations of the Holy Ghost |accessdate=2008-09-16 |work= |publisher= STEM Publishing: The writings of W. T. P. Wolston |date=1945 ] , and other Bible 'sevens' [cite web |url= http://www.biblewheel.com/topics/SevenSeals.asp |title= The Bible Sealed with Seven Seals |accessdate=2008-09-16 |work= |publisher= The Bible Wheel |date= ] . The seals contain symbols commonly interpreted as death, famine, world wars, martyrdom, earthquakes, and the Antichrist. It also states that there will be "seven trumpets" announcing aspects of the "End Times": mankind being judged, seas turning to blood, sores on people's bodies, plagues, infertility, and the introduction of "seven bowls" (in King James Version called "vials"). These bowls are a third each of the sea, humankind, water, animal life, ships, crops, and earth, all engulfed by an infinite abyss.

In popular culture

*D.H. Lawrence wrote a poem called "Seven Seals" in 1916.
*The Seven Seals were at the center of David Koresh's teachings to his followers among the Branch Davidians.
*The seals are portrayed in the 1991 film The Rapture.
*The Seventh Seal, a film by Ingmar Bergman
*The Book with Seven Seals (Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln) an oratorio by Austrian composer Franz Schmidt

ee also

*Eschatology

References