QUESTION: On page 46 (Chapter 3 The Harvest) of Jehovah himself Has Become King, you state: “The opening of the sixth seal INITIATES earth-shaking events associated with what Christ called a GREAT TRIBULATION”. (My emphasis) If the opening of the sixth seal initiates the great tribulation, what exactly is initiated by the previous five seals? Elsewhere in your book (Chapter 6 The Sign and Chapter 25, page 482), you seem to also associate the first five seals with the great tribulation. Could you be more specific about the order of events, in light of Rev 6 and Jesus’ words in Matt 24?
In their commentary on Revelation (page 104) the Watchtower has stated that it is reasonable that all seven seals of the symbolic scroll of God’s judgments are broken within the same timeframe. And they are right. It is “reasonable” that such is the case.
However, the Society goes on the claim that the 6th seal was opened in 1914, and by their own admission although the great symbolic earthquake has not taken place yet, supposedly symbolic, pre-quake temblors have been shaking the world for the past century in advance of the big one. This is not reasonable.
The only resolution to this obvious contradiction is to reset the opening of the seven seals to the future. Of course, that will never happen. The Watchtower would never consent to that – the reason being, 1914 is the “deluding influence” the apostle Paul foretold would be in force up until the manifestation of Christ. (formerly known as “an operation of error”)
But, since it is reasonable that Christ unseals the scroll in a timely fashion we may expect the outbreak of global war, food shortages, earthquakes and pandemics to be the beginning pangs of distress that will build in intensity and lead directly into the time of great distress, also known as the great tribulation, at which point God intervenes to cut it short in order to prevent the extinction of mankind.
Since the ouster of Satan and the demons takes place immediately following the coming to power of the kingdom, which is what is symbolized by the opening of the first seal, the foretold “woe for the earth and sea” commensurate with their being hurled down to the earth must therefore coincide with the beginning pangs of distress and culminate with the great tribulation.
But rather than transpiring over the course of many decades the time of the end appears to be three and a half years in duration.
