THE SEALS OF REVELATION 6
(AS DEFINED BY MATTHEW 24)

Revelation, the final book of the Bible, is arguably one of the most difficult to understand.  There have been countless expositions written and numerous sermons preached in an attempt to identify the colorful symbols which populate this prophetic book.  But despite its name, the book of Revelation remains sealed to most who read and study it.  To many, the so-called "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" are as enigmatic today as they were when the apostle John first recorded the visions he received while on the isle of Patmos about 95 CE.

Yet there is a proven way to understand many of the symbols found in Revelation.  That method is to use parallel Scriptures that speak of the same events.  In this article, I will compare the symbolic "seals" opened in the 6th chapter of Revelation to the prophetic words of Messiah Yeshua recorded in Matthew 24.  As you will see, there is an undeniable link between the two passages.

Let's start by setting the scene for the prophecy found in Revelation 6.  In Revelation 4, John is transported in vision to heaven and sees the very throne of God the Father.  In Revelation 5, John notices that God is holding a scroll in His right hand which is sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5:1).  At first, no one in heaven above or on the earth or under the earth is found worthy to open and read the scroll (Rev. 5:2-4).  But then the Messiah Yeshua appears on the scene, and he is declared worthy to break the seals and open the scroll (Rev. 5:5-7).

After receiving the praises of the heavenly host (Rev. 5:8-14), Messiah begins opening the seals on the scroll in chapter 6:

REVELATION 6:1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come."  2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (NASU)

The opening of the 1st seal presents a symbolic white horse ridden by one who has a bow and a crown.  Using his weapon and his authority, he went forth warring against and defeating his enemies.  The phrase "conquering and to conquer" alludes to a continual state of warfare on the part of this entity.

REVELATION 6:3 When he broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come."  4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (NASU)

When the 2nd seal was opened, John saw a fiery red horse mounted by a rider carrying a huge sword.  This rider was allowed to initiate widespread warfare on the earth.

REVELATION 6:5 When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come."  I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." (NASU)

The opening of the 3rd seal revealed a black horse ridden by a man carrying a pair of scales.  The scales were used to weigh out small quantities of very expensive food (a denarius was about a day's wages in the 1st century).  The command to avoid damaging the oil and wine shows that these, along with food, would be in scarce supply.

REVELATION 6:7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, "Come!"  8 I looked and there was a pale green horse!  Its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth. (NRSV)

The breaking of the 4th seal revealed the last of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."  The horse was the pale green color of decaying flesh, and the rider of this horse was Death himself!  The grave followed after Death, and he was given power to kill 25% of the earth's population.  This widespread destruction of life was caused by the cumulative effects of all four horsemen.

REVELATION 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. (NASU)

The opening of the 5th seal symbolically showed the slain martyrs from ages past crying out to God for justice.  However, they were told that the time for justice had not yet come.  There were still a certain number of believers who had to be martyred (as they had been) before God's wrath would be poured out on those responsible.

REVELATION 6:12 I looked when he broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.  14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (NASU)

The opening of the 6th seal brings about a great earthquake, which is accompanied by signs in the heavens above.  All of mankind will realize from this awesome spectacle that God is about to execute His wrath through the Messiah upon the wicked.

Now that we've looked at the symbolic opening of all six seals in Revelation 6, let's look at the introduction to Yeshua's parallel prophecy recorded in Matthew 24:

MATTHEW 24:1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the Temple, and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the Temple.  2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  3 Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NKJV)

Understandably, Yeshua's statement about the coming destruction of the Temple caused great concern among his disciples.  After pondering his words, they came to him and asked for additional information on the calamity he had prophesied for the Temple.  Although they likely assumed that the destruction of the Temple and the end of the age would occur at the same time, in fact they asked two separate questions:

  1. WHEN would the Temple be destroyed?
  2. WHAT would be the sign of the Messiah's coming and the end of the age?

Some of the ensuing prophecy given by Yeshua in response to their questions pertained to the coming destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.  However, those 1st-century events did not completely fulfill the prophecy found in Matthew 24.  Another fulfillment, this one at the end of the age of man which will lead to his return, was the ultimate focus of Messiah Yeshua.

Multiple fulfillments of the same prophecy present one of the greatest difficulties in properly understanding the Bible.  Many times in the Scriptures, we see a prophecy that fits more than one person or event.  The guiding principle for understanding these prophecies was stated by King Solomon in Ecclesiastes.  He tells us "that which has been is what will be, that which has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). 

In such cases, preliminary fulfillment does not completely satisfy or extinguish the prophecy.  In fact, there are two general types of dual prophecies found in the Bible:

  1. Prophecies that are substantially fulfilled by initial events, where subsequent fulfillments are an echo of the first occurrence; and
  2. Prophecies where the initial fulfillment is incomplete, and the comprehensive fulfillment of the prophecy is yet future.

The prophecy found in Matthew 24 is of the second type.  Although some of the information there related to the Roman conquest that would occur 40 years later, the ultimate fulfillment of these events will take place at the time of the end.  This is the same time period covered by the book of Revelation.

Now let's look at the specifics from Matthew 24:

MATTHEW 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  5 For many will come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many.  6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.  9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." (NKJV)

Contained within this passage are events that closely match the symbolic seals found in Revelation 6 (as shown below).  The next passage (Matt. 24:13-28) includes information about an event that is not specifically mentioned in Revelation 6, but is addressed in Old Testament prophecy:  The siege and capture of Jerusalem by the nations of the world (Zec. 12:2-3; 14:1-2).

While there are many fanciful theories about the nature of the "abomination of desolation" mentioned by Messiah (Matt. 24:15), the primary understanding of it is given in the parallel passage found in Luke's Gospel.  Luke states that when armies surround Jerusalem, we will know that its desolation is near (Luke 21:20).  Just as Titus and the Roman army surrounded and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE (40 years after this prophecy was given), the city will again be subjected to capture in the future, this time by the armies of the world.

After warning those in Jerusalem, Yeshua returns to the events outlined in Revelation 6:

MATTHEW 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (NKJV)

Here we see Yeshua state that immediately after the capture of Jerusalem, signs will appear in the heavens.  These same signs are mentioned in conjunction with the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-14).

At this point (Matt. 24:30-31) the Messiah skips the first six trumpet judgments detailed in Revelation (Rev. 8:1-11:14) and goes to the final part of the 7th seal, which is the 7th trumpet (Rev. 11:15-19).  An exposition of this part of the prophecy is outside the scope of this article.

Now that we have covered the Scriptures in question, let's compare the two prophecies to see if any additional understanding can be obtained.  For ease of comparison, let's look at a side-by-side list of the seals found in Revelation 6 with the corresponding explanatory Scriptures from Matthew 24:

REVELATION 6 MATTHEW 24

1st Seal = ???
Behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Rev. 6:2) "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many." (Matt. 24:4-5)

2nd Seal = Widespread Warfare
Another, a fiery red horse, went out.  And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. (Rev. 6:4) "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matt. 24:6-7)

3rd Seal = Famine
There was a black horse, and its rider held a scale in his hand.  Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Rev. 6:5-6) "There will be famines . . ." (Matt. 24:7)

4th Seal = Death of 1/4 of Mankind from First Four Seals
There before me was a pale green horse!  Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  He was given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and pestilence, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:8) "There will be . . . pestilences and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matt. 24:7-8)

5th Seal = Martyrdom of Believers
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 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, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Rev. 6:9-11) "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." (Matt. 24:9-10)

6th Seal = Heavenly Signs
Behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.(Rev. 6:12-14) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Matt. 24:29)

With the apparent exception of the 1st seal, a comparison of the two sets of related Scriptures clearly shows that the symbols revealed in the seals match up with the details of the Olivet prophecy given by Yeshua.  It is obvious that the sword-wielding rider of the fiery red horse (2nd seal) represents widespread warfare between nations, alliances, and even ethnic groups.  The black horse and its scale-carrying rider (3rd seal) symbolizes the scarcity of food that occurs during famine.  The pale green horse and its rider, Death (4th seal), represent the various ways that humans will die from the effects of the "Four Horsemen."  The souls crying out from under the altar (5th seal) are used to symbolically introduce an end-time martyrdom of believers.  Finally, the signs in the heavens (6th seal) indicate that God is about to punish a sinning and unrepentant humanity.

Since there is such an obvious relationship between most of the elements in these two passages, it's easy to conclude that they are both referring to the same prophesied events.  But if this is the case, why does the symbolism of the first seal (Rev. 6:2) appear so different from the first event spoken of by Yeshua (Matt. 24:4-5)?  John's vision seems to imply conquest by a righteous ruler, while Yeshua's words appear to indicate religious deception.

A hint at why the initial clue is unclear is found in the proverbs of King Solomon:

PROVERBS 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (NIV)

It is to God's glory to hide things from mankind, but it is to our glory if we put forth the effort and time to seek out those things that He has concealed.  If the two passages of Scripture in question were easily reconcilable, the beginning of the end of this age and the coming of Messiah would be plainly laid out for all to see.  There would be no need to truly search for understanding.  But due to the apparent differences, many have missed the relationship between these two passages.

Assuming that the first seal IS the same as the warning given by Yeshua, how then do we arrive at a correct understanding of the symbolism?

There is a biblical principle that will guide our understanding in this matter:

ISAIAH 28:10 "For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." (ESV)

Most who recognize a connection between Revelation 6:2 and Matthew 24:4-5 usually draw their interpretation primarily from one passage or the other, and then try to harmonize the remaining one.  But using the guidance found in Isaiah 28:10, let's combine one prophecy with the other and see the total picture that emerges.

First, we have to define the symbols from Revelation 6:2 to grasp what we are being told.  The first symbol is that of a WHITE HORSE.  In the Bible (and especially in the book of Revelation, the color white represents "righteousness," "goodness," or "purity" (Rev. 3:4-5, 18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13-14; 19:11, 14).  So the color of the horse is designed to convey to us that, in some sense, the rider is considered good or righteous.

Next, we note that the rider has a BOW for a weapon.  The bow represents "military strength," especially military strength that can be projected from a great distance.  With the bow, the rider has the ability to strike from long range while being relatively safe from counterattack.

We also see that the rider is given a CROWN.  In the Bible, a crown represents governmental power and the authority to rule.  Therefore, the rider represents a government or ruling entity.

Lastly, we are told that this "good" governmental power uses its military might to successfully wage war.  In fact, the implication of the statement that the rider "went out CONQUERING and TO CONQUER" suggests a continual state of aggressive warfare by this power.

In summary, we have the following symbols and their meaning in the 1st seal:

SYMBOL/ACTION MEANING
White Horse Righteousness, Goodness, Purity
Bow Military Strength (Long-Range)
Crown Rulership, Power, Government
"Went Out Conquering and to Conquer" State of Continual/Perpetual Warfare

Now that we've defined the Revelation 6 part of the prophecy, let's add the factors disclosed by Yeshua from Matthew 24:4-5 to it.  He tells his followers to beware of being DECEIVED.  He states that many would COME IN HIS NAME, claiming that he was the Messiah, and would deceive many.

Without the context of Revelation 6:2, it would be almost impossible to assign this deception to anything other than a strictly religious arena.  However, when all the factors from the two passages are combined, we are left with the following description:

INTERPRETATION SYMBOL/WARNING
A governmental power... Crown
That appears good/righteous... White Horse
Initiates extended warfare... "Went out conquering and to conquer"
Using long range weapons and tactics... Bow
Yet they are deceiving many people... "Take heed that no one deceives you"
While proclaiming the name of Christ. "Many will come in my name"

Does any world power in this modern age fit that description?  Yes!  With the apparent exception of the "widespread deception" attribute, a better question would be "can this prophecy be about any modern nation other than the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?"

Most Americans think that our country represents all that is good and right in the world.  We think of ourselves as the "good guys."  Many of us dislike the fact that the US government is intruding more and more into our everyday lives.  However, as a nation we are very prosperous and wealthy, and we want to believe that the people running our government have our best interests at heart.

In response to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, the leaders of our government have initiated a series of initiatives to protect our "Homeland."  Shortly after those attacks, President George W. Bush announced his intention to begin a "War on Terrorism."  On September 18, 2001, the US Congress authorized President Bush to:

Use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons. (Public Law 107-40, S.J. Res. 23)

On September 20, 2001, President Bush presented his response to the attacks in an address to a joint session of the US Congress (and via television and radio to the American people).  In this address, he stated:

Our war on terror begins with al-Qaida, but it does not end there.  It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.

President Bush laid out for the American people the foundation for a decades-long struggle against terrorists and the states that support them.  When America invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, the American public was solidly behind the President.  A slimmer majority also supported the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, believing both actions were necessary to defeat "terrorism."

However, this "War on Terrorism" is turning out to be exactly what President Bush promised at the onset - a perpetual war allegedly against terrorist groups and the nations that harbor and supply them.  In fact, members of the Bush administration referred to their anti-terrorist policy as the "Long War."  President Bush used this new name in his 2006 State of the Union speech, when he said:

"Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy." (January 31, 2006)

During his 2007 State of the Union address a year later, the president made this telling statement:

"The evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in the world.  And so long as that's the case, America is still a nation at war." (January 23, 2007)

Even though the presidential administration has changed since these wars started, America still has tens of thousands of troops on the ground in the Middle East.  However, our military might is not primarily composed of men, but rather of advanced technology.  Just as the bow was the long-range weapon of choice in ancient times, unmanned drones, cruise missiles, jet planes, and "smart" bombs are the modern equivalent.  For instance, some of the bombing missions flown by the US Air Force in the campaign against Iraq originated from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.  The round trip time for these flights was generally over 30 hours.  Additionally, other combat sorties were flown from the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and off of aircraft carriers stationed in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere.  America has lost relatively few men in their conquests of Afghanistan and Iraq because we were able to attack from a distance that did not allow our adversaries to respond effectively.

But, most will object, this is where the similarities to the prophecies we are studying end.  Certainly our government isn't perfect, but it's the best form of human government in our modern world.  How can one say that our government is "deceiving many" people in the name of Christ?

As most Americans would readily admit, the US is predominantly perceived as a Christian nation (although not nearly as much so as 50 years ago).  The American leader at the time of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush, was a member of the Methodist Christian denomination.  He said on several occasions that he recommitted himself to Jesus Christ in 1986 in the process of conquering alcoholism.  When asked what political philosopher he most identified with in a 1999 presidential campaign debate, Bush named Christ, "because he changed my heart."  Former Vice President Cheney was also a Methodist.  The Republican party these leaders belong to is generally perceived as representing Christian values and ideals.  Many Democrats, especially those from the middle of the country, also identify themselves as Christians.  For the most part, our government appears to be run by people who proclaim themselves to be followers (in one fashion or another) of Jesus Christ.

However, these same leaders who espouse Christ are involved in a massive deception that has already cost thousands of lives and, according to biblical prophecy, is leading to a global war that will claim the lives of well over a billion people.  What is this deception?

It is the very same event that allowed the rider of the white horse to initiate perpetual warfare against terrorists — the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Any unbiased, logical and thorough evaluation of the evidence pertaining to the events of 9/11/01 will quickly reveal a plethora of problems with the official story.  In fact, there are so many holes in the government's version of what happened on 9/11/01 that it would be amazing for anyone who has taken a detailed looked into this event to NOT have questions.  Some of the problems with the official story are listed below:

EVENTS BEFORE THE ATTACK INDICATED FOREKNOWLEDGE

Financial Market Transactions

In the days before the attacks, significantly higher than average numbers of stock put options (essentially, bets that a company's stock will decline in value) were placed on several companies greatly impacted by the events of 9/11/01.  These companies included:

There was also a huge increase in the number of stock call options (essentially, bets that a company's stock will increase in value) purchased on Raytheon on the day before the attacks (Raytheon is the maker of Patriot and Tomahawk missiles).

Additionally, there was an abnormally large increase in the purchase of 5-year US Treasury notes (considered to be very safe investments in times of uncertainty) before the attacks.

All of these financial transactions were extremely rewarding after the attacks took place.

Avoidance of the Targets

Just before 9/11/01, high government officials began avoiding the targets of the attacks:

Additionally, some business leaders and others avoided the targets:

THE HIJACKING SCENARIO

Although the FBI named 19 Arab hijackers responsible for the events of 9/11/01 within two days of the attacks, there is little tangible evidence to support this assertion.

Fatal Flaws in the Hijackers' Plan of Attack

The entire hijack plan was ill conceived and suffered from numerous logistical problems that should have caused it to fail had the US air defense system been operating normally on 9/11/01:

Under standard air defense operating procedures, the odds of these "hijacked" planes escaping interception with this plan would have been exceedingly small.

Lack of Evidence

There is no solid evidence that any of the alleged hijackers were on any of the hijacked flights.  In fact, there is substantial evidence that some of the identified hijackers definitely were NOT involved:

Odd Behavior of the Hijackers

The behavior of the alleged hijackers preceding the attack does not exhibit the skill and discipline needed to pull off such an ambitious plan:

Success of the Hijackers

The proposition that the alleged hijackers were successful using their crude methods and poor skills is difficult to believe:

LACK OF US AIR DEFENSE RESPONSE

Several elements are involved in domestic air defense of the continental United States.  The air traffic control system continuously monitors air traffic and notifies the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) of any deviations by aircraft from their designated flight paths or loss of radio contact.  NORAD regularly monitors air (and space) traffic and is prepared to react immediately to any threats or emergencies that arise.  It has the authority to order units from the Air Force, the Air National Guard, or any other branch of the armed services to scramble fighters in pursuit of jetliners in trouble.  This is standard operating procedure for the US air defense system.  In the year 2000, interceptors were dispatched a total of 129 times.  Between September 2000 and June 2001, jet fighters were scrambled 67 times.

Despite normal intercept times of between 10 and 20 minutes for domestic flights that go off course or lose radio contact, on 9/11/01 the hijacked planes seemingly roamed the skies at will without interference from the US air defense system.  For some reason, routine interception procedures were not followed on that day.

Reporting Failures

FAA response times for reporting the deviating aircraft were much longer than the prescribed guidelines:

Failure to Scramble Interceptors

Interceptors were only scrambled from distant bases after long delays:

Failures to Intercept

Once they finally got in the air, interceptors flew at only small fractions of their top speeds, ensuring that they would be unable to intercept the airliners:

Failures to Redeploy

Nearby fighters on routine patrol duty were not redeployed to intercept the airliners, nor were fighters that reached Manhattan too late sent south to defend the capital:

War Games

Several different war game exercises were in process on the morning 9/11/01 as the attack unfolded.  Although there has been only limited information released to the public about these exercises, they reportedly included:

Interestingly, these exercises closely resembled the actual events of the 9/11/01 attacks (four alleged hijackings, three jetliner crashes into buildings, and the toxic calamity at Ground Zero caused by the building collapses).

WORLD TRADE CENTER BUILDING COLLAPSES

On 9/11/01, three skyscrapers (WTC 1-North Tower, WTC 2-South Tower, and WTC 7-Salomon Brothers Building) totally collapsed, with fire given as the primary cause.  Fires have never before or since caused steel-frame buildings to collapse.  One of these buildings, WTC 7, was over 300 feet away from the North Tower and was not hit by a plane.

WTC Twin Towers

Both the Twin Towers fell straight down, through themselves, following the path of maximum resistance, a behavior never before observed in spontaneous collapses of any type of vertical structure.  The towers also exploded outward into concrete dust and shattered steel, a result inconsistent with the known behavior of steel structures outside of explosive demolition.  Although the pattern of destruction was much more complete than normal controlled demolitions, the collapses of both WTC 1 and WTC 2 exhibited features seen only in intentional demolitions:

Both towers started to disintegrate both above and below the crash zones in the first few seconds of their falls.  The South Tower collapsed 29 minutes before the North Tower (although it was struck 17 minutes after the North Tower and the damage done to the building was less substantial):

Amazing video footage and photographs of the South Tower just minutes before its collapse reveals yellow-to-white hot molten metal dripping downward.  Additionally, numerous witnesses describe molten metal underneath all three WTC buildings for several weeks after their collapses.  The problem is that the hydrocarbon-fueled fires burning in the WTC buildings were not nearly hot enough to produce the approximately 2,750°F temperatures needed to melt structural steel.  Additionally, the color of the molten metal rules out that it was aluminum from the buildings or planes, since liquefied aluminum is a silvery color.  So how did jet fuel fires which were never hot enough to melt steel cause the steel in these buildings to melt?  Why did this steel remain in a molten state under the WTC rubble for several weeks after 9/11/01?

WTC Building 7

WTC 7 imploded at 5:20 pm on 9/11/01 (approximately 20 minutes AFTER its collapse was announced live on British television by the BBC news crew covering the events of 9/11/01 from New York).  As mentioned earlier, it was not hit by a jet.  WTC 7 experienced total collapse, allegedly because of fires; however, no steel-frame building before or since has ever totally collapsed due to fire.  This building was a 47-story steel-frame skyscraper.  Only small fires were visible in it on 9/11/01.  Yet this building also collapsed in an almost perfectly vertical fall into a remarkably small pile of mostly pulverized rubble.  Buildings only 60 feet on either side of WTC 7 were virtually unscathed from its collapse.

A close observation of the collapse of WTC Building 7 shows that it had all of the features of an implosion engineered by controlled demolition:

WTC Building 7 was home to quite a few interesting tenants:

Suppression of Physical Evidence

The physical evidence from the World Trade Center buildings, as well as the attacking jets, was suppressed or systematically destroyed:

PENTAGON ATTACK

In many ways, the Pentagon attack is the most difficult to accept.  It defies logic that this home to the military establishment of the world's mightiest superpower and prime terrorist target would NOT have been defended.  It also seems very unlikely that a terrorist using a plane as a weapon would have targeted the back side of the Pentagon in an extremely precise aerobatic maneuver, instead of just hitting the front side in a simple head-on collision.

Unprotected Target

The Pentagon was hit after ample warning was given that hijacked planes were being used to attack high profile buildings.  The 9:37 am impact occurred well over an hour after the first signs of a hijacking and 34 minutes after the South Tower strike confirmed that an attack was underway.  Even though the Pentagon is only about 10 miles from Andrews Air Force Base, where two combat-ready fighter wings were stationed on 9/11/01, no meaningful defensive action was undertaken to protect the Pentagon.  The inbound aircraft was monitored on radar as it approached Washington DC.  In addition, a military C-130 (seen over the Pentagon immediately after the impact) was reportedly dispatched to observe the aircraft.  But no interceptors were sent to stop the incoming plane.

Unqualified Hijacker/Pilot

None of the alleged hijackers were good pilots; none had ever flown jets, let alone large technologically advanced commercial jetliners.  However, probably the most ill-equipped of them was the alleged hijacker/pilot of Flight 77, Hani Hanjour:

It is questionable that even a well-trained fighter pilot could have executed the maneuver that supposedly crashed a Boeing 757 into the Pentagon. It required making a tight 320-degree turn while descending 7,000 feet in about three minutes, then leveling out so as to fly low enough over the highway west of the Pentagon to knock down 40-foot tall lamp posts.  After crossing the highway, the pilot had to take the plane to within mere feet of the ground in order to crash into the Pentagon at the first-floor level while managing to avoid impacting the lawn.  To top it all off, he had to do all of this while flying at a speed exceeding 520 mph by the time the plane crashed.

The spiral dive approach to the Pentagon was such an extreme maneuver that experienced air traffic controllers watching on radar thought it was a military jet.  The tree-top final approach skimmed objects in the yard and crashed the plane into the first floor of the building.  Experienced pilots have wondered if any human pilot could have executed the maneuver.  Quite a feat for Hani Hanjour, who couldn't control a single engine prop plane and who had never sat in the cockpit of a jet.

Attack Hit the Only Hardened Part of the Pentagon

The location of the impact was Wedge One, one of five radial sections of the building.  It was being renovated, and was only five days from completion when the attack occurred.  The renovation program included the following improvements to the building:

The renovated area was the only part of the Pentagon with a sprinkler system, and it had been reconstructed to withstand bomb blasts.

Because of the renovation, the stricken portion of the building was sparsely occupied.  While about 4,500 people normally would have been working in the targeted area, because of the renovation work only about 800 were actually there.

More than half of the people listed as missing after the attack worked in the Pentagon's Naval Command Center.  These personnel were moved into the remodeled areas shortly before the attack.  Of the thousands of people in the building at the time of the attack, only 125 people were killed.  Of those, none were high-level officials.  Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was safe in his office on the opposite side of the building.

The fact that the attack targeted the one portion of the building that was mostly vacant is all the more remarkable considering the approach required by the aircraft blamed for the damage.  According to National Transportation Safety Board information recently acquired via the Freedom of Information Act, American Airlines Flight 77 approached Washington DC from the west northwest on a heading of 99 degrees.  Instead of attacking the huge building in a direct fashion, which would have required simply descending into the Pentagon, the jet executed a 320-degree descending spiral toward the south, losing over 7,000 feet of altitude before leveling out at nearly tree-top height as it made its final approach from the southwest.  Additionally, this spiral approach added approximately three minutes to the flight time of the aircraft (time which COULD have been used to intercept the plane).

Lack of Physical Evidence

Due to a suppression of physical evidence by the government, the truth about what actually hit the Pentagon on 9/11/01 remains shrouded in mystery and is the subject of heated arguments among skeptics of the official account.  Immediately after the attack, authorities systematically set out to confiscate, destroy or suppress the evidence:

The government's behavior regarding the physical evidence could be due to several reasons.  The military has a penchant for secrecy, which has been heightened by the atmosphere of national emergency produced by the 9/11/01 attack.  However, they also could be attempting to suppress evidence that would disprove the crash of Flight 77.  Finally, it's worth considering that they are now suppressing evidence that would prove the crash of a Boeing 757 in order to use this information at a later date to derail "conspiracy theorists" who have taken the position that Flight 77 did NOT hit the Pentagon.

CASUALTIES FROM THE ATTACKS

The death toll of the attacks, although horrible, was much lower than it should have been if not for numerous favorable target selection and timing factors.

Flights

All four flights had low occupancy rates:

World Trade Center

The towers were attacked before most people had arrived for work, and were hit high enough to allow most who were there to escape.

Pentagon

The portion of the Pentagon that was attacked, the West Block, was in the process of being renovated, and so was at low occupancy.

STRANGE COINCIDENCES

Many events and decisions in the days and months preceding the attacks helped to make the incompetence theory more plausible:

Rules Changes

Procedural changes limited the ability of pilots and military commanders to respond to hijackings:

Where Were They?

Several top officials, including the President of the United States, were not available until after the attack was over:

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES

What was the government response to all the alleged incompetence displayed on 9/11/01 that allowed the hijackers to succeed in their attacks?  Did those in positions of authority have to take responsibility for the lapses that left thousands dead?  Were they fired or demoted?

Despite the worst failure in history of the military to protect American civilians, and the worst alleged engineering failures in history, there were no honest investigations and no consequences for the responsible authorities.

Air Defense Failures

No one was held accountable for the numerous unprecedented failures in air defense:

Building Collapse Inquiry

Based on the official story, the total collapses of WTC 1, WTC 2, and WTC 7 were the three largest engineering failures in history.  How were they investigated?

As you can see, there are hundreds of legitimate questions about what actually took place on 9/11/01.  Yet, even given this volume of evidence and uncertainty, many will reject outright the possibility of such an enormous deception by the American government.  They will do so without any investigation of the facts, on the grounds that no one would be audacious enough to try and pull off such a huge lie.

However, German Nazi leader Adolph Hitler wrote about just such a deception in his defining work, Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"):

. . . In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.  It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.  Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation.  For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.  These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes. . . . (p. 134, James Murphy translation)

Hitler, while Chancellor of Germany, went on to implement his version of the "big lie" when he approved a plan to torch the Reichstag building in Berlin where the elected members of government met daily.  The Reichstag building was burned on the night of 2/27/33, and Hitler was able to blame this act on his rivals, the Communist Party in Germany.  This act, and his response to it, paved the way for Hitler to become the dictator of Nazi Germany.

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda and allegedly one of those involved in the planning of the Reichstag fire, had this to say about his leader's "big lie" concept:

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.  The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie.  It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."

Conclusion

With the understanding of the first seal, we can now complete our outline of Revelation 6:

REVELATION 6 MATTHEW 24

1st Seal = American Empire
Behold, a white horse.  He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Rev. 6:2) "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many." (Matt. 24:4-5)

2nd Seal = Widespread Warfare
Another, a fiery red horse, went out.  And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. (Rev. 6:4) "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matt. 24:6-7)

3rd Seal = Famine
There was a black horse, and its rider held a scale in his hand.  Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Rev. 6:5-6) "There will be famines . . ." (Matt. 24:7)

4th Seal = Death of 1/4 of Mankind from First Four Seals
There before me was a pale green horse!  Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  He was given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and pestilence, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:8) "There will be . . . pestilences and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matt. 24:7-8)

5th Seal = Martyrdom of Believers
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 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, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Rev. 6:9-11) "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." (Matt. 24:9-10)

6th Seal = Heavenly Signs
Behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.(Rev. 6:12-14) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Matt. 24:29)

If this understanding of prophecy is accurate, the United States of America is currently on a course that will soon lead directly to World War III.  How is it possible that the people of America have been deceived so comprehensively?  The apostle Paul outlines the likely reason in II Thessalonians 2:10-12.  He states that God will send strong delusion upon people at the time of the end, and they will believe the lie because they have no love for the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness.  Unfortunately, that description fits much of the American population these days.

While we as believers can do nothing but pray about the situation and ask for God's protection in the great tribulation that lies ahead, it is comforting to understand WHY these prophesied events are going to happen.  May the Eternal Father keep and protect His people as we witness the birth pangs of the coming kingdom of God!

Bryan T. Huie
June 6, 2006

Revised: December 23, 2011

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