The Sixth Seal Closes With the Sealing of the 144,000

The sixth seal is one of the most solemn and urgent prophecies in all of Scripture. Revelation 6 does not merely describe signs in the heavens and convulsions in the earth. It brings us to a searching question that every soul must face:

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
— Revelation 6:17

That question is not left unanswered. Revelation 7 is inserted between the close of the sixth seal and the opening of the seventh seal to reveal who will be able to stand and what final work must take place before Christ returns.

The answer is clear: those who are sealed will be able to stand. “

“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.” (Revelation 7:1-4)

The Sixth Seal Is a Living Prophecy

The six opening signs of Revelation 6 mark out the progression of the sixth seal:

the great earthquake (Revelation 6:12)
the darkening of the sun (Revelation 6:12)
the moon becoming as blood (Revelation 6:12)
the falling of the stars (Revelation 6:13)
the heaven departing as a scroll (Revelation 6:14)
the terror of the wicked at the appearing of Christ (Revelation 6:15,16)

The first four of these signs have already taken place in history. The great Lisbon earthquake occurred in 1755. The dark day and moon as blood took place on May 19, 1780. The falling of the stars was fulfilled on November 13, 1833.

That means we are not waiting for those events. They are already behind us.

At the same time, we are not yet at the point where the sky has fully departed as a scroll in prepertory for the visible second coming of Christ.

So where are we?

We are living in the time between those fulfilled signs and the visible return of Christ. According to Revelation 7, this is the time of the sealing of the 144,000.

Revelation 7 Answers the question of Revelation 6:17

Revelation 6 ends with the question, “Who shall be able to stand?”

Then Revelation 7 opens with four angels holding the four winds, and another angel ascending from the east with the seal of the living God, crying:

“Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
(Revelation 7:3)

Then John hears the number of the sealed: 144,000. “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.” (Revelation 7:4)

This is no accident in the order of prophecy. Revelation 7 is heaven’s answer to the closing question of Revelation 6. Before the winds are released, before the final crisis breaks in its fullness, before the visible return of Christ, a sealing work must be accomplished.

This sealing work is the final event that determines the close of the sixth seal. Once the 144,000 are sealed, the destiny of that generation is fixed: probation closes, the sealed pass through the final crisis, and then Christ returns. In that sense, the sealing of the 144,000 determines the closing of the sixth seal, though the actual closing act is the second coming itself.

The Sixth Seal Closes When the 144,000 Are Sealed

This point is critical.

The sixth seal does not close merely because time keeps moving. The determining point of the close of this unique seal is when the sealing work reaches its completion. Once the 144,000 receive the seal of God in their foreheads, the sixth seal closes and the seventh seal opens after we go through the time of trouble.

And when the seventh seal opens, the second coming of Christ is introduced.

This means the sealing of the 144,000 is not a side issue. It is not a minor prophetic detail. It is the key transition point between the end of the Christian era under the sixth seal and the ushering in of eternity under the seventh.

That is why this subject deserves deep, prayerful, and careful study.

No More Prophetic Time After 1844

Another important part of this message is the truth that after 1844 there is no more prophetic time.

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” (Revelation 10:7)

Christ is not waiting for another time prophecy to run out. The great prophetic periods have already terminated. The 2300 days have reached their fulfillment. The long prophetic chain has already brought us to this point.

So what is Christ waiting for now?

He is waiting for the sealing of the 144,000!

He is not waiting for 1755. He is not waiting for 1780. He is not waiting for 1833. He is not waiting for another prophetic date. He is waiting for the sealing work to be finished.

This is why the burden of the hour is not date-setting. The burden of the hour is character preparation, spiritual readiness, and cooperation with heaven in the sealing time of the 144,000.

The Third Angel’s Message Is the Sealing Message

If the sealing of the 144,000 is the event that determines the closing of the sixth seal, then the next question becomes: How are they sealed?

The answer is found in the connection between Revelation 7 and Revelation 14.

The pioneers taught that the third angel’s message of Revelation 14 is the sealing message of Revelation 7. These are not two unrelated subjects. They are one great closing message in different settings.

The third angel’s message prepares a people to stand loyal to God in the final crisis. It calls men and women to reject the beast, his image, and his mark, and to stand faithful to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

That is why the third angel’s message is so solemn. It is the very message heaven uses to fit the 144,000 for the coming of Christ.

The Third Angel Selects and Seals

Early Writings describes the third angel in striking language:

“I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner.” (Early Writings p. 118)

That means the third angel does two works:
he selects the 144,000, and then he seals the 144,000.

First, a people are marked out and selected through this message. Then those same people are sealed by the message.

This shows us that the third angel is not merely announcing truth. He is carrying forward a decisive work in the plan of salvation. Through this message, God prepares a people who can stand through the final crisis and be ready for translation at the second coming of Christ.

Why This Message Matters Right Now

This message matters because it tells us where we are.

The children of Issachar had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chronicles 12:32. That is what the church needs now. We do not need vague ideas about prophecy. We need a clear understanding of where we are in the procession of the ages so we can know what we ought to do.

If we are living in the sealing time, then our attention must be directed to the sealing message. “Especially in the closing work for the Church, in the SEALING TIME OF THE 144,000…” (Testimonies 3 p. 266)

If the third angel seals the 144,000, then we must understand the third angel’s message more deeply than ever before.

If the sealing of the 144,000 is the decisive event that closes the sixth seal, then this is not the hour for carelessness, distraction, or spiritual sleep.

This is the hour to seek God.

The Final Appeal

The message is simple, but weighty:

The sixth seal ends with the question, Who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 7 answers that question through the sealing of the 144,000.
The sealing of the 144,000 is the decisive event that closes the sixth seal.
The third angel’s message is the sealing message.
The third angel selects and seals the 144,000 and prepares a people for the coming of the Lord.

The great need of this hour is not merely to discuss these themes, but to experience them.

God is calling for a people who will understand the time, receive the seal of the living God, and stand faithful through the final crisis. He is calling for a people who will not only study prophecy, but cooperate with heaven in the closing work.

May the Lord help us to understand the seriousness of the hour, the beauty of the message, and the privilege of being prepared for His soon return.