"I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look inside it. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look inside it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne." - Revelation 5:1-8
The Seven Seals as Initiatory Unveiling (initial idea, to revisit and refine and update)
Each seal is a veil that must be removed:
- Seal 1: White Horse (conquest of ego)
- Seal 2: Red Horse (sacrifice, bloodshed of false self)
- Seal 3: Black Horse (famine of ego-gratification)
- Seal 4: Pale Horse (death of ego)
- Seal 5: Souls under altar (recognition of martyrdom)
- Seal 6: Cosmic upheaval (collapse of old reality)
- Seal 7: Silence (the peace beyond understanding)
“The Seven Seals of God from the Bible's Book of Revelation are the seven symbolic seals that secure the book or scroll that John of Patmos saw in an apocalyptic vision. The opening of the seals of the document occurs in Rev Ch 5–8 and marks the Second Coming of the Christ and the beginning of The Apocalypse/Revelation. Upon the Lamb of God/Lion of Judah opening a seal on the cover of the book/scroll, a judgment is released or an apocalyptic event occurs. The opening of the first four Seals releases the Four Horsemen, each with his own specific mission. The opening of the fifth Seal releases the cries of martyrs for the "Word/Wrath of God". The sixth Seal prompts plagues, storms and other cataclysmic events. The seventh Seal cues seven angelic trumpeters who in turn cue the seven bowl judgments and more cataclysmic events.”
"Then I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and 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." - Revelation 6:1-2
"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven” - Revelation 8:1
Seven bowls, Seven seals
Steiner’s Apocalyptic Seals
https://en.anthro.wiki/Apocalyptic_Seals
https://anthroposophy.eu/Apocalyptic_seals
The Apocalyptic Seals were designed by Miss Clara Rettich according to Rudolf Steiner's sketches for the Congress of the "Federation of European Sections of the Theosophical Society", which took place in Munich from 18 - 21 May 1907. The planetary columns between the seal images were created by Karl Stahl.
They depict images of the Book of Revelation and stages of Man's development and the purpose of evolution.
1st seal: Man as a future creative God 2nd seal: past group souls and Christ as future group soul of humanity 3rd seal: Man back to the spirit world 4th seal: the Trees of Knowledge and Life 5th seal: 'woman dressed in the sun' - the reunion of Sun and Earth 6th seal: the purified human being in 'Michael and the dragon' 7th seal: the 'Mystery of the Holy Grail'
"The first seal represents man's entire development on earth in the most general way. In the Revelation of St. John it is indicated by the words: "And when I turned, I saw seven candlesticks of gold, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like the son of man, clothed in a long robe, and girded about the breast with a girdle of gold. And his head and his hair were white as white wool, as the snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet were as brass burning in the furnace; and his voice was as the sound of great waters; and he had seven stars in his right hand; and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and his face shone as the bright sun." In general terms, such words point to the most comprehensive secrets of the development of mankind."
Seal VI represents the purified human being, not only spiritualised but having become strong in spirituality, who has not only overcome the lower forces but has transformed them so that they are at his service as improved. The tamed "beast" expresses this.“ (Lit.:GA 284, p. 94)
Then [in the sixth seal] we are still shown how the man who has thus ascended to high spirituality is like the figure of Michael; how he holds that which is evil in the world bound in the symbolum of the dragon.“ (Lit.:GA 284, p. 76)
"On the picture there is a cube representing the space-world, from all sides of the cube springs the world-snake, in so far as it represents the higher forces acting out in the lower; from the mouth of the snake the world-line (as a spiral), the symbol of the purified and purified world-forces; and from this springs the "holy grail", which is opposed by the "dove": all this pointing - and quite appropriately - to the mystery of the creation of the world, of which the earthly is a lower reflection. The deepest mysteries lie in the lines and figures, etc., of this seal.”