In Revelation chapter 5, Christ received a book with seven seals that he alone could open.¹ He opens each seal consecutively to symbolize his ongoing work of redemption.² Theories abound as to the meaning and timing of the seven seals.³ Fortunately, the Lord gives the definitive answer in Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:6-7,⁴ which confirms that the seven seals represent seven consecutive periods of one thousand years each during the earth's temporal existence.⁵ The seven thousand years began with the fall of Adam and will continue through the end of the earth, including the time of its celestialization.⁶

The first four seals of the book cover the first 4000 years (approximately)⁷ from the fall of Adam to the birth of Jesus Christ.⁸ The symbols of these first four historical seals are very different from the three prophetic seals opened after Christ's birth.⁹ The Book of Revelation frequently uses the number seven, which is consistently divided into one group of four related events and another group of three related events.¹⁰

John's vision occurred on Patmos island in about 96 AD¹¹ during the early period of the fifth seal.¹² In his vision, John was specifically told that he would see things which must be hereafter.¹³ Therefore, John describes very briefly the first four historical seals from 4000 BC to the birth of Christ.¹⁴ He does so primarily to give the historical context to understand the fifth, sixth, and seventh prophetic seals.¹⁵

The first four seals include symbolic images of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.¹⁶ The colored horses from Old Testament history¹⁷ foreshadow and mirror apocalyptic events just before Christ's Second Coming and the mirror images are in reverse order.¹⁸ Thus, Enoch's white horse of triumph during the first seal (from about 4000-3000 BC)¹⁹ is a type for Jesus Christ's white horse of triumph during the Third Woe that coincides with the Second Coming in Revelation chapters 15 to 19.²⁰ The red horse of destruction during the second seal (from about 3000-2000 BC) in the days of Noah²¹ is a type for the destruction of the wicked during the Second Woe called Armageddon in Revelation 9:13 to 11:14.²² The black horse of physical famine during the third seal (from about 2000-1000 BC)²³ is a type for the blackness of spiritual famine during the First Woe immediately before Armageddon begins in Revelation 9:1-12.²⁴ Finally, the pale horse of spiritual sickness during the fourth seal (from about 1000 BC-1 AD)²⁵ is a type for the overflowing scourge and desolating sickness of the last days before the final Three Woes of the seventh seal.²⁶

The earth is currently passing through the sixth seal, or sixth thousand year period of the earth's temporal existence from approximately 1000 to 2000 AD.²⁷ The details in John's vision greatly expand as he describes the events of the sixth and seventh seals.²⁸ He adds detail upon detail by dividing the seventh seal into seven plagues heralded by seven trumpet angels.²⁹ The events of the seventh trumpet angel are further subdivided into seven separate bowls or vials of destruction called Vial Plagues that will occur immediately before and at Christ's Second Coming.³⁰