What Or Whom Is Being Restrained?
We see the restraint on the worldly paradigm of the elect is loosed by the seals. The first four seals are loosed on the earth, and the last three appear to be opened in Christ or "In heaven" only. The first four seals show that the work of the Holy Spirit is more selective. There is no difference in the strength of predestination, only in the desire of the elect to be correctly predestined. (For the elect are still chosen and a light to the nations.) We would expect the loosened restraint to be able to show whom is elect and whom is clearly not. (We know the tares by their fruits.)
The last three seals correspond to The Father, the Spirit and Christ respectively. In that these correspond to the three woes (and the seventh trump to the second coming) from whom the Father separates and the Holy Spirit preserves in Philadelphia, we know and demonstrate that the first four seals are upon us, and the last three seals are only upon Christ. (We, are only unsealed or "loosed" then as a collective or body - as the bride of Christ rather than floating unities which number 144 states in the octal, as tokens of election.)
So, if the last three seals refer to the collective body of Christ rather than the individual states of the believer's paradigm, what then? As unsealed to the fifth and sixth degree we would expect the mystery of God to be completed rather than for our paradigm to alter further. The end result is the return of Christ and our recognition by Him as raised to life (martyred as the fifth seal) or as faithful (sealed as in the sixth.)
That each of the members of the static subgroup are present in the octal yet the solution has two parts cut off - we may expect the patience and faith of the saints to be answered with substance when the seals are finally all loosed.
So, as to whom or what is being restrained, one may answer that God is becoming unrestrained - that election becomes no less sure, but the church becomes more worldly. In fact, it is the elect that are becoming less restrained, as He that is restraining is in stages taken out of the way, so that which would preserve us (the Spirit) is no less restraining - yet those with a lukewarm love of the truth fall away and their behaviour becomes more worldly whilst the elect clearly shine no less bright.
The dialectic then becomes more powerful on the elect as they are put to greater tribulation (more stringent selection) and the last three seals loosed are pressing upon us the closer promises of the resurrection and the return of Christ. Both will occur and the clearly lessened restraint on the soon return of Christ will surely destroy all those wicked with the brightness of His coming.
So, whom is being restrained? "We aren't!". (But with love for the truth we are tested with no less predestination.) What is being restrained? Those whom would climb up some other way than Christ.
The seven thunders may show up once again: The seals are all loosed before the trumps are blown and shifted by the thunders. This shows that each judgement is justly poured upon the earth : so that the judgements of God may appropriately answer the promise of His coming after all the seals are opened and then the judgement is prepared. The judgements of the viols and trumps are appropriate to the requirements to precede the resurrection. The revelation teaches that those dwelling on the earth still would not repent, God has not made things so heavy handed that he is to be despised - clearly the sealing of the saints to survive the falling away is evidence enough of that. They are not taken out of the world.
Since the seals complete their sequence before the trumpets are blown in heaven shows Christ makes no work to destroy the world until the last (or least) is saved: Jesus is waiting patiently for the least to overcome - when the elect are completed, only then will the judgement be set. The loosening of the final three seals answer our hope for the return of the Messiah: In great tribulation there is more to hope for - we are not orphaned but receive proper comfort.
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