The Seals

Revelation Chapter Six

The Seals

Revelation 6:1-2

            I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 
            I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

The rider of this white horse is not Jesus; it is Satan. He has come for conquest. But different from The Rider in chapter 19, this rider has no weapons. Notice he has a bow but no arrows. He comes to deceive and take captives. However, the rider of Chapter 19, Jesus, will come to end the conflict. He is armed with a sword which will strike down those who stand against him.

Throughout the book of Revelation Satan tries to deceive the masses by emulating Jesus. He is cheap copy at best and will fall to the hand of the Almighty.

Revelation 6:3-4

            When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living   creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. The rider of the red horse has the power to slay men. He has a large sword. This is the wrath of God that is poured out on those who have not followed Jesus. This rider is given the power to “make” men slay each other. In other words, there will be wars that will be wide spread because of the disobedience of mankind. This does not mean constant war necessarily, but there will be no peace in the entire earth. Multiply what is going on today by 1,000 and it will give you the sense of discomfort the world will be under every day.

Revelation 6:5-6

            When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales 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!”

There will be a great famine on the Earth. The famine will not be concentrated in one part of the Earth, it will be across the whole Earth. No country will be exempt from this time of famine. 

Revelation 6:7-8

            When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The transliteration of the word pale in the Greek is “chlōros.” This word is translated “yellowish pale,” but a better translation is “Green.” It has been said that translators do not translate the word as green because there is no such thing as a green horse. However, the word horse in the book of Revelation is a symbol for power. Therefore, it could be, and most probably is, that the colors of the horses denote symbolism more than an actual color of a horse. Therefore, the horses are not common horses. Rather, they are symbols of what will be unleashed on the Earth. I do not believe it is coincidence that the color for Islam is “green.” Perhaps, John is warning us of the calamity that will befall the Earth at the hands of Muslims.

It should also be noted that death will come through disease of animals as well. This would make sense because the calamity of war claims many victims, including those of animals that would lay to waste on the ground without being buried, thus spreading disease.

Revelation 6:9-11

            When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

             

I believe this is not speaking about the saints in heaven before and because of the rapture. I believe this is referring to those Christians who were killed during the Tribulation because of their refusal to deny Christ. This gains better legs by putting it into context with verse 11 when they are told to wait “until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”

Revelation 6:12-14

            I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was   removed from its place.

This denotes the great natural disasters that will occur from the wrath of God. This will be a time of disasters unparalleled in history. God will pour out on the people of the Earth his wrath. But he does not do this out of anger, but out of love. He wants those who have not accepted him to know what awaits them for eternity.

2 Peter 3:9

            The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 

 Revelation 6:15-17

            Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

This is an excellent example of the foolishness of man. Instead of calling out to God, they pray to the rocks and mountains to help to hide them from God. Of course, the rocks and the mountains are ruled only by God. If they would but turn to God, he would forgive them and save them for all eternity. However, the deception of the Devil blinds their eyes.