The last chapter looked at the opening events of the coronation ceremony taking place in heaven. The right to rule the earth was offered to any who would claim it. There was only one claimant to the throne, the Lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord. He claimed the scroll, and all the throne room broke forth into praise. Having the scroll, the Lamb now begins to break or open the seven seals with which it is sealed. As we continue our look at the events recorded in chapter six, an important reminder.
First, it is essential to remember that there are two different stages or settings upon which action is taking place. John describes for us the events taking place in that great throne room of God in heaven. At the same time, his view is shifted back to the earth, where he views events taking place there.
Second, also important is the difference in the passage of time on these two stages. The events taking place in heaven, from John's perspective, take place over a few hours or probably days at the very most. On the earth, however, events take place over what we know to be a seven-year span. This difference in the rate of time flow is not at all impossible. It is entirely in accord with our current understanding of time and space.
As we look at these verses, then we must keep these two settings or stages and their respective time flow distinct.
Revelation 6:1-17:
| 6:1 | Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." |
| 6:2 | I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. |
| 6:3 | When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." |
| 6:4 | And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. |
| 6:5 | When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. |
| 6:6 | And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." |
| 6:7 | When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." |
| 6:8 | I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. |
| 6:9 | When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; |
| 6:10 | and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" |
| 6:11 | And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. |
| 6:12 | I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; |
| 6:13 | and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. |
| 6:14 | The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. |
| 6:15 | Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; |
| 6:16 | and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; |
| 6:17 | for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" |
The Horsemen
In 6:1-8, we find the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, riders on various colored horses, although, as you will see, there are probably five at least. Each time the Lamb breaks one of the first four seals, one of the four living beings calls out in a voice that is as loud as a thunderclap, "Come." This command is either directed to John to come and see what is happening upon the earth, or it is directed to one of the riders, summoning them to action. As such, it would be a command for the particular colored horse and its rider to appear. The latter seems to be more likely since John typically indicates when an angel is speaking to him.
One of the more difficult questions is to determine the nature of the horses and their riders. Who or what are they; what do they represent? Most conservative authorities take these as symbolic. That is to say, while John did indeed see these horses and riders, they were only visible symbols of what was actually taking place. If one, however, studies the Old Testament book of Zechariah, it will be noted that Zechariah also saw riders upon different color horses and chariots pulled by different color horses, which are very similar to what John sees here. Zechariah 1:8-11 states:
| 1:8 | I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. |
| 1:9 | Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are." |
| 1:10 | And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth." |
| 1:11 | So they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet." |
And in Zechariah 6:1-8, we find:
| 6:1 | Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains |
| 6:2 | With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, |
| 6:3 | with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses |
| 6:4 | Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?" |
| 6:5 | The angel replied to me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, |
| 6:6 | with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. |
| 6:7 | "When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth." And He said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. |
| 6:8 | Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, "See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north." |
In Zechariah's account, it would seem clear that whatever else it might mean, it does indicate these riders upon four different color horses or chariots are more than just symbolic. They are angelic spirits who stood before the Lord of all the earth and who are sent out to patrol the earth and possibly to bring about some changes. Note that they appeased God's wrath in the land of the north. If they are angelic beings in Zechariah, and it seems clear it must be, then it is reasonable to assume the same for Revelation as well.
The Seals
The First Seal
Therefore these four riders, the four riders of the apocalypse, are to be understood as angelic spirits sent out to the earth to bring about specific events. In the throne room of heaven, they appear, at least, in the guise of riders upon horses. They appear in the courtroom of heaven when summoned, then depart to carry out their assignment. When the Lamb broke the first seal, one of the four living beings called out a command, "Come!" This command was to the angelic being that appears on a white horse. He comes carrying a bow, a weapon of war. He was given a crown and went out conquering and to conquer. This spirit seems to bring or guide to power a human ruler who then begins to conquer others. This likely describes the rise to power of the person known as the Antichrist. From other passages, it is known that he conquers three nations and extends his authority over many others. What John saw in heaven was: the Lamb, our Lord, breaking the first of the seven seals, the first rider summoned and sent forth to the earth. What took place on the earth was the rise of the Antichrist.
The Second Seal
When the Lamb breaks the second seal, the second living creature commands, "Come!" Another angelic spirit appears, this one on a red horse. The text states it was granted to this rider to take peace from the earth so that men would kill each other. As a symbol of this warfare, this rider was given a great sword. This angelic messenger is responsible for throwing the nations into a great war, perhaps WWIII. On a purely human level, this war might be seen as a response to the conquest ambitions of the Antichrist that has begun his rise to power. If this is not to be considered a world war, then at the very least, it is widespread over the world. In heaven, John saw this rider enter and go forth; on the earth, he saw war break out. The results are seen in the following two riders.
The Third Seal
When the Lamb breaks the third seal, John sees and hears the third living creature summon another rider. This rider is on a black horse carrying a pair of scales. The scales represent the purchasing of the foods indicated in the next verse. The price of the foods is set by a voice emanating from somewhere in the midst of these living creatures. "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not damage the oil and the wine." As notes in your Bibles might tell you, a denarius was about a day's wage in John's day. This wheat was tremendously expensive, even barley, a poor man's grain was costly. This indicates this famine is one that hits the grains, the basic subsistence elements. The oil and wines were not affected. The war that had erupted resulted in food shortages. John, in heaven's throne room, saw the Lamb break the third seal, saw this rider in black summoned, then sent out. On the earth, he sees worldwide famine.
The Fourth Seal
The fourth rider, or perhaps riders, are summoned by the fourth living creature after the Lamb breaks the fourth seal on the scroll. This rider appears on an ashen or gray horse. We are told this rider's name was "Death," and "Hades" or the "Grave" followed behind him.. To these riders, authority was given over one-fourth of the earth's population. They will kill over a billion people by the sword, that is, by warfare; by the famine caused by war; by pestilence, that is, by disease and sickness (Could this be the results of biological warfare?) and by the wild beasts of the earth. Times are terrible, and we are not yet in the worst part of this time on the earth! In heaven, John sees these last two riders summoned and sent following the Lamb's breaking of the fourth seal, while on the earth, one-fourth of the world's population dies.
The Fifth Seal
The pattern changes when the Lamb breaks the fifth seal. This time John sees a group of people, or more accurately, a group of souls under the altar. They are the souls of those who had been martyred for their faith. How John knows this is not told us; perhaps this was explained to him by one of the elders. They call out, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
This is a cry for justice and vengeance upon those who had killed them. God does not tell them how long it will be. John states that they were each given a white robe and told to wait and rest until all who were to be martyred were killed. This response indicates that it was not yet the time for judgment to be administered to those on earth. It would come in due time. The response also indicates that there would be more, perhaps many more, who would be put to death for their faith. It also implies God has not forgotten; He will act in due time.
While John does not note any events taking place on the earth with the breaking of this seal, what he sees in the throne room tells us what has happened upon the earth. Believers are being killed because of their faith, and it will continue for a period of time.
The Sixth Seal
John says he looked when the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and this time he does see the earth and events upon it. He sees a great earthquake taking place. This quake is so powerful it might have thrown dust and debris high into the atmosphere that blocked out the light from the sun and the moon. John describes it as "the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood." Later we are also told that every mount and island was moved. This was a quake that was not only detectable all over the earth, but it was also felt all over the earth.
John also tells us, "the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind." These are, of course, meteors, and many no doubt strike the earth, which makes them meteorites. One of the fears of many today in the scientific community is the possibility of a large space-traveling object such as an asteroid or a comet striking the earth with devastating consequences. This fear might well be realized at this point. Interestingly John adds that the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. The trail of such an object through the atmosphere might well look much like a scroll being rolled up. If it struck the earth, such an object would also eject debris high into our atmosphere and also cause a seismic shock wave or an earthquake that would be felt around the world.
Whatever the cause of the events described by John, they are so severe that it causes people all over the world, from the most powerful to the least, to cower in fear recognizing that this is indeed the wrath of God coming upon them. What they want to do is hide from the presence of God rather than repenting of their disobedience and getting right with Him.
So then, here are two theaters of action; first, the courtroom of heaven and second, the earth. John sees events happening in both theaters or stages. In heaven, he sees the Lamb open the first six seals, and as our Lord does this, John sees the appearance of four horsemen, angelic spirits sent to the earth to carry out specific tasks, and a large group of martyred souls. On the earth, other events take place. The Antichrist rises to power; a world war breaks out, and a world famine strikes with the result that one-fourth of the world's population dies. Then John witnesses a massive earthquake with the sky being darkened, and meteorite strikes upon the earth.
These events on the earth, which take place at the beginning of The Tribulation, are also mentioned by our Lord when the disciples asked Him about the end times. In Matthew 24:4-9, we read this:
| 24:4 | And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. |
| 24:5 | "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. |
| 24:6 | "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. |
| 24:7 | "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. |
| 24:8 | "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. |
| 24:9 | "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. |
We see, as John saw, that the events in heaven, namely the breaking of these six seals by the Lamb, are closely connected with the events taking place on the earth, the beginning of the birth pangs. Is it a causal relationship, that is, did the breaking of the seals cause the events on earth? Strictly speaking, no. However, it is evident at least in the first four seals being broken that the events on the earth were ordered by heaven. These riders were summoned. They were given certain authority, and they were sent to the earth to carry out specific tasks. Events on the earth were ordered and directed by God.
However, without any doubt at all, this is not the way it will be explained or viewed upon the earth. The coming to power of he, who is called the Antichrist, will be explained as purely the result of human decisions and choices. The wars that follow will be explained in socio-political terms, as will the results of those wars; famine, disease and death, which literally more than decimate the earth. Only with the terrible natural disaster affecting the whole earth, possibly the result of an asteroid strike upon the earth, will people even begin to think of these things as the wrath of God. Moreover, even then, they want to hide, not change their ways.
How do we see the events now taking place in the world that surrounds us; how do we explain such events or conditions? Do we think, "Oh, they just happened?" Do we explain them in terms of human choices or predictable political trends? While it is true these might be the immediate causes, we as believers must see the hand of God at work. He is in control of history, just as surely now in the present as He will be in the days following the rapture of the church. We must see he does allow evil to be at work and even have the seemingly upper hand. Just as he allows the martyrdom of multitudes during the Tribulation Period, so He allows evil at work in our day as well. The good guys do not always win in the short term. Be assured, however, God tells us the same thing He will tell these martyrs. "Just wait until the time is complete! Then I will act!"
Although it might not appear that our Father is in complete control of events in the world and particularly in that part of it that surrounds us personally, be assured that He in His omnipotence controls all things. We must live by faith. Although we know things are not going to get better, sin will grow, evil will grow stronger; we also know that He works all things together for good, for those that love Him for those who are the called according to His purpose.
