Chapter 6
Jesus Opens the Scroll
The next eight verses encapsulate what is commonly referred to as the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Much literature has been produced through the years that have amplified, fantasized, glorified, and even romanticized these four characters. This chapter essentially begins Daniel’s seventieth week, which continues through to the end of Revelation chapter nineteen. When Jesus stopped reading the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, He stopped after reading, “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (See Luke 4:16-20) But the text that He was reading continues to state, “and the day of vengeance of our God,” (see Isaiah 61:1-2). That vengeance begins here with this coming judgment inflicted by the four horsemen. Why horses? Besides being timeless, we read in the Old Testament that God often employs horses to convey judgments (see 2 Kings 6:15-18; Jeremiah 46:9; Joel 2:3-11; Nahum 3:1-7; Zechariah 1:8-11; 6:1-7).
1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
John watches as Jesus begins to open the scroll. When one of the seals was broken he heard one of the living creatures loudly say, “Come!” (not an invite, the text implies a command). A rider of a white horse appears holding a bow and was given a crown (a champion’s crown not a royal crown) to wear. This horseman emerged conquering and continued to conquer. Many misinterpret this rider as being Christ, as he is riding a white horse, but he is not Christ (remember He is the one opening the scroll, plus He would be wearing a sovereign’s crown), this is a deception, he is likely the one who is called by theologians the ‘antichrist’ (see Daniel 9:26), or at least representing the false christs Jesus spoke about (see Matthew 24:4-5). Christ does indeed ride a white horse, but we will not see Him on His horse until Revelation chapter nineteen. We should notice that this sequence of events begins with the attempt to fool the world. The intent of this rider is to get people to follow him so that their eyes will not be on the true Christ. History has shown that propaganda supporting false premises have often aided conquering forces. Remember, if you think you know the truth and believe you are following the truth, you are likely not going to be seeking the real truth. Make sure you are following the true Jesus and not some decoy.
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
The second seal is opened and John hears another one of the living creatures call out, “Come!” He sees another horse appear, this one is red and the rider was given a great sword (a machaira)[1] and permission to remove peace from the world so that the people on earth will end up killing each other. The color red is associated with blood, terror, and death (see also Revelation 12:3; 17:3), here this horseman is out to start bloody wars. This should remind us of what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.” (Matthew 24:6a)
5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
When the third seal was opened, John heard the third living creature say “Come!” and a rider on a black horse appears holding a pair of scales. A voice that sounded like it came from the living creatures, said, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
The unit of measure is a ‘choínix’,[2] a dry measure believed to be more than a pint, but less than a quart. Ezekiel wrote about a time when Jerusalem would suffer a siege that would lead to a famine, “And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it.” (Ezekiel 4:10) Here in Revelation the voice is describing a significant raise in food prices. A denarius is considered a day’s wage so a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley would cost one full day of labor. Eating by weight or volume points to a serious famine, and the rider of the black horse is bringing a global food shortage, perhaps as the result of the wars. In the Old Testament we read that some famines were man made by surrounding a city cutting off its food supply (see 2 Kings 6:25; 7:4; 25:3), this food shortage is probably more related to access to food (controlled economy) instead of a weather-related famine. It is interesting to note that the oil and wine, which would be for some considered luxuries, are not to be harmed.
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
The fourth seal is broke open and John hears the fourth living creature say, “Come!” John sees and is startled by a pale horse (Greek ‘chlōros’,[3] the color green, often thought to also represent a pale or yellowish color like dried grass) whose rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. He was given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with a sword, famine, pestilence, and wild animals. The text states that there are two personages described here, the first is Death (which would claim the body) and the second is Hades, the ‘abode’ of the dead (which would claim the spirit).[4] They were given permission to kill utilizing a wide variety of methods. They could use a sword, which implies direct confrontation such as with military force. By famine, as mentioned above, this food shortage could be on a global scale. They could use pestilence, the Greek word translated as ‘pestilence’ is thanatō’,[5] which simply refers to death. But when we look at a parallel verse from the Old Testament, “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!” (Ezekiel 14:21) The Hebrew word ‘dě’·ḇěr’[6] is used, referring to a plague or pestilence, that could lead to a pandemic (a word that is more common than it used to be). The last method employed to kill would be with wild animals.
Having a quarter of the world’s population killed, based on numbers only, would be the single greatest destruction of human life in history, including greater than the flood during Noah’s life.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
The fifth seal is opened and instead of another horse and rider, John sees under the altar the souls of believers who had been killed for their evangelism efforts. Being under the altar should remind us that the blood of the sacrifices offered on the bronze (outdoor) altar in the Old Testament was poured out at the base of the altar (see Exodus 29:12) and then sprinkled onto the golden (indoor) altar (see Leviticus 4:7). John hears these martyrs cry out for God to avenge their persecutors. While crying out to God for a response is nothing new in Scripture (see Psalm 13:1; 74:10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3; Habakkuk 1:2), often crying out for vengeance (although expected in the Old Testament, for example see Deuteronomy 32:43), this plea for vengeance appears to be a transition from a time of grace to being a time of judgment. These martyrs are not identified but since they are being introduced after the fourth seal, they are likely from the Tribulation. Even though believers prior to the start of the Tribulation would have been taken (raptured), many would have come to believe as a result of all believers disappearing. Seeing that the martyrs cry out for vengeance, their persecutors must still be alive.
11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
Each of the martyrs were given a white robe, signifying their righteousness, and told to rest and wait a little longer, until the total number of their fellow believers have died in the Tribulation (see Revelation 11:7; 12:11; 14:13; 20:4-5). This verse is often the source of debate regarding what body do these martyrs have and the fact that they can wear the white robes. Some believe that these are ‘temporary’ bodies which will be replaced with their everlasting resurrected bodies when Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation.
12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
It’s hard to imagine what this level of devastation would look like, which is one reason this scenario is often allegorized. A powerful earthquake (see Matthew 24:7), followed by the sun going dark, the moon turning blood red (see Joel 2:2, 10, 30-31), and the stars falling to earth like figs falling during a wind storm (see Isaiah 13:6-13; 34:4). Followed by the sky rolled up and disappeared, and every mountain and island removed. We know this is not the end of the world since there is more judgment to follow with further damage and then the final destruction as spelled out later in Revelation. Many believe that the first six seals are a summary of the judgments that will occur from this point to the end of chapter nineteen. It is interesting to note that besides the great earthquake, the terminology seems to be avoiding absolute destruction. The sun darkened, the moon turned red, the stars fell, the sky vanished, and the mountains and islands moved, but no language that points to their annihilation (see the following verses regarding mountains). A historicist might say these all have occurred in history (solar eclipse, full moon eclipse, meteor shower, clouds blocking the sky, volcanic mountains blown away, islands sinking, etc.)
There have also been several allegorical attempts to explain this level of cosmic disruption. Some of those include interpreting the earthquake as being the destruction of the present order, by removing all current political, economic, social, and religious influences. That the disturbances of the sun, earth, and sky refer to these changes, etc.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Regardless of the level of destruction, the kings, influential people, military personnel, the wealthy, important high-ranking people, and everyone else regardless of social status, hid themselves in caves and around rocks of mountains. They all called out to the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them from God the Father, who is on the throne, and from the wrath of Jesus. The great day of God’s wrath has arrived and there is no place to hide. The question, “Who can stand?”, is rhetorical and has only one answer, no one.
The book of Revelation discredits those who hold that God is so loving and kind that He will never judge people who have not received His Son. Though the modern mind is reluctant to accept the fact that God will judge the wicked, the Bible clearly teaches that He will. The Scriptures reveal a God of love as clearly as they reveal a God of wrath who will deal with those who spurn the grace proffered in the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage before us is a solemn word that there is inevitable judgment ahead for those who will not receive Christ by faith.[7]
Considerations
Why is there an altar in heaven since altars were used to appease God through either sacrifice or the offering of incense? The author of the book of Hebrews tells us that the Tabernacle on earth was a replica of the Tabernacle in heaven. The one on earth made with human hands and the one in heaven made by God. We read, “Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:23-24, see also Hebrews 8:5; 9:11) The primary ‘furnishings’ of the Tabernacle included the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat (the lid of the ark, see Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-9) in the back room known as the Most Holy Place (see Exodus 26:31-35). The Golden Altar of Incense (see Exodus 30:1-10; 37:25-28), a Table for the Bread (see Exodus 25:23-30; 37:10-16), and the Lampstand (the Menorah, see Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24) in the front room (the Holy Place, see Exodus 26:1-30). The Bronze Laver (the washbasin, see Exodus 30:17-21) and the Bronze Altar (see Exodus 27:1-8; 38:1-7) in the courtyard. If the Tabernacle on earth was a duplicate of the one in heaven, then there would be a Bronze Altar for sacrifices and a Golden Altar (which will surface again in Revelation 8:3-5) in heaven.
Many Christians ask why they should study prophecy. The first and foremost answer is that it is part of God’s Word. Secondly, God wants us to be prepared and be watching for His return. But that does not include stopping our evangelism efforts, if anything it should increase them. If time is perceived as running short, then we should with great fervor get the gospel message out. We might even want to consider the mission as an emergency, as we will do things in an emergency that we might not do otherwise.
The picture before us, in a word, is God’s revelation of the dramatic and terrible judgment which will climax the present age. This constitutes a warning to those who are living carelessly in unbelief to beware lest this age engulf them. The prophecy of the end of the age is a spur to Christians to snatch souls as brands from the burning and thus prepare them for the coming of the Lord.[8]
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[1] See commentary for Revelation 1:16.
[2] Strong’s Greek 5518.
[3] Strong’s Greek 5515.
[4] See “Hell By Any Other Name is Still Hell or Is it?" in the Appendix.
[5] Strong’s Greek 2288.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 1698.
[7] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). The Revelation of Jesus Christ (p. 138). Galaxie Software.
[8] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). The Revelation of Jesus Christ (p. 123). Galaxie Software.