The First Seal (6:1-2)

When the first seal is opened, one of the living creatures says “Come.â€? What answers the call of this command to come? Out comes a white horse and the horseman had a bow and a crown was given to him. The first four horsemen in this chapter have commonly been referred to as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.” As we read this chapter we can determine what the four horsemen of the apocalypse represent.

Now there have been many suggestions as to what this first horseman represents. Premillennialists say this is the antichrist. They view this as occurring during the tribulation that is supposed to occur on the earth some time in the future. But this cannot be for many reasons. First, there is absolutely nothing in this text to suggest that this is an antichrist. It cannot be proven or substantiated. Second, as we have noted earlier in these lessons, these events cannot be referring to something that has not happened yet. The book of Revelation opens and closes by saying that the time is short and things contained in the book must quickly take place (Revelation 1:1,3; 22:6,20). Thus, the things that we read are not things that would happen more than 2000 years later, because that is not quickly.

Others suggest Christ is the rider on the horse. The biggest reason for this suggestion is because in Revelation 19:11 Christ is found riding on a white horse. But to take this horseman to be Christ here in Revelation 6 does not make sense. Christ is the one opening the seals and is not riding on a horse. Just because we see similar colors of horses does not mean that the person on the horse must be the same. It is dangerous to make unwarranted assumptions when dealing with apocalyptic literature like Revelation.

So what is this a picture of? As we will see, these first four seals have great similarity and have a theme of war and destruction. The first horseman carries a bow, which is a common weapon for war. However, the color white symbolizes to us purity and holiness. Therefore, the white horse symbolizes the warring in a holy cause. Further, the horseman is given a crown and goes out as a victor, clearly symbolizes victory for the holy cause. The horseman has been conquering and is ready to continue conquering. I believe this image represent the spreading of the gospel as it would conquer the hearts of men (Matthew 24:14).

The Second Seal (6:3-4)

The second seal opens and a fiery red horse appears. The color red symbolizes bloodshed and war. This horseman takes peace from the earth and causes people to kill one another. After the gospel is spread (the first seal), war would take place. This is exactly what Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:6-7: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” We see that we do not have to see these things as unfulfilled, but that a great amount of warfare and chaos took place within the Roman empire from 60-70 A.D. Remember, the book of Revelation must shortly take place (1:1) and the events of Matthew 24 would take place in those people’s lifetimes (Matthew 24:34).

The Third Seal (6:5-6)

The opening of the third seal reveals a black horse with a pair of scales in the rider’s hand. A voice cries out, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” Black typically symbolizes death. Further, a denarius was a day’s wage. Therefore, people would work for a day’s wage, yet that money could not buy enough food to feed a family for the day. This is a decree of famine that will come after the times of war. Jesus also prophesied that famines would come after the warfare in Matthew 24:7, “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” We know from history as well as the scriptures that there were many famines that took place during this time in the first century (Acts 11:28).

The Fourth Seal (6:7-8)

The fourth seal reveals a pale horse with Death riding upon it and Hades following behind. Power is given over 1/4 of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. This seal shows that a partial judgment is taking place on the people by using the fraction one-fourth. The judgment is not a complete judgment, but to warn people to return to God. This seal is also in keeping with Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:8-9, “All these things are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”

The Fifth Seal (6:9-11)

The fifth seal reveals souls under the altar who had been slain because of the word of God and for the testimony they held. The saints under the altar are crying out, wanting to know how long till God judges and avenges those on the earth. Many have tried to determine exactly who these saints are. Some say that are only the Old Testament saints, like the prophets, who were slain for the Lord. Others say they are only the New Testament saints, like the apostles, who were slain for the Lord. But why limit what God does not limit? They are “souls of those slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had.� So I think we should have in view all saints that died for the word of God. A white robe is given to them, a picture of victory and purity for their obedience and sacrifice to God, and they are told to wait a little while longer. There were going to be more who were to be killed as they had been and so wait a little longer until that is completed.

The Sixth Seal (6:12-17)

Now the Lamb opens the sixth seal and there is a violent earthquake. The sun turns black, moon turns to blood, the stars fall from heaven to the earth, the sky is rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and island is moved from its place. Premillennialists want you to believe that events describe the end of the world events that will happen after the rapture during the tribulation. Thus they say that the sun will stop shining, the moon will turn to blood and stars will literally fall from the sky. They look for these images to physically take place on the earth through a literal fulfillment.

They fall to recognize that these are symbols God has used repeatedly in the scriptures to describe national judgment. Let us start with prophet Isaiah against the nation of Babylon: Isaiah 13:10, “For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.� Isaiah 13:13, “Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.� Isaiah 29:6, “You will be punished by the LORD of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.� Did these things literally happen? No, these prophecies were symbols of judgment against the nation of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1).

Jesus used the same language about the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Notice Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.� This is God’s way of describing a full national judgment. Similar language against Jerusalem is used in Isaiah 29:6; 34:1-4, Jeremiah 4:23-24, Ezekiel 38:19, and Joel 2:10,31.

So what does it mean to read these symbols? It is not the end of time, but it means lights out for the nation or peoples to whom the prophecy is given. The heavens will no longer be seen by that nation. The sun will no longer shine on them because they will be killed in the impeding judgment. These images are never used to refer to the end of time or the end of the world. These images always speak about the fall of a nation for its wickedness. As we read Revelation 6, these images are describing the fall of a nation. However, God has not revealed to us yet in this book who receiving this judgment. Future chapters will reveal this information to us.

To further prove our conclusion, verses 15-17 also depict national judgment. People crying out for the mountains and the rocks to fall on them is a symbol that has also been used many times in the Old Testament. Hosea 10:8, “Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, Shall be destroyed. The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars; they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!â€? And to the hills, “Fall on us!â€? Hosea said these words to the nation of Samaria. Isaiah 2:19, “They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.” Isaiah said these words to the nation of Babylon. Luke 23:30, “Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!â€? and to the hills, “Cover us!â€? Jesus said these words as a pronouncement upon Jerusalem. For the people to cry out for the mountains and the rocks to fall on them are images to describe how terrible the judgment will be. People will be seeking out death because of the horror they will experience when this national judgment of the Lord is inflicted upon them.