In Revelation 6, we find six seals that are going to be broken, seals that are directly related to the scroll. The seals represent God’s vengeance; God’s wrath will be unleashed against Rome and her ungodly government.
God is in control, and He will deal with those who are punishing His saints. The saints asked God how much longer He would allow this to go on, and He told them to wait a little while longer because it was all going to work out, Revelation 6:1-11.
We see the hand of Christ opening the sealed book held in God’s right hand. Only Christ is qualified to open the seals. As the first seal is broken, there is the noise of thunder signifying an ominous announcement.
One of the four living creatures says, ‘Come and see.’ Thus, John is about to see the mystery contained within the scroll. He will see what is going to happen to the churches in their great struggle with the persecuting powers.
It was the Lamb, who is Jesus, who opened the first of the seven seals, Revelation 6:1, because only He was worthy enough to do so, Revelation 5:5-9. John heard once again one of the four living creatures, the one like a lion, Revelation 4:7, invite him to come and look, Revelation 6:1. Thunder implies judgment is coming, Exodus 9:23-28 / 1 Samuel 2:10 / Isaiah 29:6 / Revelation 10:3.
Before Solomon’s time, no horses were permitted in the armies of Israel, Deuteronomy 17:16-17. The horse was looked upon as a noble animal and very valuable animal to man, Job 39:19-25.
We must note that the horses and their riders mentioned in Zechariah 1:8 and Zechariah 6:1-8 have a completely different role from what we find here in Revelation 6.
In Zechariah, they have chariots and their role is to ‘patrol’ the four corners of the earth; the horsemen in Revelation have no chariots and bring judgment, capture, slaughter, economic hardship, and death.
This first horse is a white horse, Revelation 6:2 / Zechariah 6:2, a white horse that was ridden by a conqueror returning from battle; his troops would march behind him, followed by those who had been captured to serve as slaves.
Cox, in his commentary, says the following concerning the white horse.
‘The choice of a ‘horse’ in this symbolism means ‘war.’ It is a righteous war, for the horse was white, indicating truth and righteousness. ‘This war began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and his disciples began to go everywhere at his command.’
Notice the rider held a bow, Revelation 6:2.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following concerning the bow.
‘The bow is the word of the Gospel, and the arrows the doctrines of it; Habakkuk 3:9, so called for their swift motion, sudden and secret striking, piercing, and penetrating nature, reaching to the very hearts of men; laying open the secret thoughts and iniquity thereof; wounding, and causing them to fall, and submit themselves to the sceptre of Christ’s kingdom.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning the bow.
‘The bow would be a natural emblem of war, as it was used in war; or of hunting, as it was used for that purpose. It was a common instrument of attack or defence, and seems to have been early invented, for it is found in all rude nations, Genesis 27:3 / Genesis 48:22 / Genesis 49:24 / Joshua 24:12 / 1 Samuel 18:4 / Psalms 37:15 / Isaiah 7:24.’
Notice also that the rider was given a crown, Revelation 6:2. This was given by God, the Father, and this crown symbolises victory, 1 Corinthians 9:25 / 2 Timothy 4:8 / Revelation 4:4 / Revelation 4:10.
Who was the rider? Since Revelation is about victory in Jesus, it would seem that it could easily apply to Christ. In other words, the other horses and their riders we are about to read about were acting upon the authority and power given to them by Christ.
The white horse and its rider represent military conquest, such as God used to bring judgment upon Assyria, Isaiah 10:5-7 / Isaiah 10:12-13 / Isaiah 10:15-16, and Babylon, Isaiah 13:17-20. We can be assured that the church will be victorious over the persecutors, Revelation 19:11 / Romans 8:37.
Jesus, the Lamb, now opens the second seal, and once again John is invited to come, this time by a second living creature, Revelation 6:3, who was like a calf or an ox, Revelation 4:7.
This horse is coloured red; it’s a fiery red, Revelation 6:4 / Zechariah 1:8 / Zechariah 6:2. Red would seem to stand for bloodshed; the rider of this horse would wage war, shedding blood, against the enemies of Christ and His church, Revelation 6:4.
He has the power to overcome Satan and the nations he controls, all enemies of the church. He also carried a great sword with him, Revelation 6:4. This is probably the idea of conquest; it can also signify destruction.
The red horse and its rider represent civil war, in which people would kill one another, just as God did in His judgment against Egypt, Isaiah19:1-4. However, the bloodthirsty enemies of the church cannot overcome the church as they may think.
Jesus, the Lamb, now opens the third seal, but this time, the third living creature invites him to come, Revelation 6:5, the one whose face is like a man, Revelation 4:7.
This horse is coloured black, Revelation 6:5 / Zechariah 6:2. This is a colour of distress and calamity; it’s a picture of the grim, dread calamity of famine, Ezekiel 4:10 / Ezekiel 4:16-17.
The balances were scales to measure out food, Revelation 6:5, indicating the scarcity of food in the land. The rider is told not to hurt the oil and wine; everything else would be scarce except these two commodities, Revelation 6:6. Why? This is difficult; oil and wine weren’t necessities of life; they would be looked upon as luxuries.
Could the meaning be that while the necessities of life were scarce, luxuries would be abundant? Oil and wine were also used as medicine. Could this mean the binding up of the hurts of the suffering Christians? We can only guess at best about this symbol.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following concerning the oil and wine, Revelation 6:6.
‘A shilling was a full day’s wages. The householder in Matthew 20 agreed with his labourers for that amount per day. So a man had to work all day just to buy the necessary food. The reference to the oil and wine may well mean the rich were, to some degree, insulated against this time. But I don’t think that’s the point. The fact that there is food to be measured and sold tells us the famine is real but not extreme, at least, not yet. The famine horse is told not to do too much.’
The black horse and its rider represent famine, where necessities, ‘wheat and barley’, would be scarce, while luxuries, ‘oil and wine’, might be in abundance but of little interest to the hungry. God had used famine in His judgment upon Israel, Jeremiah 14:11-12.
Jesus, the Lamb, now opens the fourth seal, and now the fourth living creature invites him to come, Revelation 6:7, the one whose face is like an eagle, Revelation 4:7. This horse is a pale horse, Revelation 6:8 / Zechariah 6:3, which would indicate death since the name of the rider was Death, Revelation 6:8.
Notice Hades follows Death, Revelation 6:8. Jesus says He holds the keys of death and Hades, Revelation 1:18. Hades is another word for hell, the place where the Rich man found himself after he died, Luke 16:22-23.
The term ‘death and Hades’ occurs only in the Book of Revelation. The one who sits on the pale horse has the name Death, with Hades following after him, Revelation 6:8.
In Revelation 20:13, Death and Hades gave up the dead, who are then judged at the final judgment. Then both ‘Death and Hades’ are thrown into the lake of fire, Revelation 20:14, along with anyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life, Revelation 20:15. I am sure you would have noticed that ‘Death and Hades’ are personified in the later passages.
Notice that they were given power by God over a fourth of the earth, Revelation 6:8. This doesn’t mean the whole earth but a fourth of the Roman world, Revelation 8:7-10 / Revelation 8:12 / Revelation 9:15.
Thus, we have a picture of the grim reapers of Death and Hades claiming those struck down with diseases, Revelation 6:8 / Ezekiel 14:12-23. The Romans were given power to destroy, Revelation 6:8, but then they themselves will be destroyed, Daniel 11:36 / Daniel 11:45.
Hunger follows a famine, and this, in turn, leads to mass starvation. Under such circumstances, pestilence and ravaging diseases usually follow. They can destroy more than a war.
The pale horse and its riders, Death and Hades, represent death brought about by the sword, hunger, death, pestilence, and beasts of the earth. Such severe judgments God had brought upon Jerusalem in the past, Ezekiel 5:17 / Ezekiel 6:12 / Ezekiel 14:21.
Jesus now opens the fifth seal, but this time John sees something different; he sees the souls of those who had been slain, Revelation 6:9. The symbolism now changes. Up to this point, we have observed the means of judgment, and now we will begin to see the reason for the judgment.
The altar, Revelation 6:9, symbolises the sacrificial nature of their death; they were sacrificed upon the altar of the cause of Christ. The slain under the altar are the martyred saints; these are the ones who died because they trusted in God and stayed faithful to His Word, Revelation 6:9.
These are the ones who have suffered in the tribulation of losing their lives, Revelation 1:2 / Revelation 12:17 / Revelation 14:12 / Revelation 19:10. Perhaps these are Christians who had already paid the supreme price for following Jesus, such as Stephen, Acts 7:54-8:2, James, Acts 12:1-2, Antipas, Revelation 2:13.
They cry out, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Revelation 6:10. They cry out for retribution against the persecutors, Genesis 4:10 / Luke 18:7 / Romans 12:19 / 2 Timothy 4:14. The ‘earth’ would be the place where these persecutors existed.
Each one is given a white robe, Revelation 6:11, symbolic of victory and purity, Revelation 3:4 / Revelation 19:8, and they are told to be patient for God’s retribution, Revelation 6:11 / Isaiah 33:1 / Daniel 11:36 / Daniel 11:45.
We can know that God knows and cares deeply about our suffering. Here we see Christians crying out to God. Those Christians were told to wait a while because God would punish those who were harming them, Revelation 6:10-11.
We learn that God knows and cares about our suffering. How can he help us on a daily level to know that we’re not alone, that God loves us, and that He cares deeply for us! Hebrews 4:15 / 1 Peter 5:7.
God even cares for us enough that He provides us with the things of this life, Matthew 6:33. We are told that if we seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, things such as food, shelter, and clothing will be provided for us, Psalm 37:25.
We need to understand that the Book of Revelation contains some very practical lessons. When we struggle, have trials, face tribulation, or have things come into our lives that bring us great trouble, there is a God in Heaven who knows about our suffering, cares for us, and wants to help.
There’s an important question in the Book of Revelation, which is here. Christians are suffering, and it appears as if the Roman Empire will be the reigning world power. As you can imagine, Christians are wondering and asking, ‘God, we have held true to you; we have not given up; how long will we have to endure this?’
The key question from those who were being sacrificed at Rome’s altar was simply this. Christians wanted to know: how long will this continue to go on? Revelation 6:10. God, aren’t you going to avenge us? And what is God’s answer?
The Christians are desperate to know when all this suffering will end, but God gives them white robes, Revelation 3:5, and tells them to wait a little while longer and promises them that He will exercise vengeance on the ungodly when the time is right, Revelation 6:11. God will take care of righteous people in His time, Revelation 6:9-11 / Isaiah 33:1 / Daniel 11:36 / Daniel 11:45.
The lesson here is so powerful: Christians are robed in white, as a symbol of purity before God, and God tells them not to give up because He will repay those who are wicked. God is the One who will take care of the ungodly. This, then, is an encouragement to be faithful and not to give up.
Just as a side note, if there is a waiting place for Christians before Judgment Day, then who are ‘the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained,’ and where are they now? Revelation 6:9-11.
If there is a waiting place for Christians before Judgment Day, then who are ‘the spirits of the righteous made perfect,’ and where are they now? Hebrews 12:22-24.
Part of understanding the Book of Revelation is understanding the main thoughts. The Book is like a drama or a vision unfolding on the scene. If we’re going to understand it, we must understand some of the main characters and some of the main thoughts. If we’re unfamiliar with those things, then we may end up approaching the Book of Revelation in a rather dismissive manner.
Jesus now opens the sixth seal, Revelation 6:12, and what John saw must have been frightening. This seal depicts judgment in answer to the plea of the souls under the altar, Revelation 6:9-11. The mention of the earthquake, the sun, the moon, and the stars is all judgment talk, Revelation 6:12-13 / Isaiah 34:4-6 / Jeremiah 4:23-25.
In Matthew 24:29, Jesus uses the same language concerning judgment against Jerusalem, and this language isn’t anything new. Jesus is using a language which some call apocalyptic, and it was very familiar to students of the Old Testament. We’re not familiar with it because we’re Gentiles, and so sometimes we think they’re talking about the second coming when they aren’t necessarily doing so.
For example, in the apocalyptic language, you often announced judgment by saying the whole cosmic structure; the sun, moon, and stars were going to be shaken, Matthew 24:29 / Mark 13:24-25 / Luke 21:25. In fact, that was just an Old Testament way of saying God was about to judge a nation.
In Isaiah 13:10, we read about a judgment against Babylon, which is not to be interpreted literally; that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying, that God is going to judge Babylon.
In Isaiah 34:4, we read about a judgment against Edom; again, that’s not to be interpreted literally; that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying, that God is going to judge Edom.
In Ezekiel 32:7-8, we read about a judgment against Egypt; again, that’s not to be interpreted literally; that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying, that God is going to judge Egypt.
When a Jew heard language like, the stars are going to be darkened, the moon is going to turn dark, the sun is going to fall. When they heard talk like that, they didn’t think that it was the ‘end of the world’; they thought, ‘What nation is God judging now?’
And when Jesus uses that kind of language, Matthew 24:29 / Mark 13:24-25 / Luke 21:25, He’s saying that God is sending judgment upon Israel. Just like He did on Egypt, just like He did on Edom and Babylon.
This judgment will be on the Roman persecuting power, as indicated in the words, ‘Every mountain and island were moved out of their places,’ Revelation 6:14.
This seems to encompass the known Roman world. The kings and great men of Revelation 6:15 would fit the Roman authorities who spread out over the Roman Empire.
Hendrickson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Six classes of mankind are mentioned, but they stand for all people. ‘Under the symbolism of these six classes, John sees the entire godless world seized with sudden fear.’
They look for somewhere to hide, Revelation 6:15 / Isaiah 2:10-11 / Isaiah 2:19-22 / Hosea 10:8. In Revelation 6:10, the saints asked God how much longer He would allow this to go on. He told them to be faithful a little while longer because it was all going to work out, Revelation 6:11.
This seal speaks of the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation 6:16. Notice what he says here: ‘For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’ Revelation 6:17. The answer is that no one can stand against God.
This is picturing Rome and the coming destruction that was going to take place. People cried out, ‘God’s wrath is coming; how can we stand it?’ Revelation 6:17. Even Rome realised that God was in control.
These seals, representing acts of vengeance on God’s part, showed Rome that she was not in control. God was! And they desperately needed to submit to His will and obey the teaching of Christ. We’re going to have to wait until Revelation 8 before the seventh seal is opened.