6:1 The Opening of the Seals

SUMMARY OF REVELATION 6:

The Warrior on the White Horse. The Warrior with the Great Sword. The Black Horse and He That Had the Balances. The Pale Horse, Death and Hades. The Fifth Seal, the Seal of Persecution. The Sixth Seal Opened. A Period of Judgment.

THE FIRST SEAL.

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals. The statement I saw means that when the Lamb opened one of the seals John saw the vision which is described in what follows.

As it were the noise of thunder. A deep, impressive, awe-inspiring sound.

Come and see. Attend closely to the vision.

6:2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse. Let the reader note particularly what John saw, and then remember that it is symbolical, and that instead of looking for a literal fulfillment, we are to ask the meaning of the symbols. There are several features of the vision that fix our attention: (1) The horse; (2) his white color; (3) the armed warrior; (4) his crown; (5) his bow; (6) his mission. It is certain that none of these features would have been named if they did not possess a significance. What do each of these symbols mean? I will consider them in order:

(1) THE HORSE. He was never used by the Jews or Orientals as a beast of burden. The ox and the ass were devoted to that office, and the horse was reserved for war. Whenever the horse is mentioned by the prophets it will be found in connection with warlike employments. That the horse is always associated with war can be seen by consulting Job 29:25 Ps 76:6 Pr 21:31 Jer 8:6 Eze 26:10. Hence this symbol points to a period of war, though it alone does not declare whether the conflict is carnal or spiritual, is triumphant or disastrous.

(2) THE WHITE COLOR. As there are three more horses in succession under the three following seals, each of different colors, the color must have a meaning. White must have a different significance from red, or black, or pale. What is indicated by the color of the first horse? White is the color of prosperity, of happiness, and triumph. Whenever a Roman General was given a triumph his chariot was drawn by milk-white horses. In Re 19:11 the Mighty Conqueror who wears many crowns is seen riding on a white horse. Commentators are agreed that the white horse signifies prosperous, victorious wars.

(3) THE RIDER. His significance is due to his arms, his crown, and the white horse he rides. It is enough to state here that he represents either some conqueror, or a conquering age.

(4) THE CROWN. A crown was given to him. This crown is not the diadem ( diadema ) but the garland crown ( stephanos ). The last was the crown given as a reward for victory in battle, for great achievements or for victory in games. The Hero of chapter 19 wears many diadems, kingly crowns (Re 19:12), but this rider wears the garland crown, the stephanos. It is important to note this distinction.

(5) THE BOW. He is armed with a usual weapon of war in that age. The bow may signify that the rider is a great, warlike figure, or there may be a special significance in the fact that he is armed with a bow instead of a sword or spear.

6:3 THE SECOND SEAL.

And when he had opened the second seal. The second living creature said, Come and see, and immediately the first vision is replaced by a second, or a startling character.

6:4 And there went out another horse that was red. There appears in the field of view a second horse, no longer white, but as red as blood. The horse is the symbol of war, but the changed color indicates that the conditions of war are entirely changed. It is no longer triumphant war in the dominions of their enemies, while within all is peace, but the land is drenched in blood.

And power was given to him. Upon the horse sat one with a great sword in his hand, to whom power was given to take peace from the earth, and to make men that they should kill one another.

To take peace from the earth. The earth contemplated by John was the Roman earth, or empire. From it peace shall be taken away. Nor is it to be destroyed by foreign invaders.

That they should kill one another. In as plain language as symbolism can disclose, it is indicated that the next great feature of history is that the land shall be torn by civil war. During the period of the first seal the fertile provinces of the Roman Empire never saw the face of a hostile soldier, unless borne as a captive from the distant frontiers, where the Roman generals waged triumphant wars in the countries of their enemies. All was peace within. But now a period of internal war is indicated.

6:5 THE THIRD SEAL.

And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him. Again there appear a horse and a rider. Again the color of the horse is changed, as well as the instrument held in the hand of the horseman. If the white and red colors, the bow and the great sword, had a significance, this must be true also of the black color and the balances. It has been found that the horse, whatever his color, is the symbol of war. The black horse makes it plain that the land is torn by calamitous war, and is filled with sorrow, mourning and despair. Black is the color of mourning. The prophet (Jer 14:2) says: Because of the drought Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are in deep mourning ('lit. black') for the land.

Had a pair of balances. The balances used for weighing food are a symbol of scarcity and famine.

6:6 A measure of wheat was about a quart, and the

penny about sixteen cents, which would make the wheat worth about USD5 per bushel; or, if it be borne in mind that one dollar in that age would usually purchase as USD5 now, the wheat would be about USD25 per bushel in the modern currency. Bread by weight always implies scarcity. See Le 26:26 Eze 4:16,17. The prices named also signify the same.

Hurt not the oil and the wine. Oil and wine, though common foods, are entirely prohibited. An age of war, mourning, calamity and famine is certainly symbolized.

6:7 THE FOURTH SEAL.

6:8 Behold a pale horse. Again, for the fourth time John beholds a horse. It is still a time of war. The horse is now pale, the bloodless color of the dead. Upon him sits

Death, an undescribed figure. Behind the dread destroyer follows

Hades, the unseen world (not Hell as in the Common Version) swallowing up the dying mortals and hiding them from human vision. The means employed to destroy men are described. Death and Hades employ

the sword (1) of war;

hunger, or (2) famine;

death, or (3) pestilence, for so is the word here used often to translated, and such is its meaning in this place; and finally

beasts of the earth, (4) the destruction caused by the wild beasts of forests and field.

The evident meaning of this symbolism is so plain that all can understand its application, and we need only ask if the facts correspond. Do we find the scarcity, want, hunger, and pestilence, indicated by the prophecy, during the latter portion of this period of civil commotion? Do we have an awful reign of Death in the forms signaled by the seal?

6:9 THE FIFTH SEAL.

And when he had opened the fifth seal. It is evident from the entire change of imagery that, after the fourth seal, the subject of prophetic vision is entirely changed. The horse now disappears, and is seen no more in connection with the opening of the seals. Along with the horse the armed warriors sweep out of sight. The next vision is that of suffering saints.

I saw... the souls of them that were slain for the word of God. These are clearly Christians who had suffered martyrdom. They had died for the word of God. They were

under the altar. Since the temple is typical of the church, the altar, the center of worship, points to the church and its worship. The brazen altar stood at the door of the tabernacle, and at the bottom of it all the blood of the offerings was poured (Le 4:7). Their position probably points out that their own blood was poured out for Christ.

6:10 And they cried with a loud voice. Their cry denotes that the church had suffered long and severely, and they raise a cry for deliverance.

6:11 And white robes were given to every one of them. The robes of justification and victory.

It was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season. They are assured that the day when they will be avenged will soon come, but that they must wait a little season.

That should be killed as they were. Others must be added to the number of the martyrs before the number is fulfilled. It is a time of persecution.

The fifth seal is the seal of persecution, and it evidently marks some notable era in the history of the Church, when more fiercely than ever before it felt the intolerant hand of them who dwelt on the earth (Re 6:10). The fulfillment is to be sought in a war of extermination waged against Christianity. Again we ask if, following the events already described, history records events that fulfill this prophecy?

6:12 THE SIXTH SEAL.

There was a great earthquake. The symbol of political or moral agitation and upheaval.

The sun became black... and the moon became as blood. The sun, moon, and stars are symbols of earthly dignitaries, great lights in the political or religious heavens. In the dream of Joseph, which so maddened his brethren, these terms are used in this meaning, as well as by the ancient prophets. In the East it was common to liken the king or emperor to the sun, and the stars as the symbols of princes or rulers. For the use of the term we refer the reader to Da 8:10. The blackness of the sun and the bloody hue of the moon point out scenes of mourning and bloodshed among rulers and princes.

6:13 The stars of heaven fell unto the earth. The falling of the stars would indicate the downfall of those who had high places on the earth, or rather within the Roman Empire.

6:14 The heaven departed. The old religions, supposed to be of heavenly origin, pass away.

Every mountain and island were moved. Mountain and island are used to denote earthly rulers and kingdoms, the latter referring more especially to European provinces which are often called the isles of the sea in the Bible (Es 10:1 Isa 24:15). From the period of Diocletian, the great persecutor, the title Your Eminence, or, in other words, mountain, was bestowed upon princes. As a mountain stood above the plain, so the rulers of the earth were exalted.

6:15-17 And the kings of the earth... hid themselves. This implies great terror among them that dwell on the earth (Re 6:10); their belief that terrible judgments were impending from God; that the wrath of the Lamb was manifested, and their efforts to escape.

6:15-17 And the kings of the earth... hid themselves. This implies great terror among them that dwell on the earth (Re 6:10); their belief that terrible judgments were impending from God; that the wrath of the Lamb was manifested, and their efforts to escape.

6:15-17 And the kings of the earth... hid themselves. This implies great terror among them that dwell on the earth (Re 6:10); their belief that terrible judgments were impending from God; that the wrath of the Lamb was manifested, and their efforts to escape.