J. Mark continues his study of Revelation, focusing on chapter six. We see the opening of the seven seals, which unleashes God’s judgment on unbelieving mankind. This episode examines the opening of the first four seals, which reveal the four horsemen, what they represent, and what judgments they bring. The judgments serve as a reminder that human history is moving toward a conclusion under God’s authority, and we can find security only in the Lamb. Join us as we study Revelation 6:1-8 in this first part of “Breaking the Seals.”
Transcript
In our human experience, everything we’re familiar with has a beginning and an end. Nothing in this life is permanent. Everything is fleeting and transitory. The cycles of human life, governments, nations, and more follow predictable patterns. In the midst of those cycles, there is often a specific time or event that we recognize as “the beginning of the end.” The high point of existence is passed, and decline sets in.
In the eyes of some historians, the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire was marked by the Visigoths crossing the Rhine River in 406 AD. These Germanic barbarian tribes (my ancestors) sacked Rome four years later. The Russian victory at the Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. It was the bloodiest and fiercest battle of the entirety of World War II—and arguably in all of human history—as both sides suffered tremendous casualties amidst ferocious fighting in and around the city. On the 2nd of February 1943, the 6th Army, having exhausted its ammunition and food, finally surrendered after several months of battle, making it the first of Hitler’s field armies to do so.
As we continue our journey through the Book of Revelation, we’ve come to chapter six. This chapter, in some sense, marks the beginning of the end for human history as we know it. In the opening of the seven seals, we see the outpouring of God’s wrath on unbelieving mankind. These seals seem to be a prelude to the plagues that begin in chapter eight.
Many Bible teachers, including some Jewish believers in the Messiah, believe that chapter six marks the beginning of what the Bible calls the Day of the Lord, the time of Jacob’s trouble, and the Tribulation. Daniel, Joel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and others prophesy this. I subscribe to this view because it seems to be the most literal reading and explanation of the text.
In looking at these seals, “It seems best to understand the first four seals as taking place during the first half of the Tribulation, the fifth stretching from the first into the second half (called the “great tribulation” in 7:14 and lasting three and one-half years; 11:2; 12:6; 13:5), and the sixth and seventh taking place during that “great tribulation.” Apparently, the seventh seal contains the seven trumpet judgments (8:1–11:19), and the seventh trumpet (11:15) contains the seven bowl judgments (16:1–21). The seven seals thus contain all the judgments to the end when Jesus Christ returns.”[1] Today, we will look at the opening of the first four seals.
Remember, this letter is written to those in John’s lifetime who are experiencing severe persecution. These varying waves of persecution spanned the late 90s AD to 311 AD. God reminds John’s readers that He is paying attention, and the wicked will eventually drink the cup of His wrath! In Revelation 3:10, in His message to the Church of Philadelphia, Jesus promised, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
In chapter five, Jesus, the Lamb, is revealed as the only one in the whole universe who is worthy to open the seven seals of this mysterious scroll. The elders around the throne of God proclaim, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us [a kingdom] and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Let’s turn now to the text Revelation 6:1-8. This text records the opening of the first four seals. Here is the Word of God to us.
6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”
4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard 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 the wine.”
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.”
8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
In this text, the opening of the first four seals introduces us to the four horsemen. The color of the horses and the description of their riders reveal the nature of their judgments.
As we begin, I remind you that the seals are successive. Opening one enables the opening of the next. We must also ask the question, “Who are these ‘four horsemen of the Apocalypse?’” They are not evil powers or demons unleashed by God to torture humanity.
Their identity is given in Zechariah 6:5. In response to his inquiry, the angel tells Zechariah, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. They are under God’s complete authority. These riders serve Him. This imagery in our text was well known to John or his Jewish readers.
The First Horseman Rides
A White Horse
As John watched, the Lamb opened the first seal. A voice like thunder accompanied the opening of the seal, and one of the four living creatures said, “Come and see.” This same invitation introduces the opening of the first four seals.
There are two possible ways to view this invitation. Some see it as addressed to John, inviting him to see the unfolding revelation. However, A. T. Robertson and others believe it was a summons to the horsemen. At any rate, John says, “I looked, and behold…” Did John see a pictorial presentation in this scroll? The language used is not what you would typically use if you were merely reading a description or hearing it read aloud.
What did John see? He saw a white horse carrying a rider with a great bow and wearing a crown. In Scripture, horses are emblems of military power. White horses were, by their color, a symbol of victory in war and conquest. At the time of John’s writing, Roman generals rode white horses in their victory parades. This was universally understood.
The rider on this horse was given a great bow and a crown. The crown is a mark of victory and/or royalty. He goes forth conquering and to conquer. However, notice that he has a bow but no arrows. Does this indicate victory by persuasion instead of violence? Daniel 9:27 implies that in the future, the Antichrist will initially enter into a peace treaty through negotiations with the world powers. Only at the midpoint of the Tribulation does he break that treaty and resort to violence against anyone who opposes him.
One thing we must NOT do is mistake the rider on this white horse as the victorious Christ of Revelation 19:11. In that text, Jesus is called “The Word of God,” and His presence here would be incompatible with these scenes. In addition, the Lamb is the one breaking the seal, so He cannot at the same time be the one who is riding the white horse. Other than the color of the horse, this rider and Jesus have nothing in common.
So, the rider on the white horse goes forth, conquering and to conquer, albeit peaceably.
The Second Horseman Rides
A Red Horse
Red is the color of blood, and the color is appropriate for the power the rider of this horse is given. In their book Hebrew Visions of Revelation, Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg and Pinchas Shir state that this is not a war of foreign incursions but a civil war. At the time of writing, this could refer to the civil war in the Roman Empire and the end of Pax Romana. Daniel chapter 11 predicts a time of great struggle among the world’s regional powers.
The rider on this horse was given power to “take peace out of the earth.” That is, he had the power of life and death. In the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24, Jesus said in verse 7, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” While wars and violence have marked human history, they appear to be universal phenomena. This aspect of war emphasizes hatred between nations and individuals. As a result, there will be wholesale slaughter.
This rider is also given a great sword. The word is identical to that used by the disciples in Luke 22:38: “We have two swords,” one of which Peter used at Jesus’ arrest. It was a large knife rather than the long, curved sword of Revelation 1:16. Each had its place, either for thrusting or for slashing, but being a victim of either was a brutal way to die.
Violent death is the result of the accoutrements of the rider of the red horse.
The Next Horseman Rides
A Black Horse
The lust for conquest brings bloodshed, but also famine and hunger. Black is associated with mourning and famine. In Malachi 3:14, the word mournfully is, literally, in black.” The rider of this black horse, like the spectral figure of hunger, carries in his hand a pair of balance scales. This represents scarcity, in which food is doled out by weight, as recorded in Ezekiel 4:16 and other Scriptures during the siege of Jerusalem. This is also one of the fruits of war.
As the rider on the black horse appears, a voice from the midst of the four living creatures says, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius…” Is this God speaking? What is the message? A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, or three quarts of barley for the same price. Some have estimated it to be 8 times the normal price in the Roman Empire at that time. The shortage of food disrupts everything and creates havoc.
Further, the voice said, *“Do not hurt the oil and wine.” Some regard oil and wine as luxuries, but they were staples in Palestine and Asia Minor, alongside wheat and barley. The implication is that, as a result of these judgments, there would only be enough money for bread, making life difficult but not impossible.
It’s also possible that this command* was intended for those engaged in warfare, as a result of the second seal being opened. During warfare, conquering armies didn’t always employ a scorched-earth process. Instead, they spared the olive groves and vineyards so they could tax the owners. As a result, owners sometimes destroyed property to reduce the taxes owed. The authoritative command is given not to do this.
However, there were times of wholesale destruction, such as that carried out by the Roman general Titus during the siege of Jerusalem. Sadly, this also happened during the American Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and in Sherman’s march from Atlanta to Savanah. This kind of destruction has not only physical but also psychological consequences, designed to break the will and spirit of the conquered.
The rider on the black horse introduces the reality of hunger and scarcity.
The Final Horseman Rides
A Pale Horse
The word “chloros” literally means “green.” “The greenness is a sign of death. Death causes the face to turn green, as it says in the Talmud, referring to the angel of death: ‘… they throw in the mouth of the dying the drop which caused his death, and his skin and face become green.’” Homer used chlōros to describe the ashen color of a face blanched by fear, so the pale horse is a symbol of death and of terror.
The rider on the pale horse is given wider authority than any of the other horsemen. He is also the only one who is given a name. His name is Death, and he is accompanied by his inseparable companion, Hades, or the grave. This is the destination of all humans, righteous or unrighteous, before resurrection and judgment. It is the place of departed spirits. Death is not extinction; Hades welcomes the departed until the day of judgment.
Daniel 12:1-2 speaks of this part of human existence. “At that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time, your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth [Sheol] shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This everlasting contempt is the damnation of the wicked in the eternal fires of Hell.
The picture in our text is Hades keeping step with Death. Whether on the same horse, a different one, or on foot, we are not told. The implication is that death will be widespread. We need not wonder how these two were so engaged, because the text tells us.
“And authority was given to them (Death and Hades) over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” This destruction comes by the sword (war), hunger (famine), death (plague), and by the wild beasts, which would multiply in consequence of the devastations occasioned by war, famine, and pestilence.” Jesus mentioned these same things in Matthew 24:7. Leviticus 26:18-30 and Jeremiah 21:7 concur.
In Ezekiel chapter 14, the Lord, speaking through the prophet, mentions these same four things in His judgment of Israel. In verses 21-22, he writes, “For thus says the Lord God: ‘How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.”
God’s judgment announced through Ezekiel was poured out on Jerusalem for their idolatry and disobedience. This rider with these terrible judgments was given authority to kill one-fourth of the earth’s population.
Jesus is pictured here as opening these first four seals of the scroll. His divine judgments on unbelieving mankind originate in heaven. We must not reduce them to mere symbols. The facts presented to us demand reality because John recorded what he heard and saw.
That Jesus is the Divine Judge should not surprise us. After all, He told the disciples in John 5:22-23, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
The events occurring in our world should remind us that the end is approaching. That day of judgment is coming; how soon, we do not know. That means, if you have never secured the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, you still have a chance before it’s too late. You don’t want to be on the earth when these seals are opened, and judgment is poured out. Choose life today!
[1] MacArthur, New Testament Commentary on Revelation, p. 255
