Revelation 6

The four horsemen of the apocalypse refers to the opening judgments of Daniel’s 70^th Week.  The scroll that will complete the revelation of Jesus Christ has seven seals.  Having prevailed in His death and resurrection the Lamb now begins to open the scroll by breaking the seals.  Let us consider the six opened in today’s reading (the seventh is opened in Rev. 8:1).

·        The first seal reveals a rider on a white horse.  This conqueror has a bow for warfare and a victor’s crown.  He is often identified as the antichrist but he will be revealed in Rev. 13.  In our passage it speaks of a time of warfare.

·        The second seal reveals a rider on a red horse.  This rider speaks of a general attitude of fighting among all the people of the earth, not just nations at war.

·        The third seal reveals a rider on a black horse who carries a pair of scales.  The picture is of famine as a small amount of wheat is sold for a day’s wages.

·        The fourth seal reveals a rider on a pale horse.  The rider has a name, Death.  And he is followed by another rider named Hades (Hades is the abode of those who die who are not right with God).  The result of this judgment is that a fourth of the earth’s population is killed by the sword, hunger and animals.

·        The fifth seal is broken and John saw under the altar in heaven the souls of those put to death because they were true to God.  They were given robes and told to rest until the remainder of the martyrs from the tribulation should join them.  This might not sound like a judgment but in a sense it is ominous for the people of the world.  These martyred souls cry out “how long” to God, a prayer that He hears and will act on.  His actions will involve judgment.

·        The sixth seal is broken accompanied by horrendous calamities including a great earthquake, failure of the sun in some way and large asteroids falling to earth.  The effect is that mankind is thrown into a great panic.  It is clear that humanity is aware that these calamities are wrath from God and the Lamb.  

God does not reveal the specific time of these events.  You may think that we see these things today, but it is not nearly to the extreme as in the future.  In Matt. 24 Jesus speaks of wars, killing, famines, natural disasters and persecution (24:4-14) before the midpoint (24:15) of the seven year period of time.  

We see here that it is a difficult time for God’s people, many of whom are martyred; and it is a difficult time for the people of this world.  Please consider the words of Jesus in Matt. 10:28-31 that we not fear what man can do who can only kill the body.  Rather fear God who can destroy both soul and body in hell!  God will comfort those who fear Him.  Those who reject Him have no hope.