Revelation 6

Revelation 6 marks the opening of the seven seals, unveiling divine judgments upon the earth. These seals represent a series of events leading to the ultimate return of Christ, portraying various forms of suffering, tribulation, and cosmic upheaval. The imagery in this chapter introduces the Four Horsemen and concludes with a powerful scene of cosmic disturbance and human response to God's wrath.

Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV)
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." 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.

The Lamb, symbolizing Christ, begins to open the seals, initiating the judgments. The first horse is white, and its rider, holding a bow and wearing a crown, represents conquest. Some interpret this as a depiction of Christ's victory and the spreading of the gospel, while others see it as the rise of earthly rulers or forces of conquest, bringing domination and power struggles into the world.

Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV)
When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." 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.

The second horse is fiery red, symbolizing war and bloodshed. The rider is given the power to take peace from the earth, causing widespread conflict and violence. This image likely represents the destructive consequences of war, a natural progression from the conquest seen with the first horse, illustrating how the fallen world is marked by strife and division.

Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV)
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. 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."

The black horse represents famine and economic hardship. The rider holds scales, emphasizing scarcity and inflated prices, where a day's wage (a denarius) would only buy minimal food. The warning to not harm the oil and wine suggests limited resources and escalating disparity, perhaps indicating a period of selective abundance amidst widespread poverty and suffering.

Revelation 6:7-8 (NKJV)
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." 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.

The pale horse, with its rider named Death, and Hades following, represents widespread mortality. Given power over a quarter of the earth, they bring death through various means: war, famine, pestilence, and wild animals. This fourth horse sums up the devastating consequences of the previous riders, signifying the ultimate end of these global calamities—death and the grave.

Revelation 6:9-10 (NKJV)
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

The fifth seal shifts focus to the martyrs, those who have died for their faith, now seen under the altar in heaven. They cry out for justice, longing for God's righteous judgment upon the wicked. This imagery reflects the ongoing suffering of believers throughout history and their anticipation of God's intervention in avenging their persecution and suffering.

Revelation 6:11 (NKJV)
Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

The martyrs are given white robes, symbolizing purity and victory, and are told to wait until the full number of their fellow believers who would suffer martyrdom is completed. This response shows that God’s judgment is measured and purposeful, allowing time for His plan to unfold fully, even though it may seem delayed from a human perspective.

Revelation 6:12-13 (NKJV)
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

The opening of the sixth seal brings cosmic disturbances. The earth quakes, the sun turns dark, the moon appears blood-red, and stars fall from the sky. These events represent cataclysmic signs in the heavens, often associated in biblical prophecy with the Day of the Lord, when God will intervene dramatically in human history to bring about final judgment.

Revelation 6:14 (NKJV)
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

The heavens themselves are affected, rolling up like a scroll, and the earth’s stability is shaken as mountains and islands move. This vivid imagery emphasizes the universal upheaval caused by God's judgment, affecting both the heavens and the earth, signaling that the current order of things is coming to an end as God's final plan is revealed.

Revelation 6:15-17 (NKJV)
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

In response to the cosmic and earthly upheavals, all classes of people, from the most powerful to the least, seek to hide from God's wrath. They recognize that the "great day of His wrath" has arrived, and they ask the sobering question: “Who can stand?” This final scene depicts human terror and helplessness in the face of divine judgment, highlighting the inevitability of God's justice upon a sinful world.