Revelation 6
CHAPTER 6
The first seal
And I looked when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder: Come! 2 And I looked and beheld a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given to him a crown, and he came forth conquering and to conquer.
The second seal
3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying: Come! 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, that they should slay one another. And there was given to him a great sword.
The third seal
5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying: Come! And I looked and beheld a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying: A measure of wheat for a denarius and three measures of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.
The fourth seal
7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying: Come! 8 And I looked and beheld a pale horse, and he that sat upon him. His name was Death, and Hades followed behind him. And there was given to them authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with death and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The fifth seal
9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those that had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a great voice, saying: How long, O Master, the holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? 11 And each one was given a white robe, and they were told that they should wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been, was completed.
The sixth seal
12 And I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake, the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon turned the colour of blood. 13 And the stars of the heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts her unripe figs when she is shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, the princes, the chief captains, the rich, the strong and every slave and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks: Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him that sits on the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their anger comes, and who is able to stand?
Commentary
6:1 If the scroll is the book of life, the seals represent what stood in the way of the book being opened. The book will be opened at Christ’s return (20:12). They refer to various periods of history between the time John was given the vision and the return of Christ, and the events within them all have special relevance to God’s people. They were opened on account of Christ’s death. Thus He became the Lord of history; all history and world political events occur under His control and all play a part in bringing on the day when He shall return and open the book of life.
6:9 Although the Bible teaches that the dead are unconscious, God remembers the dead and is in a sense outside of time as we know it; therefore “all live unto Him” (Lk. 20:38). So here the Bible speaks about the unconscious dead as if their blood, their lives, demand from God a response in judging their murderers.
