Revelation 6
1 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.
9 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.
10 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?"
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
15 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,
16 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!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
In Chapter 1 of this spiritual exposition of the Book of Revelation we first saw the Apostle John receiving the revelation or the unveiling [apocalypse] of Jesus Christ by Jesus Christ. John is given a vision of the glorious person of the risen Lord as he, John, represents the Church and is sharing in her tribulation on the Isle of Patmos. The name, Patmos, means “mortal” and comes from a root that means crushed or squeezed. The name has significance for the Church as she suffers tribulation down through the ages.
In Chapters 2 and 3 Jesus speaks to the Seven Churches in Asia which represent the visible church on earth in her struggle against error.
Beginning with Chapter 4 John is taken up in another vision where he looks into heaven and where he sees symbolic images of the Throne of God.
What John sees in Chapter 4 is what constitutes the true worship of God. God is worshipped primarily as the Creator! John sees the four living creatures and the 24 elders [the 12 and the 12] cry out day and night:
"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!" 
Revelation 4:8
"You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11
In Chapter 5, John sees a scroll in the right hand of the One who sat on the throne. The scroll is completely covered with writing on both sides and it is sealed with seven seals. Seven stands for perfection. And no one is worthy or able to open the seals. The scroll contains all that John is told to write about in a book [1:11] and when it cannot be opened John wept much.
But wait, one of the elders says there is One who is worthy! He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David and He has prevailed [overcome] to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.
But when John looks to see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the One who is worthy to open the seals, he sees not a Lion but a Lamb as though it had been slain.
The question that Jesus asked the Pharisees, which they could not answer is answered in the Lion and the Lamb: God and Man in one Person: Two natures, divine and human, in the person of the Son of Man.
Matthew 22:41-46
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?"
They said to Him, "The Son of David."
43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:
44'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?
45 If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"
46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
As the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus is the King who reigns forever. As the Lamb of God, Jesus is the suffering Messiah long ago spoken of by the prophets.
Now a “new song” can be sung in heaven:
Revelation 5:8-14
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying:
"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,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
This then is the lesson before us. John is told to write a book about what is yet to happen on the earth as the Church goes through tribulation. At first the scroll that contains the prophecy is sealed with seven seals and no one is worthy or able to loose its seals. But there is One who is worthy and it is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
In Chapter 6 we come to the opening of the First Six Seals and the unveiling of the prophecy begins. Before we discuss the individual seals let’s make an overview of the scope of what is about to happen. There are seals, and trumpets, and bowls that must be understood together.
If you have never grasped the message of the Book of Revelation let me try to put you at ease. Many Christians either have been taught what amounts to unbiblical fantasy or else they avoid its study altogether.
There are many different interpretations of this wonderful Book and they all have a particular bias. So do I. My basic principle of interpretation of the Book of Revelation is that most of the symbols can be understood by searching out the OT and comparing its prophecies and types with the symbolic language used by John.
THE OPENING OF THE SEALS - chapter 6
“The opening or breaking of the seals signifies the disclosure of the contents of the parchment scroll now in the hand of Christ. Instead of words John sees symbolic pictures which remain for the Church to interpret. The general meaning should not present great difficulty so long as we rely on the Word of God in all its parts to be its own interpreter.
“The first four seals introduce FOUR HORSEMEN, one of whom is the captain and the other three are those who wait upon His commands. The first, or captain of the cohort, is Christ. The other three are the ministers of the divine vengeance directed by Him in the course of history.
“The fifth seal introduces the faithful martyrs who have died for the cause of Christ. They are introduced to symbolise the witness of the Church down the ages - a witness even unto blood. The sufferings of Christ’s witnesses and the delay of the day of vengeance shows the righteousness of God in the calamities which are to be directed upon the enemies of the Kingdom of God.
“The sixth seal illustrates the successive judgments which in age after age break the pride of the wicked and frustrate their evil designs.
“The seventh seal (which is not broken until the beginning of chapter 8) finally releases the judgments as a whole, and contains the record of those judgments until the end of time. Hence we have the following scheme:
SIX SEALS which disclose the agents of the divine justice, or the resources at God’s disposal for the deliverance of His people.
The SEVENTH SEAL which introduces and contains within itself the movements of divine providence conducting the Church through a hostile world until the moment of final deliverance and triumph in heaven. This Seal introduces SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGMENTS, which may be said to be contained in the LAST SEAL and which pictorialise those acts by which, throughout the ages, God has brought down the power of the enemy and opened up a pathway for the deliverance of His people.
The SEVENTH TRUMPET, like the SEVENTH SEAL, is comprehensive. Though in fact it is the LAST TRUMP described by Paul as signalising the coming of the Lord and the great Resurrection Day.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
In John’s vision it comprehends a rapid sequence of terrible judgments known as the SEVEN VIALS [BOWLS] (Rev. Chaps. 15 and 16) which mark the last chapter of human history in this world.
Interspersed between these sequences of TRUMPETS AND VIALS [BOWLS] are more detailed descriptions of the judgments referred to, in addition to vivid symbolic pictures of the Church’s sufferings and testimony during the entire course of time.
The Apocalypse thereupon closes with the final scene of the blessedness and joy which await the righteous (the Church) who throughout the long ages have kept the faith and now receive their full reward in union with God in the heavenly paradise, the UPPER EDEN, the Garden of the soul.
The Book is therefore a unity, forming a key to the understanding of the mystery of the journey of the redeemed through a hostile wilderness of a world, and their unscathed arrival at last at the destiny decreed for them from the foundation of creation.” CDA
The First Seal
1 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.
When it comes to interpretation of Scripture there may not be a greater divergence than what is available on who is the subject of the First Seal. The futurists say this is Satan or at least his henchman, the Antichrist.
I believe we can establish from the OT that the subject of the First Seal is Christ.
As to the interpretation, what can be more opposite than Satan and Christ!
Before we tackle the OT evidence that the subject of the First Seal is none other than Christ I want to revisit the matter of “antichrist.”
You see if the rider on the white horse is Satan or Antichrist you come to a very different conclusion than if the rider is Christ.
The popular idea is that Antichrist is to be a literal person to arise sometime before the end of this present age. But the Bible seems to teach otherwise. The only places where the term “antichrist” is used in the NT are by John in his First and Second Epistles.
Find these verses in your Bible and read along with me.
1 John 2:18; 22
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour…
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
2 John 7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
According to John, “the spirit of antichrist” was a present reality in his day. We may safely assume that the spirit of antichrist has been with us ever since and continues today. The spirit of antichrist is defined by John as a denial that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh and this denial of Christ denies the Father and the Son.
The spirit of antichrist is with us now in this present age. After this present age there is the age to come which is eternity. Remember that when you search in the Bible you will find that there are only two ages: this present age and the age to come. When this present age is over and done we enter into the age to come.
The “last hour,” “the last days”, “the end of the ages” refers to this present age.
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, ….
Hebrews 9:26
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
“Antichrist” is not a person but a system of error that masquerades under the Christian name. The spirit of antichrist was there in John’s day and it is with us today in Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons, and every other sect and heresy that denies the Christ of the Bible.
The First Seal
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.
We have a rider on a white horse who is none other than Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Head of the Church, riding forth to conquer every foe which rises up against His Kingdom.
How do we know the rider is Christ? We go to Zechariah in the OT.
Zechariah 1:7-11
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:
8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.
9 Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" So the angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth."
11 So they answered the Angel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly."
Zechariah uses symbolic language and the “myrtle trees”.
“The myrtle trees in the bottom” amongst which the riders are gathered represent the Church, whether of Old Testament or New. The myrtle is distinguished for its grace and modesty, and it is highly significant that Esther the Queen, contemporary with Zechariah, has her original name '”Hadassah” (Esther 2:7) which means ‘myrtle’. Esther is meant to typify the Church, and her history must be understood in this way. As she was preserved in the midst of the ungodly, so the people whom she represented were preserved when all things were against them.
That the myrtle trees were ‘in the bottom’ indicates their lowly position in the sight of the world, but Christ and the squadrons of His omnipotence are ever present to defend and exalt. CDA
In Zachariah’s vision “The Man Among the Myrtle Trees” [8] is the LORD [11].
The situation in Zachariah’s time and in John’s time was the same. The people of God, Israel in Zachariah’s time, and the Church in John’s time, were under persecution while the rest of the world was at relative peace.
"We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly."
The Lord appears to comfort Zachariah the prophet and to reassure His people. Zachariah sees Him as a rider on a red horse, followed by other horses, red, sorrel, and white. The variation of the colors only gives independence to the visions. The message is the same. John’s foremost rider is on a white horse and His three agents ride red, black, and pale. The correspondence of the two visions is in the four riders and the purpose for which they ride forth to conquer all the enemies of God.
Later in Zechariah Chapter 6:1-8, there is a corresponding vision of The Four Chariots and the Mountains of Brass. The Mountains of Brass are symbolic of God’s protection of His Church.
The visions of Zechariah and John are to comfort the Church as she goes through tribulation. What comfort would it be to John so as to dry his tears, for he wept much, if the rider of the First Seal opened and it was Satan or “Antichrist” who was to conquer?
There is another OT reference to show that it is Christ who rides forth to conquer.
Psalm 45:1-6
1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Compare Psalm 45:6 with Hebrews 1:8-9 where the interpretation of the Rider of Psalm 45 is given to be the Son of God, even Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:8-9
8 But to the Son He says:
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
The phrase in Psalm 45:4 to “ride prosperously” is the same as Revelation 6:2, “conquering and to conquer”.
There are other OT references to show that the rider here is Jesus Christ, but perhaps the greatest proof that the subject of the rider in the First Seal is Christ is the manner in which He is presented in the text itself.
1 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."
One of the four living creatures shouts with a voice like thunder, “Come and See.”
Scholars dispute the validity of the Greek Received Text used in the KJV and NKJV that include “and see” and they render it as “Come.”. I am satisfied with the rendering “come and see” because of the support in the OT.
I will continue to remind you of the frequent connections that John makes in the Revelation to the OT. Go to Psalm 66:5 where deity is announced.
Psalm 66:5
Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
Also Psalm 46:8
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
Now it is the same apostle who wrote the Gospel with his name who is given the Revelation and John remembers that he was one of two disciples of John the Baptist who were pointed to Christ. “Come and see” has great significance to John.
John 1:35-39
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"
They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
Soon after this the expression passed to Philip.
John 1:46
46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
These are not throw-away words. When there is an OT phrase that identifies deity and it is applied to Jesus Christ in the NT it carries that same significance. Jesus is God come in the flesh.
Verses 3 to 8 deal with the other three horsemen.
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.
Now the task of explaining the other three horsemen is not too difficult. They are sent out to do the will of Christ in the execution of His judgments of this wicked world which is what the last part of verse 8 says.
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.
This figure is taken from the OT prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 14:21
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?
Jeremiah 14:11-12
11 Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for this people, for their good.
12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
The mention of the “fourth part of the earth” refers to the scope of the Roman Empire which was oppressing the Church. Rome dominated a fourth of the earth known to exist at the time of John.
Verses 5 and 6 mentions a balance or scales in the hand of the rider of the apocalyptic famine.
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."
There is no connection in Zachariah but we find the OT type in 2 Kings 7:1.
This refers to the famine during the siege of Samaria.
2 Kings 7:1
Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'"
The starving inhabitants of the city would find food at cheap prices within 24 hours of the prediction. The siege was stopped abruptly the next morning and the entire population took possession of the provisions that were abandoned by the enemy army whom the Lord had caused to flee from some invisible foe.
The deliverance under Elisha is a type of the apocalyptic deliverance of the people of God. The four terrible horsemen of divine justice ride only for their comfort.
We must not get lost in the provision of literal food. The Book of Revelation is a spiritual book. The wheat and barley, the oil and the wine, of Revelation 6 symbolize spiritual values. Here is the Word of God, the comfort of Christ, and the ministry of the Spirit of God. In the worst of times the Church will have her consolation. The wicked will be restrained and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled.
The name of the fourth horseman in verse 8 is Death, and Hades [hell] followed him. Cf. 1:18 and 20:13
Revelation 1:18
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Revelation 20:13-14
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Hades [hell] in the NT only refers to dead sinners.
Luke 16:23
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
In Revelation 20:13 it is the ungodly who are spoken of.
Hades appears to be the place of torment for the ungodly that are held there until the final judgment.
The first four seals were opened by the Lamb to show forth Christ and His agents of judgment and His righteous rule over the kingdoms of the world.
The Fifth Seal.
9 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.
This seal shows the nature of the Church’s witness down through the ages.
The Church is an army of martyrs. Not only those who have actually suffered death for the cause of Christ, but rather the entire Church from the beginning to the end of time. The number of those who were actually killed as martyrs is relatively few. But sometimes it is harder to live for Christ than to die for Christ.
As believers we must not boast of our great faith. Like Peter we may find ourselves to be very weak in our own strength. But if called on to die for Christ we may be given the grace to die like Stephen.
What I mean by saying that sometimes it is harder to live for Christ than to die for Christ is that day by day living in submission to King Jesus calls for genuine faith.
We have arrived at a time in the progression of history that Christianity is fair game for ridicule and slander. Any kind of religious talk and symbolism is permitted except that of Christianity. All you need do is pay attention to the news to see how rapidly open season on Christians is approaching.
It is the souls of martyred saints that are seen under the altar. What could be clearer that this is spiritual language and not literal language than this verse?
These martyred ones represent the people of God throughout the present age. They are under the altar because the altar stands for sacrifice and the death of martyred saints.
The first martyr in history was Abel, who was slain by his brother Cain.
1 John 3:11-12
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
It is interesting that the first man to go into the grave was the first man to go to heaven and he was a martyr for the sake of Christ.
What is martyrdom? It is being ready to suffer for Christ and knowing that we are but sinners and we are subject to tribulation.
John 16:31-33
31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
There are many such statements in the NT by the Lord Jesus, Matthew, Paul, and Peter. Look at just one from Peter.
1 Peter 4:12-13
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
The sufferings of the Church in the OT onward are summarized by Paul in Hebrews:
Hebrews 11:35-38
35 Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
The Cry for Vengeance
10 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?"
This is symbolic language and must be understood as such. Christians are instructed not to seek vengeance by their own devices.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore;
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
But as with righteous Abel the blood of martyred saints cries out for vengeance.
Genesis 4:8-10
8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?"
He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Now blood has no voice but the figurative words mean that a just and holy God abhors the shedding of innocent blood and His righteousness demands that every ungodly deed unrepented of will be punished.
White Robes for the Righteous Dead
11 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.
Souls do not need white robes but we are dealing with symbolism.
The message for the believer is that no matter how he dies, whether by martyrdom of some other way that he will enter into a state of rest and purity.
We wait for the day of our own resurrection of the body to be free from sin and to have the joy of eternal bliss as we worship at the throne of our Creator.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The martyred saints are told to rest for a “little season”. There will be no consciousness of the passing of time in eternity. While all the mystery of God is completed they wait in their white robes as a symbol of innocence before God.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Read that verse again. That is what the Book of Revelation is all about.
The Sixth Seal
12 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.
13 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.
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
15 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,
16 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!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
This Sixth Seal is not the end of the world but we are getting close. The description is of divine vengeance on earth until the Last Judgment begins.
The earthquake, the hiding of the sun, the blood red hue of the moon, the falling of the stars describes events that cannot be about the actual earth. Stars do not fall to the earth because stars are so much larger that the earth. Some stars are larger than our entire solar system.
Peter gives a true description of the end of the cosmic creation:
2 Peter 3:10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
We borrow again from Charles D. Alexander:
“As usual in John’s Apocalypse we go to the OT. The dimming of the sun and moon, the falling of stars, the removal of mountains and islands, and the cry of the wicked to cover them are familiar OT figures of the dissolution of empires, and the passing away of powers and tyrannies.
Hengstenberg writes, “The shining of the heavenly lights is the symbol and the visible reflection of the grace of God. Hence its extinguishment by the sun and moon becoming dark, in storms and earthquakes, etc., is regarded as a prelude of severe judgments”.
For the darkening of sun and moon as a figure of the eclipse or passing away of kingdoms, nations, or even churches, see Isaiah 24:23; “The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord shall reign in mount Zion ....” - a prophecy of the superior light of the gospel dimming into obscurity the lesser light of the Law.
Jeremiah 15:9, “Her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword ...” - a prophecy of the rejection of Israel because of the sin of unbelief.
Micah 3:6: “The sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them” - the withdrawal of the light of inspiration from the prophets of Israel because of their unfaithfulness, prior to the coming of Christ in the gospel. CDA
JOEL’S PENTECOSTAL PROPHECY
One of the most striking of all this class of prophecy is in Joel 2:30-32:
“I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.”
Yes, dear reader, here is the prophecy quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21) - so much misunderstood by the preachers and writers on prophetical themes, yet so clear and plain to those who use their Bibles wisely and compare scripture with scripture. Joel was prophesying that when Messiah comes to set up His kingdom, the signs thereof would be those same Pentecostal signs which brought the multitude together at the Temple in Jerusalem - the speaking in tongues and prophesying. Peter in his inspired address assured the people that this prophecy was being fulfilled that very day: “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel….” This assurance from Peter was designed to have a double effect. To many it was to spell salvation as their listening ears heard and their eyes saw the long awaited tokens that God had visited His people and the promised days of Messiah had at last begun - even though Messiah had been crucified and rejected.
Peter declared that the crucifixion was part of the divine plan of redemption – “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain; whom God hath raised from the dead….” (Acts 2:23-24)
13 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.
These words are taken from Isaiah 34:4-5:
4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved,
And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll;
All their host shall fall down
As the leaf falls from the vine,
And as fruit falling from a fig tree.
5 "For My sword shall be bathed in heaven;
Indeed it shall come down on Edom,
And on the people of My curse, for judgment.
This section of Isaiah alluded to by John is significant because it speaks of the judgment of God on Edom [Esau]. Edom stands for all the worldly power which hates the people of God. The Book of Revelation has many symbols of “stars” falling or otherwise.
“The Book of Revelation is full of the symbolism of ‘stars’ - falling or otherwise. Christ is the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16); He is the star which Balaam prophesied should arise out of Jacob (Num. 24:17); He holds in His right hand the seven stars which are the angels of the Seven Churches (Rev. 1:20); a star falls from heaven to the earth (Rev. 9:1) and is discovered to be none other than Satan (v.11). The Church is represented in chapter 12 as a woman with a crown of twelve stars. A great star falls in chapter 8 verses 10-11. Its name is Wormwood, and its function is to make bitter all rivers and fountains of water - no doubt meaning that false doctrine which poisons the sources of light, life and truth upon which the soul of man depends, even the preaching of the Word of God. We are seeing not a little of that today.” CDA
The Rolling Up of the Heavens
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
The rolling up of the heaven is a continuation of the symbolism of the preceding verse. The stars of heaven having fallen to the earth, that is, the rulers and tyrants of this world’s system, the heaven itself, their region of power and dominance over the world comes to an end. The mountains and islands being moved out of their places represent the consequent disorder among the nation as the central, controlling power for the time being is destroyed. ……
The one irresistible force which drives through history is the Word of God - that is, the divine will and purpose, working out the problem of creation in terms of His eternal purpose of redemption. No nation or kingdom or empire can ever be secure or sacred. Even the people of Israel were rejected from their high privileges. “The city of God remaineth” sang Luther in his great hymn. And this is the theme of our Book of Revelation. CDA
Mountains Fall On Us
15 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,
16 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!
The entire picture in verses 15-16 shows how the great and mighty, the leaders and notables of this world, are enumerated in the same condemnation with ordinary citizens, and even slaves and dependants, in the common terror when the Lord arises to shake terribly the earth. Earthquake, wind and fire are no respecters of persons, and often the great are the first in the judgment.
Other tyrannies were fated to rise in its place, but just as often, the principle of the divine rule under the Six Seals comes again into play, and a way is opened up for the Kingdom of Christ.
Micah recorded it all long ago:
“The Breaker (Christ) is come up before them (the Lord’s people). They have broken up and have passed through the gate and are gone out by it: and their King shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.” - Micah 2.13.
“When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them … I am the door of the sheep. By me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.” - John 10:4-9
Isaiah 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Hosea 10:8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shalt be destroyed. They say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.
Luke 23:30 (the Lord’s warning of the impending destruction of Jerusalem): Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS on the SEALED BOOK
Hengstenberg observes: “All the judgments mentioned here are directed to the one point of chastising and breaking the pride and insolence of the world, restraining its persecuting zeal, and converting out of it what is to be converted, and laying it at the feet of Christ the conqueror. The fulfillment pervades all history, and is ever renewing itself before our eyes. As often as the world’s hatred against Christ and His Church breaks forth anew, the commission is also again given to him who sits upon the pale horse, and whose name is death. It is a spectacle of fearful significance to see him riding on through centuries … At the head of the whole we can see Christ marching forth as conqueror … nothing can happen which does not disclose Christ as a conqueror.”
Bengel: We know not what sorrows may come upon the earth even in our days, and much yet remains to run its course. O, how needful it is for us to make sure indeed of the love of the Lamb and His gracious protection: Come what may, there shall assuredly be safety and blessing to His true people.
That book (the Sealed Book) reveals the sentence which is given by the Judge and by His counsellors against the enemies of the Church. The vast number of the divine sentences of condemnation is indicated in the parchment’s having been written within and without. (Schottgen)
Nothing takes place in the world and in the Church which has not been determined in God’s counsel and judgment. This may well administer the greatest consolation to the Church in times of trouble. (Vitringa)
Without tears the Revelation was not written; neither can it without tears be understood. (Bengel)
It forms a mighty bulwark against despair in the Church on account of the threatening power of the world. Should even the whole earth rise against her, Christ her head has the seven Spirits of God that are sent over the whole earth, and whose secret yet irresistible influence, often deeply concealed, nothing on earth can withstand however loftily it may exalt itself. (Hengstenberg)
There is so very much more that can be said about the Opening of the First Six Seals but my purpose is to give a brief exposition based on the OT passages that John called on. The Book of Revelation was meant for you to understand and to draw from it practical lessons and comfort. The world out there is insane. Is there any other way to describe the state of mind of millions of people all over the world who have been brainwashed and are more than willing to kill you only because you are a believer in Jesus Christ?
But we have this Bible and we have this word of prophecy that Jesus Christ is riding out to conquer and He will bring His Church to Him in eternal worship around the Throne of God in Heaven.
If it pleases the Lord our next study will be on The Mystery of the 144,000 in Rev. 7.
Amen
