As we begin reading in Chapter 6, we see from John’s vision, Jesus (the lamb) takes the scroll from God. And he opened the first of the 7 seals.
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Rev 6:1-2 NIV
The White Horse
I remember the first time I read this description, I assumed the white horse would represent Jesus, since I was thinking white=good. But from what I’ve read from different studies, I’ve learned that the rider on the white horse represents the Anti-Christ (a fake Jesus meant to deceive many) . The bow in his hand gives us reason to believe he is going into battle, but there is no mention of an arrow. Perhaps a sign that he will conquer by a peaceful means, which will lead many to believe his lies. The crown he is given gives us the impression that he will be victorious.
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. Th him was given a large sword.
Rev 6:3-4 NIV
The Red Horse
This second horse is a little easier to understand. The clues are obvious that he has brought war. He can take peace and cause men to slay each other. The sword is definitely something that would represent war. There will be nations that will rise up to try and defeat the Antichrist when they realize his lies.
When the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
Rev 6:5-6 NIV
The Black Horse
The black horse represents famine and poverty. It will be a time of the rich vs the poor. The price of commodity items will be more than the average worker will be able to pay. The scales in the rider’s hand points to the escalating misfortune of the worker if it will take a days wage just to feed the family. This will leave nothing for helping others. They will just be working to survive.
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked and there before me was a pale horse! It’s rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6:7-8
The Pale Horse
This is a pretty scary picture, but it’s one we must take seriously! Those who are faced by this reality will suffer great loss. It’s not certain if the wild beasts is literal or representative of humanity as in the book of Daniel or as the Antichrist who is also referred to as the beast. With Hades following, the destruction will lead to a place of eternal punishment.
We’ll take a look at the other seals next time. There’s a lot to consider in this post. Remember to prayerfully consider the scriptures of the Bible always.
Where God Leads 