2. The seven seals (6:1)

After taking the scroll from God and being worshipped by all creation the Lamb now opens the seven seals to reveal its contents. The seals as with the trumpets are in a group of four, two and one. The opening of the first four seals is introduced by each of the four living creatures in turn. Each one of the four living creatures reveals a horseman, the first three are summed up by the fourth horsemen, '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'. These are popularly known as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The power of these horsemen is limited to a quarter, with the trumpets later it is limited to a third. The fifth seal reveals those who had been slain because of the word of God and their testimony, that is the persecuted church. The sixth seal reveals the day of the Lord, which brings the Lamb's wrath to those on the earth. The opening of the seventh seal reveals silence. The seven seals sum up human history from the viewpoint of heaven and the church. There is war, famine and pestilence in general and on the church in particular there is persecution, then the end will come bringing terror to the world, this probably accounts for the silence of the seventh seal. What is described by the seals is similar to the signs of the end of the age as described by Jesus in Matthew 24. There will be wars, famines and earthquakes (Mat 24:6-8), persecution (24:9-14), the heavenly bodies are shaken (Mat 24:29) and 'at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn' (Mat 24:30). After the opening of the seven seals the scroll can be read and we find more detail, but this starts in chapter 8. The seven seals describe tribulation that is largely man made (wars, famine and persecution) but under the control of God, the seven trumpets are disasters sent by God with the aim of persuading man to repent, the seven bowls are the final outpouring of God's wrath on impenitent mankind. The fact that the seven seals are opened by Christ indicates his sovereignty over the future.

Beale, quite rightly, raises the question that if God and Christ are in ultimate control of the evil horsemen 'how can the righteousness and holiness of Christ be maintained if he is so directly linked as the ultimate cause behind all four of these satanic agents of destruction?' (p. 388). This is the problem that is properly a theodicy, i.e. how can a good God allow suffering and evil. Why does God allow war, famine, disease and death? It is not sufficient to say that this is the permissive will of God, the text does not allow this, because the Lamb opens the seals. The purpose of the book is to comfort the saints by saying that Jesus is sovereign over earthly events. As Beale mentions the ultimate purpose of the woes is to refine the faith of believers and to punish unbelievers. There is clearly a retributive element but this is only spelt out by the fifth and sixth seals (see 6:10). It is a more frequent theme later especially the plagues which are in response to the murder of God's people (16:6), and the death of the whore is seen as retribution because she killed God's servants (19:2). Part of the answer is to see that God's ultimate purpose is found in the New Jerusalem where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (21:4). Neither will there be hunger or thirst (7:17) in contrast to the famine of the third seal. Twice we are reminded that 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes' (7:17 and 21:4). The suffering of God's people is temporary, and is light in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits those who remain faithful to death (2 Cor 4:17-18 cf. Rev 2:10).

2.1. First seal (6:1)

Rev 6:1 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!" 2 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.

v1 - I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals - Jesus opens the seals following the worship of all creation but especially that of the church. John watches with anticipation as the Lamb opens the first seal. Jesus opens the seals but not the book, the opening of the seals is preliminary to opening the book. Jesus opens the seals to permit us to see the future course of history which is not hidden from the saints (1:1, 22:6, 10). God has entrusted Jesus to reveal the future course of history to His church cf. 1:1, 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' (19:10).

v1 - Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" - Each one of the four living creatures introduces the first four seals. The thunder emphasises the command, Come! Which calls the first horse onto the stage. Note that the opening of the seals by the Lamb is not passive but it brings events onto the stage of human history.

v2 - 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 - The first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, this image is taken from Zechariah (Zec 1:8, 6:1-8) in which there are four chariots pulled by different coloured horses, these are the four spirits of heaven going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The four horses cover each direction of the compass, that is, they affect the whole earth. Some see the rider on the white horse as the same rider as in Rev 19:11 i.e. Christ, see Hendriksen. This is not certain, the rider in Rev 19:11 had a sword, this one has a bow. The bow is more likely to be that of the Parthians who were the only mounted archers in the ancient world. He was given a crown, is this likely to refer to Christ who had many crowns (see Rev 19:12), but see comment on 14:14. The crown is a victors crown (Gr., stephanos) as distinguished from a royal crown (diadema), the victors crown is appropriate for someone going forth to conquer. The crown is not the same type of crown that the beast wears (13:1) or Christ wears in 19:12 who both wear the royal crown (diadema) although the 'son of man' in 14:14 wears the victors crown.

The forth horse summarises the first three and is distinctly evil, the first horse signifies the lust for conquest which is commonly the cause of war, which is the next seal and famine (third seal), the fourth seal describes death by sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. It should also be noted that in the sixth seal the wrath of the Lamb falls on the kings, princes, generals and mighty (men) among others who are responsible for war. Rev 19:18 also describes the kings, generals, mighty men, horses and their riders and the rest whose flesh the birds flying in mid-air eat. The four horses cover the four directions of the compass, they are of a unity, just as the first four trumpets and bowls affect the whole earth. The first four seals are introduced by the living creatures, the rest are not. The first rider representing conquest is the most straight forward reading of the text, although the fact that he is riding a white horse raises problems for this interpretation, although John may simply be thinking of Zech 1:8, 6:3 which have a white horse. Others argue that Christ cannot be commanded by heavenly creatures therefore the horseman must be the conquest of the word of God as prophesied by Christ (Mark 13:10), however see 14:15 where someone 'like a son of man' is told to reap. There is at least one verse in which an arrow is likened to the word of God 'He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver', (Isa 49:2).

Grimsrud argues that the white horse signifies triumphant warfare because the four horsemen represent war and its attendant evils: war, strife, famine and disease, and makes the following observation: ' Conquer is used 11 times in the book to allude to conquest by a faithful witness (once in each of the seven letters, in 5:5 of the Lamb, and in 12:11 and 15:2 of the faithful servants). Three times it refers to conquest by violence (here, in 11:7 where the beast kills the two witnesses, and in 13:7 where the beast wars against and conquers the saints). In all 'conquering' passages, Christ and his followers conquer by dying; Satan and the evil powers by killing'.

Johnson identifies the rider on the white horse with the antichrist and his forces that seek to conquer the followers of Christ. Each of the first four seals, then, represents conflict directed at Christians to test them and sift out false disciples (v.10). He goes on to say that this interpretation need not necessarily eliminate the fact that the seals may also refer to judgements on humankind in general. Yet since the fifth seal stresses the cry of the martyred Christians, probably the thought of Christian persecution belongs also in the first four seals. Each of them unleashes events that separate false belief from true. The destruction of Jerusalem is a case in point (Lk 21:20 ff.). The white horse goes forth to conquer, and as he does so, judgement falls on the unbelief of Israel (Lk 21:22-23), while at the same time there is testing of believers to separate the chaff from the wheat (cf. Lk 21:12-19).

There are some who see the first horseman as conquest in general, the antichrist in particular (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible) and who argue:

He is the deceiver; therefore he appears in white (Mat 24:5, 2 Thess 2:11).
The crown he wears is different from the crown worn by Christ in Rev 19. It is the crown of the conqueror (stephanos) not the royal crown of a king (diadema), however note that the one 'like a son of man' seated on a cloud wears a crown (stephanos) of gold on his head, 14:14.
The bow symbolises conquest. In the OT it is always the symbol of military power (Ps 46:9; Jer 51:51; Hos 1:5).
To be consistent one must relate this horsemen to the other three who appear destructive.
Note that this rider already possesses a bow but the crown is given to him and goes forth to conquer and hence is a counterfeit Christ.

a. This rider possesses a bow but Christ possesses no bow; a weapon of war is not part of his being.

b. This rider is given a crown but Christ is not given a crown. He was either crowned throughout eternity or at his ascension.

c. This rider sets out to conquer but Christ has always been conquering men's hearts. This horseman who sets out to conquer is one who already posses a bow and is given a crown at some point in time. From that point, he goes forth to conquer (cf. The little horn of Dan 7; The man of sin and the beast and the ruler of the restored Roman Empire of Rev 13; the abomination of desolation of Mat 24:15).

However the first horse being Christ conquering the nations is more in harmony with the whole book. If the rider is Christ then the conquest is the gospel, the martyrs we see in the fifth seal are there due to the resulting persecution that breaks out because of the conquest of the gospel. Hendriksen's argument that the rider is Christ is as follows:

In 5:5 Christ is portrayed as one who has triumphed.
The horse is white, this colour is associated with the holy and heavenly, e.g. white robe, white cloud, white throne, white stone etc., therefore the rider cannot be the devil or the antichrist.
The rider wears a crown which harmonises with 14:14 where Christ wears a crown of gold.
The word conquer or overcome refers with two exceptions (11:7, 13:7) to Christ or believers, see 3:21b. Compare John 16:33 with Rev 3:21b, see also Rev 5:5 and 6:2.
Compare the rider on the white horse here with the rider on the white horse in 19:11 who is clearly Christ. In 5:5 Christ conquered at the cross, in 6:2 is now conquering through the gospel, and in 19:11 he is going to conquer on the great day of judgement which is why he wears many crowns.
The idea of a conquering Christ is in harmony with the purpose of the book, see above (v) and 1:13 ff., 2:26,27, 3:21, 5:5, 6:16, 11:15, 12:11, 14:1 ff., 14:14 ff., 17:14, 19:11 note especially 17:14.(Rev 17:14) They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
The rider on the horse in 6:2 is in harmony with Mat 10:34 in which he says that he has not come to bring peace on earth but a sword, referring to persecution. The rider on the white horse is followed by the rider on the red horse who carries a sword, and the fifth seal sees the souls of the martyrs under the altar.
Compare with Psa 45:3-5 see also Heb 1:8 which quotes this psalm in which the rider is the Son.
Compare with Zech 1:8 ff. See also Hab 3:8,9; Isa 41:2.

To sum up the first rider and his relationship to the other seals, there are five views:

The first rider represents the lust for conquest and as such forms an integral part of the four horsemen who are all evil and are summed up by the fourth horsemen. The four horsemen are all called into action by one of the living creatures and form a literary unit (Beale). Conquest brings with it war, famine and death. This is the most natural reading of the text. However the colour white is usually associated with good not evil, but it can indicate victory (Lenski), the rider wears the victory crown

b. A step further is to say that the rider is the antichrist who brings havoc and misery on the world as indicated by the second, third and fourth horsemen, the fifth seal shows the resultant persecution of Christians by the antichrist followed by the sixth seal representing the end when Christ returns.

c. The first horsemen is Christ conquering by the power of the gospel and the other seals 2 to 5 represent various forms of persecution resulting from the proclamation of the gospel of the first seal. It is perhaps appropriate that Jesus who is the beginning and the end should appear on a white horse at both the beginning and end of the visions about the future.

d. The first rider is the word of God (see Lenski), this again harmonises with the rider on the white horse in chapter 19 whose name is the Word of God and also with Matthew 24:14 and the Matthew 24 model for the interpretation of all the seals (see comments after 6:8). The gospel is preached and during the same time there is war, famine and death from various causes. This view makes the best sense in terms of the purpose of Revelation because persecution arises because of the word of God as indicated by the martyrs of the fifth seal who had been slain because of the word of God (5:9). Consider the two witnesses who are slain because they prophesy (11:7) and those beheaded because of the word of God (20:4). In Isa 49:2 the prophet Isaiah compares himself to a polished arrow concealed in the Lords quiver which in the context of the verse, which also refers to his mouth as a sharpened sword, must be the word of God. Consider that the armies of the Lord, who are the saints (see 17:14), as well as Christ, also ride white horses (19:14) and it is through these that the gospel is preached. Finally consider that the gospel also goes throughout the earth in the four directions of the compass just as do war, famine and death.

e. The rider with the bow represents the Parthians (Boring, Bruce, Fiorenza, Keener, Krodel, Koester). These archers rode white horses and threatened the Roman Empire from the East. This is most likely how the first century hearers would understand it.

2.2. Second seal (6:3)

Rev 6:3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 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. To him was given a large sword.

v4 - 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. To him was given a large sword. - War or persecution? In the light of Mat 24:6-7 and in light of the fourth horse that sums up the other three the balance would be in favour of war. Make men slay each other not make men slay the saints, in the light of the rest of the book the author is quite capable of indicating persecution as such. Some commentators quote the following scripture in support of persecution (Mat 10:34), 'I did not come to bring peace, but a sword'. Compare this with the sixth trumpet (Rev 9:15) in which a third of mankind is killed by mounted troops. The colour red corresponds to its mission of bloodshed. The sword is the Roman short sword (machaira). Note that its rider was given power to make men slay each other, 'was given' indicates God's permissive approval. Hendriksen however persuasively argues that the slaughter is of believers and not warfare in general.

In the context persecution follows the first horse who is Christ and the gospel.
Quotes Mat 10:34 'I came not to send peace, but a sword' (machaira)...
The word slaughter when used by John refers to the slaughter of believers except in 13:3 where the slaughtered head belongs to the beast, cf. 1 John 3:12 (Abel slain), Rev 5:6, 5:9, 5:12 (the Lamb), 6:9 (the martyrs under the alter), 13:8 (the Lamb), 18:24 (the saints).
When the fifth seal is opened it reveals the souls of the slaughtered saints which ties in with the slaughtering of the saints in the second seal.
The machaira when used in scripture refers to a sacrificial knife as in the sacrifice of Isaac.
The book is being written to believers who were being killed so that persecution not warfare is the issue. Whenever the rider on the white horse appears (Christ and the gospel) the rider on the red horse always follows (see Mat 5:10,11; Luk 21:2; Acts 4:1; 5:17 etc.). Consider Stephen and Paul, Publius and Polycarp etc.

2.3. Third seal (6:5)

Rev 6:5 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. 6 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!"

v5 - "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. - Black could indicate dried up vegetation or even burned vegetation, see Lam 5:10. Scales are used to weigh food (Ezek 4:16). The scales can also be thought of as representing injustice since the rider only affects those who are poor.

v6 - 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!" - This indicates famine or shortage, a quart of wheat is enough good food for one person not his family, poor food (barley) is available, luxurious items such as oil and wine are not hurt. Olives and vines are deeper rooted and are therefore able to withstand drought. Walvoord comments that famine is the aftermath of war. This is the situation with the western and third world today which takes the luxurious food for itself leaving hardly enough basic food for the third world (famine and justice). Babylon is condemned for her excessive luxury Rev 18:3. The merchants traded oil, wine and wheat with Babylon (18:13), but Barley is not mentioned because it is poor mans food and not a luxury. Famine is also one of the conditions leading to the end times, Mat 24:7. Famine can also lead to political instability which is also a cause of war. Hendriksen argues that the poor people who could only afford barley are Christians. From Revelation we learn something of the conditions of the believers at that time:

They could not remain a member of a trades guild which would involve eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality (cf. Pergamum and Thyatira) and it would therefore be difficult to earn a living.
Those who did not have the mark of the beast could not buy or sell (13:17).
Generally the poor would tend to become Christians (Jas 2:5, cf. 1 Cor 1:26)

The second and third riders belong together in their mission to persecute God's people as they spread oppression, injustice and economic hardship throughout the centuries of the churches existence.

2.4. Fourth seal (6:7)

Rev 6:7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its 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.

v8 - I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! - The horse is sickly yellow green (Greek chloros, from which the word chlorine comes from) like a dead person. This horse sums up the work of the other three i.e. kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. This verse is also similar to Rev 13:10 where the clear indication is to persecution by the beast in the form of captivity, or being killed with the sword.

v8 - Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. - Hades is the abode of the spirits after death and therefore always follows closely behind death. Death and Hades, the abode of the dead, are personified here, as in Rev 20:13. But Jesus has authority over both, see Rev 1:18.

v8 - 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. - They were given power over a quarter of the earth so it was not universal it was limited power. Compare with the trumpets, one third of the earth is affected, and the bowls which have a total effect. See also Jeremiah's four kinds of destroyers, Jer 15:2, and Ezekiel's four dreadful judgements, Ezek 5:12, 17, 14:21 (in the LXX the same word rhomphia is used for the sword). Note the fact that they were given power, indicating the sovereignty of God. The word kill used here is not (sacrificial) slaughter as in the second seal, the sword here is rhomphia not machaira, it is a great long and heavy sword, it refers to war in general (Hendriksen). These are general in character and affect all mankind and are symbolic of all universal woes that affect believers and the rest of the world throughout this current dispensation. For the church these woes are used by Christ for sanctification of the church and the extension of the kingdom (Hendriksen), compare with Rom 8:35.

What is the interpretation of the four horsemen? There is no easy interpretation of the four horses of the apocalypse, however (according to Billy Graham) they have a striking relationship to Mat 24, especially when compared with the opening of the fifth seal which speaks of the persecution of the saints and the sixth seal which parallels Mat 24:29. The seals of Revelation can be considered as a comment on and expansion of Mat 24, which is a history of the world from heavens viewpoint.

This section and in fact the rest of Revelation is also a commentary on Rom 8:28-39..

(Rom 8:28-39) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. {29} For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. {30} And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. {31} What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? {32} He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? {33} Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. {34} Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. {35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? {36} As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." {37} No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. {38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, {39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Birth pains (Mat 24:8)- This is a key verse, with a woman in labour the birth pains become more rapid and more intense as birth approaches i.e. earthquakes, wars, famines, false prophets (ending with the antichrist) followed by Christ's coming. The visions in Revelation become more detailed and more intense as they go along. The seals therefore are the unfolding of God's plan in Church and human history.

The four horsemen can be used to show that Christ is sovereign over contemporary events that John would be familiar with (Caird):

AD 60 Earthquakes.

AD 62: Defeat of Roman army by Parthian Vologeses on eastern frontier.

AD 64: Persecution of Christians following the fire of Rome.

AD 70: Four year war of Jews and Romans ending with Jerusalem in ruins.

AD 68 Suicide of Nero, followed by political chaos.

AD 79 Eruption of Vesuvius which obliterated Naples and created a pall of darkness so widespread that men feared that the end of the world had come. When volcanic dust covers the sky the moon would appear red.

AD 92 Serious grain famine.

AD 81-92 Reign of Domitian, institutes emperor worship, persecution.

AD 95 Writing of Revelation.

As with the seven trumpets and seven bowls the first four affect the earth, the last three have a more spiritual significance they affect man directly in his spirit rather as well as his body.

Commentary on Revelation
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