Revelation 6:1-17 Lesson 476

Revelation 6:1-17
Lesson 476

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

The wrath of God.

The four horsemen of the apocalypse.

This lesson begins "the seals of judgment"
segment, which runs through chapter twenty (lesson 496).

The first six seals of judgment are opened.

Coming up...

The seven trumpets of judgment (8:1-9:21).
The seven vials of judgment (16:1-21).

By graphic artist Daniel Pitner.

A reminder -

John's visions are not easy to interpret; even the most learned Bible scholars disagree over their meaning. These lessons are designed to help you interpret Revelation while allowing you to form your own conclusions.

There are numerous interpretations of Revelation. Many Christians believe that Revelation depicts the early years of the church (the persecution, the destruction of Jerusalem, etc.). They are convinced that Revelation's prophecies were fulfilled centuries ago with the wars, religious persecution, and social chaos that led up to and followed the fall of the Roman empire in AD 476. This is called the Preterist view. Other Christians (Futurists) believe that Revelation chapters 4-22 describe real people and predicts events yet to come in the final days before Christ returns. Although Futurists may differ among themselves over the precise interpretations of some passages, they take Revelation literally. Other Christians (Idealists) believe Revelation is simply a book about the triumph of good over evil and that the events described are merely symbolic and not prophecies at all. Still other Christians (Historicists) believe Revelation has a complex dual meaning pertaining both to the early years of the church (Preterist view) and coming events (Futurists view). They teach that Revelation is a history of Christianity from the early church until the day Christ returns. They believe the persecution of the first Christians and the fall of Rome was a foreshadowing of the future and that Revelation is a prediction of both past and future events.

Study Tip:

Repetition is a writer's tool used to emphasize key points.
Whenever you see words or themes repeated in the Bible, it is a clue that God considers them important.
Hover over these passages a little longer to fully grasp their meaning.

The Revelation of Saint John the Divine

The King James Bible

Revelation 6:1-17
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were 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, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Margin notes:

"I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals." (6:1) - The first seal kept the rolled-up scroll tightly bound. With its removal, the scroll could be unrolled and read until stopped by the second seal. Once that seal was removed, the scroll could continue to be unrolled until the third seal was reached, and so on through the seven seals. Preterists (see above) believe the first five seals all pertain to the Roman Empire and the various wars, famines, and persecutions common in that era.

"The four beasts." (6:1) - Remember, these are heavenly creatures who lead others in worship (4:8-9).

"White horse." (6:2) - Bible scholars are divided over the meaning of the white horse and its rider. Most believe they represent Jesus, the conquering King, and the victory of His word (19:11-13). Others believe the horse symbolizes the brief period of world peace just before the Tribulation. In this scenario, the rider is a false messiah or the antichrist. Still others feel the horse and rider represent the apostle's early success in spreading Christianity.

"Had a bow." (6:2) - Some scholars believe that the antichrist will hide his hostile intentions by having a bow but no arrows.

"When he had opened the second seal." (6:3) - "When Jesus opened the second seal."

"The second beast." (6:3) - This is the calf-like beast we met in verse 4:7.

"Another horse that was red." (6:4) - This blood-red horse and its rider represent the judgment of war and religious persecution.

"Take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another." (6:4) - There will be no peace on earth until Jesus returns.

"The third beast." (6:5) - The one with a face like a man.

"Black horse." (6:5) - The black horse and rider represent the judgment of famine.

"A pair of balances." (6:5) - "A pair of scales."

"A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." (6:6) - This is a prophecy of food shortages, a coming famine.

"Hurt not the oil and the wine." (6:6) - This "seems to indicate a situation where luxuries were abundant while necessities were at famine prices, possibly meaning that rulers had plenty while common people were in want." ("Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 712)

"The fourth beast." (6:7) - The one like an eagle.

"A pale horse." (6:8) - This horse and rider represent the judgment of famine, plague, and wild animal attacks. The rider's name was Death. A quarter of the world's population will die.

"Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth." (6:8) - Since three-fourths of the earth will not suffer at the hands of the four horsemen, we can conclude that this is not God's final judgment and there will still be time to find Christ.

"The beasts of the earth." (6:8) - "The animals of the earth." Read Jeremiah 15:3.

"I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God." (6:9) - The altar is the sacrificial altar in the Jewish Temple. Jews poured the blood of their animal sacrifices under the altar (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:7). It is fitting that John would see the souls of Christian martyrs "under the altar" in his vision.

"Dost thou not judge and avenge our blood." (6:10) - Per Jesus, God will "avenge his own" (Luke 18:7-8).

"White robes were given unto every one of them." (6:11) - White symbolizes purity and innocence.

"They should rest yet for a little season." (6:11) - "They should rest a short while longer."

"The sixth seal." (6:12) - "The day of wrath at hand. Revolution. Upheaval. convulsion. Consternation. Sun darkened. Stars falling. Heavens rolled up. Mountains and islands removed. Kings and peoples frightened." ("Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 713)

"There was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood." (6:12) - As we see here, the Bible often refers to future events in the past tense to show they are sure to happen. Futurists (see above) believe this verse predicts events that will play out just before Christ returns. Additional Note: Isaiah 2:10-22; 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:10; 2:30-31; Matthew 24:7; and 24:29 also prophesize earthquakes and the sun going dark just before the Second Coming.

"Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." (6:13) - "Like a fig tree that loses its fruit prematurely when shaken by a strong wind."

"The heaven departed." (6:14) - "The heavens disappeared."

"The chief captains." (6:15) - "The military leaders."

"Every bondman, and every free man." (6:15) - "Every slave and every free person."

"The face of him." (6:16) - "The face of God."

"The wrath of the Lamb." (6:16) - The lamb will become a wrathful lion again.

"For the great day of his wrath is come." (6:17) - Judgment Day has come (Zephaniah 1:14-15).

To understand the end times, read Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:4-51, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:5-31.

New Living Translation

Revelation 6:1-17
The Lamb Breaks the First Six Seals

1 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, "Come!"

2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!"

4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.

5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine."

7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!"

8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.

10 They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?"

11 Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred-had joined them.

12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood.

13 Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind.

14 The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

15 Then everyone-the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person-all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What did John see when Jesus opened the sixth seal?

A crucial step in Bible study is applying what you learn to your life.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. When the sixth seal was opened, John saw the signs of the coming Tribulation in the sun, moon, and heavens (6:12-13).

Application thought for the day:

Summarize the most important lesson in this passage and how you can apply it to your life.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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