Revelation 6:1-17
Q.1. Who breaks the seals? What is the meaning of the four horses? What is the cry of the martyrs? Is there an end to the murder of the saints? – (Rev.6:1-11)
Christ, the Lamb Who was slain and Who is the Lion from the tribe of Judah is the only One worthy to break the seals, and usher in the final events of this age, even as Jesus declared – For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honour the Son even as they honour the Father (Jn.5:22-23 c.f. Rev.5:5 & 9). He ushers in the time of Jacob’s trouble, which Jesus described – 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short (Mt.24:21-22 c.f. Jer.30:7; Dan.12:1). The events to unfold in Revelation chapters 6-19 reveal that Jesus was not exaggerating. The four horses of the apocalypse represent four judgments that will follow one on top of another. The WHITE HORSE unites the world in a false peace (Rev.6:2); the RED HORSE ushers in war (Rev.6:3-4); the BLACK HORSE brings widespread famine (Rev.6:5-6); this is followed by an ASHEN HORSE that brings death (Rev.6:7-8). The major target of this recorded persecution will be the saints. John saw them as – … the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained (Rev.6:9). Their cry explains the need for God to display His righteous character – … “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev.6:10). However, the bloodshed and persecution of the saints will be limited, for – there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also (Rev.6:11).
Q.2. What will happen after the breaking of the sixth seal? How extensive will the destruction be? Will the world recognize the source of the carnage? – (Rev.6:12-17 c.f. Rev.9:20-21)
Just as God spewed out Israel from the land to cleanse the land, so the earth will be completely cleansed and re-landscaped (c.f. Lev.18:24-30). What John saw must have been hard for him to describe. However, what he recorded is catastrophic in the extreme, as – The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (Rev.6:14). All sections of society will be impacted and will flee to any place that will protect them (Rev.6:15). They recognize that it is God’s judgment … yet they do not repent – 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him 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 stand?” (Rev.6:16-17). This will be just the beginning.