The first seal opened
Rev 6:1 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.
Only Jesus could open the seals of the scroll. The contents of the scroll was the future plan of God. As the seals are opened events happen, things that will come about before the revelation of the opened scroll.
One of the four living creatures spoke, as a voice of thunder, saying come and see. Each seal is followed by an event that God knows of before it happens. He knows all things.
Rev 6:2 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.
A white horse and a rider, we usually think of as a good guy, as in the Lone Ranger, or Jesus. But, Jesus does not come on a white horse until Revelation 19. Who is the man who appears as good? He has a bow, instrument of warfare. He is given a crown, he is given rule over people and he went forth conquering and his purpose was to rule over everyone.
This is the antichrist, the false messiah, the man sent by satan to fool the nations. He would be called the man of peace, but he was an evil dictator, seeking souls and death. He had a bow, not a sword. He was after the type of Nimrod, the mighty hunter who ruled over Babel (Babylon).
Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
Gen 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
This ruler was a mighty hunter of men. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. He spoke the truth with God's promises. The antichrist comes to seek and to kill and to destroy, he was a liar with false promises.
The bow is also a symbol of a promise, as the rainbow. But, the promises of this false prince were lies.
The first seal brings the dictator as prophesied in Daniel 9 and the seventieth week.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The prince shall make a covenant of peace with many, including Israel. This is the beginning of the final week of years. Israel will again be a nation and the temple will be rebuilt. There was a time called the time of the Gentiles. This period of time changed the redemption focus from the Jews, who rejected their Messiah, onto the non Jewish nations, the Gentiles. At some time, the Church will be caught up with the Lord. The church will be raptured. The prince from the Roman empire shall bring peace and make a covenant with Israel. After three and a half years he will set himself upon the throne of God as Messiah and demand to be worshipped. He shall cause the sacrifices to stop and will defile the temple in Jerusalem.
This is the first of four horsemen, sometimes referred to as the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
The second seal opened
Rev 6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4 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.
A man on a red horse. Red reminds us of blood and death. This was a man or a spirit loosed by God, God allowed satan to loose it. The Holy Spirit brings peace, so by this time the church may have been removed. The Holy Spirit and the church restrains death and destruction.
2 Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
The man with the red horse removes peace, the result is that people will kill each other. There was given unto him a great sword, to bring war and strife. That spirit is already released in Islam, but it will be even worse when the antichrist comes. He comes to bring peace, he has all the world under submission, then he makes war with God's people Israel.
The work of the devil, the thief.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The third seal opened
Rev 6:5 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.
Rev 6:6 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.
A black horse, perhaps representing a burned earth, resulting from war and famine. What if a nuclear war came about? There would be many killed and much land destroyed that would have been producing food. Food would be scarce; with war comes famine.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
The balances, or scales, in his hand represent the increased cost of food. Every portion carefully measured, and the price was a penny, a Roman denarius, which was much more than our penny. It would cost a days wages to make a meal of bread.
Gen 18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
This was a minimum amount of bread, to feed the three visitors. Solomon was a Rich man and he had ten times this each day.
1 Ki 4:22 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
Do not harm the oil and wine? This I see two ways. In the natural, these were the finer things, that the rich enjoyed, but on a spiritual level, I see the oil representing the Olive Tree which is Israel.
Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
The wine represents those of the vine, those who are covered by the blood of the Lamb. Do not harm the chosen of God, the redeemed of Israel. This being a command from heaven; but satan does not obey God. These things must happen before the coming of the Lord.
The fourth seal opened
Rev 6:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Each of the angelic beings have spoken, when Jesus opened a seal. Let me speak what I see in this section. Satan is a liar and takes things that are good and makes them bad, by using them. The first seal of the coming antichrist king, was spoken of by the creature with the lions head, the king of the beasts. The second seal, was the servant of the antichrist who was sent forth to take away peace and to cause war. This seal spoken of by the angel with a calves head, represented an ox, or a servant. The third seal bringing famine, was introduced by the angel with the face of a man. Six is the number of man and it would represent the number 666, that had to be taken, in order to buy or to sell. Now the forth seal is opened and announced by the angel with the head of an eagle, a majestic heavenly bird, but here it is a bird of prey.
Mat 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Death and hell would follow;
Rev 6:8 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.
A pale horse representing death and for those not in Jesus, hell following. Now that is not a popular subject, but hell is a real place of torment for sinners.
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
One-fourth of the earths people will be killed in this time of tribulation before God pours out his wrath. How would they die? Killed by the sword, by hunger and starvation, by death:
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Also killed by the beasts of the earth. They were a cursed people.
Deu 28:26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
This tribulation is from satan and his anti-christ. Remember God knows these things will happen and he has placed limits upon them.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The fifth seal opened
Rev 6:9 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:
The fifth seal is opened by Jesus, for only Jesus was able to open the seals. This time it is a heavenly view, under the altar of God, of those saints killed for their testimony, the testimony of Jesus Christ, the gospel message. They were martyrs for their faith in our Lord. God would reward them and avenge them.
Rev 6:10 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?
What of those who kill, thinking they are serving god? They were serving the wrong god, not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Their god makes promises, but he is a liar. Apart from Jesus is judgment for works and hell.
Rev 6:11 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.
Those in heaven were given white robes, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, as fellow heirs in glory. There were more to come, the faithful witnesses in the time of tribulation. Will we be as faithful if we face tribulation and persecution? Be ready, we are not promised freedom from persecution, but we are promised that God's wrath will not come upon us. Who knows, but that many may be saved by our faithful witness.
The sixth seal opened
Rev 6:12 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; Rev 6:13 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.
The sun moon and stars are sometimes worshipped as idols.
Deu 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
We worship the true God and Jesus, His Son.
Psa 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
What a terrifying sight, especially for the natural man who has not trusted in Jesus.
2 Pet 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Pet 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Rev 6:15 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;
Rev 6:16 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:
It was near to the time of God's wrath poured out upon the earth.
Zep 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
Zep 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zep 1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Zep 1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
Zep 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Only the elect of God will withstand, for God's wrath shall not abide on them.
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
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