Chapter Six: Opening of Four Seals – The Four Horsemen

I. The First Seal

When the seal is broken, John hears the thunderous voice of the first living creature likened to a lion say, “come.” This command is directed to the horsemen, not John. These are similar to the horsemen and chariots saw by the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 1:8-11; 6:1-8). These horses are sent forth by God to walk to and fro through the earth (Zech. 1:10-11m 6:5-8). the four horsemen of the Revelation of Jesus Christ move by the command of Jesus (6:6,8) to spread conquest, warfare, famine, and death.

1. White Horse: The horse is white, not the rider. Jesus is not the rider of this white horse. He is depicted as a
   swordsman, not an archer, and the rider of this horse receives his authority from the Lamb (6:8; 1:18). The Roman Empire was a kingdom that rode on the back of the righteous judgments of a Holy God. It is not unusual that God uses nations to accomplish his purpose. Similarly, God used Cyrus as His anointed servant to execute His wrath (Isa. 45:1-7; Dan. 5:25-28). Cyrus was unaware of this as he had not chosen to be God’s man. Rome did not choose God, either. Yet, they were an instrument of God’s judgment, also (cf. John 19:10-11). A third reason that this is not Christ riding this horse is that it is out of character to have the living creature command Christ to do anything. He is in no position to command Christ.
2. The Horseman has a bow and was given a crown and he came forth conquering.

II. The Second Seal

This seal is opened with the second living creature saying, “Come.”

Another horse came forth and the rider was given authority to take peace from the earth and that they should slay one another. There was given to him a great sword. Comparing the second section of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it compares to the dragon (cf. 12:3). Rome was strengthened by God who gave its “great sword”.

III. The Third Seal  

This seal is broken loose and the third living creature says, “come.”

1. Black Horse: John sees a black horse
2. The rider had a balance in his hand (cf. Lam. 4:7-8). During a famine, Josephus speaks of even water being sold by distinct measures (Wars, V, ix, 4). During the siege of Jerusalem, the famine was horrific. While the people could still buy food, high prices were charged for common needs. A denarius (trans. “shilling”) was a day’s wage. People would sell what they had to get one measure of wheat if they were wealthy and one measure of barely if they were poor (cf. 2 Kings 6:25 at the siege of Samaria). Both were brought to the point where food was so scarce that they ate their own children (cf. Deut. 28:52-57, 2 Kings 6:26-29; Lam. 4:10; Wars, VI, ii, 4). Two things were not scarce during the famine – oil, and wine (Wars V, xiii, 6). During this time of the siege, six months had elapsed. The sixth book covers an additional month to the taking of Jerusalem by Titus. The siege lasted about five months (Rev. 9:5). Josephus speaks of John of Gishala who emptied the vessels of oil and wine used by the priests and distributed them to the multitude, each using over a hin of them (Wars, V, xiii, 6). Once these reserves were used, Josephus suggests that they were hoarded or squandered.

There is the possibility that the reference to the oil and wine are not literal. To illustrate, the angels who hold the four winds are told not to hurt the earth, sea, or trees till they had sealed the servants of God on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3). The locusts were also told that they should not hurt the grass or any green thing or tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:4). Those who were not hurt were God’s servants, consecrated to God. The “oil and wine” may have reference to faithful Christians who were not to be hurt during the siege of Jerusalem.

IV. The Fourth Seal: This seal was broken and the fourth living creature says, “Come.”

1. Pale Horse:  A pale green horse representing sickness and death appears.
2. The rider is Death and Hades follows after him, consuming all that is slain. They are given authority or power over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, death, and by wild beasts (probably a reference to the arena). Death by any means gave Hades a great supper (cf. 19:17-18). He feasted on “the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave,[a] both small and great.” Josephus tells us that 1,100,000 died at the destruction of Jerusalem (Wars, VI, ix, 3). Titus sent many captives as a present to the provinces to be destroyed by the sword and wild beasts in their theatres. Pompeii and Caesarea Philippi received some for this purpose.