RevelationStudy 12: Chapter 6, Verses 1-8

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals.”

Revelation 5:9

Rev. 6:1

  • Scene shifts from heaven to earth.
  • Notice who breaks the seals
  • One of the cherubim speak

The White Horse

Rev. 6:2

Who is this rider?

  • The person is not Christ as some think (19:11); He is opening the scroll, not the rider; There are different crowns, weapons, and they return at different times
  • Antichrist?
  • Probably not, but a force like the other three
  • The world will be deceived into a false sense of security
  • The world has been in a desperate cry for peace (Daniel 9:24-27)
  • The Rider had a bow, but no arrows- shows bloodless victories?
  • Crown- (stephanos)- indicating he has won a crown from the world for his triumphant achievements leading to world peace

στέφανος(stephanos) – a wreath made of foliage or designed to resemble foliage and worn by one of high status or held in high regard, wreath, crown.

  • He will not conquer by military force, but by cunning and deceit (2 Thess. 2:9-11)

9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false…

  • “Cold War” victory
  • The world, probably out of gratitude, will elevate him to the position of supreme leadership.

The Anti-Christ

Daniel 7:8-11; 21-26

Daniel 11:36-45

  • He will magnify himself above every god (Daniel 9:26-27)
  • He will blaspheme the true God (2 Thessalonians 2:1-10)
  • He will be a methodical secularist who puts full confidence in his great military strength
  • He will be a brutal conqueror (39-42)
  • He will control the world’s finances (43)
  • He will meet his end in Israel (45)

He will be a good schemer (Dan 8:23)

The Red Horse

Rev. 6:3-4

  • Mood of peace will be shattered by the coming of the second horseman
  • The story turns ugly
  • Red- color of fire and blood (bloody holocaust)
  • Talking of Anti-Christ’s massacre of the Jews?
  • Takes peace from the earth
  • Think of the modern technology (weapons, where the armies are located)
  • Sword- machaira-
  • Likely a reference to a long Thracian sword; the sword symbolizes divine judgment
  • short-stabbing sword that a Roman soldier would carry into battle; also used by assassins
  • Daniel 11:31-45

The Black Horse

Rev. 6:5-6

  • Black horse- famine
  • Famine-logical result of worldwide war (Matt. 24:7)
  • Pair of scales- pictures the rationing that will result from the famine
  • This was a balance beam with scales hung from either end. Weights originally were stones
  • Fourth horseman reveals that many will starve to death
  • John Heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures (voice of God); shows that this is a direct judgment from Him
  • Quart of wheat- barely enough to sustain one person for one day
  • Denarius- one day’s wages for an average worker
  • Barely- low in nutritional value and commonly fed to livestock
  • Three quarts would have been barely enough for a small family
  • Starvation wages and famine conditions
  • Do not damage the oil and the wine- priceless luxuries

The Pale (ashen) Horse

Rev. 6:7-8

  • Ashen- horse; sicky, pale, yellow-green
  • Decomposition of a corpse
  • Death was riding it
  • Consequence of widespread war and famine
  • ¼ of the world will perish (1.75)
  • Pestilence has killed more than wars have

Throughout human history, disease has killed people on a far more massive scale than war. More Union and Confederate soldiers died from disease during the Civil War than were killed in battle. An estimated 30 million people died during the great influenza epidemic of 1918-19 – more than three times as many as the estimated 8-.5 million soldiers who died in battle during World War I. In addition, several million more died at about that same time in an outbreak of typhus in Russia, Poland, and Romania. In a world ravaged by war and famine, it is inevitable that such disease will be widespread.

– John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11, 184.

  • “wild beasts” – possibly rats?

.