Revelation 6 (NIV)

Summary:

The Seals
Verses 1-17

John watched as the Lamb opened the 1st of the 7 seals.  One of the 4 living creatures cried out in a voice like thunder, 'Come!'  A white horse appeared; its rider carrying a bow.  The rider was given a crown and rode out like a conqueror bent on conquest.

The 2nd seal was opened and the 2nd living creature said 'Come!'  A fiery red horse appeared.  The rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make men slay each other.  He was given a large sword.

The 3rd seal was opened and the 3rd living creature said 'Come!'  A black horse appeared; its rider with scales in his hand.  A voice among the living creatures said, " 'A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine.' "  (Verse 6b)

The 4th seal was opened and the 4th living creature said 'Come!'  A pale horse appeared.  It rider is named Death.  Hades followed closely behind.  They were given power over 1/4 of the earth to kill by the sword, famine, plague, and the wild beasts of the earth.

The 5th seal was opened.  John saw under the altar the souls of those slain because of God's word and their testimony that they had maintained.  They called out in a loud voice, " 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?' " (Verse 10b)  They were each given  a white robe and told to wait a bit longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers to be killed as they had been was completed.

The 6th seal was opened.  There was a great earthquake.  The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair.  The moon turned blood red.  The stars of the sky fell to the earth like late figs that drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.  The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.  The kings of the earth, princes, generals, the rich, the mighty, every slave and free man hid in caves among the rocks of the mountains.  They called out to the mountains to fall on them, to hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the Lamb's wrath. They will say, 'The great day of Their wrath has come and who can stand?'

Lori's Thoughts:

Horse         Rider                      Tool/Weapon                    Result
White         Conqueror bent       Bow, Crown
                  on conquest
Fiery Red   Given power           Large sword                      Peace taken from the
                                                                                          world,
                                                                                          men will slay each
                                                                                          other
Black                                        Scales                               1 qt. wheat/3 qts. barley for
                                                                                         daily wages;
                                                                                         wine & oil
                                                                                         not affected
Pale          Death, followed       Sword, Famine,                 Attack 1/4 of the earth
                 by Hades - both      Plague, Wild beasts          
                 given power

*This is my educated guess.  Do not take my word as fact.*

Maybe the 4 living creatures are the angels holding back the riders from the four corners of the world: North, South, East, and West.  Maybe I'm not meant to know what they symbolize.  But, why would God present it to us in the Bible?

Maybe the rider on the white horse represents Jesus bent to defeat the devil and death.  He is given a crown because He is our rightful ruler.  He created us, for heaven's sake.

Maybe the other riders are angels - of death, whereas the angels represented by the 7 stars are messenger angels.  Maybe the red one has already come.  There hasn't been a lot of peace for a long time.  Our history books denote wars and depressions as eras worth knowing.  There was the Enlightenment, about 300 years ago, but even that had conflict and wars, like America's Revolutionary War.  I can't remember them talking about an era of peace.

Maybe the black one has to do with the economy.  We're in a recession.  Japan was demolished and now the stock market is crashing.  Congress may have to instill another furlough, where federal employees will be forced not to work, so we won't get paid.  Maybe our wages, the wheat and barley, will be garnished.  I wonder what the oil and wine represent?  Assets that can be liquidated?

Maybe the pale horse has come.  Look at all the earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, cholera breakouts, and radiation poisonings that have happened.  Hundreds and thousands have died because of them.  Hades is close behind...

The 5th seal - souls under the altar.  Maybe they were sacrificed and their souls must wait where they fell until they are gathered together with their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The 6th seal - a great earthquake and all our sources of light are changed.  John sensed the earthquake in heaven.  Will the sky, versus the earth, be shaken?  The sun goes pitch black, the moon blood red, and the stars will be violently thrown out of place.  The sky and land will be moved out of their places as well.  Everyone will hide together, despite their class or position, and they will beg for death rather than face God's wrath.

I hope not to be in this group.

Have mercy on me, Lord, a sinner.  Mold me and change me.  Let me be wholly yours.