The Seal Judgments (6:1-17)
IN THE LAST TWO STUDIES we have examined the first subdivision of the third main section of the Book of Revelation. As we have seen, chapters 4 and 5 give us a vision of heaven when the stage is set for the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
The second subdivision of the third main section of the book begins with chapter 6 and runs through chapter 19. The chronological order of events as they will occur during the Tribulation is set forth by the seal, the trumpet, and the bowl judgments, that are described in chapters 6, 8, 9, and 16.
As has been noted in former studies, something definite takes place when the first seal is broken. The same is true with reference to the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seals; but when the seventh is broken, nothing specific takes place upon the earth. On the contrary, the seven angels who will blow the seven trumpets will prepare to sound their trumpets and call forth the various judgments that will fall upon the earth during the second quarter of the Tribulation. When the first trumpet is blown, something specific occurs. The same thing is true with reference to the five succeeding trumpets. But when the seventh is blown, nothing specific takes place upon the earth. On the contrary, the seven angels that will pour out the bowls of the wrath of God prepare to do so. Thus we see that the bowl judgments, the last series, come out of, or develop from, the seventh trumpet. In a similar manner the seven trumpet judgments come out of the seventh seal. When these facts are noted, the general drift of the Book of Revelation becomes apparent. This knowledge is necessary if one is to expound properly and accurately the message of Revelation.
The Lamb, having taken the roll of the book out of the Almighty's hand, breaks the seven seals. When He opens the first four seals, one of the living-creatures seen in heaven (chap. 5) calls forth with a loud voice ordering each of the judgments.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come, 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown; and he came forth conquering, and to conquer" (Rev. 6:1,2). The language in chapter 6 is clearly a dramatic presentation of literal facts that are presented under the form of striking imagery.
The entire program is put under the imagery of Christ's breaking, or opening, the seven seals. It is clear from reading the sixth chapter that there is not a real, actual, literal book that is sealed with the seven seals, but that this representation presents realities in a most vivid and graphic manner.
When Christ breaks the first seal, the first living creature, or seraph, gives an order in a loud voice saying, "Come." Immediately there comes forth a rider on a white horse, who has a bow in his hand. Then there is given to him a crown, a victor's crown. This is given to him by way of anticipation. He goes forth to conquer and accomplishes his purpose.
What is meant by this dramatic presentation? Is this a literal horse and a literal man riding the horse? We should take it this way if the facts of the context permit; but, when we read of the rider on the fourth horse in verses 7 and 8, we see that Death is the rider and Hades follows him. There is no such person as Death; nor is there any such individual as Hades. Death and Hades are personified and are represented as going forth as is described. These facts show that the fourth rider is not an actual, literal one, but that this is a pictorial, symbolic representation of some reality. If this is true of the fourth horseman, it certainly is true of all of them, since clearly they belong to the same category.
With these facts before us as established beyond doubt, we come to the conclusion that the rider on the white horse can be nothing other than that of a movement that is headed by some great personage, and that is set in motion. The object of the movement is to seize world dominion. Those promoting it come forth for that purpose, and they reach their goal. It is thus stated. This position is confirmed by the further fact that the color of this first horse is white. Conquerors in ancient days rode on white horses. Moreover, the triumphant Christ, of whose second advent we read in Revelation 19:11-21, comes on a white horse, because He will be victorious over all His enemies at that time. He will have diadems on His head; but the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 has a little victor's crown, a garland of ivy, or something of that nature--according to the customs of the day.
When we read this passage in the light that is shed on this subject by other Biblical writers, we conclude that the one heading this movement can be none other than the Antichrist, who will come out of obscurity into prominence and will lead a movement for world dominion.
"3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword" (vss. 3, 4). This second rider is mounted on a red horse, a blood-red horse. This one takes peace from the earth and introduces a reign of terror--such as the reign of terror in France. To this rider is given a great sword.
Suppose a cartoonist should put in some of our daily papers a picture of the world and of a man mounted on a blood-red horse, with a sword in his hand, galloping through the earth. And suppose there is also seen a dove flying directly away from the earth. Should you see such a cartoon as this in secular papers, how would you interpret it? Instantly every intelligent person would say that the cartoonist intended to convey to the reader's mind that there is a world war, with bloodshed and carnage in evidence on every hand throughout the world. Just such a cartoon do we see in the form of the rider on the red horse of this passage.
"5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not" (vss 5, 6). The rider on the third horse is mounted upon a black steed. He carries in his hands a pair of balances selling grain. As he goes forth from one place to another John says that he heard the voice in the midst of the four living creatures, speaking of the grain's being sold at famine prices. That those will be dark days indeed is symbolized by the farther fact that the color of the horse is black. The oil and the wine at that time will not be hurt, because they will have medicinal properties--doubtless.
Since the rider on the black horse follows the rider on the red one, and since the latter is symbolic of war and bloodshed we conclude that the rider on the black horse symbolizes famine of the direst kind, the aftermath of World War I of the Tribulation Period.
"And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth" (vss. 7,8). When this fourth living creature shouts, "Come," there appears upon the arena a rider mounted on a pale horse. The name of this rider is Death, who goes forth reaping his terrible toll of people. Hades follows him. As was said in the beginning, there are no people by the name of Death and Hades. These are personifications of the power of Death and of the place to which the wicked dead go, awaiting the judgment of the great white throne, which comes after the Millennial Age, the period of our Lord's reign (Rev. 20:11-15).
When this stage of the Tribulation is reached, there will burst forth upon the world the second war of the Tribulation. This time the war will affect only a fourth part of the earth. In that section of the world men will be killed with the sword, with famine, with some pestilence or plague from the Lord, and by wild beasts of the earth. Just what part of the globe will be affected by this rider on the fourth horse is not revealed. The toll of life in this part of the earth will be terrific.
The Return of the Days of the Martyrs
"And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, 0 Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course" (vss. 9-11). In our investigation of the seal judgments, we have come to the opening of the fifth seal. With the breaking of this seal the horrible days of persecution break forth upon all who turn to God in the first part of the Tribulation.
As we have seen in the discussion of chapters 4 and 5, the rapture of the saints constituting the Church of God occurs before the Tribulation begins. Every born-again believer is snatched away out of the earth by the Lord when He descends from heaven to the air to raise the dead and to catch up the living saints. But after the Church has been raptured, there are, in the first part of the Tribulation, a host of believers in Christ who suffer martyrdom because of the Word of God and of their testimony which they hold concerning Jesus Christ. Who are these saints?
There is but one answer to this question; They are the Tribulation saints, those who turn to the Lord after the Church is raptured and after the Judgments of the Tribulation begin. The events of this passage quoted in this paragraph anticipate the information which is given in chapter 7 concerning the great world-wide revival which we shall investigate in next month's study.
John sees the souls of the Tribulation martyrs underneath the altar in heaven right after they are martyred. Since Christ won the victory at the cross, the believer upon death goes immediately into the presence of Christ, whereas the lost go to Sheol, or Hades, and remain there awaiting the Judgment of the great white throne.
It seems from this passage that those who are saved, and who are in the presence of God, eagerly desire their resurrection bodies, but they are told to wait until the rest of their brethren, the Tribulation saints, shall have run their course and met their fate--at the stake.
From this passage we also see that the saved, though they are in heaven, are perfectly conscious of what is coming to pass upon the earth. These martyred saints know that those who actually executed them are still alive upon the earth, and have not been punished for their dastardly, blood-thirsty crimes. Other passages in the New Testament teach that the saints are conscious, and that they know about things transpiring upon the earth.
The Tribulation saints will receive their resurrection bodies at the end of the Tribulation.
General Convulsions Throughout All Nature
"12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; 13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?" (vss. 12-17).
From this description it appears that there will be convulsions, mighty cosmic upheavals, at least throughout our solar system if not extending throughout the universe. At that time there will be a universal blackout--for a time. The light from the sun, moon, and stars will not reach this earth. This will be the second blackout that occurs in connection with the Tribulation. The first one occurs before the Tribulation begins, as we see in Joel 2:28-32. But when one of these blackouts occurs, it will clear up, and normal conditions of light and darkness will be restored. At the opening of the sixth seal will be the second blackout. There will be another one--though of a different nature--when the fifth angel sounds his trumpet (chap. 9). Another blackout will occur in the middle of the second half of the Tribulation (chap. 16). The final blackout will occur at the end of the Tribulation, immediately preceding our Lord's glorious return to this earth.
When these convulsions begin their deadly work throughout the universe, the kings of the earth and the princes and the captains and the rich and mighty men will realize, as they never have before, the character of the times in which they are living--that they are actually in the Tribulation, in the day of the Lord. Then, in terror and fright, they will cry to the rocks and the mountains to fall on them. They will seek for holes in the earth to hide themselves from the wrath of God and from the wrath of the Lamb. But their cries will avail nothing!
