The Wrath of God – Revelation 6:1-17
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,
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.
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
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.
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.
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 that thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
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.
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:
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?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
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;
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.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved, out of their places.
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;
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:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Continuing from the previous chapter, this particular passage opens the door to the segment of the Revelation many find among the most interesting and mysterious as the Tribulation Period comes into view at this point in the text. The Tribulation Period (a time of 1 week, or seven years, according to Daniel 9:24-27) will be visited upon the people of Israel. During this seven-year period of time two divisions exist, each being forty-two months or 1260 days in duration. Revelation uses the months and the days as we’ll see when considering chapters 11 and 12 but only mentions one division of the days and months. This will be a time of testing for the people of Israel and preparation for Jesus’ second coming, when Israel will fully realize and acknowledge that Jesus is indeed Messiah.
Many Christians debate whether or not believers will be a part of this period of time. One position, called pre-tribulation rapture, or first-of-the-week rapture, holds that the church will be gone from the beginning of the Tribulation while another position, called mid-tribulation rapture or mid-week rapture, holds the church will be here for the first half of the time period. A third position, called the pre-wrath rapture, holds that the church will be here until the wrath of the Lamb begins after the revealing of the man of sin. Still a fourth position is that of a split or progressive rapture. These views all reflect the result of much study and concern on the part of many sincere, diligent, intelligent and learned men and women of God.
The rapture (the translation from the physical realm to the spiritual, bypassing physical death) of the saints remains a fact nonetheless, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, so let us take note that the word rapture does not appear in the Bible. It is a Latin term used to describe the catching away of the saints to meet the Lord in the air. The timing of the rapture thus affects the entire interpretation of the book of Revelation. This commentary is written using a first-of-the-week rapture position and surely not all will agree; it has been chosen so as to facilitate consistency in the subsequent presentation of the material. In every case prayerful study is the order of the day for all who seek to learn the mysteries of this great book.
In chapter 6 many aspects of time and events are presented. With the opening of the seals we begin to glimpse into the future in large overviews rather than in minute detail. The purpose of the seals is to show how God will bring about the close of the world as we now know it. We must therefore be willing to understand this and realize that details will come later. Also, in later passages, trumpets and vials will appear and in many ways be very close in appearance to the seals. It will help if the reader will decide if they are the different descriptions of the same events or if they are different events altogether. Please don’t forget that seven thunders have already been revealed to John but he was not allowed to write about them, so we cannot know the details about all the events because these details were never recorded. What is recorded, however, is surely sufficient.
Another point of concern in these sections is how much we view them as a record of warfare between God and Satan, or how much we understand God to be in ultimate control. Nothing that happens is beyond the realm of God’s knowledge and control and nothing catches Him by surprise. Satan will not win – the matter is already settled, as we will eventually see.
Seal One (Revelation 6:1, 2)
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,
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.
The One who was worthy, the Lamb which was slain, steps forth and opens the first seal. Upon seeing Him John hears a noise as if it were thunder. One of the four beasts invites John to “come and see.” The vision seems on its surface to be quite simple, but it lends itself to a variety of interpretations.
In this vision John sees a white horse rider with a bow and a crown going forth and conquering, or winning the victory. Some commentators believe the rider to be Jesus based on the symbolism of white, and that the purpose of the rider will be to conquer. It is noted that in chapter 19 of Revelation another portrait of Jesus in this manner can be seen. The adherents to this position contend that only Jesus will conquer.
Others believe the rider to be the man of sin, or anti-Christ, as he is called. The business of Satan is that of imitation and it can accurately be said that this is how he will deceive many, appearing to be just what everyone wants and desires. In fact, the three major religions of today, Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all looking for a Messiah. All three have their centers in Jerusalem. The man of sin will surely present himself as having the answers to all the world’s problems.
The man of sin may be described as one who will conquer. For the abomination of desolation to take place as described in Daniel 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”) and Matthew 24:15 (“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”) someone will have to be granted power over the world. This white horse rider will imitate the very qualities of Christ as he wields that power and will thereby deceive many into accepting his self-assumed role as a messiah. The religions of today are hungry for someone to deliver all of mankind from the perceived problems of the world; even (or perhaps especially) those who practice no religion at all clamor for one who can put the world aright. Sadly, neither group understands that the cure for their ailments – Jesus – is standing with His hand open in invitation to all who will call upon His name.
This white horse rider will have a bow, as one given to warfare. The man of sin will be capable of violence and willing to fight in order to have all his desires fulfilled. There is no reason for Jesus of Nazareth to ever conduct such warfare in the normal sense of the word because He can conquer any and all with His spoken word. This white horse rider will also wear a crown as the symbol of his granted power, position and authority. A crown will be granted to him because the powers of the world will accept him as the one with the solutions to their problems. Please keep in mind that true religion will be absent by the time this occurs if one subscribes to the pre-tribulation rapture school of thought. If, however, the rapture occurs later, the persecution of true religion will be so severe as to present no problem for a demon such as is described in Daniel and Paul’s Thessalonian writings. The man of sin will be ruthless, and people will want his solutions to work. It can be readily seen today that if public opinion expects, desires or demands something, any and all freedoms are being surrendered or denied so that the public can have what it desires.
The purpose of this white horse rider will be to conquer any and all who stand in his way, and within that context this writer does not see how he can be anyone but the man of sin. The man of sin will be the very puppet of Satan and will do all within his granted power to conquer and manipulate people and to destroy the truth while doing so. The mark he will use, as we will see later, is but a manifestation of the desire he will manifest to control everything. The evil he will spew forth will be cleverly disguised as flattery and he will tell the world its sacrifices will be for its benefit. Beware the danger of the white horse rider!
Why four horsemen? In Biblical numerology four is the number of creation, thus marking that which follows the revelation of God through the Holy Trinity, i.e. His creative works. Thus the four horsemen are judgments that shall fall primarily upon the creation itself.
Why are they riding horses? In the Bible, any time a horse is mentioned it is in reference to a warhorse, and the principle use of the horse in war was in the chariot. The possession of large numbers of horses was typically forbidden in early times, as noted in Deuteronomy 17:16, and this principle was applied in later periods also. God intended that His people depend upon Him for success in their battles rather than upon their own strength or their power of wield their weapons. Isaiah 31:1 says “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!” The four horsemen of the text then symbolize judgment at the hand of worldly powers exercising the might permitted by God for the purpose.
Seal Two (Revelation 6:3, 4)
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
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.
The second beast beckoned John and showed him the opening of the second seal, revealing a red horse and the rider upon it. This horse will of the same kind as the first. The use of the word another (Greek allos) here is but one reason to believe the white horse rider will be the man of sin, for this red horse will be one of the same kind already seen. The second horse will be red in color and the rider will have the ability to take peace from the earth, causing people to kill one another, and he will have a great sword in his possession.
This horse and its rider pictures war and the destruction it can cause upon the earth. The white horse rider will go forth to conquer, but it will take war to accomplish this. Matthew 24 warns of wars and rumors of wars. Throughout history war has ravaged nations and we should not be surprised when the man of sin uses this age-old and proven method of gaining, maintaining and increasing his power and influence. In recent years we have seen the power of war in the sway of public opinion, so we may understand that not only warfare but the threat of it or propaganda regarding it will be an important tool for him. The man of sin will rage and wage war against all who seek to stop him.
Under Satan’s influence, the desire of the man of sin during this time of his wrath will be to convince the world of his power and the need to destroy all who oppose him. Satan will take the peace of the earth away because he has no desire for peace, and will seek to blame all of society’s woes on Christians. The death of millions will therefore not affect this man in any form; as the red horse rider he will seek only to gain more power while blaming others for the plight of the world. God will cause people to believe a lie, as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12 – “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” This lie will be whatever the man of sin tells the people of the world and they will be receptive to it as he satisfies his appetite for control.
The red horse rider will also have a great sword, the emblem of all power in war given to him for the moment. Please remember that in order to conquer he must have this ability, and without it he cannot attain the power he desires. If the rapture has occurred at the first of the week, then he is already unrestricted. If it occurs later, believers will feel the power of war waged against them, so a comparison to Revelation 13:7 might be in order here. It states: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This verse tells us he has the power to wear out the saints, but if we are not here, how is it to be fulfilled? If we are here, then the fulfillment is plain, as the man of sin wages war upon the saints as well as the rest of the world. The great sword granted him will thus have a far-reaching effect on the saints of God if we are here and upon the world in any case.
Given the weapons of mass destruction now available, the fulfillment of this seal will take place in a simple manner and warfare will bring about huge numbers of deaths with little effort. The trauma of this seal should be readily seen and noted.
Seal Three (Revelation 6:5, 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.
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 that thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Again John was beckoned, this time by the third beast, which revealed to him the rider of yet a third horse. This horse was black, and its rider carried a balance in his hand. The rider then measured out wheat and barley for a day’s wages. Famine and the control of commerce will be a vital part of the ability of the man of sin to control the world. The rider of this black horse frightens people the most because of the subject he dealt with in his reign. His ability to control food supplies and commerce ranks highly in the desires of most of the world’s people. Historically, the day-by-day struggle to feed one’s family has only recently been relegated to underdeveloped countries. Remember, Jesus taught that we are to pray for daily bread; the human idea of saving and living from the abundance thereof is relatively new in history. Take a moment to read Luke 12:16-34. The story Jesus told had a tragic ending with the pride of the rich fool involved, but the following verses hold great assurance for us when our faith is in the right place.
The first century reader had no trouble understanding the struggle for daily bread and a day’s wages for a day’s meal. In a world filled with abundance this will be a harsh blow to the lives of many. When this becomes the norm, think of how many people would be willing to believe the flattery of the man of sin or to take his mark on their foreheads or on the back of their hands to feed their families without fear. Even today many people turn to government for solutions to problems rather than turning to God and His principles for sustenance. When famine and devastation come upon our world where cities have no means of sustaining a lifestyle, how quickly the man of sin can take over!
The picture here is that of a measure of wheat for a penny (a day’s wages) or a measure of barley for that same penny. The wheat is the better of the grains and produces a better tasting and healthier loaf of bread; the barley is less expensive and is not so healthy a grain for human consumption. Whatever is required to control the world’s food supply and everyday commerce, Satan and his man of sin will use. Hunger or the threat of it will be one of their tools. Daniel chapters 9 and 11 describe the type of man he will be. At this point the water and system to distribute food will not yet have been affected; those afflictions will come later with the mark of the beast. If the rapture has occurred by this time Christians have nothing to fear. However, if it has not yet occurred then the warnings we’ll study later in Revelation 13 will fit very well into our lives. We must be aware of the mark, and beware of it. We must recognize the danger of surrendering out testimony for the sake of commerce or food.
The mention of oil and wine is possibly a reference to Luke 10:34, in which the good Samaritan poured oil and wine into the wounds of a man who had been set upon by ruffians and left for dead. Wherever famine strikes, healthcare and the general state of health of the population invariably suffer. Certainly concern over needed medications and health services are likely to be at the forefront of people’s minds at a time like this.
As we often see on news reports, death and destruction by famine is a horrible thing, but failure to carry out the will of God is far worse. Whatever the man of sin tries to do, we must be aware and seek to accomplish the will of God in faith. This is the reason we need mature saints, and we urgently need to take the gospel to as many people as possible.
Why does this rider hold balances in his hand? In one context the word translated balances (Greek zugon) is the word for yoke, as a beam used to yoke oxen. A metaphorical use refers to any burden or bondage, such as slavery. As used in this text it refers to a pair of scales shaped like a balance. The reference to wheat and barley indicate that the scales are to be used to ration these two grains which are essential ingredients to making bread, the staff of life.
Seal Four (Revelation 6:7, 8)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
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.
John then saw the opening of the fourth seal and we may by now perceive that with each succeeding seal the judgments are worse and the horrors more extreme than those preceding it. The fourth beast, as with each previous one, invites John to come and see. The pale horse and his rider represent death and hell, and the tragedies of multiplied death upon the world. This was the first of the seals to mention any form of number with the destruction, as one fourth of the world will suffer.
This rider has the name of Death. This is a normal term for life when it ends but the place of departed spirits, or hell, follows on its heels. The somber occasion mentioned here describes a wrath upon the world that has heretofore been unparalleled, and the man of sin who is in fact Satan’s chief agent will be the one responsible for this ordeal. This wrath of Satan will seek to manifest itself on those who know the Lord. If the rapture has not yet occurred this could easily come to pass; if it has already happened then we must determine where all the saints come from here and in the next verses.
Death, the rider of the pale horse, will have authority over one fourth of the earth and the ability to control all the physical aspects of creating havoc and bringing death upon people. To kill with the sword can refer to the war and conquering of the first two horsemen and an intensification of the destruction. The hunger may refer to the black horse and the famine, and again an intensification of the ordeal. To kill with death and with beasts seems to refer to any means in any form that may be found to cause mass destruction upon the earth. This final description of the horsemen seems to be a combination of all the tragedies already inflicted on the earth.
As the man of sin sets about to consolidate his power and rule it is necessary to remind ourselves of the source of his authority to do this and of the wrath Satan seeks to visit upon the earth. The coming of Christ before the wrath of the Lamb will alleviate all the trouble. However, if the rapture has already occurred, those who are here during this time will have no relief. The authority to do all of this comes with the permission of God, but they are the acts of Satan.
The timing of the opening of the seals by the One who was worthy provides discussion for the timing of the rapture of the saints. Please study these passages objectively and with all the viewpoints in mind so you may decide for yourself when Jesus will return, being cautious to ensure that the conclusions you draw are consistent with all other Scripture.
Seal Five (Revelation 6:9-11)
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:
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?
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.
The opening of the fifth seal changes the scene somewhat from one of continued destruction to a view of those who died for the sake of Christ. Martyr is the word for witness, and martyrdom will come upon those who will live for Christ and stand for Him during the time of Satan’s wrath, so once again the timing of the rapture becomes significant in the discussion. John saw under the altar those who were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony they held. These are people who at some point in time stood against the enemies of God and won the victory of death but lost their physical lives in doing so. These people are together in the opening of the fifth seal, and their voices are crying out.
There is an expressed desire by these martyrs to be avenged by the mighty Judge as they call for God’s righteous revenge upon the unrighteous. Their deaths seem to have been purposeful and, at least within eternal considerations, to have been quite recent. At least some mentioned here surely lost their lives under the destruction of the horse riders. Their question is how long before they are avenged and the answer is not unexpected. They were told to be patient, for others were yet to die as they had. The terms used were fellow servants and brethren (Greek sundouloi and adelphoi respectively) and it seems as though they will die in the same manner as these who cry out, which is after the manner revealed in seals one through four.
Who then are these witnesses and when did they die? If the rapture of the saints occurred at the beginning of the week then these must be people who have accepted Christ after the rapture. It seems inconsistent with the flow of the remainder of the passage to make them all the ones killed throughout the ages. If the rapture has occurred, then it would be those killed since the wrath of Satan began. Regardless of the specific time frame when they were killed, each received a white robe and were told to “rest yet for a little season.” This white robe represents the purity of their righteous acts as is later mentioned in Revelation 19. Patience is called for because others will be joining them shortly. The saints here had been killed in persecution for the cause of Christ.
The horses and their riders will only kill those who oppose the man of sin and resist his power. The authority will have to be given to kill saints, but not necessarily to kill those who supplicate themselves to the authority of the man of sin. One of the great lessons from the book of Job teaches that Satan could not kill and could only harm a saint with God’s permission and only then to the extent God allows. Revelation 13:7, 8 tells more of the man of sin and his ability to wear out the saints, as we will later study.
Seal Six (Revelation 6:12-17)
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;
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.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved, out of their places.
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;
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:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The opening of the sixth seal will conclude with the wrath of the Lamb and it will be broken after the abomination of the desolation previously mentioned in the quote of Daniel 9:27. The sixth seal will bring great upheaval and trauma to the material world and the people occupying it at the time. A great earthquake will shake creation’s foundation, the sun will turn as black as sackcloth and the moon will become as blood. This description is consistent with the vision of the prophet Joel as well as other Scriptures recording prophecies concerning the end-time and the wrath of the Lamb. Great winds perhaps of strength never before experienced will also shake the earth and the stars of Heaven will fall as though they were “untimely (green, or unripened) figs.”
Then a new scene will present itself and something will begin to happen on earth that amazes all as Heaven will “depart” (Greek eilissomenon, or roll up) “as a scroll” and all the mountains and the islands of the sea will move “out of their places.” People will then begin to cry out in unimaginable distress and attempt to hide themselves so they will not be killed even as the situation becomes so dire and terrible they cry out imploring the mountains to fall on them so they can die. They will desire to hide from the face of the Lamb who will release His wrath upon the world, and the final question will be, “who shall be able to (with)stand (God’s righteous judgment)?”
This opening of the sixth seal will surely occur after the saints of God are gone, and it will be the avenging of the martyrs who died during the rule and reign of the man of sin as we just considered. God will have His vengeance upon those who destroy His people. Apart from their destruction let us consider the tragedy of the method by which people will die. None of them would have to die if they would simply repent and come to know Christ in a personal way. However, because of the delusion of the lie and the failure of people to see their need of Christ, many will perish. It is imperative for those of us who know Christ to make sure we tell others so they have the opportunity to avoid this sad and eternal end.
The destruction of the wrath of the Lamb will come upon the earth in a time of great Tribulation such as the world has never known before. The wrath of Satan in the first part of this period will be horrible but it will never compare to the wrath God has in store for the man of sin and the world that accepts him and completely rejects Jesus as King and Savior. The rapture of the saints will likely occur before the wrath of anti-Christ. Certainly it will occur before the coming of the wrath of the Lamb. All the saints under the altar are those saved after the rapture of the pre-tribulation saints. If the rapture is in the middle of the week then we only have to explain how the others die in the wrath of the Lamb. If it comes before the wrath, then the fifth seal chronologically takes place before the sixth seal and the wrath of the Lamb does not affect God’s saints.
Why is there an earthquake, we may ask? Geologically speaking, an earthquake is the result of the shifting of enormous tectonic plates beneath the earth’s surface and are the result of what Paul described in Romans 8:22 when he wrote, “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” This is the result of the devastation caused by Satan’s fall to the earth, described by Jesus in Luke 10:18, which reads: “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” In the text it is therefor one of the means of God’s judgment that is to be meted out upon the world and those living on earth at the time.
Summary (Revelation 6:1-17)
The sixth chapter of the Revelation has an order and reason for its progression. The Lamb has been found worthy and has prevailed to open the seals. As those seals are opened tragedies of ever-increasing severity are revealed, destruction escalates and the events on earth worsen. As God moves through people to accomplish His eternal will we see how the man of sin will fail in his domineering efforts and how God faithfully and eternally protects His own. In the end God will bring a rain of destruction upon the world as has never before been seen. This is known as the wrath of the Lamb and leads us to the events of chapter7, the opening of the seventh seal and the interludes to follow.
We will further examine the progression of future history in the next article and those to follow. Until then it is my prayer that you are enlightened to the will of God for your life, spiritually enriched by His word and emboldened to share the Gospel message.
In all things be blessed –
Tom