Revelation 6:1-10

1 And I saw, that the lamb had opened one of the seven seals. And I heard one of the four beasts saying, as a voice of thunder, Come, and see.

2 And I saw, and lo! a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given to him. And he went out overcoming, that he should overcome.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast saying, Come, and see.

4 And an other red horse went out; and it was given to him that sat on him [power], that he should take peace from the earth, and that they slay together themselves; and a great sword was given to him.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast saying, Come thou, and see [Come, and see]. And lo! a black horse; and he that sat on him had a balance in his hand.

6 And I heard as a voice in the middle of the four beasts, saying, A bilibre of wheat for a penny, and three bilibres of barley for a penny; and hurt thou not wine, nor oil [and hurt thou not wine, and oil].

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard a voice of the fourth beast saying, Come thou, and see.

8 And lo! a pale horse; and the name was Death to him that sat on him, and hell followed him. And power was given to him on [upon] four parts of the earth, to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with beasts of the earth.

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of men slain for the word of God, and for the witnessing that they had.

10 And they cried with a great voice, and said [saying], How long thou, Lord, that art holy and true, deemest [thou] not, and vengest not our blood [and vengest our blood] of these that dwell in the earth?

Revelation 6:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 6

This chapter contains the vision of the opening six of the seals of the sealed book, by the Lamb, and of the events following thereupon. The preparation to the vision of the first seal is in Re 6:1; the Lamb opens it, John hears a noise like thunder, and one of the living creatures bids him come and see; upon which he saw a horse, of a white colour, and a rider on it, who is described by a bow and crown given him, and by the victory he obtained, Re 6:2; at the opening of the second seal, the second living creature invites him as before; and he sees a horse, of a red colour, with a rider on it, described by his power, to take peace from the earth, and suffer men to kill one another, and by a great sword given him, Re 6:3,4; at the opening of the third seal, the third living creature addresses him in like manner as the other; and he sees a horse, of a black colour, and a rider on it, with a pair of balances in his hands; and hears a voice from among the four living creatures, expressing dearness of provisions, and a charge not to hurt the oil and wine, Re 6:5,6; at the opening of the fourth seal, the fourth living creature speaks to John, as the rest; and he sees a horse, of a pale colour, and a rider on it, described by his name, Death, by his follower, hell, or the grave, and by his power to destroy a fourth part of the earth with the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, Re 6:7,8; at the opening of the fifth seal, John saw the souls of the martyrs, under the altar; hears their cry for vengeance; observes that white robes were given them, and that they were bid to be quiet until the slaying and suffering time of their brethren was over, Re 6:9-11; at the opening of the sixth seal follow an earthquake, strange changes in the heavens, the sun becomes black as sackcloth, the moon becomes as blood, the stars fall, and the heaven itself departs, and every island and mountain are moved out of their places, Re 6:12-14, the kings and great men of the earth, and even all sorts, of men, upon this, fly to the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of God the Father, that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, the opener of the sealed book; giving this as a reason for it, that the time of his great wrath was come, and none could stand before him, Re 6:15-17.