Revelation 6 - the Seals

The first four seals are brief:

When the Lamb broke the first seal (6:1) John saw a white horse.  He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer (6:2).

When He broke the second seal a red horse went out.  To him who sat on it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (6:3-4)

When He broke the third seal John saw a black horse.  He who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  Then John heard voice in the center of the four living creatures announcing high prices for wheat and barley and scarcity of oil and wine, indicating famine. (6:5-6)

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, John saw an ashen horse.  The name of the rider was Death; and Hades was following with him.  Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, pestilence and by wild beasts.  The fourth seal therefore seems to overlap in meaning with the bloodshed of the second seal and the famine of the third seals. (6:7-8)

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, John saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained (6:9).  They cried out with a loud voice:

How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? (6:10)

In the ancient Jewish temple there were two altars.  The very large altar of burnt offering was outside the temple and the altar of incense was inside.  In the ancient ceremonies the blood of the animals were poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering (Lev 4:7; 8:15; 9:9).  This becomes a symbol for God’s slain people when they are represented as the souls underneath the altar.  This symbol is also used in 16:6 where it is said that the people of the world “poured out” the blood of God’s people.

The souls under the altar cry out for revenge.  This should not be understood as the request of God’s people, but rather like the blood of Abel that called for revenge (Gen 4:10).  These people are dead—they will come to life when Jesus returns (20:4,5)

In response to their request the souls under the altar were told to wait.  To each of them was given a white robe and they were told:

rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also (6:11)

The “white robes”—a sign of redemption—given to these dead saints, implies a judgment.  It also implies a period of persecution, because they have to wait for the completion of their brethren who were to be killed.

The sixth seal is catastrophic.  When He broke the sixth seal there was a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth; the whole moon became like blood; the stars of the sky fell to the earth; the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (6:12-14).  But the people of the world were not scared of these natural disasters, for they hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and to the rocks:

Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great dayof their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (6:15-17)

This is the “great day”—the Judgment Day—the Return of Christ.  The sixth seal shows the people hiding.  But they will be killed at the Return of Christ (14:20 and 19:21).