Chapter 6 – The Seven Seals . . .Christ was the only One found worthy to open the little scroll–the title deed to the universe. As he breaks the 7 seals that secure the scroll, each seal unleashes a new demonstration of GODs judgment on the earth in the furture tribulation period. These seal judgments include all the judgments to the end. The seventh seal contains the 7 trumpets; the seventh trumpet contains the 7 bowls.
The First Seal, Rider on White Horse . . . The animal represents an unparalleled time of world peace — a false peace that is to be short-lived. This peace will be ushered in by a series of false messiahs, culminating with the Antichrist. The 4 horses and their riders do not represent individuals, but forces. Some, however, identify this rider with Antichrist. Although he will be the leading figure, John’s point is that the entire world will follow him, being obsessed with pursuing this false peace. The bow is a symbol of war, but the absence of arrows implies that this victory is a bloodless one–a peace won by covenant and agreement, not by war. the crown refers to the kind of laurel wreath awarded winning athletes. Antichrist becomes king, elected by the world’s inhabitants, regardless of the cost, and will conquer the entire earth in a bloodless coup.
The Second Seal — War, Rider on Red Horse. . . Its blood-red appearance speaks of the holocaust of war. GOD will grant this horse and its rider the power to create worldwide war. But as horrible as this judgment is , it will be only the “birth pangs”, the beginning pains of GODs wrath. Violent slaughter will become commonplace.
The Third Seal — Famine, Rider on Black Horse. . .Black signifies famine. Worldwide war will destroy the food supply which spawns global hunger. The scales indicate that the scarcity of food will lead to rationing and food lines. The ‘quart of wheat’ is the approximate amount necessary to sustain one person for one day. A denarius is one day’s normal wage. One day’s work will provide enough food for only one person. Three quarts of barley which is usually fed to animals because of its low nutrients and cheaper price. A day’s wages provides enough for only a small family’s daily supply. The ‘oil and the wine’ , what is used in the preparation of bread and the wine was considered necessary for cooking and purifying water, suddenly will become luxuries that have to be carefully protected. (What we take for granted now will not be in the future).
The Fourth Seal — Death, Rider on Ashen (Pale, Ashen-green) Horse. . . The color is characteristic of the decomposition of a corpse. GOD grants this horseman the authority to bring death to 25% of the world’s population. Hades, the place of the dead, which is identified as a common and fitting partner for death.
The Fifth Seal — Martyrs. This seal describes the force of the saints’ prayers for GODs vengeance. Its events will begin in the first half and mark the midpoint and events following, in the 7-year period, which is called the Great Tribulation. The second 3 1/2 years period features the day of the LORD, in which GOD unleashes His judgment and wrath on the earth in intensifying waves. GOD will answer their prayer for vengeance but in His time. GOD has a predetermined the number of the righteous whose death He will allow before moving to destroy the rebels.
The Sixth Seal — Terror. The force described in this seal is overpowering fear. While the first 5 seals will result from human activity GOD used to accomplish His purposes, at this point He begins direct intervention. The previous 5 seals will be precursors to the full fury of the day of the LORD which will begin with the sixth seal. There have been many earthquakes prior to this , but this will be more than an earthquake. All the earth’s faults will begin to fracture simultaneously, resulting in a cataclysmic, global earthquake. Accompanying the earthquake will be numerous volcanic eruptions and large amounts of ash & debris will be blown into the earth’s atmosphere, blackening the sun and giving the moon a blood-red hue. “Stars of the sky fell”, The word stars can refer to any celestial body, large or small. The best explanation is a massive asteroid or meteor shower. The earth’s atmosphere will be somehow dramatically affected and the sky as we know it disappears. Under the stress created by the global earthquake, great segments of the earth’s plates will begin to slip and shift, realigning whole continents. Earth’s inhabitants will recognize for the first time the source of all their trouble. The wrath of the Lamb. Incredibly prior to this they will be living life as usual. The Great Day. . .the sixth seal will commence what the prophets call “The Day of the Lord”. –All study notes are taken from John MacArthur’s study Bible.
