Understanding Revelation 6: The Seven Seals Explained

Revelation 6

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 to 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 to 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 see 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 middle of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you 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 to 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, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11 And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brothers, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, see, 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 to the earth, even as a fig tree casts 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 slave, 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 sits 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?

Revelation 6 outlines a prophetic chain of events that traces the history of the Christian church and its relation to the world from the apostolic age until the second coming of ChristPTUK March 5, 1896, page 149.4+2. 🐎

The Four Horsemen

The first four seals are represented by horses, symbolizing the progression of the church through different eras of spiritual condition and external conflictEVRR227.

• The First Seal (White Horse): This symbolizes the apostolic church in its original purity, going forth with the power of the gospel to conquer the systems of error in the first centuryARSH February 12, 1857, page 116.8+2. The rider carries a bow, representing the Word of God, and receives a crown signifying the triumphs and zeal of the early ministry Revelation 6:2EVRR227+1.

• The Second Seal (Red Horse): This marks the beginning of apostasy and the loss of "first love," where internal division and the emergence of a sinful, heretical spirit took peace from the church Revelation 6:4EVRR195+1. The great sword given to the rider signifies authoritarianism and the strife that results when unity is sacrificed for the sake of political powerEVRR195+1.

• The Third Seal (Black Horse): Representing a period of great moral darkness and corruption between A.D. 323 and 538, this era saw pagan rites incorporated into Christianity following the nominal conversion of ConstantineEVRR195+2. The balances symbolize the commercialization of the gospel and a union of civil and religious power, while the "famine" refers to the withholding of the Word of Life from the people Revelation 6:5-6EVRR199+2.

• The Fourth Seal (Pale Horse): This era covers the Dark Ages and the rise of papal supremacy starting in A.D. 538, where millions of martyrs were put to death Revelation 6:8EVRR93+2. The rider's name is Death, and the methods of killing—sword, hunger, and beasts—represent the universal persecution of those who remained faithful to the true doctrines of God Revelation 6:8EVRR203+1.

The Cry of the Martyrs and Signs of the End

The subsequent seals transition from the history of the apostasy to the vindication of the faithful and the visible signs of Christ's return.

• The Fifth Seal (Souls Under the Altar): This vision represents the millions who were slain during the previous persecutions, their blood metaphorically crying out from the earth, which acts as the altar Revelation 6:9EVRR208+1. They are given white robes, signifying the recovery of the gospel during the Protestant Reformation and their recognition as righteous in the sight of God Revelation 6:11EVRR227.

• The Sixth Seal (Signs in the Heavens): This seal introduces literal signs in nature that mark the "time of the end," beginning with the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 Revelation 6:12EVRR216+1. These events—the darkening of the sun and moon in 1780 and the falling stars in 1833—serve as omens of the approaching day of wrath Revelation 6:12-13SSP 119.2+2. As the heavens depart like a scroll, the unsaved will seek to hide from the face of the Lamb, recognizing that the great day of His wrath has arrived Revelation 6:14-17EVRR221+1.

Summary Table of the Seals

Seal	Symbol	Primary Meaning	Period
1st	White Horse	Purity of the Apostolic Church	A.D. 31 ➞EVRR227
2nd	Red Horse	Emerging Apostasy and Division	A.D. 100 ➞EVRR227
3rd	Black Horse	Corruption and Pagan Influence	A.D. 320 ➞EVRR227
4th	Pale Horse	Papal Supremacy and Martyrdom	A.D. 538 ➞EVRR227
5th	Slain Souls	Reformation and Vindication	A.D. 1500 ➞EVRR227
6th	Cosmic Signs	Preparation for the Second Advent	A.D. 1755 ➞EVRR227

The seventh seal, found in chapter 8, concludes this sequence with silence in heaven as Christ and His angels depart to deliver the saints Revelation 8:1BDOC 56.7+1.