The book of Revelation is where everything is brought together and the plan and purpose of Lord Jesus Christ is revealed. Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, symbolism cloaks the book, so only those who are capable of understanding it will discover what the symbols mean. Many make out they do and produce numerous theories. The Seventh Day Adventists claim that Josiah Litch’s interpretation of Revelation chapter nine was accurate because he predicted that this pointed to the Ottoman Empire collapsing. According to them, this was fulfilled on August 11, 1840. But this is not what happened and open war broke out on September 11, 1840.[i] Consequently, Litch later recanted his position.[ii] The Ottoman Empire collapsed during World War I. The complete collapse came about on August 6, 1924, once the official agreement for the ratification of the Ottoman Empire ceasing to exist had been officially deposited in Paris, France.[iii] The Ottoman Empire was divided up and its territories make up, or form part of, some forty-six nations today, stretching from the gates of Vienna in the North West and Ukraine in the North to Djibouti in the South, and from Algeria in the South West to Iran in the East.
When we seek to understand the book of Revelation, we are really attempting to understand the climax of the biblical narrative, which is a love story about the Creator’s desire to find a bride. Now some may think that this is being irreverent to suggest a marriage is the motif that runs through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yet this is what we learn occurs when the new Heaven and new Earth are to be created:
I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)
The book of Revelation begins by informing readers of the purpose for its existence—a fact that is often overlooked.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (Revelation 1:1-2)
The book of Revelation is nothing less than the revelation of Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Having risen from the dead, the Son of God is now seeking to woo His bride from among the descendants of Adam and raise them also from the dead, so they may walk in newness of life. The bride, we are told in the book of Ephesians is the assembly of “called out ones”—that is, the church. Lord Jesus Christ so loved those who were to belong to the assembly of “called out ones” that He gave Himself up for them, so that He could draw them to Himself (Ephesians 5:25).
The
Seven Church Ages
We learn that the Apostle John is given a message to Seven Assemblies in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. However, when we read what happens to those assemblies, there is a natural sense of an overarching historical chronology of the Church Age beginning at Pentecost until the present day, and not just a first century record of contemporary events taking place. This sense of historical chronology pertaining to the Church Era is not out of context, because we learn that the Apostle is told, before the message to the seven churches, that these concern what actually exists at the time and what is to take place later on (Revelation 1:19). What is important to note, the Apostle was not shown events that had already taken place prior to this revelation. The Apostle only received instructions to write down the prophecies of future events, not past events. To continue the futuristic nature of this book, after the message to the Laodicean Church, the Apostle writes:
After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.” (Revelation 4:1)
Therefore what occurs after the abovementioned verse has to do with the last days, in respect to the seals and the trumpets and the vials. The last days have to do with the days of Jacob’s Trouble, and these days incorporate the harvesting of the last fruits belonging to the latter rain harvest.
The movement that began in Canada, whereupon participants determined 1948 was the year of the Feast of the Trumpets and the beginning of the final harvest of the latter rain, splintered into different groups—as many movements do. Nevertheless, out of this movement, though loosely connected, a group of widespread affiliated local congregations subscribe to the same thorough study of the Scriptures. Central to the focus of their matured Bible Theology (expressed in books written by the likes of Kevin J. Conner) that flowered among the mainstream of the movement, was the realization that the Apostles concluded that the House of David was to be rebuilt.
Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up, That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things.” (Acts 15:14-17)
Now if the House (tabernacle) of David were to be rebuilt, then the building of this house began at Pentecost and has been ongoing ever since, and will be ongoing up until the last day, if the Scriptures are to be held accountable. The building of this house, therefore, allows for many rooms as Jesus stated:
In my Father’s house are many homes [rooms]. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
Naturally, God is able to do much more than we could possibly imagine, and who are we to say that there are not different types of churches in different regions of the world, and there are not different eras in which all these seven types of congregations exist. The fact is that the Scripture quoted in Acts, that determined what God is doing, also concurs with what the Apostle Paul stated concerning the fullness of the gentiles.
For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins.” Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. (Romans 11:25-28)
The talk of election here is often misconstrued, irrespective of freewill, to mean unconditional election that was predetermined before people are born, with some predestined for salvation and others to eternal punishment. However, the elect of God are those who freely choose to seek Him because they hate evil. Repentance from sin and faith towards God are foundational prerequisites to being born from above, so people can see the Kingdom of God and then proceed towards it. Entering the Kingdom of God is not the same as seeing the Kingdom of God. Except a person is born from above, a person cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). To enter the Kingdom of God, we have to go through the Door.
Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. (John 10:1-9)
What is interesting about the door concerns what Jesus says to those who belong to the Laodicean Church. Now this church consists of people who may believe they are Christians and are called by the name of God. These people, like the Israelites did, believe that they are born Christians at birth and are chosen of God before they leave their mothers’ wombs. However, notice what the Apostle was told to write:
“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation, says these things: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” (Revelation 3:14-22)
Lord Jesus says that He stands at the door of each individual, not just the assembly, and if anyone invites Him in, He will come and sup. The message is one of repentance from dead works, exercising faith towards God and overcoming the world. None of the other churches were given this message—only the seventh church. This is the church that exists at the time of the end, when Lord Jesus is to return and rule on Earth.
In fact, when we read the messages to the churches, we learn that the first church at Ephesus is told that they are forsaking their devotion to God. Smyrna suffers persecution and, consequently, they are praised. Satan’s plan of destroying the Church by annihilation caused more people to observe the witness of people like Polycarp: the bishop of Smyrna, who at eighty-six-years old was burned alive at the stake without dying, causing many to call upon our Lord Jesus Christ; so he was stabbed to death. Satan decided to resort to the tactics that he used with Balaam and attempted to introduce immorality into the church at Pergamum and establish what he had been able to begin at Ephesus, with the Nicolaitan teaching (bishops lording it over their flock), also introducing Babylonian teachings and wedding the Church to the state. Members of the church of Thyatira gave themselves over to the deep things of Satan and then what became known as the dark ages began, and held sway for nearly a thousand years. A revolt came and during the era of Sardis, the break away from Rome began. While people were promoting Scripture, some prominent leaders were in fact murderers of other Christians, and as Jesus said, that they were spiritually dead—not alive at all; because they did not love fellow believers in our Lord Jesus. Some of the reformers appear to have justified slaying brethren because they did not hold to doctrines that are peripheral to salvation through faith in Lord Jesus Christ. The murders committed bring condemnation upon a number of the movement’s leaders. From what we read in the Scriptures, we find that they may not be part of those who are actually saved.
But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:11)
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. (1 John 3:15)
The church of Philadelphia (brotherly love) clearly corresponds to the era that Britannica ruled the waves. This church originated from the pietistic movement, which focused on repentance from dead works and living a life of faith; out of which flowed the great revivals and the spread of missions worldwide. Many point to the turn of the twentieth century or the First World War for the beginning of the Laodicean era; although the era better fits what has happened after the Second World War, and corresponds to the time the Apostles were alive on Earth. In which case, we are looking at one hundred years at the most for the Laodicean church era—1945 to 2035—a period[iv] that corresponds to the time-frame for the church of Ephesus, nominated as the first church age in the book of Revelation.
After the Second World War, there was much revival and missionary work around the world that was productive with many souls coming to salvation. Since the 1980s, this has tapered off dramatically. Once the teaching known as the “name and claim” or “blab and grab” began permeating neo-Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement, people began focusing less on hatred of evil and faith towards God, delighting more in the poisons of prosperity, position, power and prestige. This is not to say that everyone focused upon this, rather that, in the main, the fire died and people became compromised with an ecumenical gospel, instead of the defined message of repentance from dead works and faith towards God. Identifying with the world became more important than identifying with Lord Jesus Christ, even though many wealthy people shared some of their resources with the poor.
As it happened, based upon the 360-day year, the middle of AD 2002 (thereabouts) brought up two thousand years since Pentecost—the beginning of the Church. The Gregorian calendar year (365.24 days) that we use these days to count the years would take us to the year 2032. At the time of writing this, we are in July 2025. The church is in an unhealthy state with people compromising with the world and the message of repentance and faith towards God being hardly mentioned. Sport and politics and job security appear to be more important to people than living for Lord Jesus Christ; although, this is about to change. The mega churches, and those that seem to follow their example, preach prosperity and promote celebrity. This prevails throughout the world’s congregations, even among the old communist countries and the third world.
This is the backdrop as we come to the period in history when the first of the seals in the book of Revelation are to be broken. Numerous people have claimed that they understand the seals and there have been many interpretations. In fact, one person, who claims that he has interpreted the Bible correctly, says that the seals from the second, third, and fourth seals are of no importance. Nevertheless, this is what the Bible has to say about the seals and as we shall see that only a person, who has been prepared by the Holy Spirit to understand the seals, can interpret them correctly.
All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, “Read this, please”; and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed:” (Isaiah 29:11)
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4)
I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” (Revelation 5:1)
One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)
The
Only One Worthy
Only Lord Jesus is worthy to open the seals. Naturally, we would expect that to whomever Lord Jesus reveals the meaning of the seals, they would understand them. The book’s seal was closed in the days of Daniel. Now, once each seal is opened, it remains open and what is described therein continues until the end. When the first seal is broken, we read:
I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!” And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. (Revelation 6:1-2)
The
First Seal
The white horse goes forth with one riding it having a bow. The person riding it has overcome the world and his desire is to serve his Lord. Like Joshua going into the Promised Land, he has ten years to subdue the enemy and then He shall receive the crown, having conquered all who were before him. The bow represents the message that he carries and from which he fires his arrows.
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:4-5)
Was Yahweh displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation? You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers. (Habakkuk 3:8-9)
For even as those whose tongues are as a sword and their words are as arrows (Psalm 64:3), so too is the one sent from God to those who refuse to heed the Commandment. For this is the one who comes in the spirit of Elijah, as John the Baptist came before the Savior. The forerunner is typed as being on a white horse ready for war.
I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13)
When the first seal is broken, the Feast of Trumpets begins along with Jacob’s Trouble. Those who are of Esau, will hate those who are of Jacob. Meanwhile, the evil one will use religious leaders to try to cheat those who belong to Jacob out of their blessings. For this is what happens when revivals occur, there are those who are blessed, and there are those chasing blessings who are not blessed; because they ignore their birthright. Instead of taking up their own cross, and following the path least travelled, these ones want to indulge in the flesh, as they attempt to have their cake and eat it at the same time. While this has been going on since the days of Ephesus, in these last days the manifestation will be different. Bear in mind, this will not be a one day event but, as with all the seals, ongoing until the end.
The
Second Seal
The second seal presents us with a red horse upon whom sits a rider who can take the peace from those who live on the Earth. Many interpreters see this as being war. But what does the Bible teach us about this.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)
The rider of the first horse many will associate with the preaching of the word of God. We are saying that this is the Lord’s anointed, just as John the Baptist was the one anointed to preach the good news of what was to come. Now when John the Baptist spoke, he cut to the quick. People did not like what he had to say. John did not come with a message of prosperity, but repentance from dead works and faith towards God.
In those days, John the Baptizer came,
preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet,
saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the
Lord. Make his paths straight.”
Now John himself wore clothing
made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the
region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptized by him in the
Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers,
who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore produce fruit worthy
of repentance! Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for
I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
“Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-12)
The red horse represents what we read in the book of Isaiah; that we need to come and reason with God and see where we stand before Him. This is what Isaiah has to say:
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:18-20)
Even as we read what is written in the book of Isaiah and see that if people refuse to reason out the reality of existence, concerning the futility of being born to die only to suffer—because of sin—they will be devoured by the sword; but this is not exactly what is meant by taking peace from the Earth. The sword in Isaiah refers to those who refuse to work out their salvation and permit God to work in their own lives for His good pleasure. These are those who are cut off as the branches that do not bring forth fruit are cut off (John 15:2). What the sword of the second seal refers is to the gospel message; the sword of the Spirit. This is what Jesus said when on Earth:
“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39)
The second seal brings us to the place where a distinction has to be made between who is going to accept Lord Jesus and who is going to choose the world. As the message moves across the globe, people are brought to a place of conviction. They are either convinced or they become stiff-necked.
The
Third Seal
The third seal informs us that those who have made the distinction to accept the Lord’s reasoning are to be classified into four groups.
When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!” (Rev. 6:5-6)
Here we see a black horse, which represents the darkness that encompasses the world. This is because we are to be translated from darkness into the light. However, we see that there is a balance in the hands of the rider. This represents the fact that every person’s attitude of heart is being weighed up to see where they stand before the Lord. Many will have responded to the gospel message, for this will be a time of revival, as the world has never seen. Of those who have responded to the gospel message there will be four classes of people. There are those who believe in grace alone; those who believe that they are saved by faith alone; those who believe that people need the baptism of the Holy Spirit; and those who will settle for nothing less than securing the salvation provided by our Lord. The parable of the man who sows seed that falls on the path, the rocky ground, among the thorns and thistles and on the good ground is explained by Lord Jesus:
He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation. That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produces fruit with patience. (Luke 8:10-15)
We see there are four types of ground but only the ones with an honest and good heart are fruit bearers. These are the ones who are saved. But what we need to understand is that salvation is a process[v] that takes place in the heart; for there are those who think they are saved and there are those who are actually saved. The balance is a just weighing up of everyone’s heart, where each one is assessed, according to one’s thoughts, intentions and deeds, to see whether one hates evil, or one is merely faking it to make it, so to speak.
All the ways of a man are clean in his
own eyes; but Yahweh weighs the motives. (Proverbs 16:2)
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2)
For the word of God is living and
active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of
soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts
and intentions of the heart. There is no creature that is hidden from his
sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we
must give an account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (Rev. 2:23)
We also see with this seal that the oil and the wine are not to be touched. This presents a problem for those who are represented by the barley and the wheat. John the Baptist said that the One who comes after him, Lord Jesus, baptizes in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). Those who are truly saved also have the new wine.
But new wine must be put into fresh wine
skins, and both are preserved. (Luke 5:38)
Others, mocking, said, “They are filled
with new wine.”
(Acts 2:13)
When the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were mocked as if being drunk with new wine. However, Jesus said that those who receive the new wine are preserved, which means they are saved from going rotten. This means that those who are represented by the barley and the wheat can be destroyed. So what does the barley and wheat represent?
Barley was used as poor man’s food. In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic code, a peace offering could be made using barley. Barley therefore suggests that God’s grace is extended to those who reach out to Him. However, barley is cheaper than wheat and we are told that three grains of barley are equivalent to one grain of wheat in value. The significance of this has to do with forgiveness. Especially with what Jesus told his disciples about those who sin against another member of the congregation.
If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Certain members of the fellowship belong to those who tend towards what is known as cheap grace. These individuals do not believe they have to repent of their sins, because they believe that God’s love covers them. These are the people, who will fake speaking in tongues, who will quickly lose their temper, or have a problem with lust of the flesh, or will lie, cheat and steal. Unfortunately, these individuals feel they can simply ask God to forgive them and everything will be okay. In fact, when persecution comes, these nominal Christians fold very quickly. They have no true conviction within themselves. Grace alone does not save. The idea of perpetual forgiveness of voluntary sin has its limitations. The three grains of barley indicate that these individuals essentially have three chances if they are going to persist in their sins (cf. Matt. 18:15-17; Heb. 10:26).
Those people who are represented by the wheat have essentially one major obstacle that will prevent them from being saved. These individuals tend towards intellectual or academic Christianity. They are so full of their own understanding of what the Bible means, they do not realize that unless they admit they do not know the truth, and humble themselves, they will not be saved from what is to come. This does not mean they will not be saved, but that the likelihood of salvation requires them to be humbled still. Salvation brings experiential knowledge; not merely the knowledge that a spectator possesses. This is what Jesus said about wheat:
Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. (John 12:24-25)
Self-righteousness is the biggest problem that comes with spectator know-ledge. A person can quote the whole Bible verbatim, but if the person has not laid down his life, then he will remain alone and not be a member of the body of Christ. This applies to both those who are represented by the grains of barley and those who are represented by the wheat.
The
Fourth Seal
What the fourth seal is believed by many commentators to represent has featured in many apocalyptic scenarios portrayed in photos and films of starving people, who are nothing but skin and bone, because of famine.
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard
the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a pale horse,
and he who sat on it, his name was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority
over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death,
and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him. (Revelation 6:7-8)
The symbol of the pale horse represents life drying up. The rider on this horse carries a message: unless people are prepared to die for their faith, they will be dead eternally. This is why Hades follows the messenger on the horse.
However, a deeper look is required because the word translated as “pale” is actually translated as “green” elsewhere from Greek to English. Revelation 6:8 is the exception. The reason for this is that the translators have difficulty understanding the paradox of the rider named Death mounted on a horse described with the word "chloros" — a term used to depict greenness, vibrancy, and life. Yet here, it cloaks the arrival of judgment, pestilence, and the grave. This is not a mistake, but a revelation: the Spirit is showing us something deeper — that you can be dead and not know it. What appears green is, in fact, gangrenous. What is thought to be life is but a withering leaf, still clinging to the branch, though its roots are severed. The pale-green hue is the color of deception — a living death. It parallels Christ’s warning: “If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23). The horse of chloros gallops through a world that confuses artificial vitality with eternal life, offering illusions of health and progress while dragging souls toward spiritual rot. Like the church at Sardis, many have “a name that they live, but are dead” (Revelation 3:1). This horseman’s unveiling is a mercy, for it unmasks the delusion and beckons people to awaken before they fall fully into the abyss. Unless people are prepared to lay their lives down for the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal death is what will be waiting for them, not a celebration of life lived on Earth. This is the message of eternal judgment.
The attacks on those who claim to be Christians are going to increase for those who are not baptized in the Holy Spirit and who are not truly saved. There will be a spiritual famine for those without the Holy Spirit who say they are Christians. These will have to die for Jesus’ Name or they will deny him and be taken by the Evil One. Demon possession will become more common, as people who are not covered by the blood of Christ go insane.
The
Fifth Seal
The fifth seal presents us with an interesting proposition. For here we learn there are people who are asleep under the altar of God.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course. (Revelation 6:9-11)
This suggests that the dead in Christ are asleep. Many people claim they only accept what is written in the Bible and they believe that when people die, they go straight to Heaven. However, the Bible tells us that those who are dead in Christ are asleep. Because this verse is in the book of Revelation, those who reject the idea that the dead in Christ are asleep, say that this is symbolic. Indeed, the book of Revelation does have much symbolism within it, but some things are not merely symbolism. This is one of those statements. For we have other clear statements that tell us those who are asleep have not yet been raised from the dead:
But now Christ has been raised from the
dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
But we don’t want you to be ignorant,
brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve
like the rest, who have no hope. For if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him
those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we tell you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no
way precede those who have fallen asleep.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-15)
There is a teaching that is wrongly termed “soul sleep”, which is a belief that people cease to exist once they die and somehow their soul is recreated when their bodies are resurrected. This teaching does not take into account that we possess both a soul and a spirit. Moreover, there would be no point in God placing a spirit within each human being and attaching it to a soul, only to destroy it and then go to the trouble of recreating it at a later date. The truth is the Apostle Paul taught that the dead in Christ are asleep. The Apostle John was shown that souls are asleep under the altar of God.
However, in this context, we learn that these souls have been killed on account of the Word of God. This means that these individuals have given their life for the sake of the gospel. As the grain of wheat falls into the ground, so those represented by the barley and the wheat will have to lose their lives if they are to enter eternal life. Those people who are represented by the foolish virgins in the parable of the of The Ten Virgins and The Bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13) will have the option given to them to partake of the mark of the beast or lose their lives on account of the Word of God. At the point of time that this seal is opened, the Devil has not yet come down to Earth. All the preceding seals are open and people are having to make decisions as to whether they are going to seek the Lord God or be part of what is to come, as this move of Holy Spirit traverses the globe.
Importantly, what needs to be emphasized regarding these seals is that as they are opened, this does not mean the previous seals are closed. Instead, we are seeing how the end-time revival is going to circumnavigate the globe, with what is described in the seals detailing the effects that the message will have upon people and what will be left in its wake.
The
Sixth Seal
The sixth seal is opened and all hell is let loose. Regarding this sixth seal, however, many people confuse what is written here in the book of Revelation with what Lord Jesus stated in the book of Matthew:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:29-31 RSV)
Jesus provided a succinct statement that gives an overview of what is to happen when He returns. When this sixth seal is opened, we are told there is going to be a seismic happening that will probably be sending tsunamis around the world. This is the time the Devil comes down to Earth. We need to understand the symbolism in the following and not take everything literally. The sun represents the Father. The moon reflects the glory of the Father and symbolically represents the Son.
I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places. The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17)
The sun is the source of life on Earth. Without the sun, the Earth would freeze and life would die. When the sixth seal is opened, the sun ceases to shine its light. This signifies God withdrawing from the Earth. The moon turns to blood. This represents the blood covering upon those who are protected from the Devil. The stars that fall are those angels that form part of the host of Heaven. These angels decide (or may have previously decided) to join the Devil; therefore they are to be thrown out of Heaven.
The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)
The demonic forces are bitter. They are intent on taking out their frustrations upon the residents on Earth. Whatever wickedness has been happening up until this point is going to be increased, so much so, that those who are not protected by the blood of the Lamb are going to suffer among themselves and they will be crying out for a savior. All who love mammon, and believe the lie of evolution, are going to seek world government. A financial crisis is going to occur that threatens the food supplies of the people of the cities. Unrest is going to be so great that those who are in power will feel threatened by those in the street. Civil disobedience will threaten political leaders to plead for action. The scene is set for the opening of the seventh seal and the revealing of the antichrist.
The Feast of Tabernacles is about to be celebrated. One hundred and forty-four thousand individuals from twelve tribes of Israel are to be sealed on their foreheads with a name that only they themselves know. These tribes are not according to the bloodlines of biological genetic breeding. These are true Israelites who have been circumcised of the heart, yet without hands (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11). No person can touch any of the members of the twelve tribes. These walk with God. Any person who attempts to harm one of the hundred and forty-four thousand will be like those who touch the Ark of the Covenant.
When they came to the threshing floor of
Nacon, Uzzah reached for God’s ark, and took hold of it; for the cattle
stumbled. Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his
error; and he died there by God’s ark. (2 Samuel 6:6-7)
These individuals will be on the planet until Lord Jesus Christ returns to literally reign on Earth at the end of the three-and-a-half-year tribulation. They will be the people described in the Dead Sea Scrolls as being the sons of light at war against the sons of darkness. Those who heed their message will have to lose their lives to be saved. Those who reject the enslavement of the One World Government troops will be killed and taken. Those who worship the beast will remain. This is what Jesus spoke about when saying:
But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. (Matthew 24:36-44)
When we read this, at first we may think this means that on the day Jesus returns to Earth, one will be taken and the other will be left. But when we think about what happened on the day Noah entered the ark, those that were to be saved were separated from those who were to be judged. They entered the boat. However, the coming of Lord Jesus Christ is not exactly like the days of Noah—there is to be no flood and Lord Jesus is coming in the clouds. Those who believe that there is going to be a secret rapture, that could happen at any time, think that those who are caught up in the clouds at that particular moment of time are the only ones who are to be taken. Their scenario does not fit into what we learn regarding the Feasts and the revealing of the Antichrist before the resurrection occurs. It may well be that unbelievers will be in bed with believers, and the believer is taken but the unbeliever is left behind. But do you really think believers are going to be sleeping with unbelievers when the reality of what is about to happen regarding the appearing of Lord Jesus is so clear to those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and rejoicing in the new wine of salvation?
A better scenario, which makes sense, is that Jesus is referring to people who, upon hearing the message of salvation and what it means to take the mark of the beast, refuse to receive the mark and are killed. Upon being killed they are immediately taken to meet Lord Jesus in the clouds. Two women may be working together and one is taken because she refuses the mark of the beast, but the other did, so she remains. When this day comes, there will be no qualms of killing those who refuse to be part of the global citizenry. When ISIS soldiers beheaded people who refused to convert to Islam, they willingly killed the recalcitrant ones—no questions asked. What we know about ISIS indicates who may be the soldiers (possibly transhuman) that will do the work of the Antichrist and inject the mark of the beast into the foreheads and hands of the population left on Earth. Muslims have to believe that this is the worldwide Caliphate that is subduing the kafir, if the temple at Jerusalem is to be handed over.
The reward of those who wage war against
Allah and His Messenger and strive to create disorder in the land is only this
that they be slain or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on
alternate sides, or they be expelled from the land. That shall be a disgrace
for them in this world, and in the Hereafter they shall have a great
punishment; Except those who repent before you have them in your power. So know
that Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.
O ye who believe! fear Allah and seek the way of approach unto Him and strive in His way that you may prosper. Surely, if those who disbelieve had all that is in the earth and as much over again, to ransom themselves therewith from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them; and they shall have a painful punishment. They will wish to come out of the Fire, but they will not be able to come out of it, and they shall have a lasting punishment. —Quran: 5:34-38[vi]
The above quotation from the Quran (Koran) summarizes the view that Muslims possess of non-Muslims. Executing their belief that punishment is required is seen as adherence to Allah. The atrocities that have been willingly and cheerfully executed by ISIS warriors leave no doubt that such a policy will be implemented in the event that the Caliphate is declared to be taking over the world and ruling from Jerusalem.
Further confirmation is the Pan-Arab collective formed by the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East. Pan-Arab nationalism suffered from the defeat of the Arabs by Israel in June 1967, and the mantle of political Islam gained ascendency among those nations. Still, Arabs see themselves as different from other Muslims, and the adoption of the colors (white, red, black, green) of the four horses of the first four seals of Revelation chapter six for the Pan-Arab flag is not insignificant; it cannot be merely a coincidence. Many of the nations have adopted all four colors for their national flags, notably Palestine, Syria, and Jordan, with a Levant flag proposed that incorporates Lebanon.
Somewhat ironically, although Islam has no official color, green is seen as representative of Islam because it was Mohammed's favorite color, and is symbolic of vitality and paradise. Yet, in the Book of Revelation, the green horse is representative not of eternal life but of a temporal life on Earth, followed by punishment in Hell.
Two
Dimensions of the Four Horsemen
There are layers of revelation when it comes to Scripture. Often people find elements that are appropriate for a particular season, but also different applications can be futuristic. For prophecy can have personal internalized spiritual meanings and external/geopolitical out-workings, as we have seen with the visions in the book of Daniel—there were immediate and future applications.
We have looked at the seals from a particular revelatory perspective which has a bearing on each person’s position before Lord Jesus Christ, for this is what the plan and purpose of God concerns—the establishment of a temple made out of living stones, not setting up one nation in terms of human government to rule over the others.
The seals are opened and the following occurs in succession over time:
Seal Symbol Event
1st White horse Revival moving around globe
2nd Red horse Division between families
3rd Black horse Assessments
as to heart
4th Green (pale) horse Removal
of hypocrites
5th Martyrs Waiting
for resurrection
6th Sun moon stars Spiritual
powers fall to Earth
(fig.10)
Another
way of understanding these seals is through the external geopolitical lens that
the likes of Chuck Missler have identified that align with what Jesus said in
the Gospel of Matthew, chapter twenty-four. This view notes the Arab Islamic
coalition that surrounds Israel have white, red, black and green flags. These
colors they identify as:
·
White = false messiah/Antichrist
·
Red = global war
·
Black = economic collapse
· Pale/Green = pestilence and death
The color “green” though is not the pale green claimed, but actually green.
|
Revelation Horse |
Color (Greek) |
Symbolic Meaning |
Pan-Arab Flag Parallel |
|
1. White Horse |
Leukos |
Conquest / deception (some argue antichristic
peace) |
White (Arab flags: purity, unity, or the Umayyad
Caliphate) |
|
2. Red Horse |
Pyrros |
War, bloodshed |
Red (symbolizes Hashemite dynasty, courage,
sacrifice) |
|
3. Black Horse |
Melas |
Economic collapse, famine |
Black (symbol of Abbasid Caliphate, mourning,
resilience) |
|
4. Green Horse |
Chloros |
Death, deception of false life |
Green (Fatimid Caliphate, also the color most
associated with Islam) |
(Fig. 11)
Revelation
6 and Matthew 24
A
Side-by-Side Prophetic Comparison
The prophetic teachings of Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 are among the most debated eschatological texts in Scripture. Both passages describe sequential events that will unfold before the return of the Messiah. While Revelation 6 presents these events through the imagery of the Four Horsemen and subsequent seals, Matthew 24 offers a direct teaching from Jesus, known as the Olivet Discourse. When placed side by side, they reveal a striking parallel in structure, purpose, and spiritual warning.
Seal
1: The White Horse (Revelation 6:1-2)
"And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer."
Matthew 24:4-5 "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray."
Comparison:
·
Both
passages open with deception. The rider on the white horse appears victorious
and pure but is often interpreted as a false messiah or spiritual forerunner.
·
Jesus
warns against deceivers claiming divine authority.
·
The
white horse may symbolize a religious deception or revival, depending on
interpretive lens.
Seal 2: The Red Horse (Revelation
6:3-4)
"Another horse, bright red, went out. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword."
Matthew 24:6-7a "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."
Comparison:
·
Both
texts predict global conflict and violence.
·
The
red horse takes peace from the earth, echoing the chaos Jesus foretells.
· This phase introduces social and political unrest as a sign of the end.
Seal 3: The Black Horse (Revelation
6:5-6)
"And behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand... 'A quart of wheat for a denarius...'"
Matthew 24:7b "...and there will be famines..."
Comparison:
·
Revelation
portrays economic imbalance and scarcity.
·
Matthew
mentions famine directly, aligning with the effects of the third seal.
· Both passages reflect increasing material hardship and inequity.
Seal 4: The Pale (Green) Horse
(Revelation 6:7-8)
"And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him... to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts..."
Matthew 24:7c-8 "...and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains."
Comparison:
·
Death
and Hades encompass pestilence, famine, and destruction.
·
Jesus
summarizes these as birth pangs, the start of sorrow.
·
Revelation's
fourth seal brings cumulative disaster, echoing Jesus’ escalation.
Seal 5: The Cry of the Martyrs
(Revelation 6:9-11)
"I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain... They cried out, 'O Sovereign Lord... how long before you will judge...?"
Matthew 24:9-10 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."
Comparison:
·
Persecution
and martyrdom arise in both.
·
Revelation
shows martyrs in heaven crying for justice.
· Jesus prophesies betrayal and hatred against the faithful.
Seal 6: Cosmic Signs (Revelation
6:12-17)
"There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black... the moon became like blood... stars fell... the sky vanished like a scroll..."
Matthew 24:29-30 "Immediately after the tribulation... the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light... the stars will fall... then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man..."
Comparison:
·
Identical
cosmic disturbances.
·
Both
signal the nearness of Christ’s return.
· Revelation emphasizes terror among the wicked, while Matthew focuses on the sign of the Son of Man and global mourning.
The chart on p. 308 ties these events with Matthew 24.
Pan
Arabism
Clearly, there is a layered aspect to the seven seals. One layer particularly fits into the spiritual element of our being and conforms to the plan and purpose of God, while another reflects the outward workings of political maneuvering designed to bring glory to our Creator as the Lord of lords and King of kings. The fact that the Pan-Arab alliance has chosen the four colors of the horses of the first four seals for their flags is beyond comprehension, especially considering that Syria, Palestine, and Jordan surround Israel. Another flag has been proposed to represent these three states as well as Lebanon, and it too will feature the four colors of red, white, black, and green.
Incredibly, among the Arab nations, we see an antichrist religion, war and bloodshed, famine, and economic hardship, followed by much death. Currently, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are exempt, while Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq have not fared as well.
Correlation:
Revelation 6 and Matthew 24
|
Seal
(Revelation 6) |
Symbol |
Event |
Matthew
24 Parallel |
|
1st Seal |
White Horse |
False Christs, deception |
Matthew 24:4–5 |
|
2nd Seal |
Red Horse |
War and bloodshed |
Matthew 24:6–7a |
|
3rd Seal |
Black Horse |
Famine and economic hardship |
Matthew 24:7b |
|
4th Seal |
Pale (Chloros) Horse |
Death via war, famine, beasts, plague |
Matthew 24:7–8
(“birth pangs”) |
|
5th Seal |
Souls under the altar |
Martyrdom of believers |
Matthew 24:9–10 |
|
6th Seal |
Cosmic disturbances |
Earthquake, sun darkened, moon like blood |
Matthew 24:29 |
((fig. 12)
***
[i] On August 11, 1840,
Napier's ships appeared off Beirut and he called upon Suleiman Pasha, Mehmet's
governor, to abandon the town and leave Syria, whose population shortly
revolted against Mehmet's occupying army. With such a small force, there was
little that Napier could do against fifteen-thousand Egyptian troops until
September, when the Stopford's ships joined up with him. Open war broke out on
September 11, when Napier bombarded Beirut and effected a landing at Jounieh with
1,500 Turks and Marines to operate against Ibrahim, who was prevented by the
revolt from doing more than trying to hold the coastal cities.— "Egyptian–Ottoman
War (1839–41)," World Public Library, accessed August 8, 2016,
http://www.worldlibrary.org/articles/eng/Egyptian%E2%80%93Ottoman_War_(1839%E2%80%9341).
[ii] David Clover,
"Revelation Revisited: Does Historicism Clarify?" Historical Perspectives, accessed August
8, 2016, http://www.endtimeissues.com/.
[iii] "Treaty of
Lausanne," Wikipedia, accessed
July 25, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page.
[iv] This period could be the 70 year period that falls at the beginning of
Jacob’s Trouble, say 1948 to 2018. As the first church era represented by the
Ephesus Church is often said to be about 70 years.
[v] Happy Riches, Saved By Grace Through Faith In Lord Jesus
Christ; Return To The Lord Of Blessings; Seven Stages of Salvation,
self-published.
[vi] Maulvi Sher Ali,
trans., The Holy Quran: Chapter 5: Al-Ma'idah, accessed June 20, 2025,
https://alislam.org/quran/app/_s=Quran:%205:34-38.https://alislam.org/quran/app/_s=Quran:%205:34-38 accessed June 20,
2025.
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