| In-Depth Study of The Book of Revelation Chapter 6 By Rabbi Esther Boucher |
The vision of the seals is full of rich image and irony. A lamb is the only One worthy to break
seals holding back G-d's anger against the forces of evil. A lamb representing weakness and
sacrifice is the One allowed by G-d to unleash the power of G-d's judgement against the
oppressors of the earth. Yet the weakness of G-d's lab is far stronger than the combined
power of His enemies. As the seals are opened, a series of pictures begins to unfold
describing the most terrible and the most wonderful period of time in all of history. It will be
brief: not more than seven years, the 70th week of Daniel 9:27.
Before the tribulation begins I believe the church will be raptured, so I teach pre-tribulation
rapture basing my belief on Romans 5:9 which states the church is to be spared G-d's wrath.
Since the entire seven year Tribulation is a pouring out of G-d's wrath as we will see in Rev. 6:
17, the rapture must remove the church before this pouring out occurs. Gen. 19:22 shows this
principle. Sodom could not be destroyed until Lot was removed. G-d does not change. Matt.
24:21 -22 assures us that G-d is in control of the length of persecutions. He does not forget
his people. I Thess. 4:13-17 describes the catching away of the church.
Moving on a powerful end time political leader will make a seven year treaty with Israel, giving
the nation a sense of security never enjoyed since its rebirth in 1948. The Israelites will re-
establish their religious system. But in the middle of the seven year span he shall bring an
end to sacrifice and offering (Dan. 9:27) and usher in a terrible time of persecution that will last
until Jesus Christ returns. Right now in Israel cattle and sheep are being bred to re-establish
the sacrifice system.
With the opening of the seals, the forces of evil begin to feel the terrible weight of the justice
and judgments of G-d. As Christ breaks each seal a rebellious race is brought face to face
with the consequences of its own choices.
Verse 1 - 2
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals;[a] and I heard one of the four living
creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, 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.
Christ tears away the first seal and the seven year Tribulation Period judgements now begin.
The first judgement that occurs is that Christ allows a man to appear on earth who will pose as
a "savior of the world." He will be Antichrist. He is carrying a bow but no arrow. This may
indicate in his early years of rule that he will be well-liked because of his dedication to peace.
Antichrist will eventually become head of the Federated States of Europe working for peace (2
Thess. 2) He will attempt to settle the Arab - Israeli dispute
and initially side with Israel.
Verse 3 - 4
When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”
4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take
peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a
great sword.
The second rider, whose red horse portrays blood shed carries a great sword. The Greek
word used here refers to a short, broad Roman sword or dagger that does not denote
international warfare but revolution and persecution in which people turn on one another. The
Greek word ophazo in the phrase "kill one another" denotes murder by violence.
Verse 5-6
When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I
looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
The third rider pictures famine. The scales he carries denote such scarcity that people must
weigh out essential commodities. The price given suggest highly inflated prices. The
command not to hurt the oil and wine may mean that the drought won't hurt vines and trees
with deep roots. It is also possible that it depicts a time of economic upheaval, during which
the poor struggle to buy life's necessities while the rich still enjoy luxuries. Famine follows
warfare because of unsettled conditions. 1.) It does not permit farming in many areas. 2.)
They discourage farmers from planting for fear a years work will be ruined or stolen by
marauding troops or by a confiscating government. Right now over 10,000 people starve to
death every day.
Verse 7-8
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come
and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was
Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the
earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
This fourth rider represents death. The color of the horse is actually a pale green or yellow
green. This is the horrible hue of sick and dying tissue and it aptly conveys the image of
death. One fourth of the world's population will die. This is more than the population of China
and us combined. The cause of death will be slaughter (2nd rider) hunger (3rd rider),
pestilence or plague and wild beasts. The four horsemen tell us that these four judgements of
G-d will during this period come rapidly upon the earth and they will overspread the earth
swiftly. From headlines today it would appear that the earth is rapidly preparing herself for
judgement.
Verse 9-11 (10 Judgements, 11 promises)
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 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, until You judge and avenge our blood on
those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was
said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow
servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
The fifth seal calls our attention to a scene in heaven. The souls of our attention to a scene in
heaven. The souls of Christian martyrs slaughtered during this time pray that G-d will quickly
punish the wicked who at that moment are powerful on the earth. They are told that they must
wait a little longer and are given white robes as tokens of their blessedness. In 1970 we saw
a sudden interest in our environment. Earth Day April 22, 1970 was set aside to discuss the
issues and the possible solutions. The environmental handbook came out of a UNESCO
Convention and was prepared by Friends of the Earth. This handbook made the following
recommendations: 1.) Nations must be phased out as quickly as possible. 2.) Christianity
bears a huge burden of guilt for ecological problems. 3.) Experimental living groups should
construct their shelters from church windows. There is already a growing animosity toward
the Bible and Christians. Currently politicians are not afraid to stand before the public people
and slander the character of Christian colleges. We see them bad mouthing the Christian
Coalition started by Pat Robison.
Verse 12-13
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold,[e] there was a great earthquake; and the
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon[f] became like blood. 13 And the stars
of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty
wind.
The sixth seal brings about a great earthquake frightful celestial disturbances and the
awareness that the earth is experiencing the wrath of the lamb. We find four catastrophes
occurring. 1.) An Earthquake that is perhaps world wide. 2.) With the sun becoming black
this could possibly indicate an eclipse. 3.) Moon Blood - Red. Some have ventured the
thought that hydrogen explosions could color the atmosphere to make the moon appear blood
red. 4.) Falling stars (meteors).
Verse 14-17 (Judgements of G-d)
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was
moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the
commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves
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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For
the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
The heavens here departing like a scroll must refer to the atmospheric heavens, the clouds
being suddenly rolled away so swiftly and shockingly that men will cry in horror as they stand
exposed before an angry G-d. Modern man sees himself as the king of his destiny and day by
day claims to be more and more the master of nature and the elements. Here at G-d's thunder
the sinners quake. Sinners cringe and know that G-d's anger is behind these seal calamities.
Scientists today acknowledge the fact that the earth's crust moves. Their theory is that
movements in the earth's mantle is causing continental drifts. Scientists have found that Asia
and Africa are splitting apart along a large fault in the center of the Red Sea. Rebellious man
desires to live with G-d and G-d raptures his church, withdraws His restraints upon sin, and
sinful man brings the curses of the ages upon his own head. G-d's patience with sin is not a
sign of weakness. He has borne the evil of the ages not because He was powerless to do
anything about it, but because of a plan to patiently and mercifully give one generation with
another the opportunity to come to repentance.
seals holding back G-d's anger against the forces of evil. A lamb representing weakness and
sacrifice is the One allowed by G-d to unleash the power of G-d's judgement against the
oppressors of the earth. Yet the weakness of G-d's lab is far stronger than the combined
power of His enemies. As the seals are opened, a series of pictures begins to unfold
describing the most terrible and the most wonderful period of time in all of history. It will be
brief: not more than seven years, the 70th week of Daniel 9:27.
Before the tribulation begins I believe the church will be raptured, so I teach pre-tribulation
rapture basing my belief on Romans 5:9 which states the church is to be spared G-d's wrath.
Since the entire seven year Tribulation is a pouring out of G-d's wrath as we will see in Rev. 6:
17, the rapture must remove the church before this pouring out occurs. Gen. 19:22 shows this
principle. Sodom could not be destroyed until Lot was removed. G-d does not change. Matt.
24:21 -22 assures us that G-d is in control of the length of persecutions. He does not forget
his people. I Thess. 4:13-17 describes the catching away of the church.
Moving on a powerful end time political leader will make a seven year treaty with Israel, giving
the nation a sense of security never enjoyed since its rebirth in 1948. The Israelites will re-
establish their religious system. But in the middle of the seven year span he shall bring an
end to sacrifice and offering (Dan. 9:27) and usher in a terrible time of persecution that will last
until Jesus Christ returns. Right now in Israel cattle and sheep are being bred to re-establish
the sacrifice system.
With the opening of the seals, the forces of evil begin to feel the terrible weight of the justice
and judgments of G-d. As Christ breaks each seal a rebellious race is brought face to face
with the consequences of its own choices.
Verse 1 - 2
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals;[a] and I heard one of the four living
creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, 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.
Christ tears away the first seal and the seven year Tribulation Period judgements now begin.
The first judgement that occurs is that Christ allows a man to appear on earth who will pose as
a "savior of the world." He will be Antichrist. He is carrying a bow but no arrow. This may
indicate in his early years of rule that he will be well-liked because of his dedication to peace.
Antichrist will eventually become head of the Federated States of Europe working for peace (2
Thess. 2) He will attempt to settle the Arab - Israeli dispute
and initially side with Israel.
Verse 3 - 4
When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”
4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take
peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a
great sword.
The second rider, whose red horse portrays blood shed carries a great sword. The Greek
word used here refers to a short, broad Roman sword or dagger that does not denote
international warfare but revolution and persecution in which people turn on one another. The
Greek word ophazo in the phrase "kill one another" denotes murder by violence.
Verse 5-6
When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I
looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
The third rider pictures famine. The scales he carries denote such scarcity that people must
weigh out essential commodities. The price given suggest highly inflated prices. The
command not to hurt the oil and wine may mean that the drought won't hurt vines and trees
with deep roots. It is also possible that it depicts a time of economic upheaval, during which
the poor struggle to buy life's necessities while the rich still enjoy luxuries. Famine follows
warfare because of unsettled conditions. 1.) It does not permit farming in many areas. 2.)
They discourage farmers from planting for fear a years work will be ruined or stolen by
marauding troops or by a confiscating government. Right now over 10,000 people starve to
death every day.
Verse 7-8
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come
and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was
Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the
earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
This fourth rider represents death. The color of the horse is actually a pale green or yellow
green. This is the horrible hue of sick and dying tissue and it aptly conveys the image of
death. One fourth of the world's population will die. This is more than the population of China
and us combined. The cause of death will be slaughter (2nd rider) hunger (3rd rider),
pestilence or plague and wild beasts. The four horsemen tell us that these four judgements of
G-d will during this period come rapidly upon the earth and they will overspread the earth
swiftly. From headlines today it would appear that the earth is rapidly preparing herself for
judgement.
Verse 9-11 (10 Judgements, 11 promises)
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 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, until You judge and avenge our blood on
those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was
said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow
servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
The fifth seal calls our attention to a scene in heaven. The souls of our attention to a scene in
heaven. The souls of Christian martyrs slaughtered during this time pray that G-d will quickly
punish the wicked who at that moment are powerful on the earth. They are told that they must
wait a little longer and are given white robes as tokens of their blessedness. In 1970 we saw
a sudden interest in our environment. Earth Day April 22, 1970 was set aside to discuss the
issues and the possible solutions. The environmental handbook came out of a UNESCO
Convention and was prepared by Friends of the Earth. This handbook made the following
recommendations: 1.) Nations must be phased out as quickly as possible. 2.) Christianity
bears a huge burden of guilt for ecological problems. 3.) Experimental living groups should
construct their shelters from church windows. There is already a growing animosity toward
the Bible and Christians. Currently politicians are not afraid to stand before the public people
and slander the character of Christian colleges. We see them bad mouthing the Christian
Coalition started by Pat Robison.
Verse 12-13
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold,[e] there was a great earthquake; and the
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon[f] became like blood. 13 And the stars
of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty
wind.
The sixth seal brings about a great earthquake frightful celestial disturbances and the
awareness that the earth is experiencing the wrath of the lamb. We find four catastrophes
occurring. 1.) An Earthquake that is perhaps world wide. 2.) With the sun becoming black
this could possibly indicate an eclipse. 3.) Moon Blood - Red. Some have ventured the
thought that hydrogen explosions could color the atmosphere to make the moon appear blood
red. 4.) Falling stars (meteors).
Verse 14-17 (Judgements of G-d)
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was
moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the
commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves
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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For
the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
The heavens here departing like a scroll must refer to the atmospheric heavens, the clouds
being suddenly rolled away so swiftly and shockingly that men will cry in horror as they stand
exposed before an angry G-d. Modern man sees himself as the king of his destiny and day by
day claims to be more and more the master of nature and the elements. Here at G-d's thunder
the sinners quake. Sinners cringe and know that G-d's anger is behind these seal calamities.
Scientists today acknowledge the fact that the earth's crust moves. Their theory is that
movements in the earth's mantle is causing continental drifts. Scientists have found that Asia
and Africa are splitting apart along a large fault in the center of the Red Sea. Rebellious man
desires to live with G-d and G-d raptures his church, withdraws His restraints upon sin, and
sinful man brings the curses of the ages upon his own head. G-d's patience with sin is not a
sign of weakness. He has borne the evil of the ages not because He was powerless to do
anything about it, but because of a plan to patiently and mercifully give one generation with
another the opportunity to come to repentance.
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