Then I saw as the aLamb broke one of the bseven 1seals of the scroll initiating the judgments, and I heard one of the cfour living creatures call out as with a dvoice of thunder, “2Come.”A seal, sphragis, could only be broken by the one who has authority over it. In breaking the seals and disclosing God’s judgments, Christ demonstrated His own divine authority over creation.One early ms reads Come and see. Also vv 3, 5, 7.John 1:29; Rev 5:6, 12f; 13:8Rev 5:1Rev 4:6; 5:6, 8, 11, 14Rev 14:2; 19:6 2 I looked, and behold, a 1awhite horse of victory whose rider carried a 2bow; and ba crown of victory was given to him, and he rode forth cconquering and to conquer. Ps 45:4, 5; Zech 1:8; 6:1-8Some interpreters note that the rabbis said that if one sees a white horse in a dream, it is a good sign (Talmud). Jewish believers who heard these words being read in their church (see 1:3) probably would think that the vision indicated Israel would soon be freed from foreign domination. In the Roman world a white horse was a symbol of victory in battle. In this case the peace is deceptive because it will not be lasting. Other interpreters argue that the horseman represents the conquering Christ, as in 19:11.Without an arrow (if arrows are not to be assumed) the bow may symbolize a bloodless victory or conquest.Zech 1:8; 6:3f; Rev 19:11Zech 6:11; Rev 9:7; 14:14; 19:12Rev 3:21
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the asecond living creature call out, “Come.”Rev 4:7 4 And another, aa 1fiery red horse of bloodshed, came out; and its rider was empowered to btake peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword of war and violent death was given to him. Zech 1:8; 6:1-8In contrast to the white horse, the rabbis said that if one saw a red horse walking gently, it was a good sign, but if the horse was galloping, it was a bad sign. It was also said that the man riding the red horse in Zechariah’s vision (Zech 1:8) was a sign that God intended to turn the whole world into blood (Talmud).Zech 1:8; 6:2Matt 10:34
5 When He broke open the third seal, I heard the athird living creature call out, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a bblack horse of famine; and the rider had in his hand a cpair of scales . Zech 6:1-8Rev 4:7Zech 6:2, 6Ezek 4:16 6 And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the afour living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius , and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and bdo not 1damage the oil and the wine.” 2+@Kin 6:25This may be a warning to be very careful handling olive oil and wine, which ordinarily are basic commodities, because famine will make them very expensive. The vision indicates that famine and inflation will take such a toll that a laborer will earn only enough to feed himself with wheat, or to provide barley for a small family. He will have almost nothing left for clothing, shelter, and incidentals.Rev 4:6fRev 7:3; 9:4
7 When He broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the afourth living creature call out, “Come.”Rev 4:7 8 So I looked, and behold, an aashen horse like a corpse, representing death and pestilence; and its rider’s name was bDeath; and cHades was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, dto kill with the sword and with famine and with 1plague and by the wild beasts of the earth. Ezek 14:21; Hos 13:14Or death.Zech 6:3Prov 5:5; Hos 13:14; Matt 11:23; Rev 1:18; 20:13fJer 14:12; 15:2f; 24:10; 29:17f; Ezek 5:12, 17; 14:21; 29:5
9 When He broke open the fifth seal, I saw aunderneath the baltar the csouls of those who had been slaughtered dbecause of the word of God, and because of the etestimony which they had maintained out of loyalty to Christ.Ex 29:12; Lev 4:7; John 16:2Rev 14:18; 16:7Rev 20:4Rev 1:2, 9Rev 12:17 10 They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O aLord, bholy and true, chow long now before You will dsit in judgment and avenge our blood on ethose unregenerate ones who dwell on the earth?” Gen 4:10; Ps 79:10; 94:3; Zech 1:12Zech 1:12Luke 2:29; 2 Pet 2:1Rev 3:7Deut 32:43; Ps 79:10; Luke 18:7; Rev 19:2Rev 3:10 11 Then they were each agiven a white robe; and they were told to brest and wait quietly for a little while longer, cuntil the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be dcompleted.Rev 3:4, 5; 7:92 Thess 1:7; Heb 4:10; Rev 14:13Heb 11:40Acts 20:24; 2 Tim 4:7
12 I looked when He broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great aearthquake; and the bsun became black as 1csackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; Joel 2:10, 31This was a coarse, uncomfortable material usually made of black goat hair and customarily worn as a sign of mourning or repentance.Matt 24:7; Rev 8:5; 11:13; 16:18Is 13:10; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Matt 24:29; Mark 13:24Is 50:3; Matt 11:21 13 and athe stars of the sky fell to the earth, blike a fig tree shedding its late summer figs when shaken by a strong wind. Is 34:4Matt 24:29; Mark 13:25; Rev 8:10; 9:1Is 34:4 14 aThe sky was split separated from the land and rolled up like a scroll, and bevery mountain and island were dislodged and moved out of their places.Is 34:4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 20:11; 21:1Is 54:10; Jer 4:24; Ezek 38:20; Nah 1:5; Rev 16:20 15 Then athe kings of the earth and the great men and the 1military commanders and the wealthy and the strong and everyone, whether slave or free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;Lit chiliarchs, a Greek word literally meaning a ruler (commander) of a thousand men, but used generally of high-ranking military officers.Is 2:10f, 19, 21; 24:21; Rev 19:18 16 and they acalled to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him bwho sits on the throne, and from the righteous cwrath and indignation of the Lamb; Is 2:19-21; Hos 10:8Hos 10:8; Luke 23:30; Rev 9:6Rev 4:9; 5:1Mark 3:5 17 for athe great day of their wrath and vengeance and retribution has come, and bwho is able to face God and stand before the wrath of the Lamb?” Joel 2:11; Mal 3:2; Jude 14; Rev 19:11-16Is 63:4; Jer 30:7; Joel 1:15; 2:1f, 11, 31; Zeph 1:14f; Rev 16:14Ps 76:7; Nah 1:6; Mal 3:2; Luke 21:36