Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 150th episode. In this episode I want to return to our study of the book of Revelation. We are in chapter 6. This chapter shows us Christ opening six of the seven seals which were found on the scroll that was held in the right hand of God. As soon as the sealed book was given to Christ by the Father, Jesus immediately broke the seals and published the contents. What you’ll notice about this chapter is that it is very cryptic. It’s hard to understand precisely what John saw but it probably had something to do with judgments against the wicked. John’s visions in the previous chapters were difficult to understand but this chapter increases the difficulty. When you read hard-to-understand passages in the Bible, your goal is not so much to comprehend it as it is to let it speak to you. Each time you read it you’ll probably gain little bits of insight here and there. Think of it like dipping into the ocean rather than trying to scour and fathom the depths of the seafloor.
The prophecies in Revelation are divided into seven seals opened, seven trumpets sounding, and seven vials poured out. Some scholars think the opening of the seven seals refers to the church in the first three centuries. So this would be the three hundred years from the time Jesus ascended to Heaven until the reign of Constantine. The sealed book in this chapter is opened progressively. Each seal leads to the next seal as Christ opens them. We’re not given a clear description of what’s written in the book but only what John saw. His vision is enigmatic and hieroglyphic. This profound symbolism makes the passage difficult to interpret authoritatively. We can infer some things, but I think it’s unwise to claim we have a finalized knowledge of God’s divine plan. This chapter is going to show Christ opening six of the seven seals and John’s vision of the events which attend them. Let’s begin with verses 1-2:
Rev 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.
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
John saw Jesus break the first seal and commence with the purposes of God toward all of humanity. One of the four living creatures called out to John with a voice like thunder and beckoned him to come near and see. Remember it’s possible the four creatures represent the ministers of the church while the twenty four elders represent the congregation of faithful humanity. The vision brought on by the first seal was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ riding on a white horse. White horses were generally avoided for riding into battle because they made the rider appear easily as a target for the enemy. But in this vision Jesus rode a white horse because His victory was already secured. The white horse represents the purity of the gospel and the fact so many people avoided white horses for battle represents how the gospel is greatly despised by much of humanity. Nonetheless the gospel of Christ cuts through the world with great swiftness and is clearly visible to all who choose to look.
You’ll notice Christ carried a bow and arrow as He rode upon the white horse. The arrows symbolize the sharp convictions inspired by the word of God. The spoken word of God impacts the hearts of sinners at a great distance as if they were shot with a bow. It’s the job of every minister to draw this bow faithfully and allow God to direct the arrows as He sees fit. It’s not always obvious how God uses His word to impact those around us. There are times when you will fundamentally change someone’s life and that person will never tell you about it. But you can be certain each time you faithfully preach the gospel the words of God will never return void. That’s one of the reasons it’s vital to hold close to Scripture in all that you teach. Your own ideas and your own thoughts are not guaranteed to resonate, but the word of God will always hit its mark.
See also how Christ on the white horse was wearing a crown. The crown symbolizes how all who receive the gospel must also receive Christ as their king. Faith in Christ means both fidelity and obedience. Jesus wants to give you your best life, but humanity often defies God because they think doing so will lead to a better life. Can you see into the future? Are you willing to measure your own intelligence against the omniscient wisdom of God Himself? Because that’s what you’re doing each time you disobey His commands and depart from His path in favor of your own. You already know God works all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. You also know that God knows everything. So in order to live your best life it’s only logical for you to humbly submit to His will for you and to be obedient to the best of your ability. The crown also represents the certainty of Christ’s victory. The battle is already won. Soldiers who aren’t already certain of their victory don’t wear crowns into battle – they wear helmets. Christ wears a crown because He will be glorified in the success of the gospel.
Jesus Christ is the conquering king. This idea references His final and eternal victory over sin and death, but it also refers to the continuous victories He has in each generation. Humanity has been trying to snuff out the church for thousands of years. Each new generation brings a fresh batch of men and women who oppose God and seek to limit the expansion of His kingdom on earth. But in each generation Christ proves victorious and the church extends beyond the lives of God’s enemies. The victories of the church throughout history serve as evidence of the future victories of Jesus Christ. Another level of analysis by which to see Christ’s victories is in the hearts of His people. Those who follow Christ were once enslaved by their own sin. But through the power of the Holy Spirit Christ conquers the sins inside your heart and releases you from their bondage so that you may walk in freedom in His grace. Throughout your entire life Christ will continue to conquer your sins so long as you remain faithful to Him. This process is called sanctification and Christ will continue this battle until you are fully glorified in heaven.
Any and all people who orient themselves against Jesus will be conquered by Him. The successful progress of the gospel in this world is terrifying for God’s enemies and wonderful for His friends. The understanding that Christ’s kingdom will transcend all revolutions of governments and outlast all collapses of empires should bring peace which goes beyond comprehension into the hearts of the faithful. The kingdom of Jesus Christ will be established and enlarged despite any opposition the world throws at it. God tends to present humanity with opportunities to repent before leveling a judgment. He sends prophets to warn societies of impending doom should they refuse to change their path. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached for 2,000 years as the precious opportunity for salvation before the final judgment. The work of Jesus is progressive in the sense that it takes time to move to completion. Sanctification doesn’t happen overnight and the calling of the faithful by the preaching of the gospel is accomplished according to God’s perfect will and His own perfect timing. We should be urgent in the way we live and in the way we seek to guide the lost, but we should be aware that all of this is in God’s hands and not to be rushed by our own impatience. Let’s read verses 3-8:
Rev 6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4 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 unto him a great sword.
Rev 6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Rev 6:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8 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 unto 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.
This passage shows us what happens when Christ opens the next three seals. It is a scene of devastating judgment targeted against those who reject the gospel. We often think it’s harsh for God to bring judgment against anyone let alone those who defy Him. But these emotions come from a misapprehension about the natural condition of humanity. We tend to think most people are good with or without God. But this is only because our generation and the generations nearest to us have been raised in the context of Judeo-Christian society. A huge amount of people in the western world conduct themselves in accordance with God’s law without realizing it. That’s why we think so many people are good. The truth about humanity is something quite different. Humanity (when it is devoid of God) is cruel, evil, and sadistic. It’s possible – as has been proven by history – that entire populations of people can fall into collective psychosis and produce living conditions approximating hell on earth. The truth is all of us have fallen short of the glory of God and all of us deserve judgment, but Christ sacrificed Himself so that we might be saved from such a fate. The people who reject this salvation are the same people who reject the Holy Spirit in their hearts and give themselves over to evil.
The opening of the second seal brings forth a red horse. The red horse represents God’s judgment of war. When enough people turn away from God war inevitably breaks out. War, in so many ways, is the opposite of the second part of the great commandment. War is the opposite of loving your neighbor as you love yourself. It’s not clear who was seated on the red horse, but whoever it was had power to take peace from the earth. A peaceful order is one of the greatest blessings which comes from a society whose population walks with God. When enough people are unified under God the established order tends toward peace. One practical reason for this is that everyone agrees on an overarching grand narrative of life and existence. But if you strip away this grand narrative then all you have is empty space where mobs of people fight one another to make their own story the one which is ascendant. These battles over why we’re here, where we come from, and how we should act are manifested in the ancient world as battles between the gods in polytheistic religions. A modern example is the enmity which exists between Muslims and Christians. Muslims have a narrative about life which they believe to be true. Christians have one as well. The conflict between these narratives makes it rather difficult for the two groups to live peacefully among each other.
For decades the enlightenment answer to these conflicts was to have no religion at all. But more and more we’re seeing that’s not possible for humanity at large. Out of the vacuum of secularism a woke religion has been born which boasts adherents every bit as fanatical as the cults of old. Human beings are designed to think in narrative and we cannot escape this fact. The story we tell ourselves informs our values and our values determine what we see when we look at the world. We two populations of people adopt radically different values they begin to see two different worlds. This makes reason and conversation between the groups much more difficult and the breakdown of conversation leads directly to violence and war. That process is represented in this passage by the red horse riding into the world to take peace from the earth.
When Christ opened the third seal a black horse rode forth. The black horse represents famine. Undoubtedly terrible judgments like famines often follow wars. The rider of the black horse had a pair of balances in his hand. This was symbolism for how men and women must carefully ration their food during times of poverty. As far back as the book of Leviticus God warned His people they would have to measure out their bread because of famine should they choose to turn from Him. The vision of the black horse suggests those who suffer under this judgment would be paying a high amount of money for a small amount of food. That means the poor would be hurt the most by the famine. You can see how a population suffers when they deprive themselves of spiritual nourishment – eventually their spiritual starvation turns into physical starvation. The judgment of famine followed the judgment of war and it’s often the case that one judgment follows another. The reason this happens is because the people refuse to wake up after the first judgment. The first judgment itself would never occur if only the people would listen to God’s warnings and turn back from their sins. Once God proceeds in judgment over a society you can be certain He will continually judge them until they either repent or collapse. Every time God chooses to contend with a people He always prevails.
John was commanded to observe the opening of the fourth seal as well. When Christ opened the fourth seal a pale horse appeared and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with Him. Death is the king of terrors. Death is the thing which none of us can escape and none of us understand. After the famine death rode through the nations making new conquests every hour. Hell follows death for all who reject Jesus and die in their own sins. It is a state of eternal misery which many fall into when death takes hold of a society. You can notice the causal connection between each judgment. War is a wasteful disaster which ushers in all manner of scarcity. Scarcity and starvation force humanity to seek for sustenance where there is nothing but disease. Pestilence ravages the people when they can’t get enough to eat and find themselves living in deplorable conditions. That’s what reality looks like when enough of us choose to walk away from God. The truth about humanity is we don’t know what we’re doing and we’re bent toward evil. God is constantly at work guiding us and warning us so we may not have to sleep in the horrible bed we make.
God will never run out of ways to punish the wicked and steer us away from destruction. He has prepared judgments for those who embrace evil and mercy for those who embrace Him. When we embrace God we also embrace love. God has mercy on returning sinners. This means you might have made some really terrible mistakes and you might have made some very evil decisions in your life – but God has mercy stored up for you if only you will go to Him and receive it. Scripture is full of terrifying warnings for those who are wicked but it’s also full of beautiful promises for those who are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. As followers of Christ it is our job to believe both the warnings and the promises.
War, famine, and death represent the judgments described in this chapter. Notice how it says God gave power to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. When chaos breaks out it’s tempting for us to think God has withdrawn and allowed us to destroy ourselves. But that’s not what Revelation indicates. Revelation tells us that these judgments can only take place when God empowers them to take place. Also they can advance no further than God permits them to. The obvious question is why does He permit them at all? The answer involves the fact that God is primarily concerned with the condition of your eternal soul – not your temporal life. God does want you to have a good life and all good things are provided by God. But God is not going to allow you to have a good life if that means losing your own soul. If you’re contributing to a society which is in decline and separating from God, you can be certain you’re going to get wrapped up in the judgment meant to shock the nation into a spirit of repentance. It’s like when a person goes in for surgery. The idea of a doctor putting someone under and cutting them open with a knife seems horrific – but once you realize the surgery was necessary to save the persons life you see that it was in fact a good thing. Judgment is like surgery meant to excise the cancer of sin before it causes eternal destruction.
John saw the beasts of the earth as one of God’s judgments which followed war, famine, and death. This could mean so many people had died that the wilderness began to creep back in on civilization. There are a lot of monsters out there that would love to eat you. We’re able to live day-to-day without even thinking about these predators because of the safe walls of civilization. But would that be the case if we lost so many people that the walls began to crumble and fall down? The beasts of the earth might also be referring to savage people who have long divested themselves from civilization. There are gangs and tribes all throughout the earth who commit heinous crimes without losing a minute of sleep over it. What would these monsters do if they knew law enforcement wasn’t answering calls anymore? What would they do if God’s judgments broke the infrastructure of peaceful stability and all that remained was chaos? It’s not a pleasant topic to think about which is why it’s so necessary to abide in God’s word and stay faithful to Jesus Christ. Let’s read verses 9-17:
Rev 6:9 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:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
It’s interesting how for the opening of the fifth seal no one called John to come and observe it. He observed it, yes, but no one called out to him. The first four seals were brought to John’s attention by the four living creatures who represent the ministers of the church – so maybe the events of the fifth seal lay beyond the purview of what the church is able to see right now. It could also be the case that the fifth seal didn’t represent a prophetic event at all. Maybe the contents of the fifth seal are described for the encouragement and consolation of those who suffer for their faith. When the fifth seal was opened the first thing John saw were the souls of people who had been slain for the word of God and for their testimony of Him. These were the souls of martyrs.
Notice how the souls of the martyrs were located under the altar. John saw the souls in heaven residing in the most holy place. He saw these souls at the foot of Christ. If you’re being persecuted for your faith you should take heart in knowing your persecutors can go no further than killing your body. Your soul will live on in heaven completely outside of their reach. Death always feels unfair and this violation can be particularly brutal when a person is murdered. But we can rest in the knowledge that God has provided a good place in a far better world for those who are no longer allowed a place on earth. We see in this vision that Christ keeps the holy martyrs very close to Himself. In fact, those who die for their faith are given one of the highest places in heaven. You might wonder how being killed for your faith could somehow make you better than any other Christian. The truth is it doesn’t. It’s not the martyr’s own death which gives them great reception and reward in heaven – it’s the death of Jesus Christ. The martyrs aren’t any more righteous than you or me. The martyrs are clothed in the righteousness of Christ just like you and me are. The only difference is how martyrdom is one of the highest expressions of faith. There are many faithful Christians who will go to heaven when they pass away – but there are very, very few Christians who are willing to die for their faith. The martyrs in John’s vision were those who believed the word of God and professed their faith without wavering under persecution. Laying down your life for your faith in God’s word is the most noble cause any person can hope to achieve but it takes a tremendous amount of faith.
The souls of the martyrs cried out to God from their place in heaven and asked Him how long He would wait to avenge their deaths and bring justice to their enemies. Anyone who’s suffered from a crime understands the pain associated with waiting and fearing an ultimate miscarriage of justice. Wishing God would hurry up might be one of the most common prayers in human history. But notice how even when His dearest martyrs beg for Him to delay no longer He still remains unmoved from His plan. God works on His own timing and there’s nothing we can do to rush Him along. Observe how even the glorified souls of people who have passed on into heaven still retain some measure of distaste for evil and sin. This means in our perfected, divine condition we will still hate sin. The martyrs in heaven wanted to see their enemies pay the price for their attempted slights against the honor of God. Of course, God reserves vengeance for Himself because He alone is wise enough to deploy it perfectly. God has perfect wisdom which means He can punish the sin of persecution even while pardoning and saving the persecutors themselves should they repent. The martyrs understood this because they didn’t seek the opportunity to avenge themselves – rather they were eager for God to carry out His vengeance for them. There is great joy in heaven when even one sinner turns from his or her ways and gives him or herself to Jesus. But there is also great joy among the heavenly souls when those who have chosen irredeemable evil are destroyed by the hand of God. Sooner or later justice will be served.
God didn’t react negatively or harshly to the impatience of the martyrs. He was compassionate, understanding, and kind. He gave them white robes which symbolized victory and honor. He gave them happiness the measure of which was more than enough to be recompense for their past suffering. When you arrive in heaven you will be so captivated by joy that the bitterness will be gone from you – there will be no more tears. God told the martyrs to rest easy because it wouldn’t be long until the fate of their fellows was complete. One of the mysterious truths about God is that He has made some number of Christians with the express purpose of turning them into witnesses of the gospel by way of their deaths. God has appointed some sheep for the slaughter and He knows who these Christians are. God told the martyrs they must wait until the fate of their fellow-servants was complete. This is in reference to the sin of the persecutors. God tends to wait until the sin of a society has reached critical mass before bringing vengeance down upon them. This is why I always tell people if the nation is not yet experiencing God’s judgment then it’s not too late for repentance and restoration. But when the tipping point is crossed, the persecutors will be repaid with tribulation and the persecuted will receive eternal rest.
Next we see Christ open the sixth seal which is followed by a cascade of changes. There are different ways of reading this and some think it refers to the fall of paganism during the reign of Constantine. But I think a better reading is to say it points to the destruction of Jerusalem as emblematic of general judgment as well as to the destruction of evil people at the end of the world. This description matches quite nicely with the signs mentioned by Christ in His foretelling of the end of the world.
John did his best to describe the events he saw unfold when the sixth seal was opened. You can read this passage literally if you wish, but I think there’s value in understanding it as political allegory. The great earthquake represents political upheaval by which the very foundations of society are terribly shaken even though they always appeared to be on stable ground. The total solar eclipse may suggest the downfall of presidents, kings, and chief rulers of the land. The moon becoming as blood might be the military – once believed untouchable – being torn apart by the forces of chaos. The stars of heaven falling to the earth could mean celebrities and notable people being unable to escape the desolation. The heavens departing like a scroll when it is rolled together might show us the end of open influence from the churches. Instead of huge crowds meeting in mega churches to hear the gospel, perhaps church is driven underground where Christians must worship in their own homes or out of sight. If a global superpower faces judgment like this the entire rest of the world will be put on notice. All will see there are none too powerful to resist the holy justice of God.
A judgment of this magnitude would impact everyone. No amount of money, fame, or authority would be able to protect people from it. When wicked people face this kind of judgment they will be astonished with sheer terror. Desperation will take hold and they will beg the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of God. They will refuse to repent but they will also wish for their own existence to end. Every injustice, every act of cruelty carried out by evil people who fancied themselves hidden from God, will sense the wrath in His holy eyes and fear will overcome them. The wrath of Christ is the wrath of the Father. They are so entirely unified that what displeases one also displeases the other. Jesus Christ is our Savior who Himself appeased the holy justice of God. But if we reject our Savior and challenge Him to be our wrathful enemy – who will we turn to for salvation? All of us are living through our only opportunity to accept God’s grace. Every day humanity commits heinous acts of evil the likes of which deserve the blazing fury of God’s judgment. But out of His infinite love He has restrained His hand for the time being so that we might come to Him and live. But there is a day coming for each one of us when that opportunity will be over. There is a day coming for all of humanity when God’s graceful stance will be complete. On that day even the most hardened sinners will melt in the presence of the Conquering King.
But like the martyrs, the faithful in Christ should not fear this day, they should yearn for it. God’s all-encompassing final judgment means nothing is outside the will of His control. In an ultimate sense it doesn’t matter if humanity makes terrible mistakes causing our societies to become chaotic and wicked. Because God is watching and God waiting. He will have His vengeance on unrepentant evil and He will ride forth to put away death and suffering for all eternity. If you love God, understand that He loves you too and indeed He loved you first. He will do exactly what He intends to in order to bring you home into the perfection He has prepared for you. For now you must hold fast, and for all of eternity you shall have peace.
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