Revelation 6 Explained

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🌍  THE END TIMES

End Times Timeline

The Great Tribulation

The Antichrist

The Mark of the Beast (666)

Armageddon

The Second Coming of Jesus

Revelation Explained

✝️  THE RAPTURE

What Is the Rapture?

Who Will Be Taken?

When Will the Rapture Happen?

Can You Miss the Rapture?

What Happens After the Rapture?

📖  Revelation 6:1-8

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the 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.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given 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.

In this passage, John describes the first four seals opened by Jesus, the Lamb. They introduce the first major judgments that will strike the earth during the first half of the Tribulation.

The first seal reveals a white horse and its rider, who goes forth conquering. This represents the appearance of the Antichrist, who will seek to establish his power and impose his authority over the nations.

The second seal reveals a red horse. Peace is removed from the earth, and people turn against one another. It represents war, which will develop after the Antichrist establishes his power.

The third seal reveals a black horse carrying a pair of balances. The extremely high prices of wheat and barley reveal a situation of famine and severe food shortages.

Finally, the fourth seal reveals a pale horse whose rider is named Death. War, famine, disease, and other disasters will result in massive loss of life, affecting one fourth of the earth.

These four seals therefore show a dramatic progression: conquest, war, famine, and death. They constitute the first judgments of the Tribulation and prepare the way for the increasingly severe events that will follow.

📖  Revelation 6:12-17

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,

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.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

In this passage, John describes the sixth seal, which introduces extraordinary cosmic disturbances. A great earthquake occurs, the sun becomes black, the moon appears as blood, and the stars fall from heaven. The heavens appear to be rolled up like a scroll, while mountains and islands are moved from their places.

This event takes place during the first half of the Tribulation, following the judgments revealed by the first five seals. These signs show that God's judgments are becoming increasingly visible and terrifying, affecting both humanity and the natural world.

The reaction of the inhabitants of the earth is particularly revealing. Kings, powerful people, the rich, military leaders, slaves, and free people all seek to hide, recognizing that these events are connected with God's judgment. Yet instead of turning to Jesus, they seek to hide from the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

The sixth seal therefore marks a dramatic intensification of God's judgments and reveals that the great day of His wrath has come. It prepares the way for the increasingly severe judgments that will follow during the Tribulation.

📖  Revelation 6:15-17

15 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.

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:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

In this passage, John describes the reaction of every level of society to the terrifying events of the sixth seal. Kings, military leaders, the rich, the powerful, slaves, and free people all seek to hide. No social position, wealth, or human power can protect them from God's judgment.

What is particularly striking is that they recognize that these events are connected with God's judgment and acknowledge the wrath of the Lamb. 

Yet they do not turn to Jesus for salvation. Instead, they seek to hide from His presence, revealing the hardness of the human heart in the face of divine judgment.

This scene takes place during the first half of the Tribulation and shows the increasing intensity of God's judgments. The statement “the great day of his wrath is come” announces a period of increasingly severe judgment that will continue as the Tribulation progresses.

📖  Revelation 6:9-11

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

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.

In this passage, John receives an advance vision of the fifth seal, revealing those who will be killed because of the Word of God and their faithful testimony. He sees them already in God’s presence, asking for justice because of their shed blood. This vision shows beforehand the destiny of those who will remain faithful to God during the Tribulation despite persecution.

This event takes place during the first half of the Tribulation. These people are not part of the Church, because the Church will already have been raptured. They are people who will have turned to Jesus during the Tribulation and will have been killed because of their faith and testimony.

God gives them white robes, symbolizing purity and their belonging to Him, but tells them to wait a little longer. Other people will also have to die for their faith before the number appointed by God is complete.

This passage shows that even after the Rapture of the Church, people will still be able to turn to Jesus. However, their salvation will come at a very high cost: some will have to remain faithful even unto martyrdom. Their testimony shows that they will have chosen to follow and serve Jesus despite persecution and the threat of death.