In Revelation 6 we get six seals of judgment broken by the Lamb. They are evidently providential judgments, the like of which the world has often witnessed, but with this difference, that these are distinctly set forth as the beginning of the end; that is to say, that God uses them towards the fulfillment of His own will in preparing the earth for Christ's reign.
The First Seal is simple of explanation. A white horse, a rider with a bow, a crown given him, describe the seal. The rider on the horse goes forth conquering and to conquer. This evidently refers to some sudden outbreak of war, which quickly reaches its objectives with little expenditure of blood. The white horse bespeaks the easy bloodless conquests made; the bow the distant objectives that are reached; the crown the success attained.
The Second Seal presents to us a red horse and a great sword given to its rider. Red is the sanguinary color, bespeaking immense slaughter, whilst the great sword in contrast to the bow symbolizes near conflict, emphasizing the thought of great bloodshed. Note, it is not only a sword, but a great sword.
The Third Seal gives us the black horse and the pair of balances in his hand. This speaks of the usual outcome of a sanguinary war, namely, famine. Note the necessities of the poor—wheat and barley—are at prohibitive prices, whilst the luxuries of the rich—the oil and wine—are untouched.
The Fourth Seal presents to us the pale horse. The name of the rider is given—death—and hades follows him. They had power to kill with the sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth—the four sore judgments of Ezekiel 14:2121For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Ezekiel 14:21). How terrible is the scene! How the wild beasts speak of the utter destruction of the cultivation of the countries affected. Note, we are distinctly told here that one-fourth part of the earth is affected. Revelation 12:3-43And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:3‑4) shows that the Roman earth is designated as the one-third, so that one-fourth speaks of a more restricted area. God would endeavor to reach men by His hand in government. If they will not hear, His judgment becomes both more extensive and intensive, as we shall see.
The Fifth Seal is not the signal for a fresh outburst of providential judgment, but is the occasion for the description of those who are martyred during the succession of the previous seals. Evidently with the Church in glory, and the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit withdrawn from the earth, coupled with the fearful condition of things occasioned by all the bloodshed, famine, and pestilence resulting from the previous seals, persecution marks the period.
With the Church in glory, and this present dispensation of grace closed by the Rapture, the saints in view are evidently those who come into blessing as the result of the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. They are earthly saints, but evidently, standing true to their testimony, are martyred.
They cry for righteous judgment on their foes, a prayer not in keeping with this dispensation, but perfectly in accord with theirs. White robes of victory are given them, and they are bidden to rest till the roll of martyrs shall be complete.
The Sixth Seal is the logical outcome of the previous seals. War, bloodshed, famine, pestilence, fearful conditions of life, lead to great political upheaval. The great earthquake speaks of a mighty convulsion of ordered society. Anarchy will sweep all before it. The sun becoming black as sackcloth of hair symbolizes dethronement of supreme power. The moon becoming as blood speaks of derived authority sharing in the catastrophe that overtakes supreme authority.
The vigorous language of the prophet, describing the heaven departing as a scroll, and every mountain and island being moved out of their places, is descriptive of the most awful and universal shattering of society that has ever been known: only throwing into still blacker relief the terrible circumstances of the previous seals that could have led up to such a fearful climax
The great men of the earth call on the rocks to hide them, and in their terror recognize the hand of God in these providential happenings, and wrongly imagine that the great day of the wrath of the Lamb has come.
It has been thought by some students of prophecy that the sixth seal gives us the appearing of the Lord Jesus with the saints as seen in Matthew 24 But a little reflection should show that this cannot be. The seventh seal, following the sixth seal with its catastrophic terrors, unlooses the seven trumpet judgments, more severe and more terrible than the seal judgments. Now if the sixth seal introduced the return of Christ in power to this world, instead of judgment succeeding judgment we should have the blessed and peaceful Millennium set up.