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The Breaking of the Seals
Good afternoon. How many today have ever heard a Pastor or someone else say that we have entered into the end times? I’ve heard it. In fact I have actually wondered this very thing at times. How many here today have had anxiety over whether or not we might be entering into what might be the end times. I know people that really get wrapped up over this. Recently in fact I heard a Pastor state that the COVID vaccine was the mark of the beast. And that anyone who took it is not truly in Christ Jesus. We’re not going to discuss today the mark of the beast, don’t worry we’ll get there, but this statement is complete B.S. In fact this is very similar to a heresy that Paul through men out of the church for committing. The last thing that I want to do is lead people astray or to cause stress or anxiety in a persons life. Look, the persecuted church finds great comfort in reading and studying the book of Revelation. We should as well. But for some reason the western church in particular finds the book quite difficult and a significant source of anxiety for many people. Why? I believe that this is because we have way to much time on our hands to come up with extravagant ideas about what is “really” being said in some of these passages. There are a couple of things that I hope to accomplish today. First is that we come away with a sense of comfort from this book. Second is a much better understanding of what is to be expected in the end times for believers. Finally and most important is that we come away today with a better understanding of who our Jesus, our savior, our kings truly is. Because it is in these truths that we can find comfort no matter what this world, or others, or even ourselves more often not throw at us. So let’s look at the events that will take place prior to the end when Jesus breaks the first six seals.
The first four seals deal with a group of angels. And I suspect that everyone here today has actually heard a common phrase in reference to this group. However, most of us did not realize where this came from. The first four seals are going to release what will seem like many to be hell on earth. And each seal is going to release an angel, and each of these angels is riding a specifically colored horse. For years people have written and popularized the idea of these four angels and they have taken a specific name. Now this name is not found within the Bible. But there reality springs from the scriptures. And today when we look at the first four seals that are broken we are going to see Jesus unleash upon the earth what we today often times call the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
The Four Horsemen
That’s right the four horsemen of the apocalypse are not some imaginary fancy of some maniacal writer concocted to scare us. They are very real angelic beings that Jesus will use to bring men and women into a relationship with Him. This is a very important detail that we must not miss. The purpose of these horsemen is not to simply bring death and destruction to the earth. That is certainly going to happen. But Jesus does so in order to move men and women who have stood apart from him into the Kingdom of God. It is so easy to only see the destructive nature of the book of Revelation. When the true focus is the ultimate culmination of the Kingdom of God here on earth. So always remember that no matter how bad things may seem God is using those means to move the hearts of men and women towards Him.
So, with that in mind let’s look at the first and most interesting of the four horsemen.
The First Horseman
So, let me just say this first we are going to read the first two verses that speak about the first horsemen. I am going to stress some specifics concerning the first horsemen, but I am not going to delve into the identity of the first horseman until we have looked at the other three. So, let’s read the first two verses. Then I will point out the important details without fully explaining them just pointing them out. Then we will discuss the other three horsemen and their very obvious identities. The difficulty is that there is significant disagreement as to the identity of the first horseman. And we will discuss all of that after the other three. Because, I believe, it is easier to identify the first and fully understanding the others.
The first two verses of Revelation read.
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
So these are the really important details to remember. The angel comes forth riding a WHITE horse. The rider has a BOW. The rider wears a CROWN. And the rider has come to CONQUER.
I know at this point most of you are trying to put the pieces together. And so you are going to go backwards through the list. He has come to conquer as a crowned king carrying a bow. He must be the angel of war. Well, let’s look first at the second horseman before we solidify that conclusion.
The details concerning the second horseman are contained in verses three and four which read.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
The Second Horseman
So everyone that I can find identifies the second horseman as the Angel of War. This angel is sent out to bring war to this world. He read a bright red, blood colored horse. The angel is permitted to take peace from this world. And when he does he we stir the hearts of the people to war against one another. And he carries what would have been for the time period the ultimate symbol of war, which was the sword. It was said of warriors during this time period that they lived and died by the sword.
So, the second horseman is sent out into the world to bring war.
The details of the third horseman are contained in verses five and six, which read.
When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be 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 wine!”
This one at first reading for most of us today is a little difficult to identify. So we have a black horse. And its rider holds a scale in his hand. The key to understanding this is the scale combined with the statement that is made.
So a scale is what would have been used to weigh out wheat and barley when sold. During this time period a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley would have fed an adult for a single day. And the voice says that each of these will cost a single denarius. At the time of this writing a single denarius was able to feed the typical family for approximately 5-7 days depending on the size of the family. A single denarius was capable of purchasing thirty quarts of wheat. So what is happening hear is that the price of food as gotten to the point that a days worth of wages are required to feed a single adult for one day. And the average family was about six people. What would drive the price of wheat and barley up so high. Well, essentially there are two events typically within our world that could cause such a price increase. The first is war. Well, we have that in the first Angel. The second is crop failures from weather or some similar event. Both of these will result in significant famine. Starvation will be the result.
The Third Horseman
And so we know the identity of the third horseman to be famine. The third horseman will bring economic ruin to the world that will cause food to be price to the point many people within our world will perish.
Now there’s this interesting phrase however at the end of this that says, “do not harm the oil and wine!” What is the significance of this phrase. Well it would have been only the wealthy areas that would have been able to afford either oil or wine and so these areas will not be affected like the others. So, when this famine breaks out we can expect areas like Africa, the Middle East, South America, and areas in Asia to be hit the hardest. The wealthier nations and people within those nations will be able to survive because of their wealth.
The identity of the fourth horseman is found in verses seven and eight which read.
Revelation 6:7–8 (ESV)
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him.
This is all that we are given concerning the fourth horseman at this point. Now, I stopped part way through verse eight. Because the remainder of the verse clearly identifies the second, third, and fourth horsemen.
This horseman rides a horse that is pale, so it looks sickly. This time we see that the Angel has a name. Which is death. I don’t believe that this is actually the name of the angel but rather that the angel brings death through what is called pestilence. Now what is that. It is an older English word that we don’t use much today. COVID is a pestilence. It is an epidemic that causes widespread death. And so the fourth horseman is called pestilence.
The Fourth Horseman
He will spread sickness and disease that will cause death. This is how the fourth horseman is identified.
Now let’s look at the rest of verse eight for some more important details concerning what these Angels are permitted to do and more information concerning their identities.
The rest of verse eight reads.
Revelation 6:8 (ESV)
And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
We are given a very important detail here concerning the period that precedes the actual seven year tribulation. This is the sign that we will be given that the end is about to come.
These angels are given authority over a fourth of the population of the earth. And they are going to be permitted to kill no more than that number. A quarter of the earth population would be about 1.9 billion people that would have to die. That is a staggering number. Let me help with some perspective. COVID so far has killed approximately 6.5 million people. That’s not even close. 1.9 billion people is nearly 300 times the number of people that COVID took. World War II was the deadliest war to date that our world has experienced. It is estimated that seventy-three million people died as a result of the war. More than fifty million of those deaths were civilians. To our minds that is a staggering reality. Is it not. And yet when the time of the end comes. That number will need to be multiplied by nearly thirty times. Our world has never experienced anything that comes close to the death that will simply be the prelude to the end.
So, I’ve dealt with the number now I need to deal with the last part of the passage. It says they are given authority to kill with and this word with is very important in our passage. Because each with identifies a different Angel. The first one mentioned is with the sword which is the angel of war. The second one mentioned is with famine, and thus the angel of famine, and the third angel is with pestilence and so we have the angel of pestilence. But then the passage concludes with the phrase and by wild beasts of the earth. Why this change? Is the first angel associated with wild beasts of the earth. Is this our clue as to the identity of the first horseman? If so, it’s not a very good clue is it. And if it is why is it last?. The reference to death by wild beasts has nothing to do actually with the direct actions of the angels however. Instead this is a result of a world so devastated by death so quickly that people will be dying of war, famine, and pestilence out in the open and wild beasts will come to finish the job. So, we actually have no reference here to the first horseman.
That would mean that the first horseman must not be sent to bring death as the other three are.
So, who is the first horseman?
The First Horseman
Let’s look back at the verse that contains the details of the first horseman. In verse two we read. So, I don’t mean to frustrate anyone but as we go through each of the details of the first horsemen I am not going to try to use them to bring any identification to the horseman. I first want to describe and understand each element of the horseman separate of each other then we will connect the dots.
And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
So the color of each of the horses is important each representing something specific. So let’s first discuss the color white.
The Color White
One of the most important means of understanding anything in any writings is the idea of context. And so the first thing we should ask is white represented anywhere in our passage that might help identify this rider. It is not. So the we need to essentially zoom out and ask about the book of Revelation.
That changes things quite a bit. In fact we are first going to be specific and ask about a white horse. And sure enough in chapter nineteen we see Jesus return to earth riding a white horse accompanied by the armies of heaven who are all wearing white and riding white horses.
So what about just the color white. Well it’s all over the book of Revelation. Jesus is always seen wearing white. In chapters two and three the faithful who overcome are given white garments. In chapter four the twenty-four elders all wear white. We are about to see here in just a few verses another group is given white robes to wear. We are going to see Jesus appear before all of mankind coming on a white cloud. Finally, in chapter twenty Gods throne is described as being white.
So, everything that is white in the book is somehow associated with Jesus and those who are His.
Now let’s look at the bow.
The Bow
One of things to always remember when reading the book of revelation is that it is filled with Old Testament allusions. The total number of Old Testament allusions found in the book is almost as many verses that are found in the book itself. This is a staggering number of Old Testament allusions. And to properly understand the bow we must look back to the Old Testament. The bow in the old testament held significant meaning. Typically in the Old Testament when you see a reference that connects a bow to God you should see the faithfulness of God to his people. God created this link for us way back in the book of Genesis in chapter nineteen after the flood he says to Noah in verses twelve and thirteen.
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
In Genesis nine we have come to understand this bow as a rainbow. Is that how we should see this reference as a rainbow somehow around the rider. I don’t believe so. I believe that he carries a bow as we typically think of the word initially. Why? Because that is what the Greek word here means. However, we must then understand that reference in light of the understanding that the Old Testament places upon that symbol. Because it is also referenced frequently in the Psalms and in the Psalms it is clearly a reference to a bow and arrow. But in each of those references it is meant to convey Gods faithfulness to his people.
So, this really complicates the idea of the four horseman of the apocalypse doesn’t it. I’m not going to help the idea as we continue either.
Let’s look at the crown.
The Crown
There are no other references to a crown or a diadem here in this chapter but they are found within the book of Revelation. And they are always in reference to either Jesus or His people.
What about the idea of conquering
To Conquer
Ok this is the one that we have no help on essentially in either the passage or directly within the book. However the idea is found all over the book of Revelation. In fact it is found all over every book of the Bible.
One of the primary ideas of the book of Revelation is that Jesus is now bringing His people together as a collected people to represent Him as His nation. Jesus will finally bring together, physically, the Kingdom of God and rule as King.
One of the primary ideas throughout every book of the Bible is the idea that God is calling to himself a nation of kings and priests.
And in order to bring a wayward people back to himself Jesus must conquer the heart of the lost.
Olivet Discourse
In the New Testament there are two passages that are called by the same name. They are found in Mark chapter thirteen and Matthew chapter twenty-four. They may be recordings of the same event with different details, given different authors. Or they may be essentially the same message given two different times. I believe that the first is actually what happened. This passages are what you will often times find called the “Olivet Discourse.” In these passages Jesus speaks concerning the end times.
And there are verses from each book that I believe will actually help us in identifying this first horseman. The horseman is not directly identified in the Olivet Discourse. However, an idea is that I believe are represented by the details of the first horseman.
So in Mark chapter thirteen verse ten Jesus is speaking of the timing of the end times and we read.
And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.
And so we can see that Jesus desires that all nations hear the gospel the truth of who he is before he breaks the seals.
Then in Matthew twenty-four verse fourteen we read similarly.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Ok so one of the details that must be seen here is that for the Kingdom of God to be ushered in the gospel must first go to all the nations. And I want us to understand this word as it was meant here in Matthew twenty-four not as we might be hearing it. Because you see the borders of nations were often times drawn in a manner that cared little for those contained within those borders. And so nations should be understood as people groups and some nations such as India contain numerous different people groups as does China. And until all of those people groups have been reached by the gospel we will wait the return of Christ.
So, who is this first horseman.
The First Horseman
I believe based on everything that is represented in the passage concerning the first horseman that it is an angel that has been commissioned to encourage every believer to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Most Pastors that I know I believe take the easy way out on this question and simply lump the first horseman in with the second. And the two essentially become one. However, then why would Jesus even send this horseman out. I don’t believe that either of them are going to need a backup per se.
I believe that all of the information that is presented here and in the book and within the Old Testament all point to this angel being the proclamation of the coming Christ so that the hearts of many might be conquered and they might become citizens of the Kingdom of God.
We have spent a lot of time on the first four seals. There are still two remaining. I am going to cruise through these because they are much easier to understand and are very different than the first four.
The Fifth Seal
The fifth seal is a cry for judgment.
We read in verse nine.
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 witness they had borne.
Very different than the first four seals, right.
Now John looks and he sees the souls of those who were martyred for their declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In verse ten we read.
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
One of the hardest things for many Christians to understand is that vengeance for the blood of the martyrs is not for Christians to avenge. This is all going to be the work of Christ. And so these martyrs cry out to Jesus for vengeance for their deaths on His behalf.
In verse eleven we read of the response to their desires.
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
It’s not that Jesus wants more Christians to be martyred in order to reach some predetermined number. But rather His desire is that all of mankind who will respond to the Gospel might hear the truth. And so here He is essentially asking for patience.
The Sixth Seal
This then leads us to the sixth seal. Which is a bit more like the first four seals. But, remember that after the sixth seal is broken. Then the seventh will be broken and then the true tribulation will come. All of this is precursor to the end with the plan to increase the Kingdom of God.
And concerning the sixth seal in verse twelve we read.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,
Now remember that there is going to be a lot of poetic language or what is called apocalyptic language to describe these events. So, for instance the moon is not going to become blood. It is going to look like the color of fresh blood however. And the sun is not going to produce light.
Then in verse thirteen we read.
and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
Will the stars actually fall to our feet like fruit? Obviously not. We know scientifically this is not possible. However, like the sun they will go dark. And it is possible that this is accompanied by a meteor shower of some sort. So the appearance is that the stars are falling to earth.
Then in verse fourteen we read.
The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
The sky will not literally vanish. However the sky that we use as a means to light the world around is going to go dark.
The mountains and the islands will not be removed for their places. However with no light to see by they might as well be removed. Because even the most obvious things that we might see before our very eyes will vanish into the darkness.
Can you imagine what it would be like to experience life in the midst of such devastation and upheaval? The death that will be all around us. And then the complete absence of any natural light whatsoever. We will become essentially blind.
The Results
In the next three verses Jesus reveals to us the results of all of this that is simply the prelude of what is yet to come. None of which is shocking. Just that most of us probably did not think upon what it would be like for an unbeliever to experience such destruction.
In verse fifteen we read.
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,
Everyone from the greatest of us to the least of us will be the same before the Lord. There riches their power will make them just like the lowliest of us. And pure fear will grip humanity.
Then in verse sixteen we read.
calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
The first horseman has done his job well. They know the source of the destruction that stands before them. They know that it is the Lamb of God that has wrought this and that the end of time is near.
And what do they do? Rather than running to the Lamb for salvation they hide. This of course is what mankind has always done. We always try to hid our sin from our savior.
Then finally in Revelation seventeen the people cry out.
for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
The end is near and they know it. And yet they choose death rather than life. Who can stand? None can stand. For every knee shall bow before Christ Almighty.
So What?
So what does all of this have to do with us.
There are so many things that I could touch on within this passage. But I had to narrow it down to only two and I believe they are the most important. I had hoped to discuss the idea of martyrdom. Because if the end comes today. Some of us in this room will most likely be called by Christ to die for him. Are we ready? But, I will leave that for another time.
I am going to only touch on two points this morning. The first is one I have spoken on a lot in this series and will continue to throughout the series.
Are we beginning to see what it means that God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign
God holds ALL POWER over ALL THINGS. There is absolutely nothing that happens in this world apart from his will for it to happen. And so if it happens we as believers in Jesus must ask why did Jesus not simply “allow” this to happen. Why did he will this to happen? And the answer is always the same.
Why did Jesus cause that right. Now why did he allow. This is a half-assed statement to excuse God doing something I don’t like. That’s not how God works and it is not how he desires for us to see him. God brings things to this world that are hard to swallow and accept. But he always does so with a plan in mind. I have said why did God allow this or that to happen. And it is somewhat true. Because yes he did allow it to occur. But it is more than that. He is Sovereign over all things. He is the cause of all things. Why then does he allow the extermination of six million Jews? Just as many have died due to COVID so far. What about Nanking? Anyone hear of this area of China before. In the early days of World War II the Japanese invaded China. And they took an area called Nanking and for six weeks the murdered 200,000 men many of them for bayonet practice. During this six week period it is also estimated that the raped somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 women. All in one small province. Why the flooding in Kentucky right now? Monkeypox? Hurricanes? Earthquakes? Why?
This world needs to understand that their desire for control and power is a fantasy. Jesus is all-powerful over all things. And so he often times puts people into positions within their lives that they have no way of exerting any control or power. Why? So that they might see and turn to the one who is in control. You might want to ask the unfortunate question. Would God cause the death of one or two or even 72 million as he did in world war II to point us to himself? He offered his only begotten son on a cross that you might find forgiveness and life eternal. His own son. Oh wait. The Bible ascribes the cause of Jesus death as the wrath of God that is poured out upon him. Not the cross. That was simply the place that he died. Not the cause of his death.
This is not an easy passage. It contains within a lot of hard truths to accept. But we must accept them as true.
How do we then respond?
Our Response
Those who do not know God will always run and hide from his judgment. We see this at the end of this passage. It is also true every day in every persons life today. We all want to hide from the righteousness of Jesus rather than standing in the full brilliance of the Son and allowing him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I’m no different than you are in this regard. We must allow Jesus to cleanse us. We do this through the washing of the word every time we open the Bible and read.
Finally, we must begin to see the desperate need of those around us who are not a part of the Kingdom of God. The life that we live is said to be like a vapor. Here today and gone in an instant. Some will live what we consider long lives and others will not. God is sovereign over the date and time. We are not. We must see this truth in everyone around us. And if we fail to open our mouths and speak the Gospel we have in essence condemned them to hell. Listen, I am not speaking this way in order to try and guilt you into sharing Jesus.
I am simply speaking plainly as Jesus has in our passage. If the end comes tomorrow one in four in this room should expect to die. Hard to hear isn’t it. One in four. None of us will escape the impact that this would have. Most all of us were impacted by someone who was either terribly sick or died due to covid over the last two years. And it was nothing compared to what is coming. And look how our world responded in fear. They know nothing of the fear that will one day be felt. Unless. Unless we share Jesus. This is the great commission that all of us have been given. We shouldn’t need an angel to come and to encourage us to share the greatest thing that ever happened to any of us with those who are perishing apart from Christ.
We should leave here today with the idea that Jesus is the only thing in this world that truly matters. Because everything else is passing away.
Amen.
Amen.
Let us pray