The Bible — World English Bible
Revelation 6
In brief
Revelation 6 tells of the opening of the first six seals by the Lamb. The first four release four horsemen: a white horse, a red one, a black one and a pale one, images of conquest, war, famine and death. The fifth seal shows the martyrs crying out to God, and the sixth a cosmic upheaval before which the powerful hide. The chapter stresses one point: it is the Lamb who opens the seals. Christians read these visions in different ways, but all see God as master of history.
The chapter in 6 parts
1I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!”
2And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
3When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”
4Another came out: a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.
5When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.
6I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”
7When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!”
8And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.
10They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course.
12I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
13The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind.
14The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.
16They told the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
17for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
Key verses
I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!”
It is the Lamb who opens the seal. From the start of the chapter, the events that follow are not out of control: the one who was slain keeps his hand on history.
And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
The rider on the white horse is debated. Some see Christ or the advance of the gospel, others a false messiah or a power of conquest. The context of the next three horsemen often favors the second reading.
And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.
The fourth horseman is named Death, and Hades follows him. His power is limited to a part of the earth: even here, a limit is set.
They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
The martyrs ask God how long he will delay in bringing justice. Their cry shows that faith can question God without ceasing to belong to him.
for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
The question that closes the chapter, who can stand, calls for the answer of chapter 7: those whom God keeps, who stand before him.
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Frequently asked questions about Revelation 6
What do the four horsemen of the Apocalypse represent?
The white horse, the red, the black and the pale stand for conquest, war, famine and death. Many see them as plagues that affect humanity until the end of time, others as judgments of a specific period. All stress that the Lamb opens the seals.
Who is the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:2?
Christians do not agree. Some think of Christ or the victory of the gospel, others of the antichrist or a spirit of conquest, because the next three horsemen bring war, famine and death. The text does not name him, so we should stay cautious.
What does the sixth seal mean in Revelation 6:12-17?
The sixth seal describes an earthquake, a blackened sun and falling stars, then people of every condition hiding from the wrath of the Lamb. This language announces the day of God's judgment. The powerful find no refuge there.
Articles quoting Revelation 6
World English Bible translation — public domain.