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Revelation
Chapter Six
I.
Content of the Chapter
Opening the Seal from the First to
the Sixth
II. Opening the second seal (v. 3-4)----He who sat on a
fiery red horse.
III. Opening the third seal (v.5-6)----He who sat on a
black horse.
IV. Opening the fourth seal (v.7-8)----He who sat on a
pale horse.
V. Opening the fifth seal (v.9-11)----the souls of
those who had been slain cried for righting a wrong.
VI. Opening the sixth seal (v.12-17)----there was a
great earthquake and the host of heaven changed.
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Rev. 6:1 “Now I saw when the Lamb
opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying
with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’”
YLT: “And I saw when the
Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures
saying, as it were a voice of thunder, `Come and behold!'”
Meaning of Words: “open”: open up,
uncover, reveal; “thunder”: a voice of thunder.
Literal Meaning: “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals;” there are two explanations for the time
that the Lamb opened the first four seals: 1) it began after Christ was raised
and taken up into heaven. 2) The Lamb opened the seals in heaven, however, the reality
on the earth began till the beginning of the last seven years and the first
four seals were carried out at the same time.
“And
I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder,” the first four seals were related to the
life and death of men in all creatures and therefore the four living creatures
declared the opening of the first four seals one by one.
“‘Come
and see.’” In the original,
there is only the word “come” or “go”.
Rev. 6:2 “And I looked, and behold,
a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he
went out conquering and to conquer.”
YLT: “and I saw, and lo,
a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a bow, and there was
given to him a crown, and he went forth overcoming, and that he may overcome.”
Meaning of Words: “look”: look round.
Literal Meaning: “And I looked, and behold, a white horse.” “White” from the positive aspect, it means
spotless white and lovable. However, in the reverse side, it is a color easy to
cause illusion. If “horse” is used in the battlefield, it represents the force
of invasion, however, if it is used in competition, it represents the power of
rushing on to be the first.
“He
who sat on it had a bow;” “He who sat on it”
the four ones who sat on the horse were not real men but personification of
various expressions. “Having a bow”, however, there isn’t an arrow, showing
that: 1) it makes a show of strength and it is not fearful; 2) the arrow has
been shot and the foundation of victory has been laid.
“And
a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” “Crown” represents authority and glory.
“Conquering” refers to being invincible and all-conquering everywhere.
Spiritual Meaning: “a white horse. He who sat
on it…” “White”
represents brightness, righteousness, purity and being lovable. “He who sat on
it” there are two reasonable explanations:
II. It symbolizes the gospel and the reasons are as
follows: A. the four ones who sat on horses all symbolize things instead of
real men. B. sitting on the horse implies the competition with each other.
Since the Lord Jesus was raised and taken up into heaven, the four
things----the gospel, wars, famines and death carry on continually. C. having a
bow without an arrow shows that the arrow has been shot and the gospel has gone
deep into the hearts of men. D.
A crown was given to him----the gospel has been crowned with “the glorious
gospel of Christ” (See 2Cor. 4:4). E. he went out conquering and to conquer----the gospel is invincible and
all-conquering.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus said that take heed that no one
deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ, and
will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5).
2) The Lord Jesus also said that, this gospel of
the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations,
and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14).
3) Whether he who sat on the horse symbolizes the
false Christ or the gospel, believers should watch and prepare ourselves----not
be deceived by the devil on the negative aspect and preach the gospel more and
gain men for the Lord on the positive aspect.
Rev. 6:3 “When He opened the second
seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come
and see.’”
YLT: “and I saw, and lo,
a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a bow, and there was
given to him a crown, and he went forth overcoming, and that he may overcome.”
Literal Meaning: please see the notes
in v.1
Rev. 6:4 “Another horse, fiery red,
went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the
earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a
great sword.”
YLT: “and there went
forth another horse -- red, and to him who is sitting upon it, there was given
to him to take the peace from the land, and that one another they may slay, and
there was given to him a great sword.”
Meaning of Words: “fiery red”:
flame-colored; “take”: catch, get; “kill”: slay.
Literal Meaning: “Another horse, fiery red, went out.” “Fiery red” is the color of blood.
“And
it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another;” “the one who sat on it” according to this
verse, it obviously represents bloodshed and wars (See Matt. 24:7). “Taking
peace from the earth” war is opposite to peace and if there are wars, there
won’t be peace. “Killing one another” the feature of war is conquering the
other part by killing men.
“And
there was given to him a great sword.”
“A great sword” is the weapon used in the war.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus said that you will hear of wars
and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom (See Matt. 24:6-7).
2) The so-called world peace movement is the dream
far away from the reality and we should not take it seriously. The United
Nations have been founded for many years and the fact proves that the world is
not at peace one day on the earth.
Rev. 6:5 “When He opened the third
seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come
and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a
black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.”
YLT: “And when he opened
the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, `Come and behold!'
and I saw, and lo, a black horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a
balance in his hand,”
Meaning of Words: “a pair of scales”:
a balance with two scales.
Literal Meaning: “When He opened the third seal, I heard the third
living creature say, ‘Come and see.’” Please see the notes in v.1
“So
I looked, and behold, a black horse,”
“black” represents badness. In the Bible “being black” is used to describe the
condition that men suffer famine (See Jer. 14:1-4) and “black” is also used to
describe the color of men’s face and skin when they are hungry (See Lam. 4:8-9;
5:9-10).
“And
he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.” “He who sat on it” symbolizes famine from this
verse (See Matt. 24:7). “A pair of scales” is used to weigh precious things and
it shows that grain becomes precious because of its shortage.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) War brings about famine. Where there is war,
there will be famine.
2) The trend of this world becomes more and more
miserable and it shows that there must be the fundamental reformation----the
old heaven and the old earth shall be passed away and the hope of men and every
creature lies in a new heaven and a new earth.
Rev. 6:6 “And I heard 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 the wine.’”
YLT: “and I heard a voice
in the midst of the four living creatures saying, `A measure of wheat for a
denary, and three measures of barley for a denary,' and `The oil and the wine
thou mayest not injure.'”
Meaning of Words: “harm”: do wrong,
injure.
Literal Meaning: “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four
living creatures saying,” it means that he
was not certain who was speaking.
“‘A
quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius;” “a denarius” is the name of the Roman
silver coins and it is equal to one’s pay one day at that time. “A quart” is
the unit of measurement. It is about a quarter of one gallon and it is equal to
one’s ration one day. “Wheat” is the food of the poor.
“And
do not harm the oil and the wine.’”
“The oil and the wine” is produced by grain. Since there is the shortage of
grain, the oil and the wine must be rarer. “Do not harm” means that men have to
cherish them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In the wealthy countries and families, men
always waste God's good gifts recklessly and do not know that they are not
easily won. We believers should cherish the blessing of the Lord more and bear
in mind the interest of others more.
2) This verse is the best annotation to “in the
sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Gen. 3:19) and therefore in the final
analysis, the disaster of men originates in sin (See Gen. 3:17)----men desire
to eat but they cannot because they had coveted a bite of the thing that they
should not eat.
Rev. 6:7 “When He opened the fourth
seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’”
YLT: “And when he opened
the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, `Come
and behold!'”
Literal Meaning: please see the note
in v.1
Rev. 6:8 “So I looked, and behold,
a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed
with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with
sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”
YLT: “and I saw, and lo,
a pale horse, and he who is sitting upon him -- his name is Death, and Hades
doth follow with him, and there was given to them authority to kill, (over the
fourth part of the land,) with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by
the beasts of the land.”
Meaning of Words: “Hades”: hell;
“power”: reigning, being in power.
Literal Meaning: “So I looked, and behold, a pale horse.” “Pale” is the composite color of livid and
olivine and it appears to be slate-grey which is the color of one’s face before
his death.
“And
the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.” “Hades” refers to the hell which is the
house of detention of souls after their death and all dead ones shall be kept
in hell temporarily and wait for the judgment of the great day. At that time
death and hell will no longer be useful and death and hell will be cast into
the lake of fire (See 20:14). However, the souls of believers have rest in the
paradise of the hell (See Luke. 23:43) and wait to rise and be caught up (See
1Thess. 4:16-17).
“And
power was given to them” “power” refers to the power of death (See 1Cor.
16:55; Heb. 2:14).
“With
sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” “Sword” refers to killing men by war.
“Hunger” refers to killing men by starvation. “Death” refers to killing men by
diseases. “The beasts of the earth” refers to killing men by beasts (See Num.
21:6; 2Kings. 2:24; 17:25)
“Over
a fourth of the earth, to kill” according to the
original meaning, it refers to having the power over a fourth of the earth and
it does not show that a fourth of men on the earth were killed. Anyway, the
number of men who were killed must be quite large.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Bible tells us that the one that has the
power of death is the devil today (See Heb. 2:14) and it has the power of Hades
(See Matt. 16:18). The world is in the bondage to it through their fear of
death, however, believers do not love their lives to the death (See 12:11).
2) The Lord Jesus said that fear not them which
kill the body (See Matt. 10:28) because they have no more that they can do
after killing the body (See Luke. 12:4).
Rev. 6:9 “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 testimony which they held.”
YLT: “And when he opened
the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slain because of the
word of God, and because of the testimony that they held,”
Meaning of Words: “under”: beneath;
“testimony”: holding fast to the testimony; “soul”: the life of soul.
Literal Meaning: “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the
altar” “Under the altar”
means that they devoted their life to the Lord and sacrificed themselves for
the Lord. Some Bible exegetes held that the altar here referred to the altar in
the outer court of the temple. The outer court symbolizes the land and
therefore under the altar refers to the paradise in the hell under the land
which has taken in the souls of martyrs for the Lord.
“The
souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony
which they held.” It refers to the
two reasons why they were martyred: 1) for the word of God, i.e. for the truth;
2) for holding fast to the testimony of the Lord, i.e. for confessing the Lord
before men. From ages and from generations, many believers were martyred for
these two reasons.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
Be faithful until death, and I will give you
the crown of life (See 2:10). It shows that those who are martyrs for the Lord
must be listed in overcomers. It seems to be easy to be martyred for the Lord
because one overcomes in a moment, however, when one is deciding between life
and death, will he accept it willingly and calmly?
2) If we hope to be martyred for the Lord one day,
we must lead a life of martyrs daily. Without the life of a martyr, one cannot
be martyred for the Lord. And therefore we shall devote ourselves to the word
of God and the testimony of the Lord today and live for the word of God and the
testimony of the Lord.
Rev. 6:10 “And they cried with a
loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and
true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”
YLT: “and they were
crying with a great voice, saying, `Till when, O Master, the Holy and the True,
dost Thou not judge and take vengeance of our blood from those dwelling upon
the land?'”
Meaning of Words: “dwell”: reside,
settle down; “avenge”: punish, retaliate.
Literal Meaning: “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘O Lord, holy and true” “cried with a loud voice” means that they feel
too patient to wait because they do not understand the arrangement of God’s
plan. “Holy” indicates that He cannot suffer sins (See Josh. 24:19). “True”
indicates that He is the living and true God (See 1Thess. 1:9).
“Until You judge those who dwell on the
earth?” “Judge” refers to
the judgment at the last day (See 1Pet. 4:5; 2Pet. 3:7). “Those who dwell on the
earth” refers to the unbelieving world, especially the world that persecutes
believers. If the persecutors are still alive on the earth, it shows that the
martyrs mentioned in v.9 were murdered in the period of the great tribulation.
“How
long…avenge our blood’”
“avenge our blood” the blood is the life (See Deut. 12:24) and God forbids men
from shedding men’s blood (See Gen. 9:6) and the voice of blood bore witness
before God (See Heb. 12:24).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should not avenge yourselves when
living in the world, but rather give place to wrath (See Rom. 12:19).
2) Our blood shed for the sake of the Lord is not
in vain (See 19:2). “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Rom.
12:19).
Rev. 6:11 “Then a white robe was
given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little
while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
YLT: “and there was given
to each one white robes, and it was said to them that they may rest themselves
yet a little time, till may be fulfilled also their fellow-servants and their
brethren, who are about to be killed -- even as they.”
Meaning of Words: “a little while”: a
little time, short time; “complete”: fill, abundant, fulfill.
Literal Meaning: “Then a white robe was given to each of them;” here “a whit robe” is used to show that
their being martyred is justified and praised by God.
“And
it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer,” “rest a little while” refers to being at
ease to give it to God and waiting for the coming of the judgment at the last
day. Some Bible exegetes, according to “a little while”, firmly believed that
the cry of the martyrs was made during the period of the great tribulation. And
therefore the days they shall wait won’t be long.
“Until
both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be
killed as they were, was completed.”
“Their fellow
servants and their brethren” refers to believers
who faithfully hold fast to the truth. “Who would be killed as they were”
“they” refers to martyrs mentioned in v.9. “Was completed” shows that the
second coming of the Lord is related to the number of the world who has been
saved (See Rom. 11:25) and the number of believers who overcome.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord clearly knows what we have devoted to
Him and the Lord knows them that are His (See 2Tim. 2:19; John. 10:14).
2) The reason why the Lord has not come yet is not
slackness but longsuffering towards us----He hopes to fulfill the number of
those who are saved and overcomers (See 2Pet. 3:9).
Rev. 6:12 “I looked when He opened
the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.”
YLT: “And I saw when he
opened the sixth seal, and lo, a great earthquake came, and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood,”
Meaning of Words: “become”: turn;
“sackcloth”: coarse cloth.
Literal Meaning: “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and
behold, there was a great earthquake;”
“the sixth seal” should take place during the last phase of the great
tribulation and before the second coming of the Lord (See Matt. 24:29-30; Luke.
21:25-26). However, some Bible exegetes, according to the two paragraphs
recorded in the Book of Joel, held that the supernatural disasters caused by
the sixth seal should refer to the first paragraph, i.e. taking place in the
middle stage of the great tribulation (See Joel. 2:30-31; 3:11-16). “There was
a great earthquake” refers to the super-great earthquake.
“And
the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.” They are the supernatural disasters.
Scientists told us that when “sunspots” move vigorously, all aspects of the
earth will be influenced. Some Bible exegetes held that “the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood” is the phenomenon caused by the volcanic cinders
and gases lingered in the air because the great earthquake made the layers
broken and many volcanoes erupted.
Rev. 6:13 “And the stars of heaven
fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a
mighty wind.”
YLT: “and the stars of
the heaven fell to the earth -- as a fig-tree doth cast her winter figs, by a
great wind being shaken --”
Meaning of Words: “drop”: cast, throw;
“late figs”: figs that fell off.
Literal Meaning: “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth,” it may indicate that shooting stars broke through
the atmospheric layer and fell to the ground or refer to the phenomenon that
the volcanic rocks were spurted into the upper air, broke the air layer and
fell down.
“As
a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” It describes the thriving scene that they
fell to the ground.
Rev. 6:14 “Then the sky receded as a
scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its
place.”
YLT: “and heaven departed
as a scroll rolled up, and every mountain and island -- out of their places
they were moved;”
Meaning of Words: “recede”: separate,
rend apart; “was moved”: be stirred, be shaken.
Literal Meaning: “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is
rolled up,” it should not
refer to the phenomenon that the old heaven and the old earth were annulled
(See Heb. 1:12) but that, from the eyes of men on the earth, the whole
atmospheric layer was changed as the sky receded and cloud layers rolled as
they are rolled up.
“And
every mountain and island was moved out of its place.” The earthquake was so great that landforms were
changed.
Rev. 6:15 “And the kings of the
earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave
and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,”
YLT: “and the kings of
the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chiefs of thousands, and
the mighty, and every servant, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens,
and in the rocks of the mountains,”
Meaning of Words: “the great men”:
chancellors, ministers; “commander”: chiliarch; “the rich men”: rich persons;
“mighty men”: the mighty, the powerful; “every free man”: the free.
Literal Meaning: “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the
rich men, the commanders, the mighty men,” These ones all have great achievements in the
world and great fame among the world.
“Every
slave and every free man,” this sentence
includes men of different status.
“Hid
themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,” At the appointed time, all men have noting
to rely on and they want to seize protection from nature.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Status and wealth and courage and power are
useless in the terrible days of the great tribulation and they cannot save any
one at all.
2) Everyone, whether his has high status or not or
whether he has good family financial situation or not, cannot avoid from the
harm without exception because it is the hour of trial which shall come upon
the whole world (See 3:10).
Rev. 6:16 “and said to the mountains
and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from
the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”
YLT: “and they say to the
mountains and to the rocks, `Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of Him who
is sitting upon the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb,'”
Meaning of Words: “hide from”: depart
from, move off; “face”: countenance.
Literal Meaning: “and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us” it means that: 1) they appeal to places which
they consider as strong and secret to hide themselves. 2) They would rather be
smashed into pieces than suffer the pain of the tribulation.
“From
the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” This sentence implies that men clearly
know that there is God but they do not fear Him (See Rom. 1:19-21) and they
have clearly heard of the gospel of the Lamb but harden their hearts and are
unwilling to receive it. At this time when disasters come from heaven, they are
indeed unwilling to repent but want to hide themselves.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Some people hold that nowadays is not the time
for them to believe in the Lord and turn to God and they want to enjoy the
world well and believe in Him at the point of death----they want to be rich man
during their lifetime and Lazarus after their death (See Luke. 16:19-23). They
want to gain both the heaven and the earth. However, when death comes, all
their intentions become nothing and they are powerless and full of shame.
2) Men who do not repent refuse to obey the will of
God and would rather hide themselves from God than become obedient to turn to
God. It shows that judgment and disasters cannot change men’s hearts and they
even blame and blaspheme God (See 16:9, 11, 21).
3) The wording of “the wrath of the Lamb” seems to be inconsistent: the gentle and
harmless Lamb even becomes indignant----today the Lord is the Lamb to everyone
and that day He is indignant like a lion to those who do not believe in Him
(See 5:5).
Rev. 6:17 “For the great day of His
wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
YLT: “because come did
the great day of His anger, and who is able to stand?”
Meaning of Words: “stand”: stand firm,
be established.
Literal Meaning: “For the great day of His wrath has come,” “the great day of wrath” refers to the Day
of Judgment. Actually, according to the records in the Bible, there are three
kinds of judgment at the last days: 1) the judgment before the judgment-seat of
Christ (2Cor. 5:10): it is the judgment towards believers when the Lord comes
for the second time (See 1Pet. 4:17; Rom. 14:12) and the result is that he
shall receive a reward or suffer loss (See 1Cor. 3:14-15). 2) The judgment
before the throne of Christ’s glory (See Matt. 25:31-32): it is the judgment
towards all nations that are alive when the Lord comes for the second time and
the result is that some shall go away into everlasting punishment or into life
eternal (Matt. 25:46). 3) The judgment before the great white throne (See
20:11): it is God’s judgment towards those who haven’t partaken in the first
resurrection ----the dead unbelieving world after the kingdom of a thousand
years, and the result is that they shall be cast into the lake of fire (See
20:5, 12, 15).
From the above-mentioned
conditions, “the
great day of His wrath” is the general
saying which mentions that the world shall face judgment at the last days. And
before that, those who are still alive shall suffer the pain of the great
tribulation.
“And
who is able to stand?’” “Stand” refers to
passing through the judgment of God and the Lamb and not being punished. The
interrogative sentence shows that no one is able to stand.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God’s rich goodness, forbearance, and
longsuffering lead us to repentance (See
2) Exhorting one another daily, while it is called
"Today," lest any of us be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin
(See Heb. 3:13). All those who are hardened today will not be able to stand in
the day of His wrath.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Sign of the End of the World
II. He who sat on a
fiery red horse (v.3-4)----wars (Matt. 24:6)
III. He who sat on a
black horse (v.5-6)----famines (Matt. 24:7)
IV. He who sat on a
pale horse (v.7-8)----death (Matt. 24:7-8)
V. Martyrs under the
altar (v.9-11)----martyrs (Matt. 24:9)
VI. The great
disorder of the host of heaven (v.12-17)----the great disorder of the host of
heaven (Matt. 24:29)
The Great Day of the Wrath of the One who
Sat on the Throne and the Lamb
I. The objects of judgment: the world who does not
believe in the Lord----the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the
commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man (v.15a)
II. The reaction of men: they all hid themselves
(v.15b-16a)
III. Why did they hide themselves (v.16b):
A. the
face of Him who sits on the throne
B. the
wrath of the Lamb
C. the
great day of their wrath
D. no
one is able to stand
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible Commentary
Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren