Revelation 6

The Lamb who alone was worthy now opens the seven seals on the scroll. Four horsemen ride out bringing conquest, war, famine and death. Then the martyrs cry out for justice, and the sixth seal shakes heaven and earth as all people face the wrath of God and of the Lamb.

Revelation 6:1

The Lamb, who was slain and is worthy, begins to open the scroll’s seals. Nothing unfolds unless He opens it. One of the four living creatures, who stand around the throne, calls out in a voice like thunder. History is under the Lamb’s hand.

BSA: Lamb (“Jesus, the innocent sacrifice”): The One in charge of history is the very One who gave Himself for sinners. opened (“unlocked, made accessible”): The Lamb alone unlocks what God has purposed; no one else can.

See also: Revelation 5:5-7.

Revelation 6:2

The first rider sits on a white horse with a bow and a crown. He goes out conquering. Christians read him differently: some see the spread of the gospel, others a picture of human conquest and empire. All agree that he rides only by permission, for the crown is given.

BSA: given (“bestowed, granted”): The rider’s power is lent to him; it is not his own.

Revelation 6:3-4

The second seal brings a fiery red horse. Its rider is allowed to take peace from the earth so that people kill one another. The great sword shows that war and violence follow. Again, he is permitted, not free to do as he likes.

BSA: bright red (“fiery, like flames”): The color is the color of fire and spilled blood, the very look of war. granted permission (“given authority, allowed”): Even violence on earth has limits set by God.

Revelation 6:5-6

The third seal brings a black horse and a rider with scales. A quart of wheat for a whole day’s wage means famine: a worker could barely feed himself, let alone a family. Oil and wine, the luxuries, are left alone, so the poor suffer while the rich are spared.

BSA: denarius (“a day’s wage”): A full day’s work buys only enough bread for one person. scales (“balances, a symbol of judgment or commerce”): Food is being weighed out sparingly, as in times of hunger.

See also: Ezekiel 4:16-17.

Revelation 6:7-8

The fourth horse is pale green, the color of a corpse. Its rider is Death, and Hades, the realm of the dead, follows to gather the fallen. Their power covers one fourth of the earth, using sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. The limit shows that judgment is not yet total.

BSA: Hades (“the place of the dead, the grave”): Death takes the body, and Hades is where the dead are kept. authority (“power to act”): Death and Hades act only within limits God allows.

Greek: χλωρός (chlōros, G5515) — “pale green, the color of sickness.” This is the word from which we get chlorophyll, but here it describes the sickly pallor of a dying body.

See also: Ezekiel 14:21; Revelation 1:18.

Revelation 6:9

The fifth seal turns from the earth to heaven. Under the altar are the souls of believers killed because they held to God’s word and their witness to Jesus. Their lives were offered like sacrifices, and God keeps them close.

BSA: slain (“esphagmenon, butchered or killed”): This is the word used of sacrificial slaughter, so their deaths are pictured as offerings to God. testimony (“giving evidence”): They died for bearing witness to Christ, like witnesses who would not take back their word.

See also: Revelation 20:4.

Revelation 6:10

The martyrs cry to God for justice. They are not seeking private revenge; they appeal to the One who is holy and true to put things right. It is an honest prayer, and Scripture records it. God hears those who suffer for Him.

BSA: avenge (“punish, vindicate”): They ask not only for punishment but for God to show they were in the right. true (“faithful, genuine”): They trust that God will keep His word and do what is right.

Greek: δεσπότης (despotēs, G1203) — “master, absolute ruler.” This word is not the usual one for Lord. It speaks of a master with full authority over his servants, so the martyrs appeal to the One who rules all.

See also: Psalm 13:1-2; Luke 18:7-8.

Revelation 6:11

Each martyr receives a white robe, a sign of victory and honor. They are told to rest a little longer until the full number of fellow servants who will be killed has been reached. God knows the number and the timing, and He treats them as honored servants.

BSA: white robe (“a long, dignified garment”): It marks them out as honored and vindicated before God. fellow servants (“co-slaves, those serving the same Master”): All believers belong to one Master and share one calling.

See also: Revelation 7:9.

Revelation 6:12-14

The sixth seal brings cosmic upheaval: earthquake, darkened sun, bloody moon, falling stars, a sky rolled up like a scroll, mountains and islands moved. The prophets used such language for the Day of the Lord. Whether read literally or as symbol, it says that the world’s foundations are shaken before God.

BSA: sackcloth (“a rough, hairy cloth”): It was the dark cloth of mourning, so even the sun seems to be grieving. scroll (“book, written document”): The sky is pictured as a scroll being rolled up and put away, as if its time is finished.

See also: Joel 2:30-31; Isaiah 34:4.

Revelation 6:15-17

People of every rank, from kings to slaves, run to hide. They would rather be buried under rocks than face God and the Lamb. The Lamb’s wrath is real: the One who saves is also the Judge. Their closing question, who can stand, is answered in the next chapter.

BSA: wrath (“strong anger, righteous indignation”): This is God’s settled and just anger against evil, not a loss of temper. withstand (“stand against, survive”): The question is whether anyone can remain standing when God judges.

Greek: ὀργῆς (orgēs, G3709) — “wrath, settled anger.” This word speaks of a deep, steady anger against wrong, not a passing burst of temper.

See also: Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30; Revelation 7:9-10.