Revelation 6 Commentary

After the Lamb was found worthy to break the seals and open the scroll in Chapter 5, He begins to open it by breaking the first seal, which revealed the horseman with a bow who was given a crown and the authority to conquer. 

The second seal is broken and the second horseman is revealed, who has been given a sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. 

The third seal is broken and the third horseman is revealed. This judgment is famine; the horseman has a pair of scales, with which he can weigh grains and food. Grains and food become costly, indicating that both are becoming increasingly scarce. 

The fourth seal is broken and the final horseman is revealed: Death and his companion Hades. Death and Hades are the culmination of all the previous horsemen, because they have the combined authority of everything the other three horsemen were given license to do. 

The fifth seal is broken, and this time the souls of the martyred speak and ask God how much longer they will have to wait for His judgement. God responds and tells them to rest while they wait for the remainder of the martyrs to join them. 

Here, the sixth and penultimate scroll is broken, bringing about with it the fulfillment of a prophecy that the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. With this action, God has finally revealed Himself to all people.