“It is worthy of remark that the opening of the seals is not merely a declaration of what God will do, but is the exhibition of a purpose then accomplished; for whenever the seal is opened, the sentence appears to be executed.” (Clarke). i. 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. (Rev 6:9-11) – 9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? The same cannot be said about the trumpets and plagues. I heard one of the four beings say, ‘Come!’ It spoke very loudly with a voice like thunder. Revelation 6 Commentary Intro: The Book of Revelation is a Series of Six Independent Visions. 1 Then I watched while the Lamb opened one of the seven seals on the book. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. If one looks at all the references given in the New Testament where white is mentioned, the idea that this could refer to such a one as an antichrist or evil of any kind, is completely out of harmony with what white is shown to represent. However, the absence of an arrow gets us to thinking of a different type of warfare, and in this case, it has to be the warfare between the truth of Christ and the false teachings of the world. 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?” 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. Those who believe that this is a prophetic passage, yet to be fulfilled, often account this rider to be the antichrist. 11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. This is especially true of those who are martyred for their faith. It has been well said that all history is tinged … The resurrection of Christ guarantees our own resurrection, which occurs at the time of Christ’s return (1 Cor 15). For those who rest in Christ, whether it be for 2000 years or 2 days, it’s all the same: “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pe 3:8). by Don Koenig. The sight the apostle beheld at the opening the fifth seal was very affecting. © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . “It is the wrath of love, the wrath of sacrificial love which, having done the absolute utmost for us and our salvation, tells us as nothing else could the certainty with which evil awaits its doom at the hand of God.” (Torrance), d. Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne: They hid not only from the terror of the judgments, but from the face of Him who sits on the throne. c. Do not harm the oil and the wine: Yet, the nicer things will be available for those who can afford them. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. Revelation 6:12-16. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. He is the one often called the antichrist. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Bible Commentary. 1. Tweet . D&C 6-9 Commentary & Questions: Patterns of Revelation admin January 24, 2021 no Comments . Some have seen in them an indication that while wheat and barley are priced almost out of the reach of the poor, the rich still have their oil and wine. It is character – the way that one lives – that makes a martyr, not the way that one dies. That doesn’t happen till He comes to defeat His enemies prior to the beginning of the Eternal Kingdom. If it refers to Constantine the Great, the change that was made by his conversion to Christianity might be very properly represented under the emblem of an earthquake.”. Along with warfare, this is something else that has always been and will continue to the very end of the world. Jesus does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16; but this is a satanic dictator who imitates Jesus. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. 1. 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? This describes the judgment of the world when Christ returns. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals. It’s all a matter of perspective. I say that having spent almost 3 years leading Precept classes on Daniel and Revelation, during which time I logged over 2000 hours of study and preparation (this is not to impress you but to give you some perspective on my statement that Garland's work is … 6 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Considering that all the events of these first five revelations (seals) have been going on throughout history – and will continue – it’s unreasonable that they refer to a mere “seven year period.”. (Revelation 6:9-11 NIV) This is a difficult paragraph to understand because it is dealing with a phenomenon hard for us to grasp, i.e., how people can die over the course of a period of time and yet all arrive in heaven together. All Scripture quotations are from the 1901 American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. Revelation 6 Commentary: The Vision of Seven Seals Share with others: Tweet: The seven seals repeat the same history as the Seven Churches, but with a different emphasis. The idea of a satanic dictator over men goes back all the way to Nimrod, the ruler over Babel in Genesis 10:8-14, where it says he was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Share. Mention of the “crown,” refers to His authority as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” This title is even named in the context of Christ returning on His white horse in Rev 19:11-16). (Also see Matt 28:3; Acts 1:10). The actual culmination will be detailed in Revelation 19. ii. (1 Peter 5:12). a. I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God: That these souls were under the altar emphasizes that their life blood was poured out as an offering to God. i. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. As opposed to the warfare between the truth of Christ and the false teachings of the world that’s represented by the rider on the white horse, the rider on this horse represents the warfare between men and nations (“a great sword”). Someone gave him a crown.He had fought many people and he had won. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. c. 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: All people are equally brought low by God’s wrath. i. This “white robe” identifies us with Christ (vs. 2). REVELATION 6:1 AND I SAW WHEN THE LAMB OPENED ONE OF THE SEALS, AND I HEARD, AS IT WERE THE NOISE OF THUNDER, ONE OF THE FOUR BEASTS SAYING, COME AND SEE. The altar mentioned here has not appeared in this book before this. Then I saw = is a very important linking phrase used thirty-three times throughout the book of Revelation. 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. This, When Jesus returns in judgment, He will rain down fire upon the unbelievers of the world (Rev 16; Rev 20:7-10), perhaps in the form of, The earth at this point will be completely covered in smoke, which would give the sun the appearance of being, As described in verses 15-17, when judgment begins, all the people of the world will try to run for safety, seeking protection wherever they can find it — but finding none. For this reason, some have suggested that the rider in this passage represents Christ. It can introduce a new vision or a major segment of a continuing vision. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”. Click on the different category headings to find out more. All that waits is for the Lord to allow it in His timing after He takes His church from this earth. 2 I looked, and I saw a white horse. John did not use technically precise scientific language, but he simply described what he saw. Though all hell breaks loose on the earth, God is very much in control. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. A black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand: The scales symbolized the need to carefully measure and ration food. a. I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals: From the previous chapter, we understand this scroll is the history and destiny of mankind and creation, and only Jesus – the Lamb – had the right to loosen the seals on this scroll of the culmination of history. They are completely unique manifestations of God’s judgment. 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.”. How long must they wait? As I’ve talked about all along, Revelation is, in large part, a book about the persecution and death of Christians, and here is a clear passage that reveals that. Therefore, I believe what’s primarily in view here is the gospel of Jesus Christ that goes throughout the world conquering all that opposes the truth. This is not the fulfillment of history itself, but the preparation for it. When Jesus returns in judgment, He will rain down fire upon the unbelievers of the world (Rev 16; Rev 20:7-10), perhaps in the form of meteors, as verse 13 suggests. He will rule over men as a false messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion against God, in the pattern of Nimrod, his first predecessor. Once this peace – God’s gift to man – was taken, men quickly rush in with war and destruction. We understand that the seventieth week of Daniel 9 begins when this dictator will confirm a covenant with [the] many, referring to the Jewish people. Persecutors can only kill the body; after that there is no more they can do; the soul lives. “What sinners dread most is not death, but the revealed presence of God.” (Swete), a. (2) It is hard to understand why an order from the living creatures should have promulgated an edict favoring the rich. a. ii. Seals two, three, and four should not be seen as judgments from God, but simply as revelations of the way things shall be throughout history. He describes himself as their brother in the family of God. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth: In the Bible, celestial disturbances are often connected with the coming of the Messiah. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, &c.] Not the voice of Agabus to the Apostle Paul, ( Acts 11:28) ; but rather of Christ, who was in the midst of them, ( Revelation 5:6) ; the Ethiopic version adds, "as the voice of an eagle": a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; No wonder Jesus said of this time For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. This is especially true of those who are martyred for their faith. Therefore, we should not assume that this is a revelation of those in Heaven now. Warfare of this type has always been throughout history. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. The oil and wine hurt thou not … There are two ways of construing these words. 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