The Seals
1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart[a] of wheat for a day's wages,[b] and three quarts of barley for a day's wages,[c] and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
12I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to 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 their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
Footnotes:
a. Revelation 6:6 Greek a choinix (probably about a liter)
b. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
c. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
3 comments:
i know i am going to be asking a lot of questions as i read Revelation so please bare with me...but what do the horsemen represent? it sounds like they are being unleashed to go down to earth and unleash fury. Is this accurate? if so, i find it interesting/peculiar that this "fury" is coming from God...why? why would God send this fury and wrath?
like i said, i am going to ask lots of questions as we read Revelation.
Father, help me to understand. Help me not to doubt. Help me to look at the words in the book of Revelation and make sense of them. to trust in them. i admit i am struggling as i read this, trying to understand it. Father i pray for cas' coworker and uncle. bless them and give them strength. give them a sense of comfort and warmth and peace. father, renew our spirit and our desire to love you and honor you. help us to be on fire for you. light the fire in our hearts. Amen.
Rev 6
First my thoughts then I'll get to your question timmcd6
16They called to 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 their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
Probably the verse with which I can most easily relate/comprehend. Some of the people who are non-believers at this point will run to the mountains to flee God's wrath and want the rocks to fall on them rather than feel God's wrath. It is so foreboding. The answer to the question (a rhetorical one) is that we can stand behind Jesus. He saves us from God's eternal judgement because He died for us.
timm-
These 4 horsemen are coming from God, and they are the first signs of God's fury as they are coming to judge the people on Earth. From what I understand, they are coming for those who have sinned. God is sending them because sinning breaks his heart and infuriates Him. That is why we NEED Christ in our lives, that we can be forgiven by God. Otherwise each of our sins little or large, is still a sin, and separates us from God, and we will see these horses and Hades rather than the pearly gates.
Father, continue to watch over AAB as she finishes things up this week, and watch over AQV and WL and their families this week. Further, grant each of these men peace and harmony within You. We ask all these things in Jesus' wonderful and amazing name,
Amen
crb
Rev 6
timmcd, I certainly can understand your feelings. I would be lying if I said sometimes I wonder myself. However, the Lord is so powerful and amazing; I have to believe sometimes without necessarily understanding perfectly. I do however know that that I used to wonder about similar things and how can God do x and y. Remember the OT, go back and read and you will probably change your outlook slightly. God wants our love and devotion.
Father, thank you for making me reflect on what I believe and continue to help me learn to articulate it more and more. Give me and everyone who participates the ability to help each other understand and grow as we read and study.
In Christ,
cas
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