Revelation (Part 18) - Chapter 6: The Seals Opened 5/26/09

Christ opens the second seal in verse 3, and the next cherub calls for another horse and rider. This horse is bright red—the color of blood just as it is spilled. The rider is permitted to take peace from the earth. And the rider is given a sword. A too swift interpretive approach may equate this rider with sacrifice. The blood being spilled could be Christ’s blood. The sword given and peace taken from earth remind us of Christ’s words in Matthew 10:34: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Even with this seemingly strong connection to Christ, we must not allow our imaginations to drift away from context. Remember at this point the sacrifice is done. Christ has died, been raised, and ascended to heaven. He is here opening the seals, marking the transition to the New Covenant. The Gospel message is going out through the apostles. He cannot here be presenting the picture of sacrifice again. It is once for all complete. With this horse and rider, a different violent activity rages. And this violence is in keeping with the transition period ending God’s relationship with the nation of Israel. Desolation has come to Jerusalem. Remember some of the description Josephus gave of the siege by the Romans on the city.

Book V.1.3 “. . .the dead bodies of strangers were mingled together with those of their own country, and those of profane persons with those of the priests, and the blood of all sorts of dead carcasses stood in lakes in the holy courts themselves.”

Book V.11.1 “So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest, when their multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies.”

Here context, history, and symbolism all merge in perfect picture of the struggle within the walls of Jerusalem in that time period just prior to Jerusalem’s fall in AD 70. The next horse and rider add to this picture. A black horse appears whose rider holds a pair of scales. An exorbitant price for wheat and barley are called out along with concern about oil and wine. Famine is pictured. Again, Josephus presents the picture:

Book V.12.3 “Then did the famine widen its progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine, and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged; the children also and the young men wandered about the market-places like shadows, all swelled with the famine, and fell down dead, wheresoever their misery seized them.”

With the fourth horse and rider the picture is complete. The pale horse of death comes forth. In verse 8, Death is named and we learn that by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, “over a fourth of the earth” will be killed. The number appears staggering. And it doesn’t quite seem to line up with our context. Are we not seeing here the desolation of the temple and Jerusalem? Then why are ¼ of the people of the earth dying as a result of the opening of these seals?

While we often use our English word earth as the name of our planet, usually the meaning in Revelation draws attention to the specific land of the context. The Greek word for earth here is ge. It is the prefix we use, for example, in our words such as geology (study of the dynamics of earth) and geothermal (heat from the earth). It is translated in the Bible often as land or ground. For example, in Matthew 10 we read of two sparrows and that neither will fall to the ground (ge) apart from God’s knowledge and sovereign control. In the parable of the seed, again we see some seed fall on good ground (ge) (Matthew 13). Matthew 27:45 is of particular note. In this chapter we read of Christ’s crucifixion. The verse reads that “from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” The “land” in that verse again is the Greek ge. If the translators had used earth instead of land, we would have read that “there was darkness over all the earth,” and the literalists among us would be arguing that it was dark everywhere, not just in Jerusalem. But the word isn’t used as the name of the planet, but rather as a reference to the immediate land of context. Again, as we review the lesson of the mustard seed in Mark 4:30-32, we could confuse the term earth (ge) with the name of the planet, resulting in a perceived inaccuracy of the Word of God. Speaking of the kingdom of God, verse 31 reads, “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.” Really? The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds on the planet? Well, no. There are smaller seeds. But this was not what Christ was saying. In this passage he gives an example of a particular plot of land in which seeds were sown. Of those seeds, the mustard seed may have been the smallest of all in the “land” (earth or ge), but it would grow to be larger than all the plants in this plot of ground (not taller than all the trees in the world). So, in this context especially it is important to note the difference between earth as our planet’s name and earth as a synonym for ground or land relating to a certain context.

Understanding this reference will help not only in specific Revelation imagery about the area covered, but also in the reference to the twofold category of people. Those of faith are said to “dwell in heaven,” and we often see them already pictured in heaven (as with the 24 elders). Those who do not have faith in God are said to dwell on the earth. This is not merely a location reference to the planet. Those that live on and for the earth are characterized by their loyalty and devotion to the earth—to the land, to the creation. Recall Paul’s words in Romans 1:25, “they [those without faith] exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Those dwelling on earth rather than in heaven (Rev 1:7; 13:6&8) are mentioned in that way because they receive their inheritance from the earth rather than from heaven. This is the great difference between the antichristic element of the world and Christ. Christ, our God, is truth, goodness, and beauty. But humanity’s twist away from the goodness and truth of God has established a standard opposed to God that is of this earth. And we who are Christians may still fall prey to this earthly thinking the more we grapple for control and act according to the faulty standard of our own nature. Throughout the church messages, John gave us Christ’s word of warning and promised blessing to the end that we give up ourselves to follow him.

Back in Revelation 6, we learn that a quarter of the people of the earth (or, of the land in context—Jerusalem), were killed. Does this match with what we know in history? Josephus is the only one we can turn to who provides some kind of estimate of those killed in the AD 70 overthrow of Jerusalem. He said that the population of Jerusalem at this time was about 3,000,000. He also states that about 1,000,000 died through this period. Thus, he estimates that one-third of the population was killed—a little more than the Bible’s one quarter. However, with the error intrinsic in a mere guess by Josephus and the additional visitors to the city at the time, I think we may find the actual number is very close to the biblical figure.

Revelation 6:8 tells us that the one fourth of the people were killed with sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts. Ezekiel 14 provides us with one of Ezekiel’s perspectives on Jerusalem’s destruction. In that chapter verses 12-14 describe famine. Verses 15 and 16 discuss wild beasts. Verses 17 and 18 mention those killed with the sword. And verses 19 and 20 speak of pestilence. These four means of judgment laid out in Ezekiel and meant for faithless Jerusalem are exactly the means of judgment specified here in Revelation after opening the first four seals, thus providing additional confirmation that the seal judgments relate to Jerusalem and Israel rather than to the world at large.

Back in our study titled Women, we reviewed the ideals of relationship which humankind enjoyed before the fall. These were relationship with each other, with the earth, and with God. All three of those were lost with the fall, and God speaks to each in the curses pronounced in Genesis 3. Here again in Revelation 6 we see these curses realized through the judgment of the horsemen. The red horse of violence shows the harm to relationships with each other. The black horse of famine symbolizes the disruption of relationship with the earth. And the pale horse named Death speaks of humankind’s eternal separation from God.

In verse 9 of Revelation 6, Christ opens the fifth seal. While the horses and horsemen portrayed the Gospel going forth and types of judgment in a general fashion, the fifth seal begins a more specific tie to the transition from old covenants to the New Covenant. After this seal is broken, we are shown the souls under the altar who had been slain for their witness for God. They ask God how long he will wait before executing judgment and vengeance for their spilled blood. We must be careful to understand the implication here. Verse 8 told us that one fourth of the people of the land were killed in judgment; yet, immediately after, these martyred souls ask how long until judgment will come against the ones who caused their deaths. The obvious implication is that this current judgment of Jerusalem and Israel is different from the judgment that will be meted out on the slayers of God’s witnesses.

Who are these martyrs? When did they die? Who was responsible for their deaths? Let’s keep our feet on the ground as we look for these answers. Let’s keep firm hold of the context. In the scene before us, Jerusalem (National Israel) is being judged. Therefore, the nation of Israel is not the cause of the martyrs' deaths. Perhaps, then, these martyrs are from all the old covenant time period. But were not some of these nations already judged and punished? Through the history of Israel, the people of God had six main empiric foes—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Of these, the first five had fallen. In other words, others had overthrown their empires—the typical means by which God’s judgment is shown to occur. Ezekiel 29:8-9 shows the sword coming to Egypt in judgment. The book of Nahum describes Assyria’s judgment. God would use Babylon to execute that judgment. We read in Daniel and Isaiah that God raised Cyrus and the Persians to inflict judgment on Babylon. We also read in Daniel that Alexander and Greece would be used to judge Persia and that Rome would be used to judge Greece. And the judgment of God had come to each of the first five. But at the time of the writing of Revelation, the Roman Empire still ruled the world. This empire had not yet felt God’s judgment.

Now notice the storyline amid these seals in Revelation 6. Israel was to be judged for their abominable practices in rejecting Christ but maintaining a sham of following God through continued old covenant sacrifice. God used the empire of Rome to bring desolation upon Israel. But the martyrs now ask, “When will Rome receive its judgment?” In other words, the martyrs question is: “God, you are using Rome to execute judgment on national Israel, but when are you going to execute judgment on Rome for their atrocities against us—your people?” And the answer given is that Rome’s judgment will come, but the martyrs must wait. Others of God’s people would still undergo persecution by Rome. And from our perspective we see that Christians were persecuted intensely by Rome, especially from 303 to 311—the time period known as the Great Persecution conducted by Diocletian and Galerius. Thus, with the understanding that the seal judgments refer to the AD 70 judgment on Israel, we have the best flowing, contextual explanation for the martyrs’ cry from under the altar.

The sixth seal is next. As Christ breaks it, we recognize all the terminology of judgment with which we have become familiar from both the Old and the New Testaments. Consider the following verses as you keep the image of the sixth seal in mind.

Isaiah 2:10, 18-21 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of his majesty.

Isaiah 13:10-13 (to Babylon) For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

Isaiah 24:1-6 (to nations) Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

Isaiah 34:4 (to nations) All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Ezekiel 32:6-8 (to Egypt) I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you. When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 38:20 And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.

Hosea 10:8 They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

Mic 1:4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire.

Hab 3:6-11 He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation? You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck.

Zech 4:7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.

Matthew 24:15-16; 29 So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. … Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Luke 23:30 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

I’ve presented these passages for two reasons. First, they illustrate what normal biblical “judgment description” is. These judgments described are not judgments on the same people or nation; yet they sound similar. They contain typical judgment imagery. Because this same imagery has been used by God in describing judgment on nations already judged (e.g., Egypt, Babylon), we can expect similar results when God uses this imagery in Revelation. For Babylon, God said the stars, sun, and moon would be dark. This did not happen literally during God’s judgment of Babylon, but it did happen figuratively in that God’s displeasure can be described as darkness. And Babylon’s prospects under God’s displeasure may also be described as darkness. When John in Revelation says that the sun becomes dark in 6:12, we ought to be able to understand the same result for the judged people as we have read of those in the Old Testament. To insist on something more is not a legitimate treatment of Scripture.

And the second reason for these verses is to show their carryover into the New Testament, particularly to the two New Testament discussions of Jerusalem's destruction--Matthew 24 and Luke 23:30. In the plain teaching of the Gospels, Christ specifically ties this judgment terminology to Jerusalem's destruction. In Revelation 6, John applies it in the same manner.

Therefore, the opening of the sixth seal brings all the elements of the judgment seen in the previous seals in final realization for Israel.