Book of Revelation of John
Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024
Chapter 6 – The First Six Seals
This chapter begins the period called the Tribulation.
The Tribulation is a period of seven years of God’s wrath being poured out on the forces of evil upon the earth. He has given man centuries to turn to Him in repentance. At the point this chapter starts, the Rapture has already taken place and all believers in Jesus Christ have been removed from the planet.
Is there still hope for more to be redeemed? Yes, however they will have to endure the unimaginable in the process. Each seal that is broken will now unleash catastrophe on planet earth.
The seals will span the entire seven-year period. This seven-year period IS THE Seventieth Week of Daniel Chapter 9 and begins when the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27).
Some of the seals will occur during the first 3 ½ years while the covenant is in effect. At the midpoint of this period, the antichrist will break his deal with Israel. The remaining seals will occur after that point and continue until the return of Christ to the planet.
Chapter 6 – Starts the revelation of the Seven SEALS.
The seals continue in Chapter 8.
The Seventh Seal consists of the Seven Trumpets. The Seven Trumpets are covered from Chapter 8 through Chapter 11. For many people this makes it confusing, but the study of Revelation requires understanding that the Seals are inclusive of the TRUMPETS, WOES, THUNDERS and VIALS all the way through to the end.
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Seals Chart sequence
Seven Seals – consists of:
First 6 of 7 seals – (Chapter 6)
Seal 1 – White Horse: conquering diplomatically
Seal 2 – Red Horse: political upheaval, no peace, people killing people
Seal 3 – Black Horse: cost of “bread”, famine
Seal 4 – Pale Horse: ¼ population killed by beasts, swords, hunger
Seal 5 – Martyrdom for Faith: death for Word of God receive white robes
Seal 6 – Earthquake, stars fall, sun black, physical world gone berserk
Seal 7 – (Chapter 8) consists of 7 Trumpets (Chapters 8-11)
Trumpet 1 (8:7) – hail and fire mixed with blood
Trumpet 2 (8:8) – mountain burning with fire
Trumpet 3 (8:10) – star falls from Heaven
Trumpet 4 (8:12) – darkness
Trumpet 5 (9:1-12) FIRST WOE: star falls, bottomless pit opened
Trumpet 6 (9:13-21) SECOND WOE: 4 angels kill 1/3 of men
7 Thunders uttered - described in Chap 10
Two Witnesses (11:3) appear: testify for 1260 days, killed and resurrected 3.5 days later. Earthquake and 7000 die. Then WOE 2 ends.
Trumpet 7 (11:15-19) THIRD WOE: WRATH OF GOD
Temple of God opens in Heaven (11:15)
Seven Vials / Bowls / Plaques (Chapters 15-16)
First 4 on Men – last 3 on kingdom of Anti-christ
Vial 1 – Sores on wearers of mark required by Beast
Vial 2 – Sea turned to Blood
Vial 3 – Rivers and Water Sources turned to Blood
Vial 4 – Sun given power to scorch the Earth
Vial 5 – Seat of Beast attacked darkness, pain, sores
Vial 6 – Euphrates River dried up for Kings of East
Vial 7 – It is Done!
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These Seals will usher in a period of chaos on the earth. Man has thought himself in control for millennia. He now will find God showing who has control. It has been said that the first four are similar to what mankind has been inflicting upon one another. Now God will begin with those to get man out of his comfort zone.
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Revelation 6:1-2 |
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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. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
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SEAL 1 – WHITE HORSE
Bow and Crown – Conquering
The Anti-christ comes to power as a man of Diplomacy. He will bring peace to the Middle East and sign a seven-year treaty with Israel. It is this treaty that begins the seven years of the Tribulation.
This White Horse could represent him. He will conquer diplomatically, this rider is represented with a bow and no arrow but with a crown, so therefore is successful.
This is usually where “speculators” have suggested that this conquering will be a MAJOR war where Antichrist will take on Russia and defeat her or attack Israel and fulfill Ezekiel 38-39. The assumption is made because Ezekiel states that Israel will be burning the weapons from its war for seven years. Thus they state that it has to occur before the start of the Tribulation.
There is nothing here that conveys that. Do not make scripture “fit” the current world situation! Contrary to these beliefs, once the ENTIRE book is studied, it is learned that GOG and MAGOG from Ezekiel are also in Chapter 21 of Revelation, AFTER the Millennial. 1007 years after the White Horse Seal!
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Revelation 6:3-4 |
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And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
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SEAL 2 – RED HORSE
Great Sword and Power – to take Peace from the earth
People will kill one another. War. Imagine the political upheaval with the conquering of the Antichrist.
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Revelation 6:5-6 |
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And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
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SEAL 3 – BLACK HORSE
Pair of Balances – Price of Food
Famine follows war closely. Food is scarce. This horse will hurt the common people. A penny equals a day’s wages. Person will work entire day for one serving of food. What about the family? How will they be provided for? This horse is kept from messing with oil and wine.
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Revelation 6:7-8 |
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And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
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SEAL 4 – PALE HORSE
Rider named Death (‘pale as death”) and Hell followed with him.
¼th of the earth population to die by sword, hunger or beasts of the earth.
There will be those turning to Christ. Even with the Rapture having already taken place. Hell is ONLY for the lost. Therefore there will be some die that Hell/Hades cannot touch.
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Revelation 6:9-11 |
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And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
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SEAL 5 – MARTYDOM for FAITH
Souls of them that had to this point died as martyrs were seen under the altar. White robes given to them. They are told to wait for vengeance for a “season” UNTIL: They are joined by those that are yet to suffer the same fate.
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Revelation 6:12-17 |
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And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
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Matthew 24:29 – Jesus describes this as “A Sign” of His return
Joel 2:30-32 – Prophet 700 years before Jesus describes the same astrological events.
Zechariah 14:5-7 – Unique weather events of those days
SEAL 6 – PHYSICAL WORLD GOES BERSERK
Great Earthquake - Sun goes black - Moon goes blood red - Stars fall from sky - Heaven splits in two - EVERY mountain and Island MOVES out of place.
Rulers and Leaders will be cowering and hiding in fear. What about the poor? Whereas the Black Horse affected mainly the poor, the rich cannot out run Seal 6 ! This follows immediately upon the persecution from Seal 5. God’s answer to the deaths of Tribulation saints?