The Apostle Paul told the brethren in Corinth the following: “For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me” (I Corinthians 4:15-16).  In a like manner he instructed the brethren in Philippi: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample…  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 3:17; 4:9).  Paul, Silas, and Timothy told the brethren in Thessalonica something similar: “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” (I Thessalonians 1:5-6).

Today, there are ignorant brethren who believe congregations who follow elders, preachers, and godly men are in error.  While it is certainly wrong to follow men who are not following the Lord (Galatians 1:10, Colossians 2:20-22, and III John 11), it is right to follow those who are leading according to truth and righteousness.  Paul made a qualifying statement to the brethren in Corinth when he instructed them to follow him: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1).  The brethren could follow Paul as long as Paul was following the Lord.

I recently read an email from a member of an apostate congregation in the El Paso area.  This person said: “I have come under the influence of zealous and charismatic teachers in the past and it hurt me both spiritually and personally.  I will not make such a mistake again.  No matter how much conviction anyone speaks such with.”  We should always try the spirits to see whether they are of God or not (I John 4:1).  You can know a false teacher by his fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).  However, that does not give ignorant men and women the right to cast doubt on every man of God that leads.  Conviction does not constitute truth.  However, when one tries to lead among the saints and provides truth to support what he is doing, some often question truth and good works to cause division (Titus 3:9-10).

As Paul declared, we can follow those who follow Christ.  Such is why we are supposed to be lights to the world (Matthew 5:14-16).  Never doubt however, there will be those who will question your righteousness if you lead according to truth.  In a righteous stand, those in error are often exposed (John 3:19-20).  Thus, they will try to attack the faithful to prevent further exposure (John 7:7 and Galatians 4:16).  – B.A.Y.

Introduction Thoughts:

In chapter five we learned of John’s vision: (5:1) “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.”  We then learned that there was only one worthy to open the sealed document: (5:5) “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”  That one individual was Jesus Christ.  Now we enter into a chapter that deals with what was revealed in that book as six of the seven seals are removed.  You have heard of the “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse”, this is where they (Premillennialists, etc.) get their perversions from.

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.”

• John’s vision shows Jesus (John 1:29) opening one of the seals.  Then he hears one of the creatures (4:7-8) speaking loudly saying “Come and see.”

• Clearly, Christ is shown here on this first horse.  White represents purity and other passages in the book of Revelation make Christ the one on the symbolic white horse (19:11-16).  Christ and those assembled with Him are the victorious ones who will overcome (17:14).  For consideration to the bow representing battle notice the following prophesy, from the book of Isaiah, about God’s punishment on His people (Isaiah 5:25-28).
• Notice that all of these horseman are permitted to ride and not doing so on their own authority.

• Now the second of the four creatures in Heaven asks John to “come and see” what is revealed beyond the second seal.

• The fact that peace can be taken from earth shows this horse and rider is revealed while there is still an earth, thus this vision is not one pointing to the Second Coming of Christ (II Peter 3:10).
• With the first horse and rider representing Christ we must follow that this too has some spiritual nature in its meaning.  Red represents blood.  The warfare of Christians is not carnal (II Corinthians 10:3-4).  So, the shedding of blood certainly does not pertain to the Christians work in the kingdom.
• The book of Revelation is written to churches facing persecution.  Thus, we must conclude this is the horseman of physical persecution.  Christians are promised that their faithfulness will result in the facing of persecution (Matthew 5:10-12 and II Timothy 3:12).

• The third beast now speaks at the opening of the third seal saying “come and see”.
• John sees a black horse and one that sat upon that black horse with a pair of scales in his hand.  Black represents mourning, pain, suffering, etc.  We will see how the scales mean something in verse six.

• From the midst of the four creatures John hears a voice.  That voice indicates why type of hardship the third horseman brings.
• The third horseman represents economic hardship which will show another form of persecution on the Christian (Revelation 2:9).  Consider that a penny was noted by Christ as a days wage (Matthew 20:2).  Here we see that economic persecution will come through a Christian having to spend a days wage for the very basic of foods.

• Now we come upon the fourth seal and the fourth creature extends the invitation to John to see what is contained therein.

• The fourth horse and rider thereon comes in the color of a pale horse.  This symbolizes illness and disease that brings about death.  The term translated “Hell” here in the KJV is “Hades - the realm of the dead” - Thayer.  It is where one goes when this life ends and is comprised of both Paradise and Torment (Luke 16:19-31).
• This fourth horseman is given authority to end human life.  We die naturally, by way of battle, starvation, etc. (Hebrews 9:27).  It is to Adam and Eve we owe our thanks [sarcasm] for this horse and horseman (I Corinthians 15:21-22), but to Christ we can be truly thankful life beyond this earth.

• Now we see Christ opening the fifth seal and no creature has brought it to John’s attention.
• John now sees the souls of them who had died for the sake of the word of God (Matthew 23:31, Acts 7:52-60, Acts 12:1-2, I Thessalonians 2:14-16, and Hebrews 11:36-40).  This too serves as proof that there is life beyond death prior to the Judgment Day (Hadean Realm).

• Those slain servants of the Lord are crying out asking the Lord how long it will be until justice is served.  The faithful realize that God is the judge and the day or reckoning belongs to Him (Matthew 5:44-48 and Romans 12:18-21).

• The Lord responds by giving these servants who have been slain a white robe showing righteousness.  Then the sad message comes – not yet, more blood is yet to be shed.  Sometimes people have a problem with the longsuffering of God (II Peter 3:9).  They ask “how long will God let these things go one.”  However, consider that some who persecute the saints still have souls and the ability to obey the Gospel.  In this account the Apostle Paul serves as a great example (Acts 22:1-16; cf. Acts chapter 9).  Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), our task of taking the Gospel to them is a task that requires time and opportunity.

• Very symbolic language now appears and many construe this as a fight of good and evil with Christ on the white horse.  Language very much like this has appeared when talking about the fall of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1ff.), Idumea (Isaiah 34:1-6), and Jerusalem (Matthew 24:27-31).  Seeing that all of the other accounts wherein this language is used show physical judgment by God on a people, we cannot but conclude that this is the same type of judgment and not the final Judgment Day wherein Christ will judge mankind.  After all, you will not be able to hide under a rock from the Lord in the Judgment Day.  God said that His people would try to hide under the rocks when He punished them in the days of Isaiah (Isaiah 2:19), this was not the Second Coming.
• It is very possible to conclude this is God’s judgment on Rome (397 AD).

The question “who shall be able to stand?” seems to trouble many students of this text.  However, God asked the same thing by Nahum in regards to Him punishing Nineveh (Nahum 1:1; 6).

Continued next week…

1. All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
2. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (Reprint by Hendrickson, 2002, original copyright 1896).