1.  What color was the first horse John saw?  See Revelation 6:2.

Answer: .

This pure white horse is a fitting symbol of the first century church that went forth with power to preach the gospel!  These men “turned the world upside down” for Jesus!  See Acts 17:6. The early church shot the arrows of gospel truth far and wide!  A return to this type of witnessing is what the church and the world needs today!

2.  What color was the second horse John saw?  See verses 3-4.

Answer: .

3.  What did this horse have "power" to do, and also, what was given unto him?  See verse 4.

Answer: He had power to take from the , that they should one another, and there was given unto him a .

The red horse depicts the church in the second and third centuries.  It suffered violent persecutions under the Roman Caesars, and countless numbers of Christians felt the edge of the Roman "sword"!  Peace was taken from the earth for the Christians in the sense that they were driven underground and hunted.  The color red is indicative of the blood the martyrs shed for the name of Jesus!  May we be as faithful as these heroes of faith were during this time!  They were ready and able to die rather than deny or disobey Jesus!

4.  What color was the third horse that John saw?  See verse 5.

Answer: .

5.  What did the rider of this horse have in his hands?  Same verse.

Answer: A pair of .

6.  And what did a voice in the midst of the four beasts say?  See verse 6.

Fill in: "A of for a , and three of for a ; and see thou not the and the ."

If white is a symbol of purity, the color of this horse would be symbolic of the many heresies that came into the church during this period.  The approximate dates for the period of the church symbolized by this black horse would be from the third through the fifth centuries.

The pair of balances may characterize the spiritual poverty and famine of the church after it was legalized in the fourth century, when church and state were united.  This period represents the early “Dark Ages.”  Once persecution ceased, many false hearted believers came into the church bringing with them their pagan customs and worldly ways!  It was during this period that the fallen church mentioned in Revelation as the “great harlot” was formed!  See Revelation 17.

The command to “hurt not the oil or the wine” indicates that the oil of the Holy Spirit and the wine of pure doctrine was still held by some during this time of spiritual darkness and popular Christianity!  See Zechariah 4:2-6 where oil is used to represent the Holy Spirit and the word of God!  See also Revelation 17:2 where wine is used to represent false doctrine and spiritual fornication!

7.  What color was the fourth horse John saw, what was the name of its rider, and what followed after it?  See verses 7-8.

Answer: The color was and the name of the rider was . And followed with him.

This fourth pale horse represents the church in the latter "Dark Ages" from approximately 538 until the reformation in 1517. During this time an estimated 50 million believers were put to death by the hands of the Roman Catholic Church with the popes as her head. This papacy officially began in 538 A.D. when Justinian’s decree made in 533 A.D. was able to be fully carried out.

Believers were starved to death, thrown into wells, fed to wild animals, thrust through with swords, etc.  Hence, the reference to death and hell (hades in Greek means “the grave”) in verse 8.

The reference to the fourth part of the earth depicts the fact that many of the nations of the earth quickly accepted the papal rule and this persecution extended to "heretics" of all nations!  A “heretic” in the eyes of the Papal church of this period was anyone who refused to accept Rome’s doctrines and decrees!

8.  When the fifth seal was opened, what did John see “under the altar”?  See verse 9.

Answer: The of them that were for the of , and for the which they .

9.  What was the cry these souls made?  See verse 10.

Fill In: "... how , O Lord, and , dost thou not and our on them that on the ?"

10.  What was given to them and what were they told?  See verse 11.

Fill In: "And were given every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should yet for a , until their also and their brethren, that should be as they were, should be ."

How fitting it is that during this time of great persecution in church history, reference is made to the millions of martyrs that were put to death.  They are also told to “rest” for a little season!  This is a reminder that they will be avenged!

These souls under the altar are symbolic of the many that were slain upon the earth for their faith!  They are not literal souls jammed in under an altar in heaven!  The word soul represents a person.  A soul can die!  See Ezekiel 18:4 and Revelation 16:3 for Bible proof of this!

In Revelation 14:13 it says “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth ... that they may REST from their labors; and their works do follow them.”  The dead are sleeping in their graves awaiting the resurrection when Jesus comes!  See 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.   Jesus also said that Lazarus was “sleeping” when in actuality he was dead!  John 11:11-14.

The souls under the altar are crying out for vengeance symbolically like the blood of Abel cried out for justice in Genesis 4:10.  These faithful martyrs will be avenged when the great harlot that persecuted them is finally destroyed when Jesus returns!  See Revelation 19:1-2 & 11-16 which depicts the second coming of Jesus!  Notice especially verse 2.

11.  What did John see when the sixth seal was opened?  See verses 12-13.

Fill in: “... there was a great ; and the became as sackcloth of hair, and the became as ; and the of heaven unto the earth ...”

The events depicted here under the fifth and sixth seals were events that have happened since the reformation period.

These signs given in verses 12 and 13 depict actual events that transpired already in the order given!  In fact, these events and their order correspond with the signs Jesus gave that would precede His second coming!  See Matthew 24:29-30.

Here is a very exciting piece of information!  These events have already happened in precisely the order Jesus gave!  And they happened in the very time period covered by the sixth seal!

On November 1, 1755, the greatest earthquake ever written about occurred, commonly known as the “Lisbon Quake” because its epicenter was the city of Lisbon in Portugal.  The quake was felt from North Africa to the West Indies!  The recent quakes in California that registered nearly 8 on the Richter scale would have paled when compared to the great Lisbon quake!  It may even have been a 10 if measured on the Richter scale!

This was followed twenty five years later by the “Great Dark Day” on May 19th, 1780.  A careful study of newspaper reports of that time reveals that an unusual darkness appeared in eastern New York and southwestern New England about ten o’clock that morning, and during the day made its way eastward across southern and central New England, and to some distance at sea. Each locality reported that the darkness lasted several hours.  It was so dark witnesses said, that a piece of white paper held at arm's length could not be seen!  This event also occurred in an area where great interest in Bible prophecy and the second coming of Jesus was to begin in the early 1800s!  We will learn more about the “Great Second Advent Movement” when we study chapter 10.  Also, on the same night of this dark day, the moon when it appeared was described as looking like “a drop of blood”!

Some attribute this darkness to thick smoke perhaps, but even if it were, it still would be a great fulfillment of the very words of Jesus, John, and Joel the prophet.  Joel even mentioned “pillars of smoke”!  See Joel 2:30-32.

12.  What did John see occur after the signs mentioned in verse 13?  See verse 14.

Answer: He saw " departed as a when it is together; and every and were out of their ."

We are living in the time between verses 13 and 14!  The next great sign is to be the heavens rolling up as a scroll!  We don’t know what that means exactly.  Could it be that we will see the stars in midday, or that the clouds and blueness of the sky will disappear for a time?  We must wait for this fulfillment to know for sure!  Jesus also mentioned that “the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” before His return!  See Matthew 24:29.

Also, this verse tells us that another great earthquake or convulsion of the earth will take place in the future!  It will be one that moves every mountain and island out of its place and grabs the attention of a rebellious world!

13.  What do the kings, great rich men, chief captains, mighty men, prisoners and free men that have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and who have lived in rebellion to God’s laws do when they see Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven?  See verses 15-16.

Answer: They themselves in the and of the .

14.  What do they cry out to the mountains and rocks?  Verses 16-17.

Answer: " on us, and us from the of Him that sitteth on the and from the of the ; for the great of His is ; and shall be able to ?"

Those who have rejected Jesus and disobeyed God’s word and His laws will flee in terror from Jesus! How sad! How much better it would be if they could run toward Him rejoicing because He has come to save them as the righteous will do! See Isaiah 25:9.

Which group will you be in then?  Make sure it is the group that Isaiah saw!  You can be in the group Isaiah mentioned by making Jesus your Lord and Savior and by obeying all His commandments!

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