Revelation 6v1-8

Friends, if you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word. Today we are in Revelation chapter 6, verses 1 - 8.

Revelation 6:1–8 CSB

Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a set of scales in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, but do not harm the oil and the wine.” When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

Pray with me. Please have a seat.

The past few weeks we’ve been caught up in the heavenly throne room with John as he sees the ongoing worship of God. Famous scenes, scenes that are glorious for believers to read and can fill us with hope and courage.

In fact, when we look at the book of Revelation for the average reader, we tend to stick to Revelation 1-5. While there is some confusion in the early chapters, they feel safer. The letters to the churches, the scenes of heaven. We tend to know what to do with them, even if they are a bit extra when it comes to their apocalyptic imagery.

But as the Lamb begins cracking open the seals on the scrolls, we tend to go into our camps of either Revo-mania or revo-phobia once again. The pull to either crack open our secret decoder rings and speculate over what this could be or that could be and to study charts. Or to silently and quietly shut the book and trust that everything will work itself out, but we’d much rather read one of Pauls letters.

But friends - we would be missing God’s revealed word to us, and what i believe to be incredibly hopeful and revealing instruction and description for our benefit. And we are going to continue forward with the same hermeneutic that we have been operating under - or the same rules of interpretation.

This book is a prophetic book, with pastoral intentions, just like the rest of the new testament books. The difference is that it is using apocalyptic imagery to communicate - which means we are supposed to picture the imagery and almost experience it as we interpret it.

But the rules we would use to interpret say Isaiah in the old testament or Colossians in the new testament still apply today. It was written TO them and FOR us. This book was written TO first century Christians living in Asia Minor under the rule of the roman empire, likely with Emperor Domitian on the throne - meaning radical emperor worship is being promoted, and in the shadow of the persecution of the church ender Nero.

I appreciate Matt Chandler, a pastor and author from the village church in texas, and his thoughts on these sections. Saying that God didn’t create this super confusing book and have john give it to the church in Asia 2 thousand years ago for it to not apply or make sense to them, nor to the church throughout the millennia, but to only make sense to the last generation of Christians. No! This book was written TO that church in Asia minor, and it was for ALL the believers across the generations dealing with the same beasts that rile against the dominion of God until the coming of our Lord.

So today we get into Revelation chapter 6 and the first 4 seals. These are infamous verses as they describe the four horseman of the apocalypse. And again, apocalypse does not mean end of the world - biblically that word means revelation or unveiling! These four horsemen have been common imagery in stories and movies and poems throughout two thousand years since they been written. People claim to spot them in different photos taken during calamities - or even during the opening ceremonies of the olympics. But let’s approach this passage with sober-minded reasoning, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what this can mean for us.

Let’s look at the first horseman, verses 1-2

Revelation 6:1–2 CSB

Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.

So the lamb, Jesus Christ opens one of the seals - and one of the four living creatures speaks as a result. And the voice is like thunder - this thunder is reminiscent of the peels of thunder that John witnessed from the throne, so the indication is that this word is God’s will through one of the creatures. And the creature speaks “come!”

Then we see a horse and its rider - but notice that the horseman responds to the call of God and the breaking of the seal. This is not evil on it’s own wreaking havoc - no this horseman, along with all of them - it is on a leash.

We see that it is a white horse - and that the rider had a bow, and was given a crown - and went out as a conqueror, and indeed conquered.

There has been some speculation that this horse and its rider is Jesus - as we will see later on in revelation that JEsus will come on a white horse - but this is likely not the best explanation. Some others would say that this is the anti-christ, but I would want to remind us, that the word anti christ is not found in Revelation - though this is perhaps closer to what I think it’s getting at. A false hope, a false savior. One that people put there hopes in. A false gospel as it were.

Tim Dwyer, Craig Keener and others draw a connection between this horseman with that of the Parthians that existed in the same time period. The Parthian empire existed on the eastern flank of the Roman empire, and their standard, their flag was white. and they were terrifying to Rome due to their horsemen who also were archers, or horse archers. Which were nonexistent in the roman ranks at this time. Romans had some auxiliary troops with javelins and even some archers, but a horse archer, and ranks of them, were terrifying, for they could ride across your formations raining down arrows and retreat before one had a chance to organize a response.

They also were incredible at hit and runs, and ransacking towns and villages due to their mobility.

And so this image would likely be quite frightening to those who are in the eastern regions of the Roman empire, like the churches in Asia Minor.

So there is a potential contemporary image of the Parthian invader, but also the idea of a false king preaching a false gospel.

This rider seems to ride today - we have loads of false gospels in our culture. things that promise that they will give you life, or fulfillment, or happiness.

Matt Chandler believes and writes that the most popular false gospel in our day is the gospel of self-actualization. That you can find meaning and purpose inside yourself. That one needs to find their real self, and live it out, and by doing so one may be saved. To repent in this gospel is to let go of any external authority - instead you need to search your heart and follow its desires. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do - not your parents, friends, culture, especially not some book written by people two thousand plus years ago!

Instead we are to go inward, find your base desires and satisfy them. then celebrate the “real you.”

It goes into the idea of I can make myself something. I can be something special in and of myself. Watch me make me great. Then people will like me and love me.

This doesn’t fit the biblical reality at all - as we are not self-created, but we are created. We don’t get to define right and wrong - there must be an objective moral being to do so.

There are lots of other false gospels at play - that of health and wealth, those of sexual identity, social justice, and more and more. All examples of the white horse and the way he still rides today.

Those are all example of false gospels outside the church and in broader culture - but make no mistake, the white horseman tries to ride inside the church too - and it looks like false doctrine and heresy.

And I should be specific, because people throw out the term heresy and heretic way too often nowadays it seems. Christians have and will disagree on very important doctrines - but they are secondary or tertiary issues. Just because we disagree, even on things that are important, does not make it a heresy. In fact, if everything is called heresy, then nothing is!

No heresy is something that goes against the foundations of historic and orthodox Christianity. Things like the Trinity, how we are saved, the nature of God. The Inspiration of Scripture. The exclusivity of Jesus Christ and his work. etc.

And in context, when we look at the seven messages to the seven churches - the idea of syncretism. That you can worship Jesus, and still worship caesar or zeus or apollos. That’s false. That’s the white rider.

Let’s read on

Revelation 6:3–4 CSB

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.

The second seal is opened, and the next horseman responds to the call of the living creature. This one is read like fire - and he takes peace from the earth - and then war and violence comes with him. and He wields a sword.

This rider brings war - but notice it’s not just war - he takes away peace so on will slaughter another.

We tend to be bent towards violence and war. We tend towards anger and rage.

We have seen wars and nations rage since the fall - and there is always brutal animosity and resentment brewing between people.

But it’s important to know that this rider doesn’t just work on nation states and people groups - but he is trying to get us all to war with each other. think about the brewing rage and fear and anger in our own nation between the left and the right that at times seems to boil over. Think about how little disputes with neighbors can fill our hearts with rage to where we wanna do something stupid.

This horse and its rider are busy, constantly working people up into a frenzy of anger and rage. But Chandler writes that one of the most heartbreaking things about this horseman is that anger and rage aren’t primary emotions. According to psychologists, anger and rage grow out of sadness. For most humans, the deepest parts of us are broken, sad, and desperate - but we don’t let ourselves mourn, so we turn to rage, anger, war, or bitterness.

This rider rides in the church too, causing dissent and distrust and broken unity. Causing us to assume the worst in others - rather then do the deep work in our own spirits with God.

Let’s read on, the third horseman.

Revelation 6:5–6 CSB

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a set of scales in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, but do not harm the oil and the wine.”

The black horse comes and represents famine holding scales in his hand. The voice from among the living creatures determines the cost of things - “A quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barely fora denarius, but do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Wheat and Barely were the staples particularly of the average and lower class peoples. And GK Beale writes taht this could be like as much as an 8 times the normal price. So you may be able to afford to eat - but just barely.

But the luxuries - the oil and the wine are to be unharmed. So what people need in life will be scarce, but the luxuries will be abundant.

This could be show the unrest between those who have money and those who don’t - further creating a divide.

But it also indicates something very relatable. Elijah del Medigo, a philosopher has this quote that is striking:

“The brutal, painful fact is this: the average person living in a Western country increasingly has nothing to live for. He has little family, few friends, no neighborhood, no community, and no God. He exists mostly as a ritual of economic activity, a number on a balance sheet.”

or as Chandler summarizes - nothing you need; all the luxuries you want.

You can watch your huge plasma screen tv, while suffering in loneliness and ill health.

Is that not the state of our country? One the wealthiest, freest, most powerful countries of all time and yet we are depressed, angry, lonely, and desperate.

The fourth horseman now comes, verse 7 and 8

Revelation 6:7–8 CSB

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

here comes the pale green horse. If you have ever witnessed someone deeply ill in the hospital, where there skin becomes a sickly color, you know what color this is talking about. This is death and Hades, coming to bring sickness unto death.

Despite our great medical advancements, of which are many and we can be grateful for - still sickness is prevalent. And internationally, still the most common illnesses would appear to be the easiest to treat, disentary, hunger, simple infections from poor food and living conditions.

notice - over a fourth of the earth. This rider which brings pestilence and death has a limit - because remember - these horsemen are on a leash.

These seals as they are breaking, under the authority of Jesus, reveal a very different picture of the cosmos then most worldviews have to offer. Tim Keller has a brilliant quote on this

“Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.” - Tim Keller; “Walking with God through Pain and Suffering”

As we look at these packed 8 verses with the four horsemen, Let’s ask our question:

So What?

First, suffering has a limit.

Second, suffering has a purpose.

Third, suffering has an end date.

Fourth, we overcome through suffering with Jesus.

Hebrews 4:14–16 CSB

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

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PErsonal story of suffering on the porch? Read the room.

But you don’t suffer alone, and Jesus will not waste our suffering.