Principles of Interpretation: There are patterns to Revelation which should be considered when trying to understand it. One pattern is that each new section is introduced by a scene from the temple. There is significance to these introductions. Do not ignore them. They are a key to understanding the section. Another pattern is that the book is written in symbolic language. The King James Version translates verse 1 as “he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” To signify is to show in signs, i.e., symbols. Those symbols are based in the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. As such, look to the rest of the Bible to interpret Revelation rather than using Revelation to interpret the rest of the Bible. This also means that you need to let the Bible interpret itself rather than attempting to have it fit into today’s headlines. In short, do not treat Revelation as separate from the rest of the Bible. Instead, expect that the events described in Revelation have been presented in other parts of the Bible. A third pattern in Revelation is the idea of judgement. There are courtroom scenes and wrath and complaints about God not bringing justice. In fact, humans are not the only ones under judgment. God Himself is on trial, and the repeated verdict is that God is just, holy, and worthy. From the beginning claim that this is the Revelation of Jesus to the promise in the last chapter that we shall see God’s face, Revelation is an examination of who our Creator is and whether He is worthy of our loyalty.

Disclaimer: There are four basic methodologies used to interpret the book of Revelation in modern society: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Many modern churches have embraced the idea of the secret rapture, which is a form of futurism. On the other hand, some churches say that Revelation deals solely with events that were happening in the apostolic era. This is called preterism. Other churches teach that Revelation does not describe any specific time period. Instead, the symbols are philosophical and/or spiritual ideas. The series of studies that I am posting is based on historicism, which says that the Bible teaches that Revelation begins with the time of John and describes the interactions of the church with a hostile world throughout history culminating in the final future eradication of sin from the universe. This view denies a secret rapture. I do not want you to be in confusion about the basic premises of this series of lessons. If you disagree with the historicist viewpoint, please study for yourself to be certain that the interpretations that you have been told by others and simply accepted make sense with the whole Bible. As you study, first ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit; then study the verses, and let the Bible interpret itself. Even if you disagree with my comments, you may find the verses and background information that I provide useful. Finally, I want to emphasize that I myself am still studying Revelation and my understanding is deepening each time I open the book and read. Revelation is a distillation of the whole Bible; as such, the limited space of this blog and my limited understanding means that these lessons are not nearly as in-depth as they could (and maybe should) be.

References: See the end of this post for sources and references.

Introduction: A sealed book has been presented to the Lamb to open. He is the only one worthy to open this book. In order to open the book, the official seals have to be broken. The Lamb does this one-by-one. As each seal is broken, a symbol appears. Revelation 6:1-8 is a description of what happens as the first four seals are opened.

Revelation 6:1-8–The Four Horsemen

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!” When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

• How many horsemen are there?  four
• Four is significant. In the Bible, the number four represents the whole earth.
  • Isaiah 11:12  (12)  He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
  • Jeremiah 49:36  (36)  And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come.
  • Daniel 7:2  (2)  Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
  • Matthew 24:31  (31)  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
• Horses represent warfare or messengers.
  • Zechariah 1:7-10 (7)  On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, (8)  “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. (9)  Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ (10)  So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’
  • Zechariah 6:1-7 (1)  Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. (2)  The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, (3)  the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. (4)  Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” (5)  And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. (6)  The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” (7)  When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth.

• These different colored horses represent the idea that they are patrolling the earth and reporting back to God about what has been happening.  Thus, the horses in the seals are reporting what is going on in the earth at that time period.  In other words, the seals are a report of the happenings of earth during specific times.  The Christian church starts out triumphantly, but that situation deteriorates as time goes on and Satan opposes the advancement of the kingdom of heaven.

Revelation 6:1-2–The first seal corresponds to the church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) which was characterized by general faithfulness

(1)  Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” (2)  And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Seals  (The quotes in this list are taken from Plain Revelation by Ranko Stefanovic.)

• “The opening of the seals triggers a series of events on earth.  These events do not comprise the contents of the sealed scroll; rather, they are the events that take place on earth as a result of Christ’s actions in heaven.  The contents of the scroll will only be revealed when all seals have been opened.”
• “We must keep in mind that the opening of the seals began with the enthronement of Christ at Pentecost in AD 31.”
• “Thus, chapter 6 encompasses the history of the Christian church within the hostile world from the first century to the return of Christ”

White horse–In the Bible, white is a symbol of being sinless or having been cleansed of sin. This horse represents the purity of the message.

• Psalms 51:7  (7)  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
• Isaiah 1:18  (18)  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
• Revelation 19:11-16 (11)  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (12)  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. (13)  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (14)  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (15)  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (16)  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Bow–God is regularly pictured as having a bow and arrows as His weapons. His weapons are for the defense of His people against their enemies, but they are also a means of purifying His people. His arrows pierce into people’s hearts and convict them of sin and condemnation. As the early church went forward in triumph and purity, the arrows of the Holy Spirit convicted listeners of the truth of God and brought about repentance. Gentiles and Jews were convinced of the gospel of Jesus Christ and gained victory over sin.

• Habakkuk 3:8-13 (8)  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? (9)  You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers. (10)  The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. (11)  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. (12)  You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. (13)  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. Selah

• Psalms 38:1-2 (1)  A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! (2)  For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.

• Psalms 45:4-5 (4)  In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds. (5)  Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.

Crown–The rider’s crown is a symbol of victory. This victory did not come from the church itself. It came from Jesus’ victory at the cross radiating out to the world through the church. This was the victory of the Holy Spirit working through each church member to conquer souls for Christ.

• Isaiah 28:5  (5)  In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
• Isaiah 62:2-3 (2)  The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. (3)  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
• “The Greek word used for crown here is stephanos, which is the crown of victory (cf. 2 Tim. 4:8), a garland given to winners at the ancient Olympic games.  This rider is a conqueror; he goes forward to completely conquer.  In John’s day, Roman generals would ride white horses to celebrate a great victory.” (Ranko Stafanovic/Plain Revelation)

Revelation 6:3-4  The second seal corresponds to the church of Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) which suffered persecution in approximately A.D. 100-300.

(3)  When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” (4)  And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Bright Red—This is the color of fresh blood. The church was bleeding as member after member fell to persecution from the Roman Empire.

Take peace from the earth / People slay one another–Jesus’ message is not unopposed by Satan. As more and more are converted, Satan takes the offensive and increases persecution. The blood of Christ’s followers flows. This is not the time of Revelation 19 because it is humans who are killing, not God.

• Notice that the rider is not the one doing the killing.  He takes peace from the earth, and the people begin killing each other.
• Matthew 10:34-39 (34)  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. (35)  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (36)  And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. (37)  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (38)  And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (39)  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

• Revelation 19:11-16 (11)  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (12)  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. (13)  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (14)  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (15)  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (16)  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

A Great Sword

• “The people of Christ were severely persecuted for their faith. Much blood was shed as the Roman government sought to stamp out Christianity from its boundaries. The red horse portrays the experience of the church during the second, third and part of the fourth centuries after Christ.” (Unlocking Revelation)

Revelation 6:5-6 The third seal corresponds to Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) which was compromising to gain worldly power and holding false beliefs.  The church was declining spiritually.  This was in approximately AD 300-400.

(5)  When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. (6)  And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

Black–This is a time of darkness when the light of Christ has been obscured from the world.

• “Now as the third seal opens we enter the black horse period of spiritual darkness. Here is represented the historical fall of the church in the fourth century on through the fifth century and the major part of the sixth century. Dense moral darkness and theological error settled upon the church. Thousands of half-converted pagans were brought in, along with their erroneous ideas of the character of God, their idolatry and authority structures.” (Unlocking Revelation)

A pair of scales in hand & Wheat for a denarius/3/4 barley for a denarius–This is a time of famine for the bread of life.

• This was “a minute amount of food for a large amount of money” (Unlocking Revelation). The Bible is concerned with the spread of the kingdom of heaven rather than local famines and droughts (except as they affect the spread of the message). Thus, this scarcity of food represents a famine for spiritual sustenance. The church and the world were feeding on the Word of God. Instead, they had substituted church tradition and pagan rituals for God’s truth. People were dying spiritually from being denied the Bread of Life at this time.
• Amos 8:11-12 (11)  “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. (12)  They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.

No harm to the oil–In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Even though there was a spiritual famine, the Spirit was still working among the people and drawing them to Jesus.

• Hebrews 1:9  (9)  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
• Matthew 25:1-13 (1)  “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (2)  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. (3)  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, (4)  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. (5)  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. (6)  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (7)  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. (8)  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (9)  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ (10)  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. (11)  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ (12)  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ (13)  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

No harm to the wine–Wine is a symbol of the precious healing blood of Christ. Even through the spiritual famine that plagued the world at this time, Jesus was still saving people and guiding faithful members of His true church even as the worldly church continued to restrict access to the Bible and replaced truth with false teachings.

• Matthew 26:27-29 (27)  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, (28)  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29)  I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

• Through that dark period of spiritual famine depicted by the black horse, there were those who continued under the anointing influence of the Holy Spirit and preserved the pure gospel of Christ.

Revelation 6:7-8  The fourth seal corresponds to the church of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) which was under the domination of an apostate church.  There were still some faithful followers, but as a whole, the official church was in apostasy from God’s truths.  This time period was during Middle Ages.

(7)  When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” (8)  And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

Pale horse/ashen gray horse–The first horse was the pure white of purity. This is the faded out color of a corpse. The official church has become an instrument of Satan and is no longer full of the living blood of Christ.

Name of Rider is Death–This was a time of mass persecution, torture, and killing of anyone who disagreed with the Mediaeval church. Faithful followers of Jesus were burned at the stake for teaching the truths of the Bible. In fact, they were tortured and killed for even possessing pages of the Bible. The Spanish inquisition’s devices for torturing Christians, as well as those of other religions, are famous. In France, mass executions of Protestants took place. The lack of spiritual food resulted in the church that claimed to serve Jesus turning on those who were faithfully following Jesus and killing them.

Hades followed–Hades is the Greek word for the grave. Thus, first came the killing and then the grave.

• “The pale horse reveals the deepest depths of apostasy into which the church fell during the Middle Ages under papal supremacy. The rider’s name is Death and the grave followed him. As a result of the church’s evil rule, nations descended until they were void of spiritual and moral life. All of Europe was plunged into war and famine and disease.  Approximately 50 million people were martyred for their faith by the church that claimed in vain the name of Christ. Some historians have estimated that as much as one-quarter to one-third of Europe’s population died during this time.” (Unlocking Revelation)

Kill by sword/famine/pestilence/wild beasts of the earth–Covenant Curses for Breaking Covenant

• In the Bible, these methods of destruction are the way that God said that those who broke covenant would die. These symbols indicate that the official church has broken covenant with God, and He has withdrawn His protection from them. The downward spiral from the pure church of the first seal through the compromise of the second seal and the deadly rejection of the messages sent by God’s representatives in the third seal is complete. The official church had come under Satan’s control alone.

• “When interpreting the seven seals, remember that the symbolism of Revelation is rooted in the Old Testament.  In the seven seal scenes, Revelation uses the experience of ancient Israel in Palestine to describe the experience of Christians.  The mission of the horsemen is portrayed using the terms sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts (Rev 6:8).  In the Old Testament, these terms were instruments of divine judgement against unfaithful Israel, used to bring them to repentance.  These plagues were known as covenant curses and were used as a punishment for breaking the covenant of God.”  (Plain Revelation/Ranko Stefanovic)
• Leviticus 26:21-26 (21)  “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. (22)  I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted. (23)  “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, (24)  I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. (25)  And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. (26)  When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
• Deuteronomy 32:23-25 (23)  “I will heap calamities on them and spend my arrows against them. (24)  I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust. (25)  In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. The young men and young women will perish, the infants and those with gray hair.
• Ezekiel 14:21 (21)  “For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!
• Jeremiah 15:3 (3)  “I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” declares the LORD, “the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.

Revelation 6:9-11 The Fifth Seal corresponds to the church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) where the reformation began to grow weakly at first but as more and more martyrs were slain, they were replaced by new believers inspired by their deaths.  Historians generally date the reformation to 1517.  It is interesting that God switches from considering the medieval church His own to ignoring it here and focusing only on His reformation church.

(9)  When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. (10)  They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (11)  Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

• The established church is no longer God’s church.  Now, the focus is on the church of the reformation.  This is the church that stood up for sola scriptura—the Bible alone (not tradition), sola gratia—through grace alone (all have sinned), sola fide—through faith alone (not works), solus Christus—through Christ alone (No human can forgive our sins), and soli deo gloria—to the gloria of God alone (we can do nothing to save ourselves; only God can do this). 

Under the altar

• This is a symbol of the Old Testament Sanctuary. The outer court where the altar sat represented the earth as opposed to the Holy Place where God dwelt. The earth was the place where Jesus would be sacrificed, so the altar was in the outer court. The significance of this symbol in Revelation was that during the process of sacrifice, a portion of the blood of the sacrifice for sin was to be poured out at the altar’s base.
• Leviticus 4:7 (7)  The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
• Leviticus 8:15 (15)  Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it.
• Exodus 29:12 (12)  Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.

They cry to God–Because these souls are under the altar, we can understand that these are not literal people or ghost or spirits speaking to God. Instead, their deaths are crying out to God for justice. It is their blood that is represented in this symbol.

• Genesis 4:10  (10)  And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

How long before judgement/vengeance is on earth dwellers–Earth dwellers are those who belong to Satan’s kingdom.

• God remembers those who have given their lives in His cause long after the rest of the world has forgotten.  God will never forget.  Their blood calls to Him. (Deuteronomy 32:43/Psalm 79:10)
• The answer to “how long” is found in Daniel 7 and Revelation—1260 years would end the domination of the persecuting power of the apostate church.  The deadly wound was inflicted in 1798.

White robe/Rest a little longer

• The symbol of the white robe is an assurance of eternal life. Now, the martyrs sleep in the grave, but the day will come when Jesus will wake them up to eternal life.

Revelation 6:12-17  The sixth seal corresponds to both the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea (Revelation 3:7-22).  The church starts out in love and then becomes lukewarm.  The signs given in verses 12 and 13 took place during Philadelphia.  The last earthquake and great day of wrath will occur during Laodicea.

(12)  When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, (13)  and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. (14)  The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (15)  Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, (16)  calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, (17)  for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

• Parallel Passage in Matthew: Matthew 24:29-31 (29)  “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. (30)  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31)  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

• “Because these signs take place under the sixth seal, we should look for them sometime after the dark ages of papal persecution and yet prior to the second coming of Christ. With amazing accuracy these signs did occur, in precisely the order and during the time foretold.” (Unlocking Revelation)

Earthquake

• “The Great Earthquake found its fulfillment on November 1, 1755.  Commonly called the Lisbon Earthquake because it centered in Lisbon, Portugal, this was the greatest catastrophe the world had ever seen since the flood of Noah’s day. Not only was Lisbon destroyed with the loss of an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 lives, but the quake was felt by the greater portions of the continents of Europe, Africa, and even America. Two cities in Africa, 400 miles away, were leveled. A tidal wave struck the island of Barbados in the Caribbean, over 4,000 miles from Lisbon. The sea rose fifty feet above its normal level. If a modern quake of this magnitude were to occur in San Francisco, not only would Frisco be destroyed but so would Los Angeles. And the rumbling would be felt throughout America and on continents across the oceans.” (Unlocking Revelation)

Sun black as sackcloth / Full blood moon

• “The Darkening of the Sun was fulfilled on May 19, 1780. In history books it is called ‘The Dark Day.’ R. M. Devens, in his book entitled, Our First Century, pp. 89-90, says this about the event: ‘Almost, if not altogether, alone as the mysterious and yet unexplainable phenomenon of its kind, in nature’s diversified range of events, . . . stands the dark day of May 19, 1780—a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.’ In Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1882 edition), we find this entry under the dark day: ‘The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known.’ Since then some have suggested that the dark day can be accounted for by natural causes. But of course, God has often used the powers of nature to accomplish His purposes. The point remains that, from whatever cause, the sun was indeed darkened on May 19, 1780.” (Unlocking Revelation)
• “The Moon Turned Blood Red the evening of May 19, 1780, after the dark day.” (Unlocking Revelation)

Falling stars

• “The Falling of the Stars occurred on November 13, 1833. The American Journal of Science and Arts, 1834, records: ‘The morning of November 13th, 1833, was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called SHOOTING STARS, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one hitherto recorded. . . . Probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another class. For some time after the occurrence, the ‘meteoric phenomenon’ was the principal topic of conversation in every circle.’ Charles A. Young, a Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University says: ‘Probably the MOST REMARKABLE of all the meteoric showers . . . was that of the Leonids, on November 13, 1833. The number . . . was estimated as high as 2,000,000 an hour for five or six hours.’” (Unlocking Revelation)

Sky vanished like scroll / Earthquake—moves islands and mountains

• “We are now between the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of Revelation 6. The next item on the agenda is an earthquake of even greater magnitude than the first one revealed under the sixth seal. . . . It must be scheduled to occur sometime very near, if not just prior to, the second coming of Christ. For shortly thereafter the sixth seal portrays the terror of the unrepentant world as they witness the coming of Christ in the heavens.” (Unlocking Revelation)
• The signs of the seventh seal are a call for repentance before final judgment. As the natural phenomenon occurred, many were drawn to call upon the name of the Lord, but in between they were lulled into forgetfulness until another sign acted as a wake up call that Jesus would be returning, and they would have to face Him. God is unwilling that any perish, so He gives plenty of warning that we are living in the final chapter of this sinful world and soon there will be no more time to repent.

Powerful and weak all calling to be hidden–While God’s people welcome Jesus’ return happily, those who have rejected salvation react with fear.

• Isaiah 2:19-22 (19)  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, when he rises to terrify the earth. (20)  In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, (21)  to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. (22)  Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?

One on throne / Wrath of the Lamb–It is ironic that people fear the anger of a lamb.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 (5)  This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—(6)  since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, (7)  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (8)  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (9)  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (10)  when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (11)  To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, (12)  so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who can stand?–Those who have put their faith in God will stand. Those who have put their faith in the world will be destroyed. Nahum 1:7 promises that the Lord is a refuge and that He will care for those who trust Him. Jesus’ loyal people have nothing to fear.

• Nahum 1:6 (6)  Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.
• Malachi 3:2-5 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. (3) He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, (4)  and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. (5) “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. 
• Isaiah 33:14-17 (14)  The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” (15)  He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, (16)  he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. (17)  Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.

Conclusion: The sealed book described in Revelation 5 and 6 gives this world legally to Jesus, but there is still a fight that happens to make His possession a reality. Satan has not and will not give up his hold on Earth without a fight. As Jesus removes each seal of the scroll that takes rulership away from Satan and hands the title to Earth to the Lamb, there is a corresponding fight happening on this world. During the first seal, it looks as if the Lamb’s possession of the world will be accomplished quickly, but Satan counterattacks–first by persecution from without and then by corruption from within. Satan is able to wrest the official church away from Jesus by substituting truth with traditions and love with stony hearts, but Jesus has already countered this attack by reaching into the hearts and minds of people inside the apostate church through the Spirit and the Word. Jesus’ reforms His church anew, but it is still flawed by false beliefs and must be purified again and again through the truths of the Bible and the love of God. The day will come when Jesus brings a final purification to this world and to His followers. We will stand during that day within the precious love of God while those who stand outside of that love relationship perish as God finally gives them the reward that they have been asking for–total separation from God.

References:

• Andrews Study Bible–In some lessons, I refer to study comments from this Bible.
• Plain Revelation–A book by Ranko Stefanovic that summarizes the meaning of various sections of Revelation
• Revelation of Jesus Christ–A book by Ranko Stefonovic that comments on each verse of Revelation.
• Salvation in Signs and Symbols–a series of shows where two pastors and two others study through the books of Revelation and Daniel. These programs can be accessed at 3abnplus.tv . Scroll down to 3ABN Dare to Dream Network and choose Salvation in Signs and Symbols from the list there.
• Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Volume 7) (Copywrite 1957)–This is the old green set of commentaries, not the new commentary series that is in the process of being published and should be released after 2022. (Boy, I would love to get my hands on that set when it comes out!)
• Table Talk–A series of shows where four pastors discuss various topics. These programs can be accessed at tabletalk.online . Season 4 focuses on Revelation.
• Unlocking Revelation–A series of pamphlets that can be downloaded for free from lightbearers.org by clicking on Resources