What was God revealing to John in Revelation chapter six verses one to eight?

Answer 1

The Book of Revelation is still future. It speaks mostly of the Tribulation that will come over the whole earth. These verses are the "seals" and each seal opens another new demonstration of God's judgment on the earth. These seal judgments will last to the end of the Tribulation. The last one contains the 7 Trumpets; the seventh Trumpet contains the 7 bowls.

A white Horse represents a time of peace, but it is a false peace that the Antichrist has promised the world. ( The 4 horses and riders do not represent specific individuals, but forces). This conqueror will try to conquer the whole world first by peaceful means, (political) but not succeeding and desiring to show himself as more, like as in God, bloodshed will eventually erupt.

Another horse, fiery red. The blood red appearance of this horse speaks of the Holocaust of war. God will grant this horse and rider the power to create world wide war. But this is just birth pangs (Luke 21:9; Matthew 24:8; mark 13: 7-8).

The third seal is opened and another horse appears, a black horse. This rider has a pair of scales in his hand. Black speaks of famine (cf Lamentations 5:8-10) War and others things will destroy the food supply worldwide. Verse 6 tells us that a days wages will only buy a one day supply of food, there will be no luxuries, only the necessity of food can be bought.

The fourth seal is opened and another horse appears, the fourth horse, a pale horse. The Greek word for "pale" from which the English word "chlorophyll comes, describes the pale, ashen-green, pallor, which is characteristic of the decomposition of a corpse. The rider's name is Death, and Hades followed him. Hades is the place of the dead. God grants this horseman the authority to bring death to 25% of the world's population.

This is just a general view of what is coming upon the world. There are some terrible things awaiting when God's Judgment comes. many Bible students believe this time is just over the hilltop, it is getting very close. This Tribulation period is seven years long.