Revelation 6

I wasn't very dedicated today, and time does not care. You get out of bed and go through the motions, and all of the sudden the day is over. I did do a little cooking, practiced my guitar, let the dog in and out a few times, but in the end it feels like I did nothing. I didn't write the article about last night's speaker at our LowCountry Paddler's club meeting. He was good. The presentation was about kayak fishing, which is something that I really want to do. I will write up the article and submit it for next month's newsletter.

I have still yet to get into a new routine since losing my job. For awhile, I had a good routine going and got the house painted. Mostly, my routine is to scour e-mails and internet sites for potential jobs. I have been praying about all this, and have worked to make my daily routine begin with God. I say my daily prayers, and then do some bible reading. I'm reading Revelations right now, and trying to take it slow. I have a pretty good study bible, so that helps explain a lot of things. I wrote up my own notes on Revelation 6 which is provided below.

Revelation 6 - from my New Geneva Study Bible, New King James Version

"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

Was this Jesus, as some suggest. or perhaps the Holy Spirit that was promised to man after Jesus’ ascension? I think that would make sense, as the Lamb is Jesus. Therefore, He is sending the Holy Spirit to mankind, as promised, and the enemy He is conquering is sin.

"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword."

This horseman has been succeeding since the fall. Was John’s vision the future or the past. The interpretive difficulty in many areas of the Bible is that we try to apply our laws of physics, our understanding of time, to God’s Word given to man. But, His ways are not our ways. He is not limited by any sense of laws and time. He is the I am.

"When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard 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 the wine.""

My study Bible says that this signifies famine, and that all of our earnings will be needed just to buy food for survival. I would have to learn more about Christian/Jewish symbology to add my two-cents. What do scales normally imply? To us in America, it usually means justice. My Bible also suggests that the oil and wine may imply “that the rich will still be able to indulge themselves.” But, oil and wine are central to Christian sacraments. Oil is used for anointing, and wine represents the blood of Christ and the covenant. I might think that these are not harmed so that man may still have time to accept Jesus in the midst of tribulation.

"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Com and see.” So, I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth."

Again, this rider has been loosed on the earth since the fall of man. These curses were not what God desired for man, and these curses will be ended when Christ returns. Come Lord Jesus.

"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 testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed."

Here again, is another area involving time. Also, some might acknowledge this verse as indicating there is an interim place where we go after death, awaiting the coming of Christ to call us by name and bring us to the place He has prepared for us.

"I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”"

Who will stand indeed? Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have recently witnessed that earthquakes can truly move things out of place. The event in Chile should show us once again that the word of God is truth, and all that is, is under His control. God is mighty, God is awesome, and God has forgiven me! “Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Thank you God.