Ⅲ
The first four seals opened by the Lamb-God give us a vision of world history from Christ’s ascension to the end of this age (cf. 4:1-2; 5:1-14); they show us that immediately after His ascension (Mark 16:19-20) there has been a four-horse race continuing through the entire age of the church until Christ’s return:
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The first seal consists of a white horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of the gospel—Rev. 6:1-2:
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The bow without an arrow signifies that Christ’s fighting for the constitution of the gospel of peace is finished and that the victory is won; a crown signifies that the gospel has been crowned with the glory of Christ—2 Cor. 4:4.
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Went forth conquering signifies that the gospel has been going forth with Christ to conquer all kinds of opposition and attack—Rev. 6:2.
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The overcomers who preach the gospel of the glory of Christ become the riders of the white horse—Eph. 3:8-11; Rom. 1:1; Rev. 19:11, 13-14.
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The second seal consists of a red horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of war—6:3-4:
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Red signifies the shedding of blood, and a great sword signifies weapons for fighting.
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To take peace from the earth signifies that war is continuing on the earth; that men should slay one another signifies that people will fight one another—v. 4; Matt. 24:7.
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The third seal consists of a black horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of famine—Rev. 6:5-6:
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A balance, a scale used to weigh precious things, being used here to weigh food signifies the scarcity of food; a quart of wheat, good pay for a day’s labor, and three quarts of barley, also good pay for a day’s labor (Matt. 20:2), signify the high price of food in its scarcity.
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Do not harm the oil and the wine (oil and wine are for man’s pleasure—Psa. 104:15—and are always in short supply and become precious in famine) signifies the presence of famine.
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The fourth seal consists of a pale horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of death—Rev. 6:7-8:
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Pale signifies the color of the appearance of those stricken with the plague; Hades following Death signifies that Hades receives and retains those whom death has killed.
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Authority is given to Death and Hades over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, and death and by the beasts of the earth—cf. vv. 9-11; Luke 18:1-2, 7-8.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying like the sound of thunder, Come. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer.The first four seals are four horses with their riders, running in a four-horse race (Rev. 6:1-8). All four riders are not real persons but personified things.
The first seal is a white horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of the gospel (vv. 1-2)…. A bow with an arrow is for fighting. But here there is a bow without an arrow. This indicates that the arrow has already been shot to destroy the enemy and that Christ's fighting for the constitution of the gospel of peace is finished and the victory is won. A crown signifies that the gospel has been crowned with the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). The gospel that we preach today has a crown, and this crown is the glory of Christ. We should not feel shameful when we preach the gospel. Rather, we should feel glorious. To preach the gospel is a glorious thing. Those who preach the gospel become the riders of the white horse.
Went forth conquering in Revelation 6:2 signifies that the gospel has been going forth with Christ to conquer all kinds of opposition and attack….We believers… must be on the white horse for the spreading of the gospel. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, "The Prophecy of the Four 'Sevens' in the Bible," pp. 22-23)
Today's Reading
The second seal consists of a red horse and its rider, signifying the spreading of war….Red in Revelation 6:4 signifies the shedding of blood. The red horse is a symbol of the raging of war, which is altogether a matter of shedding blood.The third seal, consisting of a black horse and its rider, signifies the spreading of famine. Revelation 6:5-6 says, "When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he who sits on it had a balance in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying: A choenix of wheat for a denarius and three choenixes of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." Black here, indicating the dearth (Jer. 14:1-4), signifies the color of the visage of famished people (Lam. 4:8-9; 5:9-10). The black horse is a symbol of the spreading of famine, which causes a black visage.
The fourth seal, consisting of a pale horse and its rider, signifies the spreading of death. Revelation 6:7-8 says, "When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and he who sits upon it, his name is Death; and Hades followed with him. And authority was given to them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with death and by the beasts of the earth." Pale signifies the color of the appearance of those stricken with the plague…. Hades following death signifies that Hades receives and retains those whom death has killed…. Authority is given to Death and Hades over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, and death and by the beasts of the earth.
The running of the four-horse race began from Christ's ascension (Mark 16:19-20) and continues through the entire age of the church to Christ's coming back. Beginning with the first century, the gospel has been spreading throughout these twenty centuries. War among the human race has also been proceeding simultaneously. War has always caused famine, and famine has issued in death. All of these will continue until the end of this age. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, "The Prophecy of the Four 'Sevens' in the Bible," pp. 23-26)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, "The Prophecy of the Four 'Sevens' in the Bible," chs. 1-2; Life-study of Revelation, msg. 19