Chapter 6
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Scripture
KJV1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
9And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
12And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Overview
The Lamb begins opening the seven seals of the scroll. The first four seals release the four horsemen — representing conquest, war, famine, and death. The fifth seal reveals the souls of martyrs under the altar crying out for justice. The sixth seal brings a great earthquake and cosmic disturbances so severe that all people, from kings to servants, hide in terror and cry out for the mountains to fall on them.
Key Themes
The Four Horsemen
The four riders represent the cascading consequences of human rebellion and divine judgment — conquest leading to war, war to famine, and famine to widespread death.
The Cry of the Martyrs
Under the altar, the souls of those slain for their faith cry out 'How long, O Lord?' revealing that God hears the suffering of His people and that justice is certain even when delayed.
The Day of Wrath
The sixth seal unleashes cosmic upheaval that causes every level of human society to tremble, recognizing that the great day of the Lamb's wrath has come.
Study Questions
What does it mean that these judgments are released by the Lamb Himself, and how does this shape our understanding of Christ as both Savior and Judge?
How should the martyrs' cry of 'How long, O Lord?' encourage believers who face injustice and suffering today?
Why do the powerful and the common alike react with the same terror at the sixth seal, and what does this reveal about human equality before God?
How do the four horsemen reflect patterns of judgment that have been present throughout human history, not just in the end times?
What is significant about the phrase 'the wrath of the Lamb' — how does wrath relate to a lamb, and what does this reveal about divine justice?
Connection to Christ
It is the Lamb — the same Jesus who died for sinners — who opens these seals of judgment. This reveals that Christ is not only the gentle Savior but also the righteous Judge of all the earth. The phrase 'the wrath of the Lamb' is deliberately paradoxical, showing that the same love that bled on the cross will one day hold all evil to account.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Revelation 6. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?