The Witnesses Testify
Chapter five showed us the scroll sealed with seven seals. This scroll is symbolic for God’s testament to His creation and contains the Father’s legacy: redemption for all mankind. The seven seals indicate the testament is witnessed by the complete Church, Christ’s body (seven, the number of completeness). Luke 24:46-49, Acts 1:8
The Lamb stepped forward and accepted the scroll from His Father. In doing so, He became the heir to the legacy. We, being His body, became joint heirs with Him. (Romans 8:15-17) Remember, this took place at the time of Jesus’ ascension into heaven after He rose from the dead.
In Chapter six, the Lamb breaks the seals. By tradition, as the seals are broken, the witnesses step forward to testify as to the authenticity of the document’s contents. In this chapter we are shown a panorama of two thousand years of the church dispensation as the seals are broken one by one. The witnesses testify of the power and truth of God’s plan of redemption.
Heaven is eternal; there is no time in heaven as we temporal beings experience it. Since in the spirit a day is as a thousand years, time frames in the spirit do not align with earthly calendars. The book of Revelation is a shifting vision, not an actual play-by-play report.
Revelation 6
1 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.”
Remember from Chapter four that the four living creatures represent various aspects of the Church. They are to spread the gospel, the Good News of God’s plan of redemption, the contents of the scroll. The first living creature was like a lion indicates we must go forth with the boldness of a lion. Are you bold?
A voice like thunder is symbolic for a powerful voice, one loud enough to spread the Good News throughout the world. This is the voice of a bold church.
The creature asks John to “come and see,” to witness what transpires. The first seal is broken and the first witness will testify. John, in AD 60, and us, in the 21st century, will participate in the testimony of the witnesses to God’s plan of redemption.
The Word translated come is the Greek word erchomai, meaning: to appear, to bring forth, be established. The Word see, is the Greek blepō, to observe, to perceive. A better translation might be, “Come forth! Now, watch this, John!” In fact, the Amplified version leaves out see.
. . . I heard one of the living creatures call out, “come!” AMPC. Is the Church calling forth the event in the spirit? Let’s find out.
The Four Horsemen
The first four seals contain four horses and riders. For many years these have been referred to as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. But these horses and riders have little to do with the apocalyptic final cleansing of the earth. These represent spirits sent out from heaven to cause certain events to take place on earth throughout man’s dispensation. Each has a specific job to do. They bring trials and tests to purify the bride, and draw all men unto Me (Jesus). John 12:32
The trials and testing described here is not the final tribulation. That starts with the trumpets in Chapter eight. These are times prophesied by Ezekiel as God’s shaking of the earth. Ezekiel 38:19
2 And I looked, and behold a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he went out conquering, and to conquer.
The white horse and rider represent the spirit of a victorious conqueror. This is not the same horse and rider seen in Revelation nineteen. The only thing the two sets have in common is the color of the horse. For example, in this verse the rider is given a crown. In Revelation nineteen, the rider is Jesus, the conquering king, who has His own crown.
The living creatures who introduce the horses are as important as the horses and riders. The first creature to speak was like a Lion. The lion is symbolic of kingship, rulership, strength, courage, and boldness. If we display the strength and courage of a lion as Jesus did, we will rule as kings and priests with Him. Romans 8:17
The rider had a bow, the symbol of judgement. Notice, a bow but no arrows. The Church is to be as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves. (Matthew 10:16) Our commission is to invade the spirit world with the Word of God, cause the ungodly to be judged by the Word, and defeat Satan’s plans to destroy God’s creation. (Mark 16:15-18) Satan’s followers are judged (bow) of their sins by the Word we preach and God’s righteousness showing forth from within us.
A crown was given to this rider. A crown is symbolic of rulership. The right to rule (crown) is given to us; we did not earn it. We are to conquer, rule, and reign over this world. Matthew 28:18-20
This white horse and rider represent the Church taking the spiritual battle to the world. The Word will judge, convict of sin, and bring about revival by conquering the hearts of man.
God’s covenant is true, and we are able to rule and reign in victory over the enemy’s forces.
So the witnesses testify!
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 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. There was given to him a great sword.
Jesus taught His disciples; “You will hear of wars, and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled . . . the end is not yet.” Mark 13:7-8
The red horse represents the spirit of warfare which was in the world from the beginning of the dispensation of man. During the Church Dispensation, the people of the Lord go out armed with the great sword of the Word of God to conquer hearts. Satan sends out his armies to war against us. This horse is symbolic for spiritual warfare.
The second living creature was like a calf. Remember from chapter four, a calf is symbolic for prayers, praise, thanksgiving, skipping with joy, and rejoicing. The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Much prayer and praise will call out this horse, and will be needed to fight the battle.
The spirit of warfare does not only induce the battle between the Church and Satan’s armies in the spiritual world, but also takes place in the physical world. Over time, the enemy uses demonic spirits of hatred, greed, and jealousy, to cause the people of the world to fight and kill one another. This is part of Satan’s plan to destroy mankind. (Matthew 10:34-39) But the enemy cannot overcome God’s redeemed when they set the battle in array against him in Christ! God has made us more than conquerors in our battle against Satan. Romans 8:37
So the witnesses testify!
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and beheld a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 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.”
The rider’s pair of scales weigh the hearts of mankind to find if the heart is pure, or cluttered with dross, sin, or other things of insignificance. Pure gold is heavier than gold mixed with other substances. The black horse represents a spirit of famine, not only physical starvation, but famine and hunger for the Word of God.
A quart of wheat for a denarius represents a day’s wages. One quart was not enough for a family to survive on. This represents a famine of the Word of Life, not enough to keep a family alive spiritually and intact. Wheat is the major food source of the people. It represents the preaching of the Word. Bread is made of flour ground from wheat or barley. Flour represents refinement and the perfection of humanity, and bread is symbolic for Jesus, the Bread of Life.
A famine of wheat, bread, and flour represents a famine in what is being preached. We eat the Word of God, our spiritual food. This would represent a famine in holiness preaching, or allowing sin to flourish. This also represents shepherds who reject the preaching of the blood of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 2:2) The apostle Paul explained to Timothy; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Three quarts of barley would be mere subsistence living, or just getting by. Barley is symbolic of redemption. This represents only enough redemption preaching for a family to barely survive. “I’m saved, what more do I need?” God offers His people more than enough, if we are willing to receive.
Wheat was harvested at the time of Pentecost, barley at Passover. A famine of wheat also represents a refusal to preach on the gifts and anointing of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). Barley represents a failure to preach salvation and redemption by the blood of Jesus (Passover). Together, these produce a famine in the harvest of souls.
The oil and wine are to be left untouched. They are symbolic for the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit. While times of famine of the Word of God exist, the Holy Spirit will judge the hearts of man. He searches for those whose hearts remain true. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is unlimited. He is all sufficient; always offering as much as you want or need. Our desire for Him is the scale on which our hearts are weighed, hence, the rider’s pair of scales. If the power of the Holy Spirit is in short supply in our hearts and ministry, it is our choice, not His.
The third living creature had a face like a man. This tells us that in order to be victorious, we must take on the image and likeness of Jesus. When a famine hits, can our neighbors look to us as blessed by God? Will we look like Jesus to them? Or, will we be poor, miserable, and wretched as they are? No matter how deep the famine of the Word is, there will always be a faithful remnant God can use to bring new souls into the kingdom.
So the witnesses testify!
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!” 8 So I looked, and beheld 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 the sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
Many teach that the pale horse symbolizes the spirit of pestilence and death. Note that Hades (hell) follows after him. In the last days, pestilence and plagues will multiply. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When he is loosed, he will come up with unbelievable ways of killing. This is what a pale horse symbolizes.
However, most commonly used bible translations are based on paraphrases of earlier works. Because of a lack of modern reference, they get it skewed. The word pale is the Hebrew word chlōros, meaning green, or dun-colored pale green. This makes the color of the four horses black, white, red, and green, and adds a new dimension to the prophecy.
How so? Let us go back to another time mankind was judged and destroyed. Genesis six is the account of the judgement of the earth which resulted in the flood.
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. Genesis 6:11
Violence is the Hebrew word Châmâs: violence, cruelty, wrong, injustice, unjust gain. The modern pronunciation of Châmâs is Hamas, the name taken by Islamist extremists sworn to the violent destruction of Israel and the West. Examine the colors on the flags of the Muslim countries of the middle East. All of them have a variation of the colors black, white, red, and green. Coincidence? I think not. This is, after all, an end-times prophecy.
Revelation 6:8 tells us, And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with hunger, with death. . . . Take a look at a map of the world. How much of it is currently involved in the fight against Islamic terrorism?
This violence between the seed of Jacob and Esau has been going on for more than four thousand years. As time gets short and the end grows near, violence will increase. They may make peace covenants between themselves, but Satan will not allow it to stand. For when they say, “peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3
According to Genesis 6:11, the earth was not only filled with violence in all the previously listed forms, but also totally corrupt. The word corrupt is the Hebrew shâchath (Shaw-khah) to spoil, ruin, destroy; to pervert, corrupt morally. Mankind was sexually and morally bankrupt. God had to destroy mankind to protect the seed line that led to Jesus. Hades (Satan) followed the line through history and finally to the crucifixion.
Satan will try everything in his power to snuff out the church to keep us from snatching souls from his kingdom and moving them into the kingdom of God. Some examples are, the Black Plague during the Middle Ages sent to bury the struggling church; Herod’s slaughter of the innocents designed to kill the infant Messiah: the Nazi Holocaust Hitler used to destroy God’s chosen people from whom he believed the messiah would arise; and persecution and martyrdom to stop the spread of the early church. As you can see, Satan thrashed around for centuries trying to stop the Messiah and His church. He never did get it right; he is not as omniscient and powerful as we give him credit for being. Even so, Hades follows to collect those who die unredeemed.
The fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. God will raise up the church so we can soar above the plagues, violence, and destruction that happen on the earth caused by this spirit of death. This is not a time for us to worry or be filled with fear. Many of the unsaved will be brought to their knees by the things that are happening. Will they see us soar and want to join us in the kingdom? Or will we be groveling in the dirt with them?
There are four plagues mentioned here: sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts. The word translated beasts is the Greek thērion, a dangerous beast. A roaring lion? Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8
The phrase, over a fourth of the earth, has specific meaning, as do all numbers in Revelation. One fourth (1/4), is made up of two parts; one divided by four. One is the number of God, or “God is our source.” Four is the number of the earth, creation, the world. God will divide the people of the earth and separate out His own redeemed, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32-33
The enemy has power over all but God’s redeemed. God’s power can keep His people, through the most noisome pestilence. 2 Chronicles 20:9
So the witnesses testify!