Revelation 6
The Lamb Breaks the Seals — The Wrath of the Lamb Begins
“Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals…” (Revelation 6:1)
The scroll from Revelation 5 remains in view — and now Jesus Christ, the only worthy One, begins to open the seals, unleashing judgment upon the earth.
This is the beginning of the Tribulation — not merely the wrath of men or Satan, but the very wrath of the Lamb
(Revelation 6:16–17).
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The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6:1–8)
1.The White Horse — False Peace
•“And behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.” (v.2)
•This is not Christ, but an imitation — the rise of the Antichrist, initially offering deceptive peace (Daniel 9:27; 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
2.The Red Horse — War
•“And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another…” (v.4)
•Global warfare follows the false peace.
3.The Black Horse — Famine
•“And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.” (v.5)
•Scarcity so severe that a day’s wage buys only enough food for one (v.6; cf. Lamentations 4:9).
4.The Pale Horse — Death
•“And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him.” (v.8)
•One-fourth of the earth’s population perishes by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.
Important Note:
The staggering death toll of the first four seals — one-fourth of humanity — shows that these judgments are global, catastrophic, and divinely initiated.
This reality severely challenges the Prewrath view, which claims God’s wrath only begins later (around the sixth or seventh seal).
But clearly, from the very first seals, the Lamb is judging — and the world is collapsing.
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The Fifth Seal — Cry of the Martyrs (Revelation 6:9–11)
•“I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.” (v.9)
•These Tribulation martyrs are likely those saved after the Rapture — people who come to faith during the early Tribulation period and pay the ultimate price for it (Revelation 7:14).
•Their cry is not for personal revenge but for righteous justice, and they are told to rest a little longer until the full number of martyrs is complete.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10–12).
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The Sixth Seal — Cosmic Upheaval (Revelation 6:12–17)
•“There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth…” (vv.12–13)
•Creation itself convulses — a global catastrophe that terrifies even kings and generals.
•In horror, they cry out:
•“Fall on us and hide us… from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (vv.16–17)
Crucial Detail:
By the sixth seal, the world fully recognizes that they are under divine judgment — not random disasters.
God’s wrath is active, escalating from the very start.
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•The Tribulation is initiated by Christ Himself — not Satan.
•It is progressive, intensifying with each seal, trumpet, and bowl (cf. Matthew 24:4–31 parallels the seals).
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“The Lamb who once bore the sins of the world now unleashes the judgments of God upon a rebellious planet. The seals are not the wrath of men, but the wrath of the Lamb Himself — an unmistakable sign that the Day of the Lord has begun.”
Ed Hindson
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Faith Takeaway
The Lamb who was slain is also the Lion who will judge.
Today, He offers mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life to all who call upon His name
(Romans 10:13).
But a day is rapidly approaching when mercy will give way to judgment.
Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) — before the first seal is broken and the door of mercy is shut forever.