E¹ A¹ 6:1,2. The false Christ going forth to make war on the saints. (1st seal. Matt.24:4,5.) B¹ 6:3-8. Judgments on him and his followers.(2nd, 3rd, and 4th seals.) Matt.24:6,7. A² 6:9-11. The effects of the war with the saints. Their martyrdom. (5th seal.) Matt.24:8-28. B² 6:12-17. Judgments on him and his followers.(6th seal.) Matt.24:29,30. Question, "Who shall be able to stand?" A³ 7:1-8. Answer to question, by the sealing of 144,000, enabling them to stand in judgment. Matt.24:31.
3: And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come and see.” (these are given so you won't be deceived)
4: And there went out another horse (horses symbolic of power) that was red (symbolic of war): and it was given to him that sat thereon to take the peace from the earth, and in order that they should kill one another: and there was given to him a great sword. (cp. Gen. 25-27)
5: And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come, and see.” And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a balance in his hand. (Economic justice, commercialism)
6: And I heard a voice as it were in the midst of the four living creatures say, “A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny (Bread by weight means a time of scarcity, time of famine, this is a days wage); and hurt you not the oil and wine. (This points to a special protection of the elect in famine times. See 12:14. Zech. 13:8. Rom. 3:1,2; 9:4,5)
7: And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come and see.”
8: And I looked, and behold, a pale (= livid horse): and his name that sat on him was Death (= Satan), and Hell followed with him. And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword. (lies, as God's sword is the truth), and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Asps, Satan's workers spreading lies. It may indicate the nations supporting “the beast”. See Dan. 7 for the Divine description of “the powers” as “wild beasts”.)
9: And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony (=the true Word of God) which they held:
10: And they cried with a great voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (See Deut. 32:43. Luke 18:3. A call consistent with the day of judgment, not with the present day of grace.)
11: And a white robe were given to each one of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that are about to be killed even as they also had been, should be fulfilled.
The seal in which Satan appears. The signs immediately preceding the Advent of ch.19. Matt.24 covers exactly the period of the six seals, thus;
Matt.24. The Seals Rev.6 ------------------------------------------------- 4,5. 1st. The false Messiah 1,2. 6,7-. 2nd. Wars. 3,4. -7-. 3rd. Famines. 5,6. -7. 4th. Pestilences. 7,8. 8-28. 5th. Martyrdom's. 9-11. 29,30. 6th. Signs in heaven of Advent 12-17.
12: And I beheld when He opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there came to be a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the full moon became as blood (The shadow of deception is this great);
13: And the stars of heaven (i.e. the fallen angels) fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs (early ones that rot), when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14: And the heaven parted asunder as a scroll when it is rolling itself up; and every mountain and island were removed out of their places. (as in 2:5)
15: And the kings of the earth (as regards the social fabric, the present conditions will exist when the Lord comes), and the great ones, and the rich ones, and the chief captains, and the mighty ones, and every bondman, and every free one, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. (They followed the false Christ and were ashamed)
16: And they say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us (see Hos. 10:8, and cp. Luke 23:30), and hide us from the face of Him That sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb :
17: For the great day (all preceding judgments lead up to this. See Joel 2:11,31. Zeph. 1:14. Cp. Jude 6.) of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Answer: You! the elect & very elect.)