Revelation 6 Explained: What the Seven Seals Reveal—and What They Do Not
- Kareem Flowers
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Revelation 6: The Seals as Revelation, Not Execution
Revelation 6 is quite the wonder, presenting vivid imagery and riveting themes that move believers to ponder and prepare for the things that will unfold upon the earth in times to come. However, before we explore its verses, we must first remind ourselves of several key points learned in the previous blog.
The seals conceal the writing on the outside of the book in God’s hand. Because John is in a vision, when a seal is opened and the information it concealed is revealed, he does not hear the Lamb read what is written. Instead, John witnesses a visual display of that writing. This is why, throughout the chapter, he is repeatedly told, “Come and see,” rather than “come and hear.”
The seals reveal information about the major agents, themes, and events contained within the book in God’s hand. However, the seals themselves do not cause events; they function as foreshadowings of what is written within the book.
Overview of the Seven Seals
Revelation 6–8 focuses on the opening of the seven seals. Six of the seven are opened in Revelation 6, while the final seal is opened in Revelation 8. Below is a concise, point-form overview of each seal before we examine them in greater detail.
Seal 1 (Revelation 6:1–2) – A white horse is revealed. Its rider carries a bow, is given a crown, and goes forth conquering.
Seal 2 (Revelation 6:3–4) – A red horse is revealed. Its rider is given power to take peace from the earth, resulting in violence and war.
Seal 3 (Revelation 6:5–6) – A black horse is revealed. Its rider is given power to bring famine and economic imbalance.
Seal 4 (Revelation 6:7–8) – A pale horse is revealed. Its rider is named Death, and Hell follows with him. Together, they are given authority over a fourth of the earth to bring death in various forms.
Seal 5 (Revelation 6:9–11) – The martyrs awaken. Those slain for the testimony of Jesus cry out to God for vengeance and are instructed to wait until the full number of martyrs is complete.
Seal 6 (Revelation 6:12–7:17) – A comprehensive, visionary summary of real events that will take place once the book is opened.
Seal 7 (Revelation 8:1) – The final binding force that kept the book closed. Once this seal is opened, the book can be fully opened and read.
Seals 1-4: The Four Horses and Their Riders
At the opening of the first four seals, four horses and their riders are revealed, each assigned a specific role. The first horse is white, the second red, the third black, and the fourth pale. This is where many theologians go astray. Much attention is often placed on the colors of the horses, with symbolic meanings assigned to them and some even claiming they represent present-day nations. However, the four horses and their riders are not symbols, nor are they agents of the devil. Rather, they are real entities: heavenly horses with angelic riders, each given a distinct assignment to fulfill.
A clearer understanding of the four horses is found in the book of Zechariah.
Zechariah 1:8–11 - 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Here, the horsemen are first identified as “they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.” This provides our first key insight: these entities roam the entire earth. This also indicates that they existed long before the seals of Revelation were opened. They are servants of God, executing His purposes as part of His heavenly order.
In this instance, after patrolling the earth, they return with a report that the earth - more specifically, the nations - were at rest, meaning they were at peace. This leads to a second observation: these horsemen not only patrol the earth, but also present reports of what they observe.
God’s Response to the Report
Although the nations were at ease, this condition displeased the Lord. These were nations such as Babylon, Persia, and other Gentile powers that had cruelly afflicted Israel. Yet, they now sat in peace as though no judgment would ever come.
Zechariah 1:15–16 - 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
This brings us to a third observation: these horsemen are present when God is provoked and when judgment is about to be enacted.
Zechariah 6:1–3 - 1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
Zechariah 6 reveals God’s response to the vexation described in Chapter 1. Once again, we see the same four horses later revealed in Revelation: red, black, white, and grisled (pale with red markings).
Notably, these chariots emerge from between two mountains of brass. Throughout Scripture, brass is associated with judgment. These mountains therefore signify that what follows is the execution of divine judgment upon the nations that had grieved the Spirit of the Lord. Consistently, whenever there is judgment upon nations, these horses appear.
Identity of the Horsemen
Zechariah 6:4–5 - 4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
Here the identity of the horses and their riders is stated plainly. They are “the four spirits of the heavens” who go forth from standing in the presence of the Lord of all the earth (Zech. 6:5), and who patrol the earth (Zech. 1:10). They are not symbolic figures, but spiritual entities vested with authority.
Furthermore, they are not satanic forces. They stand before God and are dispatched by Him. They are agents of divine judgment, executing His will until His purposes are fulfilled and His indignation is satisfied.
Clarifying the Role of the Horse Colors
Much confusion surrounding the horsemen of Revelation 6 arises because emphasis is placed on the color of the horses rather than on the authority and function of the riders. In Scripture, the power is not in the horse, but in the one who rides it.
The primary significance of the horses’ colors is that they indicate where the riders are sent.
Zechariah 6:6–8 - 6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth… 8 …Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
This passage clarifies that the colors correspond to geographic direction, identifying the regions to which the horsemen are dispatched, and are not symbolic representations of nations.
The Significance of the Horsemen in the Seals
Now that we understand that these horsemen are not symbols, but rather the four spirits of the heavens—entities that existed long before the book of Revelation was written—we must ask an important question: what is their purpose in the seals?
To answer this, we must remember the function of the seals themselves. The seals do not execute events; they foreshadow the major agents, themes, and events contained within the sealed book. Therefore, when the first four seals are opened, they are not releasing these horsemen into the world in a chronological sequence. Instead, the opening of the seals reveals that these horsemen are among the primary agents at work within the book, influencing and bringing about many of the things that will later be revealed in detail.
Because they are spiritual entities, these horsemen operate in the spiritual realm, just as they have in times past, while their influence manifests in the physical realm. When the first four seals are opened, what is revealed is their authority, scope, and—in certain cases—special functions or power assigned to them specifically for the end of days.
Once the book itself is opened, the discerning reader should be able to identify where and how the influence of these horsemen is at work along the timeline the book presents. The seals introduce the agents; the book reveals their activity.
We will study these horsemen in greater detail in later blogs.
Seal 5: The Martyrs (Revelation 6:9–11)
The fifth seal reveals martyrs crying out and being told that more believers will die.
This prepares the reader for actual events that are revealed once the book is opened:
The beast making war with the saints (Revelation 13:7)
Believers refusing the mark and being killed (Revelation 13:15)
Faithful testimony unto death (Revelation 12:11)
The seal does not cause martyrdom.
It reveals that martyrdom is a defining element of the book’s content.
Seal 6: A Summary of the Entire Book
(Revelation 6:12 – 7:17)
The sixth seal functions differently from all the others. Rather than introducing a single agent or condition, it acts as a compressed overview of everything the book contains. It does not describe one event or moment in time. Instead, it previews the full scope, intensity, and outcome of the judgments. It also highlights the redemptive events that will unfold once the book is opened.
Beginning in Revelation 6:12 and extending through Revelation 7, the sixth seal presents a panoramic snapshot of the entire prophetic narrative - from divine judgments to final restoration.
Events Foreshadowed in the Sixth Seal and Their Manifestations in the Book
Event Foreshadowed in the Sixth Seal | Where It Manifests in the Book (Revelation 8–22) |
Cosmic disturbance & divine judgment (Rev 6:12–13) | Trumpet judgments affecting the heavens, earth, and sea (Rev 8–9) |
The terror of the Day of the Lord (Rev 6:14–16) | Global fear during trumpet and vial judgments (Rev 9:6; 11:13; 16:9–11) |
The wrath of God (Rev 6:17) | The vial (bowl) judgments - explicitly called “the wrath of God” (Rev 15–16) |
The gathering and deliverance of the redeemed (Rev 7:9–14) | The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the glorification of the saints (Rev 19:7–9) |
The reign of Christ and divine presence (Rev 7:15) | The Millennial Reign of Christ (Rev 20:4–6) |
Eternal dwelling of God with His people (Rev 7:15–17) | The eternal reign of God in the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21–22) |
Why the Sixth Seal Is a Summary
Unlike the previous seals, the sixth seal does not point forward to a single type of judgment. Instead, it gathers every major outcome of the book into one sweeping vision that entails the:
Judgment on the wicked
Deliverance of the righteous
Wrath of God poured out
Christ reigning
God dwelling with His people forever
This seal prepares the reader for what the opened book will later unfold in detail, sequence, and execution.
The Sealing of the 144,000: A Timed Foreshadowing
An important component of the sixth seal is the sealing of the 144,000 servants of God. This is not merely descriptive; it also provides timing.
Revelation 7:2–3 - And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God… Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
This passage reveals that:
The 144,000 are chosen and sealed by God
This sealing occurs before the trumpet judgments begin
Divine restraint is exercised until this sealing is complete
Thus, even within this summary seal, God provides a chronological marker: the trumpets cannot begin until the servants of God are sealed.
This will also be reviewed in our blog that covers seal 6 in detail.
Final Clarification for Seal 6
The sixth seal does not initiate these events. It previews them.
Everything it reveals is later found inside the book, unfolding step by step once the seventh seal is opened and the trumpets begin. In this way, the sixth seal functions as a divine overview - assuring the reader that nothing in the book happens outside the knowledge, authority, and ultimate victory of God.
Seal 7: The Book Is Opened (Revelation 8:1)
When the seventh seal is opened, the purpose of the seals is complete.
There is silence—not action—because the revelation of the information on the outside of the book has been completely received. Now it is time to receive the information that was hidden within the book.
What is the first thing that happens once the book is opened and read?
Not a seal.
Not a horse.
The angels with the seven trumpets align and the trumpet judgments begin.
This is the first point where events actually unfold on the prophetic timeline.
In the next blog posts, we will backtrack and take a deeper, more focused look at each seal individually.
Blog Title: Revelation 6 Explained: What the Seven Seals Reveal—and What They Do Not
Keyword: Revelation 6 explained
Previous Post in the Series: Why Many Struggle With Revelation: Understanding Chapters 5–7
Next Post in the Series: The Opening of Seal 1: The White Horse Rider
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