When Christ ascended to heaven, he took from the Father’s hand, a book/scroll. This scroll contained secret future events concerning the church and mankind. This book was sealed with seven seals. Only Christ Jesus could take the book and open it. He alone was worthy to open the book because he was slain and by his blood, he had purchased people for God from every tribe and tongue. The Lord Jesus revealed the contents of the book to Apostle John, so that John might show it to the Church (Rev 5).
1st Seal
Then I saw the lamb open the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Go!" Then I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow, and a victor's crown had been given to him. He went out as a conqueror to conquer (Rev. 6.1- 2):
The victor’s crown represents victory in battles. The bow signifies battles and the crown signifies kingship. The white horse and its rider raise wild beasts (strong nations) to devour and conquer other nations. They serve in executing God’s judgement on the nations of the earth.
In the OT, when the sins of Israel had earned punishment, God will lead them into captivity to wild beasts (Lev 26.6, 26). These wild beasts were nations that God raised to conquer Israel as punishment for their idolatry. God raised the Assyrians to deal with Northern Israel in the time of Hosea. He raised Babylon to conquer Judea. Israel became the slaves of these wild beast and they were often tortured.
God often uses the symbol of a beast to signify strong kingdoms; the four beasts of Daniel, the ram, the he-goat in the book of Daniel and the two beasts in the book of Revelations. Wild beast (strong kingdoms on the earth) cannot rise to power unless God gives them power (Daniel 2.37; John 19.11). This task of raising strong nations is carried out by the white horse and its rider.
The white horse and its rider are still raising wild beasts in our time. The world is under God’s judgement for idolatry (John 16.8-11; John 12.23-32). Some nations come to power, not by their strength but because God purposed it
2nd Seal
When the lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Go!" A second horse went out. It was fiery red, and its rider was given permission to take peace away from the earth and to make people slaughter one another. So he was given a large sword (Rev. 6.3-4):
The red horse signifies blood. The sword signifies deadly fights or rivalry within a family, neighborhood. The rider sets rivalry amongst the sons of men so that they fight and kill each other.
In the OT, the Israelites committed idolatry by erecting the golden calf in the wilderness and refused to repent except for the tribe of Levi. God set them killing one another. Brother killing brother, sister killing sister. About 30,000 people died, purging the land of the sin (Exodus 32.27-28).
When king Jehoshaphat heard of a multitude (the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and other Ammonites) coming against him in battle, he set himself to seek the Lord. They were just a small number, thus, he cried for God’s justice. He appointed singers unto the Lord and they went ahead of the army. When the army reached the camp, the whole multitude was dead. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of Seir; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped destroy one another. The angel of war had gone ahead of them and given them the sword of war. So, they destroyed one another before Jehoshaphat and his army reached the camp (2 Chron. 1-20).
War and rumors of war is a sign of the last days. Today, civilians are killing one another; the killings in Syria with about 400000 dead, the gun violence in USA with about 440095 dead between 2001 and 2014 etc.
3rd Seal
When the lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Go!" I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a scale in his hand. I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, or three quarts of barley for a denarius. But don't damage the olive oil or the wine!" (Rev 6:5-6):
The black horse signifies sorrow. The scale is a unit of measurement. “A quart of wheat for a denarius” signifies famine. The rider is out to kill through famine. A small quantity of food is sold at a high price.
In the OT, God judge Israel by sending famine to the land (Ezek. 6.11; 4.16-17). In these last days, there is famine in different parts of the world. Many people are dying from hunger. The world is under God’s judgement.
4th Seal
When the lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Go!" I looked, and there was a pale green horse! Its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. (Rev. 6.7-8):
The deathly pale horse signifies a corpse. Its rider is called death. The deathly pale horse and its rider kill through plagues. Many people die from plagues; earthquakes, drought, wild fires, flood, Tsunami (strong winds), tornados (whirlwind), landslides, volcanic eruptions, pestilence (e.g. mosquitoes), diseases etc.
In the OT, God judged Israel for their sins by sending them plagues (Deut. 28:58-62). The angel of death executes God’s order in killing people by plagues. This angel destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire, flooded the earth in the days of Noah and smote all the first-born male of Egypt in the time of Moses. Earthquakes are signs of the last days.
The four horsemen & the four scourges
They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill people using wars, famines, plagues, and the wild animals of the earth (Rev. 6.8).
These four Horsemen were sent to a quarter of the earth, and they were ordered to kill. The white horseman kills by wild beasts, the red horseman kills by the sword, the black horseman kills by famine, and the fourth horseman kills by plagues. These four horsemen are the four dreadful scourges of God on mankind. One quarter part of the world is bound to suffer from these four scourges.
When the Lord died on the cross, the world came under judgement (John 12.23-32). These four horsemen are angels in heaven who serve God about the affairs of the earth. They served during the days of the old covenant and they still serve even now.
"I stared into the night, and there was a man mounted on a red horse! The horse was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him there were red, brown, and white horses. Then I asked, "Who are these, sir?" The messenger who was talking to me answered, "I will tell you who these are." The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, "These are the ones whom the LORD sent out to wander throughout the earth." Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth—and look!—the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful" Zech. 1.1-11).
Then I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains! And the mountains were made of brass! Attached to the first chariot were red horses. Attached to the second chariot were black horses. Attached to the third chariot were white horses. Attached to the fourth chariot were speckled horses and gray horses. In response, I asked the angel who had been talking with me, "Sir, what are these?" The angel told me, "These are four heavenly spirits that are going out on patrol after having presented themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. The black horses are headed into the north country, and the white ones are headed out after them. The speckled horses are headed toward the south country." Then the gray horses went out. They were eager to go out on patrol throughout the earth, so the angel said, "Go patrol the earth." So, they went out on patrol throughout the earth (Zech. 6:1-7).
The four scourges of these four horsemen were God’s judgement on the land of Israel (Lev 26:21-26, Ezekiel 6:11-12, 14:13-2, 15:17, 1 Chron. 21:12).
“...Those destined for death, to death will go; those destined for the sword, to the sword will go; and those destined for captivity, to captivity will go (Jer. 15.2).
"This is what the Lord GOD says, 'I'm sending four of my most destructive judgments—military invasion, famine, wild animals, and pestilence—into Jerusalem to destroy both human beings and livestock in it (Ezek. 14.21).
God is full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love (Jonah 4:2). Notwithstanding, God is also a dreadful and terrible God (Deut. 10.17, Dan 9.4). He is fierce in His anger and judgements. He is a God to be feared. He is a Holy God who does not tolerate sin. He is a just God who leaves no sin unpunished. His punishment is very fierce and must be dreaded. People must save themselves from the wrath to come (the day of the Lord). The world has come under God’s judgement because they have refused to believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Unbelief is sin. When Christ Jesus died, the way to God was opened for the Gentile world yet many have refuse to believe.
When Christ Jesus spoke of the signs of the end, he mentioned famine, wars, tortures, and plagues (Mathew 24. 4-5). Yet he said that these were the beginning of the signs of the end. There existed the colonial period. There are wars and famines and people are dying. God is not responsible for all the calamities befalling the whole earth, only a quarter of the earth is suffering from God’s hand.