Getting Revelation -Part 9- The First Four Seals Broken

As the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 vials (John is told not to write what the 7 thunders uttered) are revealed, it becomes apparent that they are all apocalyptic descriptions of one and the same event. Each set of seven starts slow and builds in intensity until it reaches its climax, and there is a definate climax with each. They very poetically and accurately illustrate the events surrounding the systematic siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions under the command of Titus which lasted three and a half years from 66-70AD, just a couple of years after John saw this vision.

The seven seals starting in Revelation 6 -
The first four seals that are broken send out four different colored horses with riders representing the unfolding judgments upon the land. This allusion seems to be from the four horseman of Zechariah 1 who are revealed as God's mystical seers who keep watch over the nations of the land.

The first seal loosed: "And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

Let us not miss the obvious - war is signified here. A white horse and a crown represents rule and dominion. A bow is in his hand, which is a weapon of war for use at a distance. The crisis is has begun but not yet arrived at Jerusalem - At the outset of the great Jewish war, the Roman armies did not come immediately to Jerusalem, but fought in areas around Judea as they advanced toward the great city. The approaching crises caused most Jews around the countryside to actually flee into Jerusalem, behind the supposed safety of its massive walls, where the majority of the nation shut themselves in.

The second seal loosed: "Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth (or 'land' - see the Greek text or Young's literal translation), and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword."

Now it is not a bow, but a sword (also the symbol of war and death), because forces have joined together in close combat. Peace is taken from the land and the death toll begins. The Roman legions surrounded the great city and began systematically laying siege to it, slaughtering all who tried to flee its protection. The Jewish armies within fought fiercely against them, but to no great avail.

The third seal loosed: "I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 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 picture here is of basic food becoming scarce - the staples of their diet being carefully weighed out and becoming nearly unaffordable (a denarius was a full day's pay in the first century Roman world economy). As the siege on Jerusalem dragged on for months and then years, with nothing going out or coming in, conditions quickly grew fatal for the hundreds of thousands trapped within its walls. Food became so scarce that when the 3.5 year siege finally came to an end, more had died from starvation (and from the warring Jewish factions within the city) than at the hand of the Roman armies. A terrible plight indeed - but more to come on that as we examine later passages of this book.

The fourth seal is loosed: "Behold, 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 sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth."
After proclaiming the approaching siege, the arrival of it, and the resulting famine, the most ominous figure, death and the grave is pictured - carrying the many awful mortal effects of war with it.

First of all let us notice that the four judgments mentioned here are a direct allusion to the Lord's "Four severe judgments on Jerusalem" foretold in Ezekiel 14:21. The "fourth of the land" mentioned here is probably because as these sets of sevenfold judgments are revealed, the descriptions grow more and more severe and are laid out in greater and greater detail as they continue (with the 7 trumpets in chapters 8 & 9, and 7 vials in chapter 16). In the next set of judgments it is "a third of men" (more than just a fourth) - and the final set of judgments "fill full the wrath of God" and seems to include all of the men. Some understand the beasts of the earth to mean wild animals picking off the few remaining who escape the war, and others see the beasts as a way of describing the type of violent and unmerciful men who kill without hesitation or prejudice (either way, death at the hand of wild beasts is part of Moses' promised judgments upon the disobedient 12 tribes of Israel in Leviticus 26:22).

As you can see, both the Jewish apocalyptic way in which these judgments are laid out, as well as the many constant quotations and allusions from the Jewish prophets are a striking indictment to the ancient nation of Israel - final judgment has arrived, and this time there is no mercy. The final bell has tolled and the temporary old covenant system is being erradicated to make way for the new and everlasting one. Heb 9:8 says that the way into the most Holy Place (of the New covenant) could not be opened while the old temple still stood - which is why Revelation is so significant. It isn't just a book of random prophecies about cataclysmic events like Nostradamus or like modern Hollywood "End of Days" movies - rather it is a book of the fulfillment (as is all of scripture) of all things covenantal - it testifies to the final removing of the old temple and temple system, and the inauguration of the New and Everlasting system. The old had to be removed before the new could be fully in effect! More to come on that of course...

The next installment in this series will proceed with Rev. 6:9 and forward :)