New Testament · Prophecy

Revelation 6

The Four Horsemen

Conquest, war, famine, and death ride out as the first four seals are broken. The martyrs cry out from under the altar: how long, O Lord?

King James Version BSB KJV

1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

9And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Understand This

Revelation 6, explained

What Revelation 6 is saying

The Lamb opens the first six seals in rapid succession. The first four release the iconic four horsemen—conquest (or pestilence), war, famine, and death—representing the recurring catastrophes of human history. The fifth seal reveals the souls of martyrs under the heavenly altar crying out for justice (heōs pote), and the sixth seal unleashes cosmic upheaval as the 'great day of wrath' arrives. The chapter ends with the terrified cry of earth's inhabitants: 'Who can stand?'

The background behind it

The four horsemen draw on Zechariah 1:8–17 and 6:1–8, where colored horses patrol the earth. The specific imagery of conquest, war, famine, and death would have resonated with first-century audiences familiar with Parthian cavalry threats, civil wars, grain shortages, and plague. The cosmic disturbances echo Old Testament 'Day of the Lord' language from Joel 2, Isaiah 13, and Isaiah 34.

Themes running underneath

The seal judgments reveal that the catastrophes of history are not random but unfold under the Lamb's sovereign authority. The martyrs' cry introduces the theodicy question that runs through the Apocalypse: how long will God permit injustice? The white robes and command to 'rest a little longer' affirm both vindication and the mystery of divine timing.

Why it still matters

The martyrs' prayer legitimizes honest questioning of God about the persistence of evil. The chapter refuses to offer easy answers but situates suffering within a framework of ultimate divine sovereignty and coming justice.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.