Revelation 6
The First Seal—The Conqueror
1 Then I saw as the Lamb (Christ) broke one of the seven [
a]seals [of the scroll initiating the judgments], and I heard one of the four living creatures call out as with a voice of thunder, “[
b]Come.”
2 I looked, and behold, a [
c]white horse [of victory] whose rider carried a [
d]bow; and a crown [of victory] was given to him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer.
The Second Seal—War
3 When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come.”
4 And another, a [
e]fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him.
The Third Seal—Famine
5 When He (the Lamb) broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse [of famine]; and the rider had in his hand a pair of scales (a balance).
6 And I heard
something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius (a day’s wages), and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not [
f]damage the oil and the wine.”
The Fourth Seal—Death
7 When He (the Lamb) broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, “Come.”
8 So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority
and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with [
g]plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth.