Thursday, August 14 – Revelation 5, 6

1. What did He who sat on the throne have in His right hand? (Revelation 5:1)

2. What appeared when the Lamb opened the first seal of the scroll? (Revelation 6:1, 2)2)

3. What did the rider of the third horse hold in his hand, and what did he say? (Revelation 6:6)

Chapters 4 and 5 are linked; they should be studied together. Chapter 5 vividly describes Jesus’ return after His ascension to take His rightful place at the right hand of His Father’s throne, just as planned and promised.

In chapter 5, we observe that the Lamb showed signs of fresh wounds, for He had been slain. Indeed, 40 days earlier, He received those wounds on the cross. But even though He had been sacrificed, He was standing on the throne! This means that even though He was dead, He lives forever and ever, Amen!

The Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes. The number seven symbolizes fullness and perfection. He possesses perfect power and strength. He can never be nailed to the cross again. The seven eyes represent His all-seeing, all-present nature, omnipresence, and omniscience, through the Holy Spirit, who guides and protects His church. That’s why the text says they are “the seven Spirits of God,” already represented by the seven lamps before the throne (Revelation 5:6; cf. Revelation 4:5).

The awe-inspiring celestial scene in chapter 5 ends with a powerful anthem of worship from those gathered around the throne, giving glory and honor to the Lamb who was slain, for He alone is worthy to break the seven seals and open the scroll sealed since the days of the prophet Daniel: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4). The moment had arrived to open the scroll that would reveal the final events of human history (Revelation 5:7–14).

On Revelation 6, the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary states: “Seventh-day Adventists have generally held that the first horse represents the church of the apostolic age.” (SDA Bible Commentary, Revelation 6:2).

It is not difficult to see that the rider is none other than Christ Himself. The historical period aligns with the church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1–7), from 31–100 A.D.

The second horse, blood-red, likely symbolizes the severe persecution the church endured from 100 to 313 A.D., aligning with the time of the church of Smyrna, when Christians were mercilessly thrown into the Roman Coliseum.

“If the white horse symbolized victory and purity, the black horse may be thought to denote defeat, or its color may represent a growing corruption of the faith.” (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 792, on Revelation 6:5). This period represents the corruption that followed the end of persecution when the church became the official religion of the Roman state. It was a time when false doctrines polluted the pure teachings of the apostles. Like the Pergamos period (313–538 A.D.), truth became hard to find, as indicated by the inflated prices for essential food items (Revelation 6:6).

With the pale horse, a new era of persecution began, this time from papal Rome rather than pagan Rome. Hence, “Death and Hades followed with him.” It matches the period of the church of Thyatira (538–1517), when spiritual darkness and ignorance reigned due to clerical control. The people were kept from the Scriptures. But then Protestantism triumphed, and the light of biblical truth started to enlighten consciences.

The fifth seal needs careful study. The four horsemen have already gone by. Now appears a powerful scene: the souls of martyrs crying out for divine justice. We know the dead “know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5–6). Today, many wonder why God seems to overlook His people’s suffering. We might not have all the answers, but we can trust that everything happens in God’s timing. Here, they are told to “rest a little while longer” until the number of martyrs is complete.

With the sixth seal, final events unfold, covering the churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (from 1517 until the end). These include the signs foretold by Joel and Jesus: the great earthquake (Lisbon, 1755), the darkening of the sun (May 19, 1780), and the falling of the stars (November 13, 1833).

These signs also point to future scenes of Christ’s Second Coming, when “the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place” (Revelation 6:14).

On that day, “the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men…hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said…‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!’” (Revelation 6:15–16).

It’s time to prepare for that day, as we live in this final period of human history.

Christ is coming soon. Maranatha!