This blog aims to examine the details surrounding the opening of the fourth seal judgment in Revelation 6. The seal judgments of Revelation 6 mark the beginning of the Tribulation period. So far we have looked the opening of the first three seals. The first seal was the rise of the Antichrist. The second seal comes warfare and bloodshed across the globe. The opening of the third seal brings about famine in the planet. Remember, the church will not be present for any of this; It will be raptured beforehand. Now, we turn our attention to the opening of the fourth seal.
The fourth seal judgment is found in Revelation 6:7-8, which says, “When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” With the opening of the fourth seal we see the rider on the pale horse.
I want to begin by saying this is the only horse where we are given the name of the rider. With the pale horse we see two riders mentioned by name – Death and Hades. The thought is that Death is the actual one riding on the pale horse and that Hades is following behind on a separate horse. Though Scripture does not indicate how Hades is following. But, as I previously said, the main thought among scholars is that Hades is following behind on a separate horse. The point however is this: this horseman represents death.
Death and Hades are given authority to kill a fourth of the human population on the planet. They will kill by four kinds of judgment: with the sword (meaning war and violence), by famine (meaning starvation), by pestilence (meaning epidemic type diseases), and wild animals. Many believe and teach the fourth seal is actually the result of the opening of the prior two seals. That due to warfare, bloodshed, and famine across the globe a fourth of the planet’s population will decease.
An interesting point to make here is that their reach is limited. Death and Hades are being limited to only “a fourth of the earth”. Some take that to mean the rule of the Antichrist, as he rises to global power, will be limited to only a fourth of the planet. That his empire will be unable to reach beyond a fourth of the globe, which is about as much as the Roman Empire ruled when they were at their peak.
But what that statement tells me is that the Antichrist is not the one in control of the events during the Tribulation. It tells me there is one Mightier than he that is in authority – God. Remember, it is Jesus who said in Revelation 1:18, “I have the keys of Death and Hades.” God is sovereignly and providentially in control of the events that are taking place during the Tribulation. This means during the tribulation the Antichrist and Satan will not be allowed to do any more than God permits them. That, my friends, is comforting news even for today. There is nothing that happens that is not permitted by God.