The Six Seals of the Apocalypse: A Synopsis of History from Christ to the End of Time
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On the morning of January 9, 2021, my wife and I read for morning devotions Revelation chapter 6. We knew the Book of Revelation is full of symbolic language. We had many questions about the meaning and felt led to see what the 17th century Bible commenter Matthew Henry had to say about it.
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry (October 18, 1662 – June 22, 1714) was a “nonconformist” Puritan minister in England, and perhaps the most preeminent devotional Bible commentator. The Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, commonly referred to as Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (and sometimes referred to as Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary), was used by many who helped to bring about the First Great Awakening in the 1700s. Henry’s commentary stands in enduring contrast to the ethos of liberal Christianity against the Bible – its author, its purity, its infallibility – and about the divinity of Jesus Christ, which even then was being promoted in certain educational institutions; to this day it remains one of the most popular and respected of commentaries. (Source: https://www.conservapedia.com/Matthew_Henry)
Reading what Matthew Henry had to say about Revelation chapter 6 made me realize it’s a summary of events over the past 2000 years! I used to interpret the Book of Revelation from the viewpoint of the prophetic school of interpretation known as Futurism, meaning, meaning, most of the Book of Revelation are prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled in the future. From December of 2014, I became a Historicist, a person who looks at the Book of Revelation as history from the time of the Apostle John who wrote it, to the time of the return of Christ to earth.
The following is from Matthew Henry’s concise commentary of Revelation chapter 6 taken from https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=66&c=6
Commentary on Revelation 6:1-8
Christ, the Lamb, opens the first seal: observe what appeared. A rider on a white horse. By the going forth of this white horse, a time of peace, or the early progress of the Christian religion, seems to be intended; its going forth in purity, at the time when its heavenly Founder sent his apostles to teach all nations, adding, Lo! I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. The Divine religion goes out crowned, having the Divine favour resting upon it, armed spiritually against its foes, and destined to be victorious in the end.
On opening the second seal, a red horse appeared; this signifies desolating judgments. The sword of war and persecution is a dreadful judgment; it takes away peace from the earth, one of the greatest blessings; and men who should love one another, and help one another, are set upon killing one another. Such scenes also followed the pure age of early Christianity, when, neglectful of charity and the bond of peace, the Christian leaders, divided among themselves, appealed to the sword, and entangled themselves in guilt.
On opening the third seal, a black horse appeared; a colour denoting mourning and woe, darkness and ignorance. He that sat on it had a yoke* in his hand. Attempts were made to put a yoke of superstitious observances on the disciples. As the stream of Christianity flowed further from its pure fountain, it became more and more corrupt. During the progress of this black horse, the necessities of life should be at excessive prices, and the more costly things should not be hurt. According to prophetic language, these articles signified that food of religious knowledge, by which the souls of men are sustained unto everlasting life; such we are invited to buy, Isaiah 55:1. But when the dark clouds of ignorance and superstition, denoted by the black horse, spread over the Christian world, the knowledge and practice of true religion (meaning the Gospel, the true doctrine of salvation by grace by Christ alone through faith in the Word of God alone) became scarce. When a people loathe their spiritual food, God may justly deprive them of their daily bread. The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word is more so. Upon opening the fourth seal, another horse appeared, of a pale colour. The rider was Death, the king of terrors. The attendants, or followers of this king of terrors, hell, a state of eternal misery to all who die in their sins; and in times of general destruction, multitudes go down unprepared into the pit.
* Webmaster’s note: It’s interesting that Matthew Henry wrote the person on the black horse is holding a yoke though the KJV says “pair of balances”. I looked up balances in Strongs. The Greek word used in Revelation 6:5 is zugos, and the other 5 times in the New Testament that word appears, it is translated “yoke”.
The period of the fourth seal is one of great slaughter and devastation, destroying whatever may tend to make life happy, making ravages on the spiritual lives of men. Thus the mystery of iniquity was completed, and its power extended both over the lives and consciences of men. The exact times of these four seals cannot be ascertained, for the changes were gradual. God gave them power, that is, those instruments of his anger, or those judgments: all public calamities are at his command; they only go forth when God sends them, and no further than he permits.
Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11
The sight the apostle beheld at the opening the fifth seal was very affecting. He saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar; at the foot of the altar in heaven, at the feet of Christ. Persecutors can only kill the body; after that there is no more they can do; the soul lives. God has provided a good place in the better world, for those who are faithful unto death. It is not their own death, but the sacrifice of Christ, that gives them entrance into heaven. The cause in which they suffered, was for the word of God; the best any man can lay down his life for; faith in God’s word, and the unshaken confession of that faith. They commit their cause to Him to whom vengeance belongs. The Lord is the comforter of his afflicted servants, and precious is their blood in his sight. As the measure of the sin of persecutors is filling up, so is the number of the persecuted, martyred servants of Christ. When this is fulfilled, God will send tribulation to those who trouble them, and unbroken happiness and rest to those that are troubled.
Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17
When the sixth seal was opened, there was a great earthquake. The foundations of churches and states would be terribly shaken. Such bold figurative descriptions of great changes abound in the prophecies of Scripture; for these events are emblems, and declare the end of the world and the day of judgment. Dread and terror would seize on all sorts of men. Neither grandeur, riches, valour, nor strength, can support men at that time. They would be glad to be no more seen; yea, to have no longer any being. Though Christ be a Lamb, he can be angry, and the wrath of the Lamb is exceedingly dreadful; for if the Redeemer himself, who appeases the wrath of God, be our enemy, where shall we find a friend to plead for us? As men have their day of opportunity, and their seasons of grace, so God has his day of righteous wrath. It seems that the overthrow of the paganism of the Roman empire is here meant. The idolaters are described as hiding themselves in their dens and secret caves, and vainly seeking to escape ruin. In such a day, when the signs of the times show those who believe in God’s word, that the King of kings is approaching, Christians are called to a decided course, and to a bold confession of Christ and his truth before their fellowmen. Whatever they may have to endure, the short contempt of man is to be borne, rather than that shame which is everlasting.
(End of Matthew Henry’s commentary)
Where are we in the timeline of the Six Seals?
I definitely believe we are in the time of the Sixth Seal! The government of the USA has been shaken by the invasion of protestors who tried to stop the confirmation of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States of America. We are also in a time of great terror of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some believe the Coronavirus doesn’t even exist and that it’s really a propaganda scare tactic to earn more money for Bill Gates, Tony Fauci, and big pharma through the sale of vaccines. And others call vaccinations the Mark of the Beast! If it ever comes to the time that a person cannot buy food at the grocery store without showing proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, I would certainly think that the vaccination is the Mark of the Beast!
Is COVID an acronym for Certification Of Vaccination IDentification as some say it is?
And there are many people, perhaps the far majority of the world, who believe what the mainstream media is telling them about the pandemic. Many of these people hold in contempt those who are opposed to mask-wearing, social distancing, and who believe vaccinations are harmful.
Do you believe what the world’s mainstream media is saying about the pandemic? Men and women of God are telling me not to believe what the world is saying about it! I would rather listen to them than what Lester Holt of NBC news is telling me. And I especially do not believe that the COVID-19 vaccines are “very safe”. Some have died just hours after receiving one.
DAVID BURDICK, I use a simple text editor that does not add any font or paragraph formatting information. In Windows, this can be notepad or an equivalent. In Linux, it can Pluma, Xed, Vim, Gedit, etc. As I compose my message, I do periodic saves to the hard disk. Then when I am ready to post, I do a copy and paste, a little review to see if it pasted properly plus any other tweaking as necessary. Once I am satisfied, I add name and email, send it. Thus, I am not at the whims of any systemic problems albeit software, server, Internet or otherwise.
James, I lost a whole page of commenting on this. I’m sorry I don’t have time to redo it. But, I’m glad you have become historicist in Bible prophecy. The other methods of prophetic interpretations were designed to point the finger at an anti-christ in the distant past or in the distant future (from 1585) so that the Vatican could no longer be called the anti-Christ. Keep your heart open to Jesus and He will use Bible prophecy to guide you in these last days. 🙂
David
But, keep with Matthew Henry. His Reformation roots keeps him fundamentally true to the Bible, and Protestant. To claim Evangelicalism is to join with the Vatican in its Ecumenism. Every denomination that unites with the old enemy from the Dark Ages, finds itself to lose every distinction from the pagan philosophy and rites that fill the dogmas and despotism of Revelation’s enemy of God.
Sorry to hear you lost what you wrote. It happened several times to me too. I learned to write the most important stuff in an off-line on my PC application that automatically saves it and then copy and paste it when I’m done.
I see more than ever now how the Jesuit doctrine of Futurism has blinded people to what is happening today. I believe the Beast of Revelation 13 has orchestrated the entire Covid-19 paranoia leading to worthless mask-wearing as a sign of compliance to the Beast System, social distancing, and the so-called vaccines which according to medical professionals who I listen to are bio-weapons. And some of my friends who I once greatly respected as men of God have recently told me the “falling away” of II Thess 2:3 has, “obviously not yet happened.” And so of course the brother doesn’t see what is happening today is a major operation by Satan in the very end of days! Talk about great deception! I told them that falling away happened long ago when people started to look to the Popes of Rome as the Voice of God on earth.
James, I lost a whole page of commenting on this. I’m sorry I don’t have time to redo it. But, I’m glad you have become historicist in Bible prophecy. The other methods of prophetic interpretations were designed to point the finger at an anti-christ in the distant past or in the distant future (from 1585) so that the Vatican could no longer be called the anti-Christ. Keep your heart open to Jesus and He will use Bible prophecy to guide you in these last days. 🙂
David
James Arendt (JA): “Is COVID an acronym for Certification Of Vaccination IDentification as some say it is?”
Net search yielded: (CO)rona (VI)rus (D)isease, suffix (19) is 2019. Note, all colds and flus are Corona Viruses (same family). Could it have a different meaning? I don’t know.
JA: “I definitely believe we are in the time of the Sixth Seal!”
It could be that, but I have a slightly different perspective. (Again, I do not vouch with certainty that my view is the correct one.) Several times, the people of Gog have attempted the great reset to kick off their NWO, but it was always stopped to include WW-1 and WW-2, although they made certain gains through these worldwide conflicts.
Some think it is the J-ws, but Christ was referring to an even greater class of people under Satanic control, starting with the pre-flood martyr of Abel to the martyr of Zachariah (2 Chron. 24:20–22) at the hand of King Joash. (Jesus mentioned both as martyrs from the Scriptures available at His time.) Both rebuked leaders for forsaking the Lord. The scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees were of the same class of people (Matthew 23:13-36), referred to as the most poisonous of serpents, the vipers, a reference to Satan. These are not even afraid to kill their own kind for the sake of greater monetary gain.
I am thinking that these seals represents the Lord’s final time table to bring Satan and his followers under final control and demise, and close man’s history on earth.
The Lord allows Satan limited freedom under His watchful eyes (see Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6), and it is ultimately all to glorify the Lord. Past history, the NWO has tried to establish itself as a one world government entity, but something (by the Lord) has always brought it to an end without this happening. True, there has been much death and destruction as a result, most of it in the last 100 years. So, here is the way I see it (and again, I don’t say I am absolutely right):
1st Seal. The white horse’s rider is not identified. Other passages, for example Revelation 19:11,13 shows specifically that the rider of a white horse as the Lord Jesus. I think this rider is someone else doing the conquering. The international Pharisaic banking system through one family from several centuries ago to now controls all countries’ money supplies except for North Korea. (See https://educateinspirechange.org/3-countries-world-without-rothschild-central-bank/ ) However, in this case, I think it represents the final act of conquering, now in progress through the great worldwide pandemic, with all nations following in lock step without regard to national laws protecting individual freedoms and rights. I think this is where we are at now.
2nd Seal, red horse of wars. This conquering process has been through the funding of wars on both sides, through much murder to position itself with sole control over a country’s money supply. The more recent event of 9-11 allowed the conquering of last of the countries not a part of this banking system, now leaving only North Korea as the last stand out. It won’t be long until it falls. However, I am thinking that the following will be the next step (seal). With people alarmed by their removal of freedoms and resisting mandatory jabs, to include various individuals governments and military, will be widespread wokedness in all nations, with widespread destruction and death. Wars will also be a means of population reduction treasured by the Satanic elite.
3rd Seal, black horse of economic disaster. I think this is the outcome of the great reset, “you will own nothing but be happy”. I favor James Arendt’s research of “yoke” instead of scales, which means an extreme hardship burden will be placed upon people for the most basic of necessities.
4th Seal, pale ashen colored horse. Massive horrible deaths will occur worldwide through widespread crime, government culling actions, hunger, plagues (spell jab and reintroduction of engineered and reintroduced heinous diseases – black plague, small pox, etc.), and predatory animal action through disarming people living near these wild animals, predators lacking sufficient prey, etc. Think of it as a massive reenactment of Stalin’s Holodomor toward the Ukrainian farmers, but now is worldwide.
5th Seal, massive Christian martyrdom. Christ said they will be hated by all (Matthew 24:9), and this Godless new government will consider Christians as the new traitors, societal enemies, anyone sharing the words of Jesus as hate speech deserving death. (Reflections of the people of Gog, may I interpret the “rapture” as being a relatively painless bullet to the brain for an early departure? 😛 ) We already see the mechanisms being put into place, making this a possibility.
6th Seal, earth physically reeling from being defiled (Isaiah 24:5). The earth undergoes drastic transformation with mountains shifting and islands disappearing, and strange roaring of ocean waves (continual tsunamis?, Luke 21:25), announcing God is ready to start His vengeance. We now see much increased volcanic action worldwide with dormant volcanoes waking up, rings of fire more active than ever, to include recent La Palma.
I don’t swear any absoluteness on the correctness of my interpretation, but personally I am seeing this as being a greater possible outcome. Perhaps it would be a good sequel to James Arendt’s Junkyard Theology? https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/junkyard-theology/ 😉
Regarding Matthew Henry’s interpretation, we must remember from Daniel 12:9, that certain words of prophecy would be concealed until the end times. He was speaking from his insights of his time, with portions yet uninterpretable. Now it appears to be the end times as more and more of these prophecies appear more clear and relevant than ever.
My further comments:
James Arendt (JA): “Is COVID an acronym for Certification Of Vaccination IDentification as some say it is?”
Net search yielded: (CO)rona (VI)rus (D)isease, suffix (19) is 2019. Note, all colds and flus are Corona Viruses (same family). Could it have a different meaning? I don’t know.
JA: “I definitely believe we are in the time of the Sixth Seal!”
It could be that, but I have a slightly different perspective. (Again, I do not vouch with certainty that my view is the correct one.) Several times, the people of Gog have attempted the great reset to kick off their NWO, but it was always stopped to include WW-1 and WW-2, although they made certain gains through these worldwide conflicts.
Some think it is the J-ws, but Christ was referring to an even greater class of people under Satanic control, starting with the pre-flood martyr of Abel to the martyr of Zachariah (2 Chron. 24:20–22, both mentioned as martyrs in the Scriptures at the time of Christ) at the hand of King Joash. Both rebuked leaders for forsaking the Lord. The scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees were of the same class of people (Matthew 23:13-36), referred to as the most poisonous of serpents, the vipers, a reference to Satan. These are not even afraid to kill their own kind for the sake of greater monetary gain.
I am thinking that these seals represents the Lord’s final time table to bring Satan and his followers under final control and demise, and close man’s history on earth.
The Lord allows Satan limited freedom under His watchful eyes (see Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6), and it is ultimately all to glorify the Lord. Past history, the NWO has tried to establish itself as a one world government entity, but something (by the Lord) has always brought it to an end without this happening. True, there has been much death and destruction as a result, most of it in the last 100 years. So, here is the way I see it (and again, I don’t say I am absolutely right):
1st Seal. The white horse’s rider is not identified. Other passages, for example Revelation 19:11,13 shows specifically that the rider of a white horse as the Lord Jesus. I think this rider is someone else doing the conquering. The international Pharisaic banking system through one family from several centuries ago to now controls all countries’ money supplies except for North Korea. (See https://educateinspirechange.org/3-countries-world-without-rothschild-central-bank/ ) However, in this case, I think it represents the final act of conquering, now in progress through the great worldwide pandemic, with all nations following in lock step without regard to national laws protecting individual freedoms and rights. I think this is where we are at now.
2nd Seal, red horse of wars. This conquering process has been through the funding of wars on both sides, through much murder to position itself with sole control over a country’s money supply. The more recent event of 9-11 allowed the conquering of last of the countries not a part of this banking system, now leaving only North Korea as the last stand out. It won’t be long until it falls. However, I am thinking that the following will be the next step (seal). With people alarmed by their removal of freedoms and resisting mandatory jabs, to include various individuals governments and military, will be widespread wokedness in all nations, with widespread destruction and death. Wars will also be a means of population reduction treasured by the Satanic elite.
3rd Seal, black horse of economic disaster. I think this is the outcome of the great reset, “you will own nothing but be happy”. I favor James Arendt’s research of “yoke” instead of scales, which means an extreme hardship burden will be placed upon people for the most basic of necessities.
4th Seal, pale ashen colored horse. Massive horrible deaths will occur worldwide through widespread crime, government culling actions, hunger, plagues (spell jab and reintroduction of engineered and reintroduced heinous diseases – black plague, small pox, etc.), and predatory animal action through disarming people living near these wild animals, predators lacking sufficient prey, etc. Think of it as a massive reenactment of Stalin’s Holodomor toward the Ukrainian farmers, but now is worldwide.
5th Seal, massive Christian martyrdom. Christ said they will be hated by all (Matthew 24:9), and this Godless new government will consider Christians as the new traitors, societal enemies, anyone sharing the words of Jesus as hate speech deserving death. (Reflections of the people of Gog, may I interpret the “rapture” as being a relatively painless bullet to the brain for an early departure? 😛 ) We already see the mechanisms being put into place, making this a possibility.
6th Seal, earth physically reeling from being defiled (Isaiah 24:5). The earth undergoes drastic transformation with mountains shifting and islands disappearing, and strange roaring of ocean waves (continual tsunamis?, Luke 21:25), announcing God is ready to start His vengeance. We now see much increased volcanic action worldwide with dormant volcanoes waking up, rings of fire more active than ever, to include recent La Palma.
I don’t swear any absoluteness on the correctness of my interpretation, but personally I am seeing this as being a greater possible outcome. Perhaps it would be a good sequel to James Arendt’s Junkyard Theology? https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/junkyard-theology/ 😉
You write, “Is COVID an acronym for Certification Of Vaccination IDentification as some say it is?” I can’t say for sure but it sure sounds reasonable to me.
Actually I think the seals, although historical in nature, refer to a future time, which may even include now. The reason why I say this, is that if you read the previous chapter, Apocalypse (Revelation) 5:7-10 (World English Bible), it states:
Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth.”
I think there a good possibility that it is referring to those who have already passed on in Christ and a later time, because 1st Peter 2:9 confirms that the Christian is now God’s people. Those who passed before Christ but were in faith looking forward to Him are also included according to Hebrews 11:39-12:1 (the great cloud of witnesses). Revelation further states in 5:11-12,
I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honour, glory, and blessing!”
In Matthew 22:24,25, Christ says that the resurrected believers are like angels in Heaven. In the Dark Ages about 1,000 years ago, there was something like only 300 million people living at the time. In the past 20th Century alone, there have been easily that many people killed by wars, despotic actions and disasters.
I don’t say with certainty that my interpretation is correct, but given the numbers mentioned and the audience urging the Lamb of God to break open the seals, I think Revelation Chapter 6 refers to a much later time than Matthew Henry foresaw.
I’ve learned alot about prophecy from the website called Revelations Timeline Decoded by David Nikao Wilcoxson.
I think his studies opened my eyes.
David Nikao Wikcoxson is the person who opened my eyes to the true interpretation of the 70th Week of Daniel.
Dude, you have been badly deceived. You are probably reading an edited version of Matthew Henry. Get the version of Matthew Henry that is complete and unabridged. You are being lied to. I have several of Matthew Henry’s Commentaries. I couldn’t believe it when I started comparing them and found out the Jewish publishers were putting words in Henry’s mouth. Henry believed Revelation was about the judgment of the Mother of Harlots which was oral law Judaism. The altered versions of Henry’s Commentaries added in Dispensational and partial preterist opinions. Please stop spreading lies about Matthew Henry and spread the truth and warn people to only buy the complete and unabridged Commentaries by Matthew Henry.
I got this from what is supposed to be a trusted source. I’m only presenting what I consider to be non-Futurist interpretations of the Book of Revelation. I’m pretty dogmatic about my view of the 70th Week of Daniel, but the Book of Revelation? No way can I be dogmatic about any particular interpretation. If YOU think you got it down pat, dude, you’re the one who is deceived by your own arrogance.
Hi James,
An interesting post. If Matthew Henry is correct in his application, the sixth seal is identified with the overthrow of Paganism in the time of Constantine! While I have a lot of respect for Matthew Henry it does not seem logical that the “seals” cover the history of Christianity and is almost complete in 313 a.d. (the “history” of the church that is!). And, Is the mark of the Beast the mark of the Dragon of chapter 12, the mark of the first beast of chapter 13, or the mark of the second beast of chapter 13? In other places you have identified the 1260 day prophecies of Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 and 13 with the period of Papal supremacy and the beast therefore as the rule of Papal Rome. I presume you still believe that. But if that is true, the Mark of the Beast must have something to do with it’s power to change times and laws as indicated in Daniel’s prophecy. Whose “times?” Whose “laws?” Your reprint of pages from “Romanism and the Reformation” by H. Grattan Guinness was quite enlightening on that front. Thanks for your post and I hope it will stir many minds to study the prophecies, for surely they have importance for our days.