Revelation 6:1 - 6

1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

When the Lamb (Christ) began to open the scroll, the first seal was broken. Future information was released by the Lamb unto John who was called by the first of the four living creatures. He was called to come and see what information Christ had released about the future.

John saw a rider on a white horse, the white horse represents conflict or war, this time it is spiritual warfare that Christ is waging on earth through His disciples work in spreading the Gospel.

He went out conquering and to conquer, the Gospel won many spiritual battles over foes during the first years of the church.

When the second seal was broken, John was again called by one of the living creatures to see what information had been made available to him.

The second rider rode a bright red like fire horse, indicating that bloodshed would happen.

When the Gospel became popular it caused consternation within the Roman empire so persecutions began to happen. That is what it means when this seal released a rider on a red horse and that this rider was permitted to take the peace from the earth and that people would kill one another and this rider had a great sword.

When John is called to see the information released by the third seal he sees a rider on a black horse. The black horse represents need and famine. This is common after siege or warfare.

The balances were tools of measurement which the rider of the black horse has shows that the needs for living would become very short and the cost would be expensive. Wheat and barley were necessities to live, and a denarius for a quart of wheat, or three quarts of barley for a denarius was expensive. Remember a (Matthew 20) denarius was equal to one day's pay.

Oil and wine were not necessities but usually provided some relief during times of hardship, so Christ made it known that during these times of hardship there would be some relief.