What is the meaning of Revelation 6:5? The Lamb opens the third seal “And when the Lamb opened the third seal…” (Revelation 6:5) • The scene flows straight from Revelation 5, where the risen Christ—the only one worthy—takes the scroll sealed with seven seals. His opening of each seal releases a real, future judgment during the Tribulation period (Revelation 5:9; Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:21). • The third seal signals a distinct stage in that unfolding judgment. Just as the first two seals loosed conquest and warfare (Revelation 6:1–4), this third seal brings economic upheaval. • Because the Lamb Himself initiates the seal, the coming scarcity is neither random nor merely human‐generated; it serves God’s righteous purpose of shaking an unrepentant world (Isaiah 24:1–6; Amos 3:6). The third living creature says, “Come!” “I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’” • The four living creatures—angelic beings stationed around God’s throne (Revelation 4:6–8; Ezekiel 1:5–14)—announce each of the first four seals. Their summons is a call for the next horseman to ride forth. • Heaven, not earth, gives the command. This underscores that the judgments are divinely timed, mirroring Jesus’ words that end‐time events occur “according to His purpose” (Mark 13:26–27). • The invitation “Come!” echoes Christ’s sovereign authority over history: He not only saves (Revelation 22:17) but also judges (John 5:22). A black horse appears “Then I looked and saw a black horse…” • In Scripture, black frequently connotes mourning and calamity (Jeremiah 14:2; Lamentations 4:8). Here the color signals the gloom of impending shortage. • Zechariah 6:2–6 also pictures colored horses executing God’s judgment across the earth, reinforcing that the Revelation horsemen are literal divine agents, not mere symbols. • The black horse follows the red horse of warfare (Revelation 6:3–4), suggesting a logical progression: war commonly disrupts supply lines, leading to famine (2 Kings 6:24–29; Matthew 24:7). The rider with a pair of scales “…and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.” • Scales point to commerce and rationing (Leviticus 19:35–36; Ezekiel 45:10). In Revelation 6:6, a voice will declare inflated prices—“a quart of wheat for a denarius”—indicating that basic food costs a full day’s wage. • This is not global starvation but crippling scarcity: daily necessities become luxuries, while “oil and wine” (Revelation 6:6) remain, hinting at selective hardship where the wealthy still indulge (James 5:1–5). • The judgment is measured—God sets boundaries so that humanity has further opportunity to repent (Revelation 9:20–21; 2 Peter 3:9). • Practical implications: – Economic instability will intensify during the Tribulation. – Believers today should trust God as Provider (Matthew 6:31–34) and proclaim the gospel before that day arrives (2 Corinthians 6:2). summary Revelation 6:5 portrays the Lamb unleashing the third seal, summoning a black‐horse rider who carries scales that symbolize severe but controlled famine. Following warfare, this judgment strikes the world’s economy, exposing human dependence on daily bread and God’s ultimate sovereignty over it. The passage urges readiness, highlights Christ’s rightful authority, and affirms that even in judgment, God’s purpose is just and redemptive. |
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