⁷ The Lamb broke open the fourth seal. Then I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there in front of me was a pale horse! Its rider’s name was Death. Following close behind him was Hell. They were given power over a fourth of the earth. They were given power to kill people by swords. They could also use hunger, sickness and the earth’s wild animals to kill.

⁹ The Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw souls under the altar. They were the souls of people who had been killed. They had been killed because of God’s word and their faithful witness.