Revelation 6
Expanded Bible
6 Then I watched while the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals [5:1]. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “·Come [or Go; C Christ, the Lamb, calls forth the four riders who bring bloody judgment on the world]!” 2 I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a white horse. The rider on the horse held a bow [C signifying war], and he was given a crown [C indicating victory; see 2:10], and he rode out, ·determined to win the victory [L conquering and in order to conquer].
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “·Come [or Go; 6:1]!” 4 Then another horse came out, a ·red [L fiery/bright red; C possibly signifying blood] one. Its rider was given ·power [permission] to take away peace from the earth and to make people ·kill [slaughter] each other, and he was given a ·big [great] sword [C signifying civil war].
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “·Come [or Go]!” I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a black horse [C indicating mourning brought on by the rider], and its rider held a pair of scales in his hand [C for use in commerce; Prov. 11:1; 16:11]. 6 Then I heard something that sounded like a voice coming from the middle of the four living creatures. The voice said, “A quart of wheat for a ·day’s pay [L denarius; C a Roman coin equal to a day’s wage], and three quarts of barley for a ·day’s pay [L denarius; C inflated prices caused by famine], and do not damage the olive oil and wine [C indicates only partial destruction; vines and olive trees endured drought better than wheat and barley]!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “·Come [or Go; 6:1]!” 8 I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a ·pale [or pale green] horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades [C the realm of the dead, also known as Sheol] was following close behind him. They were given ·power [authority] over a fourth of the earth to kill people by ·war [L the sword], by ·starvation [famine], by ·disease [pestilence; plague], and by the wild animals of the earth.
9 When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar [C probably the bronze altar where sacrifices were offered] the souls of those who had been ·killed [slaughtered; slain] because ·they were faithful to [L of] the word of God and to the ·message [witness; testimony] they had ·received [or given; or maintained]. 10 These souls ·shouted [cried out] in a loud voice, “Holy and true ·Lord [Master], how long until you judge the people of the earth and ·punish them for killing us [L avenge our blood]?” 11 Then each one of them was given a white robe [C signifying high status and purity] and was told to ·wait [or rest] a short time longer. There were still some of their fellow servants and ·brothers and sisters in the service of Christ [L their brothers; C the Greek term may include men and women] who ·must be [were soon to be] killed as they were. They had to wait until all of this was ·finished [fulfilled; completed].
12 Then I watched while the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like ·rough black cloth [L sackcloth made of goat hair; C clothing used in mourning], and the whole moon became red like blood [C signifying destruction; apocalyptic literature often describes nature falling apart at the end time; Joel 2:31]. 13 And the stars in the sky fell to the earth like ·figs [or unripe figs] falling from a fig tree when ·the wind blows [L shaken by a strong wind/gale]. 14 The sky ·disappeared [vanished] as a scroll when it is rolled up [Is. 34:4], and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the ·rulers [princes; nobles; magnates], the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, ·the slaves, and the free people [L and everyone, both slave and free; C people of every status and economic level] hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the ·anger [wrath] of the Lamb! 17 [L Because] The great day for their ·anger [wrath] has come [C the final judgment], and who can stand against it [C a rhetorical question]?”
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