Episode 303: The four horsemen

Revelation 6-7

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

6 ¹ When the lamb opened the first seal, I heard the first beast say, "Come and see."

² I saw a white horse and a rider with a bow, who conquered and destroyed. He was given a crown.

³ When the lamb opened the second seal, the second beast said, "Come and see."

⁴ I saw a red horse and a rider, who was given the power to take peace from the earth, by forcing people to kill each other. He was given a big sword.

⁵ When the lamb opened the third seal, the third beast said, "Come and see."

I saw a man on a black horse with two balances in his hand.

⁶ And I heard a voice say,

A measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny, but don’t hurt the oil or the wine.

⁷ When the lamb opened the fourth seal, the fourth beast said, "Come and see."

⁸ I saw a pale horse with a rider named Death, who was followed by Hell.

They were to kill one-fourth of the earth's population, with a sword, starvation, and the beasts of the earth.

The fifth seal: The martyrs beg God to kill people on earth

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who were killed for the word of God. ¹⁰ And they said,

How long will it be, Oh Lord, until you avenge our blood on those who live on earth?

¹¹ They were given white robes and told to rest for a little while, until their family and fellow servants are killed.

The sixth seal: The sun, moon, and stars are destroyed

^12-13 When he opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, the sun became black, the moon as red as blood, and all the stars fell to earth.

¹⁴ Heaven rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and island were moved someplace else.

¹⁵ Everyone on earth fled to the mountains and hid in holes in the rocks, where they said to the mountains and rocks,

Fall on us.

Hide us from the wrath of the one who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb.

Don't hurt the earth or sea (until the angels mark 144,000 foreheads)

7 ¹ After all this, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.

² I saw another angel with God's seal, who said to the four angels who had been sent to hurt the earth and the sea,

³ Don't hurt the earth, sea, or trees until we have marked God's servants on their foreheads

⁴ 144,000 foreheads were marked, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel.

Their robes were made white (by washing them in lamb's blood)

^9-10 After this, I saw a great multitude, which no one could count, standing in front of the throne and the lamb, dressed in white, with palms in their hands, crying out with a loud voice, saying,

Salvation to God who sits on the throne, and to the lamb.

^11-12 And all the angels fell on their faces before the throne, elders, and four beasts, and worshiped God, saying,

Amen. Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to God forever.

¹³ One of the angels came to me and said,

Who are these in white robes, and where'd they come from?

¹⁴ I said, "You know who they are."

The angel said,

These are the ones who made their robes white by washing them in the lamb's blood.

¹⁶ They won't be hungry or thirsty anymore, and the sun won't shine on or heat them.

¹⁷ Because the lamb will feed them and lead them to living fountains of water.

And God will wipe away their tears.