4th seal - PALE HORSE

Revelation 6:7-8

THE FOURTH SEAL the pale horse

Death and hell rampant because of the first three seals (Matthew 24:6-7)

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" ⁸ I looked, and there before me
was^a a pale^b (green) horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a
^cfourth of the earth ^dto kill by sword, famine and plague, and by ^ethe wild beasts of the earth


a.      Here death and hell are personified. These two riders are named, because they are not recognized  as 
     easily as the first 3 riders of the first 3 seals.

b.  Gr, chloros. Trans. Green except here (see 8:7;9:4; Mk. 6:39). Death rides the green horse, and hell rides 
       the 5^th horse, which is perhaps red to represent fire. Death here no doubt refers to a great pestilence 
       following the wars and famines of the first 3 seals. Cp. Mt. 24:6-7; Ezek. 14:21

c.  Tribulation not world-wide (6:9)
    1. The first 4 seals apply only to a 4th part of the earth (Rev  8)
    2. The martyrdom of the saints in 6: 9-11 is primarily inside the Roman Empire territory where the great 
         whore of Revelation 17 dominates the 10 kings.

   3. The 144, 000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 are sealed from the nation of Israel in Palestine, for the woman, 
         national Israel, brings forth the manchild (Rev. 12). Since the nation is not made up of all the Jews still 
         scattered, then the whole prophecy centers around Palestine.

   4. The great Tribulation saints of 7:917 are martyred only in that part of the earth where the tribulation will 
        be the old Roman Empire territory, as proved in Rev. 13 dealing with the extent of Antichrist's reign.

   5. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th trumpets are over only a third part of the earth.  (8: 7-12)

   6. The 6th trumpet causes only a third part of men to be killed. (9:18)

   7. Jerusalem and Israel are the ones affected in the troubles of 11:1-13; 12:1-17

   8. The Antichrist rule will be only over the 10 kingdoms of the old Roman Empire tertiary (Rev. 13, notes)

   9. The events of 14:8-20 concern Babylon, beast worshippers, martyrs, and Armageddon in Palestine.

   10. The vial judgments are also limited to the kingdom of Antichrist (16:2, 10, 12; 18:1-24). Even the second
          advent is local (Zechariah 14: 1-5; Rev. 19:11-21), Christ will be reigning in Jerusalem before many 
      people in the isolated pans of the earth will know He is on earth (Isaiah 2:2-4; 52:7, 66:19-21;
      Zechariah 8:23)

d. This refers to the wars of the first 2 seals, the famine of the 3^rd seal, and to death and hell of the 4^th seal (Rev 2-8)

e. Where the dead bodies are fallen in the wars, famines and plagues of the first 4 seals, there the beasts will be gathered to eat them. Cp. Matthew 24:28; Luke. 17:34-37; Revelation 17:17; Ezekiel 39:17-21