Revelation 6:2

• Some people think the rider on a white horse is Christ, like in Revelation 19:11. But the only similarity between these two images is the horse. The four riders represent a destructive and senseless world. It has no redeeming qualities.

• A bow is a weapon made of a curved piece of wood and a string. People shoot arrows with it. The bow was a common Greco-Roman military equipment. Here it is as a symbol of war.

• to overcome and conquer: The repeated use of the Greek word nikaō (which means "conquer") shows this rider is powerful. The focus on war and conquest shows the deep sinfulness of humanity.

The four horses and their riders (see Zechariah 1:8–11; 6:1–8) represent the world's power structures. Their actions lead mainly to war, violence, economic imbalance, and death. Because of this, it is useless to place our hope in these human systems of power.

Three sets of seven judgments (the seals, trumpets, and bowls) are central to Revelation. Some believe these judgments happen in a sequence, one after another, totaling twenty-one judgments.

However, it is more likely that the relationship is cyclical, similar to other Jewish apocalyptic writings (compare Daniel 2, 7, 8, 11). Each set of judgments becomes more intense and adds new details about God's judgment on those who rebel against him. In this view, all three cycles end at the same time, with the return of Christ.

The Lamb breaks the seven seals to reveal the significance of history from God’s point of view.