Revelation 6:5

Translations

Modern

And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.

Traditional

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

Literal

And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the one sitting on it having a pair of scales in his hand.

Latin

Et cum aperuisset sigillum tertium, audivi tertium animal, dicens: Veni, et vide. Et ecce equus niger: et qui sedebat super illum, habebat stateram in manu sua.

Original

Greek

English

And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.

Notes

Revelation 6:5–6

The black horse represents economic and social trouble. The rider carries scales, which were used in ancient commerce, to show this problem. The vision shows extreme inflation. A worker would have to spend a full day’s wages to buy one loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley. But the prices of luxury items, such as oil and wine, would stay the same. This is a picture of severe social and economic imbalance.

Revelation 6:1–8

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.

Revelation 6:1–16:21

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.

Revelation 6:1–8:1

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

Theme notes and profiles

Symbolic Numbers Visions

Related verses

Zechariah 6:2
The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses,
Ezekiel 4:16
Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.
Zechariah 6:6
The one with the black horses is going toward the land of the north, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”
Revelation 6:1
Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”
Leviticus 26:26
When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.
Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Revelation 4:6–7
And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.
Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Lamentations 5:10
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
Ezekiel 4:10
You are to weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day, and you are to eat it at set times.

Glossary

Balance, Balances Black Book of Revelation Cherub, Cherubim Horse Numbers and Numerology

Topics

Animals: Beasts Symbolical Famine: Sent As a Judgment Horse: Symbolical The Horse: Colours of, Mentioned: Black Vision of John on the Island of Patmos: The Four Horses

Revelation 6:5

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