When the Seals Are Opened – The Vision of the Four Horsemen
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 14, 2020
This sermon expounds Revelation 6:1-8, examining the four horsemen of different colors that appear as the Lamb opens the first four seals. The pastor analyzes the symbolic meaning of each rider, connecting them to human history and current world events, showing that war, famine, plague, and death are inevitable consequences of human sin and God's judgment.
This sermon, preached on Sunday June 14, 2019, focuses on Revelation 6:1-8, the passage describing four horsemen appearing as the Lamb opens the first four seals of the sealed scroll. The pastor explains that the opening of the seals does not merely reveal the scroll's contents but initiates God's program for redemptive history and the judgment of humanity. The symbolic imagery of the colored horsemen is traced to Zechariah 1 and 6, though the pastor emphasizes that the meaning in Revelation differs significantly from the Zechariah context.
The heart of the sermon is an exposition of each rider. Regarding the white horseman, the pastor rejects the view that this figure represents Christ (contrasting with Revelation 19:11-13) and favors a third interpretation: the white rider symbolizes conquest and military invasion carried out under the banner of peace, justice, and freedom. Hosea 1:5 and Jeremiah 51:56 are cited to confirm that the bow is a symbol of military force. The red horseman represents violent war; the black horseman represents severe famine and economic inequality, illustrated by the scale and wheat prices 8–16 times above normal; and the pale horseman represents death, with Hades following behind, given authority over one-fourth of the earth's population through sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.
The pastor applies the message concretely to contemporary historical and social contexts. He critiques the philosophy of innate human goodness found in Confucianism and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Enlightenment thought, arguing that it contradicts both historical reality and the biblical doctrine of original sin. Specific examples cited include China's detention of Uyghur Muslims, the CHAZ occupation in Seattle, the Syrian civil war, and global war statistics from the 21st century—all used to illustrate the ongoing reality of the four horsemen.
The sermon closes with a clear theological message: when the first four seals are opened, God is still restraining His judgment. However, His punishment will intensify in proportion to the world's sin—from one-quarter of the population perishing at the fourth seal, to one-third when the trumpets sound, to complete destruction when the bowls of wrath are poured out. The pastor previews the next sermon, which will connect Revelation with Christ's Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.