I offer this Bible study that links the Seals of Revelation 6 with the signs of the end our Lord Jesus gave us in His discourse while upon the Mount of Olives. The events given in His Revelation cover 21 events (7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Vials). But they are actually only about 7 main signs of the end He gave in His Olivet discourse. The Seals give the best direct parallel.
1st Seal:
Rev 6:1-2
6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.'
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
KJV
This is considered as the 1st Seal, though we aren't specifically told that. I think there's a reason why. It's because this rider on a white horse is not our Lord Jesus. This rider is the coming Antichrist, and he actually appears on a later Seal timing. And even if this was to represent our Lord Jesus' coming, it wouldn't be on the 1st Seal. This "bow" in the Greek points to one of cheap fabric, and the crown as a chaplet, or wreath. In contrast to our Lord Jesus' coming in Rev.19, He will wield a two-edged sword and wear many crowns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
This rider on a white horse is a mimic of our Lord Jesus' 2nd coming. That is the idea it is pointing to. Who was it that said he will exalt his throne above the stars of God? It was Lucifer, per Isaiah 14. Lucifer even wants to be The Morning Star, which only applies to our Lord Jesus per Revelation 22:16. Don't let men's doctrines confuse you about this. This is exactly what the coming Antichrist is going to try to do, i.e., play GOD.
The 1st Seal link to Jesus' Olivet Discourse:
Matt 24:1-3
24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, 'See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'
3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?'
KJV
Christ's disciples marveled at the then 2nd temple standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Romans would destroy that temple in 70 A.D., which is what some think our Lord Jesus was talking about there with the not one stone upon another idea. 70 A.D. was only a blueprint for that though, as there will be another temple built for the very end of this world for the coming Antichrist to sit in per 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and final "one week" Daniel 9 & 11 prophecies.
Our Lord Jesus is going to start giving His disciples (and us) specific signs to be watching for at the very end of this world, which is when His coming will be.
Matt 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ'; and shall deceive many.
KJV
That's kind of like the 1st Seal idea, isn't it, a false one coming on a white horse like Jesus returns? Yes, that's definitely the idea of deception. And deception is our Lord's first and main sign for the end. Not wars and earthquakes, etc., but deception. These are the "many antichrists" that Apostle John said are already at work. There have been many through history and in my era, that have claimed to be Jesus Christ. But they had no power to perform miracles to deceive. That's what makes these little antichrists, followers, and not The Antichrist that's to come.
2nd Seal:
Rev 6:3-4
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
KJV
The red horse is a war horse. It is related to this sign our Lord Jesus gave...
Mark 13:7
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
KJV
Basically, as long as wars and rumors of wars are going on, the very end is not yet. Well, what end? The last day? Yeah, but a little before that, i.e., the time of 42 months the dragon of Revelation 13 is to rule over all nations and peoples. It is the latter half of the Daniel 9:27 "one week" (1 seven or 7 years). It is the period of the 6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe in Revelation 11 when God's two witnesses will appear in Jerusalem and prophesy against the beast for 1260 days (or 42 months). That is the coming great tribulation time of the very end.
What's the opposite of wars of rumors of wars then? It's a time of peace. And that exactly is what the whole world will believe has come when the coming Antichrist appears and plays God in Jerusalem for the 'end'. Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 said when the deceived say, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction" will come upon them. That is the kind of time the end will be, all wars having stopped. That fake peace will last for the tribulation time, and then that sudden destruction upon the wicked will come on the last day of this world when Jesus returns.
3rd Seal:
Rev 6:5-6
5 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.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 'A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'
KJV
This black horse with the rider having balances is about world commerce. It represents a time of inflation of prices. The idea of a measure of wheat for a penny is an expression like you'd have to work a full days' wages to buy one loaf of bread. But don't hurt the oil and the wine. What's the Oil in God's Word? It can represent The Holy Spirit. And wine as a metaphor? It can represent God's Word, as Jesus used it in the bottles example. The idea thus is God's Truth in His Word for His sealed ones is not to be harmed. Are you sealed by The Holy Spirit in preparation for the 'end'? I hope so.
Mark 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
KJV
The nation against nation could be included in the previous 2nd Seal about war. But the idea here is actually about what war produces, i.e., famines, pestilences, troubles and sorrows. We've been seeing these type of events for quite a while now today in the world. Wars are still going on also. Inflation rampant in many nations, some bankrupt. Starvation is heavy in some parts of the world.
But the greatest famine of our times is the Amos 8:9-13 prophecy, that God would bring a famine, not of bread, nor of thirst for water, but of hearing the words of The LORD, wandering from sea to sea and not finding it. For many today that is exactly how it is, they want to understand God's Word but instead they have babes still on the 'milk' as their teachers.
Cont...
1st Seal:
Rev 6:1-2
6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.'
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
KJV
This is considered as the 1st Seal, though we aren't specifically told that. I think there's a reason why. It's because this rider on a white horse is not our Lord Jesus. This rider is the coming Antichrist, and he actually appears on a later Seal timing. And even if this was to represent our Lord Jesus' coming, it wouldn't be on the 1st Seal. This "bow" in the Greek points to one of cheap fabric, and the crown as a chaplet, or wreath. In contrast to our Lord Jesus' coming in Rev.19, He will wield a two-edged sword and wear many crowns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
This rider on a white horse is a mimic of our Lord Jesus' 2nd coming. That is the idea it is pointing to. Who was it that said he will exalt his throne above the stars of God? It was Lucifer, per Isaiah 14. Lucifer even wants to be The Morning Star, which only applies to our Lord Jesus per Revelation 22:16. Don't let men's doctrines confuse you about this. This is exactly what the coming Antichrist is going to try to do, i.e., play GOD.
The 1st Seal link to Jesus' Olivet Discourse:
Matt 24:1-3
24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, 'See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'
3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?'
KJV
Christ's disciples marveled at the then 2nd temple standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Romans would destroy that temple in 70 A.D., which is what some think our Lord Jesus was talking about there with the not one stone upon another idea. 70 A.D. was only a blueprint for that though, as there will be another temple built for the very end of this world for the coming Antichrist to sit in per 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and final "one week" Daniel 9 & 11 prophecies.
Our Lord Jesus is going to start giving His disciples (and us) specific signs to be watching for at the very end of this world, which is when His coming will be.
Matt 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ'; and shall deceive many.
KJV
That's kind of like the 1st Seal idea, isn't it, a false one coming on a white horse like Jesus returns? Yes, that's definitely the idea of deception. And deception is our Lord's first and main sign for the end. Not wars and earthquakes, etc., but deception. These are the "many antichrists" that Apostle John said are already at work. There have been many through history and in my era, that have claimed to be Jesus Christ. But they had no power to perform miracles to deceive. That's what makes these little antichrists, followers, and not The Antichrist that's to come.
2nd Seal:
Rev 6:3-4
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
KJV
The red horse is a war horse. It is related to this sign our Lord Jesus gave...
Mark 13:7
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
KJV
Basically, as long as wars and rumors of wars are going on, the very end is not yet. Well, what end? The last day? Yeah, but a little before that, i.e., the time of 42 months the dragon of Revelation 13 is to rule over all nations and peoples. It is the latter half of the Daniel 9:27 "one week" (1 seven or 7 years). It is the period of the 6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe in Revelation 11 when God's two witnesses will appear in Jerusalem and prophesy against the beast for 1260 days (or 42 months). That is the coming great tribulation time of the very end.
What's the opposite of wars of rumors of wars then? It's a time of peace. And that exactly is what the whole world will believe has come when the coming Antichrist appears and plays God in Jerusalem for the 'end'. Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 said when the deceived say, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction" will come upon them. That is the kind of time the end will be, all wars having stopped. That fake peace will last for the tribulation time, and then that sudden destruction upon the wicked will come on the last day of this world when Jesus returns.
3rd Seal:
Rev 6:5-6
5 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.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 'A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'
KJV
This black horse with the rider having balances is about world commerce. It represents a time of inflation of prices. The idea of a measure of wheat for a penny is an expression like you'd have to work a full days' wages to buy one loaf of bread. But don't hurt the oil and the wine. What's the Oil in God's Word? It can represent The Holy Spirit. And wine as a metaphor? It can represent God's Word, as Jesus used it in the bottles example. The idea thus is God's Truth in His Word for His sealed ones is not to be harmed. Are you sealed by The Holy Spirit in preparation for the 'end'? I hope so.
Mark 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
KJV
The nation against nation could be included in the previous 2nd Seal about war. But the idea here is actually about what war produces, i.e., famines, pestilences, troubles and sorrows. We've been seeing these type of events for quite a while now today in the world. Wars are still going on also. Inflation rampant in many nations, some bankrupt. Starvation is heavy in some parts of the world.
But the greatest famine of our times is the Amos 8:9-13 prophecy, that God would bring a famine, not of bread, nor of thirst for water, but of hearing the words of The LORD, wandering from sea to sea and not finding it. For many today that is exactly how it is, they want to understand God's Word but instead they have babes still on the 'milk' as their teachers.
Cont...