Revelation 6:1 Commentary and Bible Study

This is the key chapter in the Book of Revelation. It’s the chapter in which the scene is set, really, for the remainder of the book. In the first verse, the Lamb, the Saviour, is opening the first of the seals of the scroll. This is the scroll which we have read about in chapter 5, over which John at first wept because no one was found worthy to open it. But he is told to weep not, because ‘the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof’ (Revelation 5:5). What is this book or this long scroll rolled up scroll with its seven seals? Every few turns of the scroll there is a seal – seven altogether, the number of perfection in the Bible, and particularly in the Book of Revelation. It is the entire revelation of God. More precisely, it is the purposes of God; the opening of seals represents his redemptive work. That is why the blaze of New Testament light coincides with the coming of Christ. Revelation only becomes fully clear when the saving work of Christ on Calvary was done.Christ is represented as a Lamb, the Lamb of God. By his death on Calvary’s cross and his atoning work, his substitutionary atonement for sinners, he has enabled the plan and purpose of God, represented by this scroll to be carried out, and it is going to be shown to us under seven pictures, seven seals. This is the plan, unquestionably, for the church primarily. Of course, it includes much information about the unbelieving world in general, and the position it will take throughout this long age, its attitude to God and to the church. But primarily this is a book about how the church will fare, and what the world will do to Christ’s true church. That is the context of this sixth chapter. As the first of the seals is opened the apostle John, in this vision or this prophetic trance-like state, hears ‘the noise of thunder, and one of the four beasts – these angels, rather unfortunately translated as ‘four beasts’ in our King James Version; ‘four living creatures’ or ‘living beings’ would be better – ‘saying, Come and see.’ Some modern versions drop the words ‘… and see’; some say, ‘Go and see’, as if sending the rider on the horse, but it fits better to understand these words as spoken to John – ‘Come and see.’.