Revelation 6:5
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.
And when the Lamb opened the third seal
The "Lamb" refers to Jesus Christ, depicted as the sacrificial Lamb who is worthy to open the seals of the scroll, a symbol of divine authority and revelation. The opening of the "third seal" signifies the unfolding of God's plan and judgment upon the earth. In the context of Revelation, each seal represents a different aspect of the end times, with the third seal introducing a period of economic hardship and scarcity.

I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!'
The "third living creature" is one of the four living creatures described in Revelation 4:6-8, which are often interpreted as angelic beings or representations of God's creation. The command "Come!" is an invitation to witness the unfolding events, emphasizing the divine orchestration and the inevitability of God's plan. The living creatures serve as heralds of the apocalyptic visions, underscoring the heavenly authority behind the events.

Then I looked and saw a black horse
The "black horse" symbolizes famine and economic distress. In the ancient world, black was often associated with mourning and calamity. The imagery of the horse is consistent with the other horsemen of the apocalypse, each representing different forms of judgment. The color black, in this context, highlights the severity and somberness of the conditions that will prevail during this time.

and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales
The "pair of scales" is a symbol of commerce and trade, often used in the ancient world to measure and distribute food and goods. This imagery suggests a time of scarcity where resources are rationed and measured carefully, indicating economic imbalance and inflation. The scales imply that basic necessities will become precious and expensive, reflecting a period of great hardship and inequality. This aligns with the biblical theme of justice and the consequences of human sinfulness, as God allows these conditions to unfold as part of His divine judgment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Lamb
Represents Jesus Christ, who is worthy to open the seals of the scroll, signifying His authority and sovereignty over the unfolding events of the end times.

2. The Third Living Creature
One of the four living creatures around the throne of God, possibly representing aspects of God's creation and His attributes. This creature calls forth the third horseman.

3. The Black Horse
Symbolizes scarcity and economic hardship. The color black is often associated with mourning and distress.

4. The Rider
Holds a pair of scales, indicating a time of economic imbalance and rationing, where basic necessities become scarce and are measured carefully.

5. The Pair of Scales
Represents the weighing and measuring of food, suggesting a time of famine or economic difficulty where resources are limited.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's Sovereignty
Recognize that Jesus, the Lamb, is in control of the events of the end times. This should bring comfort and assurance to believers, knowing that nothing happens outside of His divine plan.

Preparation for Hard Times
The imagery of the black horse and scales serves as a reminder to be spiritually and practically prepared for times of economic hardship and scarcity.

Trust in God's Provision
Even in times of scarcity, believers are called to trust in God's provision, as He promises to meet the needs of His people.

Awareness of Spiritual Realities
The opening of the seals reveals spiritual realities that have physical manifestations. Christians should be aware of the spiritual dimensions of world events.

Call to Compassion and Generosity
In times of scarcity, believers are encouraged to show compassion and generosity, sharing resources with those in need as a testimony of God's love.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the authority of the Lamb in opening the seals impact your understanding of Jesus' role in the end times?

2. In what ways can you prepare spiritually and practically for potential times of economic hardship?

3. How can the imagery of the black horse and scales influence your perspective on current global economic issues?

4. What are some practical ways you can demonstrate trust in God's provision during times of scarcity?

5. How can you show compassion and generosity to others in your community who may be experiencing economic difficulties?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 26:26
This verse speaks of God breaking the staff of bread, leading to rationing, which parallels the scarcity depicted by the black horse and its rider.

Ezekiel 4:16-17
Describes a time when bread is rationed by weight, similar to the imagery of the scales in Revelation 6:5, indicating a period of famine and scarcity.

Matthew 24:7
Jesus speaks of famines as part of the signs of the end times, aligning with the events symbolized by the black horse.
The ConquerorW. M. Punshon, D. D.Revelation 6:1-17
The Development of Good and Evil in Human History D. Thomas, D. D.Revelation 6:1-17
The Future Triumph of Our KingJ. Clayton, M. A.Revelation 6:1-17
The Going Forth of the GospelJames Durham.Revelation 6:1-17
The Opening of the SealsS. Conway Revelation 6:1-17
The Redeemer's ConquestsJ. Parsons.Revelation 6:1-17
The Seven Seals; Or, the Development of Good and Evil in Human HistoryD. Thomas Revelation 6:1-17
Scenes of SufferingR. Green Revelation 6:3-11
Price Lists Made in HeavenJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 6:5-6
Scarcity in Gospel TimesM. F. Sadler, M. A.Revelation 6:5-6
The Cry of the World in WantA. H. Simms, M. A.Revelation 6:5-6
People
John
Places
Patmos
Topics
Appeared, Balance, Balances, Beast, Beheld, Behold, Black, Broke, Carrying, Creature, Ears, Holding, Horse, Lamb, Opened, Pair, Rider, Sat, Saying, Scales, Seal, Seated, Sitting, Stamp, Thereon, Third, Undone, Voice
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 6:5

     4801   black

Revelation 6:1-8

     4150   cherubim
     4657   horse
     5127   back

Revelation 6:1-12

     5518   seal

Revelation 6:3-8

     6702   peace, destruction

Revelation 6:5-6

     4627   creatures
     5512   scales and balances

Library
"For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die, but if Ye through the Spirit do Mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ye Shall Live. "
Rom. viii. 13.--"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Though the Lord, out of his absolute sovereignty, might deal with man in such a way, as nothing should appear but his supreme will and almighty power, he might simply command obedience, and without any more persuasions either leave men to the frowardness of their own natures, or else powerfully constrain them to their duty, yet he hath chosen that way that
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Departed Saints Fellowservants with those yet on Earth.
"I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets." The revelation made to St. John in the isle of Patmos, was a comfort to the suffering apostle, and a blessing to the church. "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the word, of this prophecy." The beginning indeed was dark; the prophetic sketch, was for sometime, gloomy: It unfolded a strange scene of declensions and abominations, which were to disgrace the church of Christ and mar its beauty; and dismal series of woes on woes,
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

God's Dealings with the Earth During the Tribulation Period.
The interval of time which separates the removal of the Church from the earth to the return of Christ to it, is variously designated in the Word of God. It is spoken of as "the day of vengeance" (Is. 61:2). It is called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7). It is the "hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world" (Rev. 3:10). It is denominated "the great day of the Lord" (Zeph. 1:14). It is termed "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21). It is the time of God's "controversy with the
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

An Advance Step in the Royal Programme
(Revelation, Chapters iv. and v.) "We are watching, we are waiting, For the bright prophetic day; When the shadows, weary shadows, From the world shall roll away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the star that brings the day; When the night of sin shall vanish, And the shadows melt away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the beauteous King of day; For the chiefest of ten thousand, For the Light, the Truth, the Way. "We are waiting for the morning, When the beauteous day is dawning, We are
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

An Awful Contrast
"Then did they spit in his face."--Matthew 26:67. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away."--Revelation 20:11. GUIDED BY OUR TEXT in Matthew's Gospel, let us first go in thought to the palace of Caiaphas the high priest, and there let us, in deepest sorrow, realize the meaning of these terrible words: "Then did they spit in his face." There is more of deep and awful thunder in them than in the bolt that bursts overhead, there is
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896

"So Then they that are in the Flesh Cannot Please God. "
Rom. viii. 8.--"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is a kind of happiness to men, to please them upon whom they depend, and upon whose favour their well-being hangs. It is the servant's happiness to please his master, the courtier's to please his prince; and so generally, whosoever they be that are joined in mutual relations, and depend one upon another; that which makes all pleasant, is this, to please one another. Now, certainly, all the dependencies of creatures one upon
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

From the Supplement to the Summa --Question Lxxii of the Prayers of the Saints who are in Heaven
I. Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers? II. Ought we to appeal to the Saints to intercede for us? III. Are the Saints' Prayers to God for us always heard? I Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers? On those words of Job,[267] Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand, S. Gregory says: "This is not to be understood of the souls of the Saints, for they see from within the glory of Almighty God, it is in nowise credible that there should be anything without of
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Christ's Kingly Office
Q-26: HOW DOES CHRIST EXECUTE THE OFFICE OF A KING? A: In subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. Let us consider now Christ's regal office. And he has on his vesture, and on his thigh, a name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords", Rev 19:16. Jesus Christ is of mighty renown, he is a king; (1.) he has a kingly title. High and Lofty.' Isa 57:15. (2.) He has his insignia regalia, his ensigns of royalty; corona est insigne
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Seventh vision "In Heaven"
H^7. Chap. xix. 1-16. The final heavenly Utterances and Actions. We now come to the last of the seven Visions seen "in Heaven," which is the subject of chap. xix. 1-16, giving us the final heavenly Utterances and Actions which lead up to, explain, and introduce the five concluding judgments which close up the things of Time, and pass on to what we call the Eternal State. This last Vision "in Heaven" is divided into two parts, each having its own independent construction. The first contains the words
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

"There is Therefore Now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who Walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. "
Rom. viii. 1.--"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." There are three things which concur to make man miserable,--sin, condemnation, and affliction. Every one may observe that "man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward," that his days here are few and evil. He possesses "months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed" for him. Job v. 6, 7, vii. 3. He "is of few days and full of trouble," Job xiv.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Consolations against Impatience in Sickness.
If in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience, meditate-- 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell; therefore thou mayest with greater patience endure these fatherly corrections. 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father, and the rod is in his hand. If thou didst suffer with reverence, being a child, the corrections of thy earthly parents, how much rather shouldst thou now subject thyself, being the child of God, to the chastisement of thy heavenly Father,
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Meditations of the Blessed State of a Regenerate Man in his Death.
When God sends death as his messenger for the regenerate man, he meets him half-way to heaven, for his conversation and affection is there before him (Phil. iii. 20; Col. iii. 2.) Death is never strange nor fearful to him: not strange, because he died daily--not fearful, because whilst he lived, he was dead, and his life was hid with Christ in God (1 Cor. i. 31; Col. iii. 3;) to die, therefore, is to him nothing else in effect, but to rest from his labour in this world, to go home to his Father's
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Messiah Worshipped by Angels
Let all the angels of God worship Him. M any of the Lord's true servants, have been in a situation so nearly similar to that of Elijah, that like him they have been tempted to think they were left to serve the Lord alone (I Kings 19:10) . But God had then a faithful people, and He has so in every age. The preaching of the Gospel may be compared to a standard erected, to which they repair, and thereby become known to each other, and more exposed to the notice and observation of the world. But we hope
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision C. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. ^A Matt. XXI. 33-46; ^B Mark XII. 1-12; ^C Luke XX. 9-19. ^b 1 And he began to speak unto them ^c the people [not the rulers] ^b in parables. { ^c this parable:} ^a 33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder [this party represents God], who planted a vineyard [this represents the Hebrew nationality], and set a hedge about it, and digged a ^b pit for the ^a winepress in it
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Death by Adam, Life by Christ
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. F rom Mr. Handel's acknowledged abilities as a composer, and particularly from what I have heard of his great taste and success in adapting the style of his music to the subject, I judge, that this passage afforded him a fair occasion of displaying his genius and powers. Two ideas, vastly important in themselves, are here represented in the strongest light,
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

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