Revelation 6:7-8

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

A. Pale horse - rider is Death. Hades followed behind Death.

B. Death is symbolized by the pale color. The persecutions described here are so severe, death and Hades will result.

C. Power is given to hurt the 1/4 th part of the earth.

D. Sword (war), hunger and death.

E. We must understand the fraction - one-fourth. The fourth part points to a part of something. The earth represents the people who are killed by the sword, not the actual earth. If one makes this a literal number - there will be all kinds of difficulties. NOTE: The number 4 is the physical number. A fourth is a fraction of physical world. A third is a fraction of the divine

Summary of first four seals

The first four seals make it clear that they deal with events on the earth. These will occur during the Christian dispensation. The first seal = going out to preach the gospel. The 2 nd seal = wars fought between nations. The 3 rd seal = physical hardships. The 4 th seal = physical persecutions which people will suffer until Christ comes.

All these seals will not affect all people. Some will suffer hardship or poverty. Others will suffer war. Some will endure persecution.

The next three seals are very different. The first four dealt with humans (Christians) on earth. The next three describe events that God will set in motion.