The Revelation of John 6

¹And 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.

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.

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.

⁷ And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

⁸ And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

¹² And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

.......

(And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.)

......

¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The Seals of Revelation

The seals in Revelation play a crucial role in revealing the greatest dangers that have threatened the Church of Christ throughout history. They do not present a random sequence of events, but rather progressively unveil who the enemies of authentic faith are, so that the Church may be prepared and defend itself. In His messages to the seven churches, Jesus repeatedly warns about these dangers and encourages believers to remain vigilant. By opening the seals, Revelation precisely details who these enemies are and how they operate.

The White Horse

The first of these enemies is the most dangerous because it does not attack the Church through physical violence but from within, by corrupting the message of Christ. This first enemy is symbolized by the white horse of the first seal. Many mistakenly interpret this symbol as positive, but the coherence of Revelation clearly shows that all four horses represent hostile forces against the Church. It would not be coherent for the first horse to symbolize the triumph of Christianity while the next three symbolize its enemies. Therefore, it is clear that the white horse is the first great threat to the Gospel.

What does this white horse represent? It is the symbol of an apparently noble and "bright" influence that, in reality, corrupts the truth. This symbol perfectly corresponds with Greek philosophy, the first great force that diverted the message of Christ and transformed it into a philosophical and theological system alien to the Jewish roots of faith. In Greek culture, white was a symbol of wisdom, and the horse a symbol of intellectual victory and conquest through argumentation. Instead of fighting against the Church through persecution, Greek philosophy infiltrated and fundamentally changed the message of the Gospel, transforming it into a system of thought based on speculation and human reasoning.

This corruption began with people like the Nicolaitans and false apostles, whom Jesus condemns in His messages to the churches. "You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false" (Revelation 2:2). The only apostle who was accused of lying and felt the need to defend himself by saying he was telling the truth is Paul. Unlike the other apostles, he claims that his Gospel did not come from men but directly from heaven (Galatians 1:11-12). Additionally, Paul acknowledges that the churches in Asia had abandoned him (2 Timothy 1:15), indicating that his message was rejected by the early Christian communities.

Another clear indication of the influence of Greek philosophy in Paul's message is the introduction of concepts foreign to Jewish tradition, such as Adamic sin and justification by faith without works. Jesus never mentioned anything about the so-called original sin but emphasized individual responsibility. In Genesis 4:7, God says to Cain: "If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door." This verse clearly shows that man has the freedom to choose between good and evil without being condemned by an inherited sin. In contrast, Paul claims that all people are sinners through Adam and cannot do good without divine grace (Romans 5:12-21). This idea is influenced by Greek dualism, which sees matter as corrupt and man as a prisoner of a sinful nature.

Greek philosophy not only introduced foreign concepts into Christian theology but also changed the way the Gospel was preached. Jesus and His apostles attracted people through divine revelation, signs and wonders, and a clear message about the Kingdom of God. In contrast, Paul adopted philosophical methods, using rhetoric and intellectual arguments to justify his message. In Acts 17, when preaching at the Areopagus, he quotes Greek poets and tries to adapt the Gospel to the philosophical culture of the time. This approach is completely different from that of the authentic apostles like Peter, who preached faith to Cornelius without using philosophical concepts.

Another effect of Greek philosophy on the Church is confusion and lack of coherence. Unlike Jesus, who spoke clearly and without ambiguity, philosophy allows for the justification of anything, even contradictions. Paul himself demonstrated this inconsistency: although he condemned circumcision by saying that anyone who gets circumcised "has fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:2), he circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3). Although he thundered against sacrifices, he went to Jerusalem and offered sacrifices at the Temple. This is exactly the influence of philosophy: the ability to argue any position, even contradictory ones.

The seals of Revelation are not about the triumph of the Church but about the dangers that threaten it. The first great enemy of the Gospel was not persecution but the infiltration of Greek philosophy, which diverted the message of Christ and transformed it into an intellectual system inaccessible to the common man. This attack did not come through force but under the guise of wisdom and spiritual refinement. The white horse is not a symbol of a victorious Church but of the first enemy that infiltrated it: a way of thinking that presented itself as noble and pure but ultimately perverted the truth.

This interpretation provides a clear key to understanding Revelation and how the Church has been attacked throughout history. If the first great enemy was Greek philosophy, the following horses — the red, black, and pale horses — must also be seen in the same context, as other forms of attack against true faith. Thus, Revelation not only reveals who these enemies are but also warns the Church to be prepared to fight against them. Those who understand these warnings can defend themselves, but those who ignore reality will be caught in the trap of these corrupting influences.

The Red Horse

The seals in Revelation reveal the enemies of the Church, clearly showing why it has been and continues to be constantly under attack. Revelation 12:17 provides the key: "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring — those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus." Therefore, it is no surprise that Greek philosophy was the first great enemy of the Gospel. It was founded on the idea of rejecting divine revelation, which is precisely the opposite of biblical faith.

After the first horse, the white one, brought corruption to the Church through philosophy, the second horse, the red one, introduces a new dimension of attack: violence and conflict. Revelation 6:4 says: "Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword." At first glance, this symbol seems to describe bloody persecutions against Christians, but the essential detail is that "people kill each other." This indicates not only external persecution but also internal conflict — a division within the Christian community.

Historically, it is clear that the early Church went through violent persecutions from Roman authorities. From Nero in 64 AD, who used Christians as scapegoats for the burning of Rome, to more systematic persecutors like Diocletian (303–313 AD), Christianity was directly struck. The letter to Smyrna in Revelation 2:9-10 mentions "ten days" of suffering, which can be interpreted as the ten years of persecution under Diocletian.

However, the conflict described by the red horse is not limited to external persecution. As Christianity spread, doctrinal struggles emerged, and these were not only theological but at times escalated into violent conflicts. In the first centuries, disputes between Jewish and Hellenistic Christians were intense. Even Paul, in Galatians 2:11-14, describes a direct confrontation with Peter, indicating the tensions existing within the Christian community. As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine, conflicts between different theological factions became even more violent. Arianism and orthodoxy led to exiles and even bloodshed. In North Africa, the Donatists, who advocated a purer form of Christianity, clashed with the official Church.

This kind of “fratricidal” warfare is precisely what the red horse symbolizes. Not only was the Church attacked from the outside, but it was also torn apart from within. Greek philosophy, introduced by the white horse, brought in ideas that divided Christians, while the red horse turned these divisions into violence and mutual persecution. In other words, the devil attacked the Church from two directions: first by corrupting it intellectually, and then by dividing it and turning it against itself.

In this sense, the message to Smyrna is extremely important. Jesus warns believers to be prepared for suffering: "I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." These sufferings are not only physical persecutions but also spiritual and moral oppression. Just as Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss under the guise of loyalty, so too hypocrisy and internal corruption were some of the greatest attacks against the Church.

The conclusion is clear: the red horse does not act alone but together with the white horse. While philosophy attacked the faith through arguments and foreign ideologies, the red horse brought violence and suffering, both from the external world and from within the Christian community. This explains why the Church has always been under siege and why attacks on it have never come from just one direction. The devil plays on the entire field.

The Great Sword

The great sword mentioned in Revelation 6:4 is not an ordinary weapon used by people in their conflicts, but a symbol of supreme authority held by the rider on the red horse. This detail is essential because it suggests that the real power does not belong to those fighting among themselves, but to the one who holds this sword and controls the dynamics of the war. Throughout history, wars and conflicts have not been generated solely by the desire for expansion or survival but also by the imposition of an official truth established by those in power.

This "great sword" does not merely represent military force but also a doctrine, an ideology, or a dominant philosophy imposed on humanity through coercive means. Before the arrival of the red horse rider, peace reigned in the sense that people could have differing opinions without resorting to violence. However, the moment the rider was given the power to take peace from the earth, a fundamental shift occurred: truth was no longer sought through dialogue but imposed by force, and people were driven to fight one another for their own perceived "truth." Thus, this sword does not kill directly but creates the necessary conditions for people to rise up against each other, each one convinced that they possess the absolute reality.

The rider on the red horse no longer needs to conquer anything new because the conquest had already been achieved by the rider on the white horse. His role is to rule over the conquered by using the great sword not to kill directly, but to maintain a state of permanent conflict among people. This strategy has been employed by all great empires and totalitarian regimes throughout history: a subtle yet absolute control, exercised not through a single obvious dictatorship but through dividing the masses and manipulating them to fight one another. In this sense, the great sword is the ultimate ideological weapon, used to shape collective consciousness and dictate what should be considered truth.

Revelation, being a divine revelation of history, shows us that this dynamic is not just a social or political phenomenon but a profound spiritual mechanism. Truth has always been the central theme of God’s work, and humanity’s essential conflict is between God’s truth and the "truths" fabricated by men. The great sword of the red horse rider symbolizes exactly this: an imposed authority that transforms society into an ideological and existential battlefield. Those who wield this sword do not merely decide who lives and who dies, but more importantly, establish what is considered reality and what is not.

The Black Horse

In Revelation 6:5-6, the rider on the black horse does not have a great sword but a balance, an essential symbol that indicates that his power does not lie in military force or violence but in establishing measures and controlling the distribution of resources. However, as the text shows, the prices for food are not set by him but by a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, which suggests that they are determined by God. Nevertheless, the rider holds the balance, meaning the instrument that establishes how much goes into a measure. Here lies the crucial element: it is not specified what the fixed measure is, and it can vary depending on who establishes it.

If the measure had been fixed, the balance would not have been necessary, as wheat and barley would have been measured with a predetermined vessel. However, the fact that the balance is in the rider’s hand suggests that he not only measures but also decides the actual size of the measure. Thus, the issue is not necessarily a shortage of resources but an intentional control over how they are distributed. It is not about a natural food crisis but about an artificial regulation of access to resources.

If we extend this idea beyond the physical economy, it becomes clear that this image represents more than mere control over food—it is about controlling truth. Revelation is not a book focused on economic aspects but on how truth is allowed to circulate or is restricted. The rider on the red horse brought division and violence, but the rider on the black horse introduces a new system of managing knowledge. Truth is no longer a universal right but becomes a rationalized product, portioned out and distributed by those who hold control.

The phrase "a quart of wheat for a denarius" indicates that truth becomes an expensive commodity, accessible only to those willing to pay the price. In contrast, "three quarts of barley for a denarius" suggests that the majority of people are fed an inferior version of truth, a diluted and cheaper version. However, the rider is given a limit: "do not damage the oil and the wine," indicating that authentic truth—symbolized by oil (the Holy Spirit) and wine (salvation)—cannot be completely destroyed. In other words, although the rider may restrict access to truth and portion it out, he cannot fully prevent God’s work.

This prophecy suggests an era in which truth is not directly forbidden but controlled by limiting access to it. In history, this type of control has manifested through the manipulation of education, censorship of information, propaganda, and power structures that decide what version of reality must be accepted. Today, this phenomenon is evident in how information is filtered and distributed through the media, dominant ideologies, and systems that determine which knowledge is "correct" and what should be eliminated or marginalized.

Therefore, the rider on the black horse does not symbolize merely an economic crisis but a crisis of truth. His power lies in the balance, not the sword, because he dominates not through war but through the measuring and limiting of access to knowledge. Revelation unveils this reality to make people aware of the spiritual dynamics behind historical events.

The Pale Horse

In Revelation 6:8, the fourth rider, the one on the pale horse, is called Death, and following him comes Hades. Unlike the popular tradition that portrays Death as a woman with a scythe, here it is clearly masculine, as confirmed by the original Greek text, where "Θάνατος" (Thanatos) is a masculine noun. This detail indicates that Death is not just a vague symbol of biological ending but is personified as an entity with an active and deliberate role in unfolding events.

A remarkable aspect is the presence of the Death-Hades tandem. Logically, this makes sense: Death "harvests," and Hades "stores" souls. However, the fact that this tandem is emphasized suggests that it is not merely about the universal phenomenon of death, but about a specific perception of death and the afterlife, characteristic of a particular era or system of thought. Moreover, they are given power, indicating an active authority, not just a natural manifestation of death as a biological reality.

The power of this rider and Hades is limited to a fourth of the earth, which suggests that it is not about death in general but about an organized system that affects only a portion of humanity. This restriction raises the question: Is it about selective genocide, a specific geographical area, or a spiritual death imposed on a part of the world? If biological death is universal, but here it appears restricted, it means that this rider represents a controlled type of death, directed by an authority.

The methods by which Death acts are fourfold: sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts of the earth. Symbolically analyzed, they describe four forms of destruction and control over humanity:

• Sword– wars and organized violence.

• Famine– control of resources, economic and social crises.

• Plague– epidemics, but also fear imposed through manipulation of public health.

• Wild beasts of the earth– either literal animals or oppressive leaders and systems that rule through terror.

If this passage is seen as a prophetic account of history in advance, it seems to describe an era in which death is no longer just a natural phenomenon but an instrument of control, a method of governance. In the Middle Ages, for instance, the doctrine of Purgatory transformed the fear of death into a power system that dictated people's lives not only during their earthly existence but also after death. The Church, emperors, and medieval elites held the power to decide the fate of souls through indulgences, excommunications, and manipulation of faith. Death was no longer just a natural end of life but a mechanism of control over souls, and Hades became a "storage place" where souls were kept captive under the rules of a rigid religious system.

Thus, the rider on the pale horse does not merely represent the end of life but an authority that decides who dies and what happens to the dead. This is not natural death but directed death, regulated and exploited for political, economic, and spiritual purposes. In this sense, Revelation warns us that death is not just an inevitable force of nature but can become a tool of power and manipulation in the hands of those who control truth, fear, and human destinies.

The Souls under the Altar

When the Lamb breaks the fifth seal, the scene changes dramatically. We no longer see riders bringing war, famine, and death, but the souls of those who were slain for the Word of God. These souls are under the altar—an essential detail that brings to mind the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, where the blood of sacrifices was poured at the base of the altar. Thus, the positioning of these souls under the altar is not accidental but indicates that they are sacrifices brought before God. Just as Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for justice (Genesis 4:10), so the blood of the martyrs now cries out before God, demanding judgment and vengeance.

An important detail is that the verb used for "slain" here is the same as in Revelation 6:4, where people slay one another during the red horse rider’s time. The difference is that while there it referred to conflict between two opposing sides, here only one side is attacked and eliminated. These martyrs do not defend themselves or respond with the same violence—they are victims of a deliberate persecution. Thus, we see an evolution of events: if at first the world was engulfed in ideological battles and conflicts for the truth, now it has reached a point where the truth is no longer contested but suppressed, and those who uphold it are eliminated.

The souls of the martyrs cry out: "How long, Sovereign Lord?"—a question that reflects not only the desire for justice but also an active expectation of divine intervention. However, God does not immediately respond with judgment but offers them a white robe and tells them to wait "a little longer." This is a confirmation that everything is under control and that God has a plan unfolding according to a precise timeline. Nothing is left to chance, and evil, although permitted for a while, will not go unpunished. God does not rush, does not react impulsively, but acts exactly at the appointed time.

This seal teaches us that the death of the righteous is not forgotten nor devoid of meaning. Each of those who have suffered for the truth has their place and promised reward. In the meantime, the faithful are asked to have patience and trust in God's plan. They must not fear or be discouraged because history is not out of control but is moving precisely toward the fulfillment of the divine purpose.

The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars

The sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17 describes an event of catastrophic magnitude, appearing to be the final point of history as we know it. The text mentions dramatic cosmic phenomena: the sun becomes black, the moon turns into blood, the stars fall from the sky, the sky itself is rolled up "like a scroll," and the entire geographical structure of the earth is shaken. These events are not presented as mere warnings but as realities that provoke widespread panic, so much so that all people—from kings to slaves—seek to hide, acknowledging that "the great day of His wrath has come" (Revelation 6:17).

If we interpret this passage literally, then the sixth seal is not just an alarm signal but the final judgment itself. The events described are so radical that it would make no sense for the trumpets and bowls to follow. There can be no continuation of history after the sky has been rolled up "like a scroll" and the stars have fallen.

In this case, it means that Revelation should not be read as a strictly chronological sequence but as a symbolic text where the same events are described from multiple perspectives. This means that the trumpets and bowls do not come after the sixth seal but are a replay of the same prophetic history, but with different details.

The biblical text describes the sixth seal as marked by a great shaking of the world order:

• "A great earthquake"– a radical change in human thinking.

• "The sun became black"– the darkening of spiritual knowledge.

• "The stars fell"– the collapse of traditional religious authorities.

• "The sky receded like a scroll"– the end of an era of organized faith.

This describes the rise of atheism and secularism, which began with the French Revolution and marked the beginning of an era in which God was systematically removed from public life. In the last two centuries, the world has undergone a fundamental transformation:

• Rationalism and Enlightenmentquestioned Scripture.

• Social revolutionsremoved the influence of religion from politics.

• Secularismbecame the new norm, and materialism replaced spirituality.

We are living right now in the period of the sixth seal, in a world that no longer recognizes God's authority and rejects any idea of an imminent end to history.

The Seventh Seal and the Final Surprise

By studying the structure of the seals in Revelation, it becomes increasingly evident that they describe a progressive historical unfolding that takes us to the climax of human history: the Second Coming of Jesus. Here lies a major confusion in modern interpretations: many consider that the seventh seal is merely a transition to the apocalyptic trumpets. But a careful analysis shows that, in fact, the seventh seal is the very moment of Christ’s return!

How do we know this?
Because the biblical text tells us:
"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." (Revelation 8:1)

This "silence" is not a random pause but a clear prophetic sign.

• In biblical prophecy, "half an hour" equates to seven days.
  
• This indicates the moment when heaven is emptied of angels because Jesus descends to earth.
  
• Until then, heaven was full of songs and glory. But now, all the heavenly hosts accompany Jesus at His Coming, leaving heaven in silence.

What follows this silence?

The total shock of humanity!
"The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:15-17)

Here we see the great surprise: people did not expect Christ to come so quickly and so abruptly!

• They no longer believed in Him; they thought the world would go on indefinitely.
  
• They expected spectacular signs that would give them time to prepare.
  
• But Jesus came "like a thief," just as He said He would (Matthew 24:37-39).

Why will it be a total surprise?

Christ Himself warned that His return would not be preceded by obvious signs that would give people time to react:
"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away." (Matthew 24:37-39)

What do we see here?

• There are no last-minute warnings.
  
• People are busy with their everyday lives, unaware of what is coming.
  
• When the event begins, it is already too late for anyone who is not prepared.
  

This is exactly what we see in Revelation 6:15-17: people are caught unprepared and fall into total panic.

Why Is the Seventh Seal Misinterpreted?

The answer is simple: the biblical text has been modified over time to fit specific dogmas.

• The First Proof: Victorinus, the first commentator on Revelation, stops at Revelation 6:14 when commenting on the sixth seal.
  
• This indicates that the sixth seal ends there, and 8:1 would have immediately followed.
  
• But in the altered manuscripts, the text was moved to 8:1, creating an artificial separation between the seals and altering the logical structure of the vision.

Why Was This Change Made?

• To create a clear connection between the seals and the trumpets, according to a rigid doctrinal structure.

• To make room for complicated futuristic interpretations, based on a delayed coming of Christ and a scenario with "pre-apocalyptic events."

But in reality, Revelation was written to be clear and direct. The seals are not an impossible mystery to decipher but a clear chronological warning for those who want to see the truth.

Conclusion: Prepare Now!

If this interpretation is correct, and I have studied it as thoroughly as possible, then we are living in the final stage of history.

• The sixth seal is the secular world we live in now.
  
• The seventh seal is the very Coming of Jesus.

This means there are no more events to give us an additional warning. There will not be a major sign saying, "Now you must get ready!" That day will come like a thief.

"Do Not Harm the Oil and the Wine"

The vision in Revelation 6:5-6 describes a black horse, and its rider holds a balance in his hand, measuring wheat and barley at high prices, while a voice from among the four living creatures gives a special command: "Do not harm the oil and the wine." This scene is not merely an image of an economic crisis or physical famine but a profound representation of how the Word of God has been manipulated throughout history, especially by the Catholic Church.

In this interpretation, wheat and barley symbolize the Words of Scripture—namely, the written texts, recorded and preserved over the centuries as testimonies of divine revelation. These are fundamental elements essential for man's spiritual nourishment, but just like physical grains, they can be measured, controlled, and even altered by those who hold power over them. The Catholic Church, through total control over the manuscripts considered inspired, is represented by this rider with the balance, the one who decided what would be preserved, what would be modified, and what would be excluded from the biblical corpus. Through interventions in the texts, through altered translations, interpolations, and omissions, the Church distorted certain passages to consolidate its dogmas and authority.

However, there is a divine limitation, clearly expressed in the command "Do not harm the oil and the wine." In this vision, oil and wine are not mere food products but symbolize the IDEAS and REVEALED THOUGHTS of God. If wheat and barley represent the textual words, oil and wine are the authentic truth that God has transmitted to mankind—the real meaning of Scripture, God's original intention. The divine voice forbids the rider (the Catholic Church) from altering these fundamental ideas and thoughts, even if he is allowed to tamper with the written text. In other words, God allows the manipulation of words but not the complete loss of His meaning.

The Church Managed to Control the Theological Narrative

This explanation justifies why we find seemingly contradictory ideas in the Bible and why a careful reader must discern between what is authentic and what has been altered. Historically, the Church managed to control the theological narrative by modifying the written text, but God ensured that His truth remained visible to those who seek it with discernment. Therefore, man does not simply receive a pre-digested truth but is faced with a personal choice: to seek and distinguish what God has left in Scripture untouched, sometimes hidden among human alterations.

This vision perfectly explains why the Bible sometimes seems ambiguous or contradictory. It is not a mistake but a test for the sincere reader who must go beyond the letter of the text, seek God's thoughts as He left them, and reject forced interpretations imposed by religious structures that controlled Scripture. The message is clear: words can be modified, but the truth cannot be entirely erased.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Jesus warned about the alteration of Scripture through the parable of the wheat and the tares, but the classic interpretation of this parable has been distorted. Traditionally, it is said that the wheat represents righteous people, and the tares represent wicked people, leading to the idea of predestination, as if some are destined for salvation and others for perdition from the beginning. However, this interpretation is wrong and serves as an example of how Scripture has been manipulated to justify a particular doctrine.

In reality, the wheat and the tares do not represent people but words. The wheat symbolizes God's words, while the tares are the words of the Devil. They do not refer to people but to what influences the minds and hearts of people, producing different effects depending on their source. Jesus says that these two types of seeds must grow together until the end of the ages, meaning that throughout history, God's authentic teachings will coexist with false teachings, and people will be put in the position of discerning between them.

Two Opposing Theologies in the New Testament

This also explains the presence of two opposing theologies in the New Testament: Paul's theology and the theology of the Revelation of Jesus from the Book of Revelation. Although both claim to come from God, they contradict each other. Paul's theology, centered on justification by faith and an approach that excludes the necessity of obedience to divine commandments, conflicts with the message of Revelation, where Jesus clearly states that the true followers of God are those who "keep the commandments of God and hold fast the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). These two perspectives are not compatible, and their coexistence in the same biblical corpus is not a coincidence but a result of the fact that God allowed this coexistence so that people would have a choice.

Thus, it is explained why Christianity is marked by major doctrinal conflicts. Often, these conflicts are impossible to resolve because they are based on two completely opposing theological systems, both present in the same Bible. This is not a weakness of Scripture but proof that God has allowed the truth to be investigated and discovered, not blindly accepted. The Christian must be attentive to these contradictions and decide which of the two visions is authentic and which is an alteration of the divine truth.

In Conclusion

The parable of the tares does not speak of predestined people but of two types of teachings that coexist in Scripture and throughout human history. God has allowed this reality, and at the end of time, He will separate truth from falsehood. Until then, each person is responsible for seeking, analyzing, and discerning between what comes from God and what has been introduced by the enemy to mislead.

"He who has ears,

let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

The words "He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"are repeated seven times in Revelation. This is not just a rhetorical formula, but a clear indication that the message is not intended for everyone. The truth is there, but not everyone can understand it—not because it is absolutely hidden, but because many choose not to see it.

The seals are a clear example of this principle. They were broken by Jesus, yet the message they contain has remained unknown to most. Why? Because someone managed to divert people's attention, to introduce confusion and false interpretations. Not everyone was deceived, but the majority were led towards theories that, instead of deciphering the message, distorted it and unnecessarily complicated it. If we look at the seals correctly, we see that they represent a historical unfolding—not isolated or future events, but clear stages through which the world has passed and continues to pass.

The Sixth Seal: Atheism and Secularism

The sixth seal symbolizes atheism and secularism, a phenomenon that began with the French Revolution and has continued to develop to this day. The world has been shaken to its foundations—not by a physical earthquake, but by a radical change in thinking and values. God was gradually removed from public life, and the idea of religion was replaced by rationalism, materialism, and belief in science as the sole authority. The light has been darkened, and traditional spiritual structures have collapsed, exactly as the biblical text describes.

We are now living in this period.

What follows is the seventh seal. If the traditional interpretation were correct, we would expect something vague and unclear, a "transition" to other events. However, if we read the text correctly, we see that the seventh seal is the climax: the coming of Jesus.
The silence in heaven is not just a pause, but an indication that heaven has been emptied. The angels who sang and served are now gone with Jesus, who is coming on the clouds of heaven just as He promised. What happens immediately afterward?
People suddenly realize that there is no more time. Nothing can be changed anymore. They are not caught by surprise because they lacked information, but because they chose to ignore it, being caught up in false scenarios, waiting for "special events" that never came.

The final surprise

When the seventh seal breaks, the world realizes it was mistaken. That it was blinded by human doctrines, waiting for a spectacular end instead of being ready at any moment. Those who relied on dogmas, those who invented sophisticated interpretations, those who wanted the truth to be different from what it actually was—these are the ones caught off guard. But those who understood the simplicity of the biblical message will not be taken by surprise because they were already prepared.

"He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

This is not an empty warning, but a reality. The truth was spoken clearly. But not everyone will listen to it. Some will continue to believe what they prefer, others will deny any evidence, and still others will wait for "proofs" that will never come.

The sixth seal has been broken, and we are living in this period. The seventh seal is next, and it will be a surprise to many. There is no hidden scenario, no alternative plan. It is exactly as Jesus said: "As it was in the days of Noah." People will continue to live without thinking about what is coming, and when the moment arrives, everything will change in an instant.

This is not a matter of knowledge. It is not a matter of theology. It is a matter of choice.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Those who don't will continue to believe whatever they want.
But when the seventh seal breaks, there will be no more time for explanations.

Analysis of the Seals in Revelation

The analysis of the seals in Revelation provides a detailed view of the unfolding of human history from a divine perspective. As each seal is broken, a new stage unfolds, marking essential moments in the evolution of ideologies, conflicts, and social transformations. The biblical text compels us to trace these events in history, without attempting to create speculative interpretations.

1. The White Horse – Hellenism (The Influence of Greek Culture and Philosophy)

The first seal presents us with a rider on a white horse, carrying a bow and a crown, going out "to conquer and to conquer." This symbol perfectly corresponds to Hellenism, the culture and ideology that marked the ancient world. The Greeks did not dominate solely through military force but also through the power of ideas, philosophy, and education. The bow without arrows symbolizes an intellectual conquest rather than a military one, and the crown (stephanos) indicates the prestige and influence that this way of thinking had over the entire civilized world.

2. The Red Horse – Imperial Christianity (The Transformation into Political Power)

The second seal shows that peace is taken from the earth, and people "slaughter one another." This moment fits perfectly with the period of imperial Christianity, initiated under Constantine the Great. Christianity, initially a spiritual movement, gradually transformed into an instrument of political and imperial power. As it became the official religion of Rome, internal conflicts began, persecutions against pagans and even among Christians with differing doctrinal opinions. The great swordsymbolizes the authority that the Church gained, but also the violence that followed.

3. The Black Horse – Christian Dogmatism (Ideological Control by the Church)

The third seal introduces the balance—a symbol of measured and controlled distribution. In this stage, we see the medieval Church establishing rigid dogmas, controlling access to Scripture and knowledge. Only those with power and social status could access the truth (wheat), while the masses had to settle for a "diluted" version (barley). The balance shows that there was no shortage of truth, but an intentional control over it, and the high prices symbolize how difficult it was for the common person to attain true knowledge.

4. The Pale Horse – Papal Inquisition (Religious Persecution and Spiritual Terror)

The fourth seal brings a terrifying image: Death and Hades, given power to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. This symbol perfectly corresponds to the Inquisition and the period of religious terror during the Middle Ages. The Church used the fear of death and hell as an instrument of absolute control. The Inquisition destroyed anyone who deviated from the official doctrine, and millions died under accusations of heresy. This was not just physical death but spiritual death imposed through terror and restriction of truth.

5. Souls under the Altar – Protestantism and Neoprotestantism (The Struggle)

The fifth seal no longer presents calamities but the souls of martyrs crying out for justice. This perfectly matches the persecutions endured by Protestant and Neoprotestant reformers. Figures such as Jan Hus, Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, and William Tyndale were persecuted for fighting for freedom of faith and access to Scripture for all. These martyrs did not fall in armed conflict but were sacrifices on the altar of truth. Their cry, "How long, O Lord?"indicates that judgment upon their oppressors had not yet come, and persecutions would continue.

6. The Sixth Seal – Atheism and Secularism (The Collapse of Traditional Religion)

The sixth seal presents a series of cosmic signs and a major earthquake, leading to the widespread panic of the world's rulers. This stage coincides with the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the modern era, when the authority of traditional religion was shaken, and atheism and secularism became increasingly dominant.

• "The sun became black"– symbolizing the collapse of religious power.

• "The moon turned to blood"– an image of changing ideologies and sacrifices made for new ideas.

• "The stars fell from the sky"– the fall of religious and political leaders, the collapse of monarchies, and ecclesiastical powers.

This is the stage where secularism and materialism replaced religious values. The world increasingly distanced itself from God, and people began to seek refuge in science, philosophy, and technological progress.

7. The Seventh Seal – Parousia (The Coming of Christ and the End of History)

The final seal introduces half an hour of silence in heaven, a moment of anticipation before God’s final intervention.

• "All the people hid in caves"– fear and uncertainty in the face of radical changes in the modern world.

This is the Parousia stage, the coming of Christ and the end of history. 

Conclusion: The Seals as a Prophetic Map of Human History

This interpretation shows that Revelation is not a set of chaotic events but an orderly and logical unfolding of history. Each seal provides a glimpse into a key moment of civilization—from the rise of ancient ideologies to the secularization of the modern world and the events that prepare the stage for Christ’s return.

The question remains: How close are we to the moment of opening the final seal?

Fidelity to the Text or Fidelity to Dogma?

People often talk about "fidelity to the text" as if it were an indisputable virtue, but very few question what this fidelity actually means. Let’s suppose we have a text transmitted through multiple copies, with different variants, possible interpolations, and changes made either by mistake or intentionally. Can anyone honestly claim that "being faithful to the text" means accepting without question everything that has been preserved, regardless of contradictions, inconsistencies, or obvious nonsense?

This is, in fact, the central problem: many confuse fidelity to the text with fidelity to the dogma that has been built around that text. In other words, we are no longer talking about preserving the original meaning of the author, but about protecting a transmitted version that must be kept intact, no matter how problematic it may be.

What Does "Fidelity to the Text" Really Mean?

If we are honest, we must admit that fidelity to the text can only mean preserving the author's intention and original message. It cannot mean blind submission to an altered manuscript just because "that's how it reached us." The text is not sacrosanct simply because it survived, and its critical analysis is not a "betrayal" but a legitimate effort to recover the original meaning.

In contrast, fidelity to dogma works differently. Those who adhere to this type of "fidelity" are not concerned with the authenticity of the text but with preserving it exactly as it is, even when it is evident that it has been corrupted. Dogma does not allow questions, does not accept revisions, and does not tolerate logical analyses that might dismantle problematic parts. Why? Because any doubt about the text becomes an attack on dogmatic authority.

Let us not forget an essential fact: no one has the original.The oldest manuscripts we possess date back to the third century, and for over a thousand years, their transmission and copying were monopolized by the Catholic Church. This is not speculation but a historical fact.

Moreover, it has been proven that the text was altered precisely at key points that either create confusion or introduce ideas foreign to the original context. This is not a coincidence. These changes are not mere copying errors but deliberate interventions with a clear purpose: to "add" to the text what was not originally there, serving a particular theological interpretation.

How Can We Be Faithful to the Text? Not by blindly accepting everything that has come down to us, but by seeking to separate what is authentic from what has been added, modified, or corrupted.

Who Determines Whether and Where the Text Has Been Altered?

This raises a fundamental question: Who and on what basis can determine that a text has been altered, and where exactly? Some believe that only a comparative study of manuscripts can indicate this. Others argue that only religious tradition can decide what is authentic and what is not.

However, the truth is much simpler and, paradoxically, lies right before our eyes. The text itself indicates where it has been altered!
A well-written text flows logically, is coherent, and supports its ideas without obvious contradictions. However, where it has been altered, it "shouts" that something is not right. These are the places where everyone senses that "it’s not clear," where confusion arises, where a passage seems to contradict what the author said elsewhere.

What do most people do when faced with these problems?  Instead of questioning whether the text might have been altered, they prefer either to "spiritualize" the passage, giving it a metaphorical meaning that masks the problem, or to create complicated explanations that, instead of clarifying, add even more confusion.

However, I take a different approach: wherever the text demands my attention, where a break in logic appears, I must ask questions. I refuse to fall into the trap of alterations made by some to introduce ideas foreign to the original message.

It is about seeking the authentic voice of the original author, rather than clinging to a version shaped by centuries of theological manipulation. Fidelity to the text should never be confused with submission to dogma. True fidelity seeks the truth even when it challenges established interpretations, and it refuses to accept uncritically what has been manipulated or distorted.

Who Is Truly Faithful to the Text?

If fidelity to the text means swallowing any nonsense, then the concept is stripped of any value. You cannot be "faithful" to a text that contradicts itself. True fidelity means to investigate, to ask questions, to eliminate errors, and to recover the original meaning.

Those who insist that we should leave the text as it is, without questioning whether it has been corrupted, are not faithful to the text—they are faithful to a dogma that tells them not to ask questions.

I prefer to be faithful to the truth, not to dogma. And if this is seen as an act of "infidelity," then perhaps the problem is not with me, but with those who confuse preserving tradition with seeking the authentic meaning.

Beware of the Altered Verse!

In my study, I found that the biblical text was altered, and the verse appearing in Revelation 8:1 was artificially moved, creating an interpretive problem that would not have existed in the original structure of the book. In reality, the verse belongs to chapter 6, and placing it within the seals, where it contextually belongs, provides a clearer understanding of the succession of events.

By moving this verse to chapter 8, the illusion was created that the seventh seal introduces a new series of events, completely separate from chapter 6. This led to forced interpretations that attempt to explain why the silence would be followed by the trumpets of judgment, even though in the restored text, placed in its proper context, the silence directly precedes humanity’s reaction to divine wrath.

Implications of Restoring the Text

1. Revelation acquires a clear logical thread—the revelation described through the seals broken by the Lamb culminates with the universal acknowledgment that "the great day of His wrath has come."
   
2. The silence in heaven is not a pause between seals and trumpets but is part of the intensity of the event. It marks the moment of cosmic shock before the finale.
   
3. Revelation must be read as a unified whole, and any change in the correct order can affect the prophetic message.
   

If the verse is restored to its rightful place, it becomes evident that the day of God's wrath is a unique and irreversible event, not a fragmented succession of judgments. This confirms that Revelation presents a single coming of Jesus, and the text’s structure must be respected to preserve its authentic meaning.

The Structure of Revelation

The Coming of Jesus

There are three passages that explicitly describe the coming of Jesus:

1. Revelation 6:12-17– A portrayal of cosmic catastrophes and humanity's fear, acknowledging that "the great day of His wrath has come."

2. Revelation 14:14-20– The Son of Man is seen on a white cloud, holding a sharp sickle, a symbol of divine judgment.

3. Revelation 19:11-16– Jesus comes riding on a white horse, accompanied by the heavenly armies, as the supreme King and Judge.

These three passages do not depict three separate comings, but rather three perspectives on the same final event, each emphasizing a different aspect of divine judgment.

The Difference Between Seals and Trumpets

Sealsare specific revelations for those who are concerned with the Truth revealed by Jesus. They offer a deeper understanding of history and the divine plan.
Trumpetsare public events that affect the entire human race and cannot be ignored.

Therefore, seals and trumpets describe the same period of time but from different perspectives. Revelation should not be read as a rigid chronological sequence but as a series of overlapping revelations.

Intercalated Scenes Are Not Part of Seals or Trumpets

1. The intercalated scenes do not contain judgments or destructions, so they are not calamities.

• Revelation 10– It does not describe any judgment, but only the angel with the little scroll and the prophetic calling of John. If it were part of the sixth trumpet, it should contain a "woe," but it does not.

• Revelation 11 (first part)– It describes the measuring of the Temple and the activity of the two witnesses, but these are not calamities in themselves, rather a prophetic testimony.

2. The Text Clearly Marks Where the "Woe" Ends

• Revelation 11:14 explicitly says, "The second woe is past,"meaning that the previous events were part of the sixth trumpet, but not necessarily all the scenes from chapters 10 and 11.
  
• This confirms that the "woe" ends there, and the intermediate scenes are thematic additions, not continuations of the trumpet judgment.

3. There Is a Clear Precedent for Such Interludes

• Between the sixth and seventh seals, Revelation 7appears, containing the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude in heaven—a symbolic pause, not a judgment.
  
• The same type of pause appears between the sixth and seventh trumpets (Revelation 10 and the first part of 11). These are clearly meant to provide thematic clarification, not to continue the trumpet judgment.

4. Clear Difference Between Judgments and Inserted Scenes

• Judgments in seals and trumpets affect the earth and humanity—death, destruction, calamities.
  
• The intermediate scenes have a prophetic and explanatory character, not one of destruction. For example:

  • The great multitude in heaven (Revelation 7)is a celebration of salvation, not a judgment.

  • The measuring of the Temple and the two witnesses (Revelation 11:1-13)are related to prophetic work, not a "woe" imposed upon the world.

In conclusion, the structure of Revelation is not a simple linear sequence but a complex and layered composition. The seals and trumpets reflect different perspectives on overlapping events, while the intercalated scenes serve thematic and explanatory purposes rather than conveying judgment or destruction.