Revelation 6:3 kjv

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

Revelation 6:3 nkjv

When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see."

Revelation 6:3 niv

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"

Revelation 6:3 esv

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"

Revelation 6:3 nlt

When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!"

Revelation 6 verses

Revelation 6 3 Meaning

Revelation 6:3 describes the opening of the second seal by the Lamb, which summons a fiery red horse. This event symbolizes the removal of peace from the earth, leading to widespread warfare, civil strife, and people killing one another. It signifies divinely permitted human conflict on a global scale.

Revelation 6 3 Context

Revelation 6:3 is part of the unfolding series of judgments symbolized by the breaking of seven seals on a scroll. This scroll, held by God the Father and worthy to be opened only by Jesus Christ, the Lamb (Rev 5), contains God's future redemptive and judgmental plan. The second seal immediately follows the first (Rev 6:1-2), which brought forth a white horse, often interpreted as conquest or righteous victory. This verse plunges from that initial, perhaps deceptive, peace or triumph, into the immediate consequence of widespread conflict. Historically, the audience would have been aware of the Pax Romana, a period of enforced peace under the Roman Empire, yet simultaneously experienced localized rebellions and Roman military campaigns. The vision presents a divine dismantling of any perceived earthly peace, showing that true tranquility can be removed by God's decree.

Revelation 6 3 Word analysis

• When: (Greek: hote) Establishes sequential timing, indicating that this event immediately follows the opening of the first seal, marking a distinct phase in the unfolding judgments.

• He: Refers directly to the Lamb (Jesus Christ), reiterating His supreme authority and agency in initiating the events of the end times as seen in Rev 5.

• opened: (Greek: ēnoixen, an aorist active indicative) Denotes a decisive and completed action. The Lamb's act of opening the seal is the direct cause of what follows.

• second seal: Identifies this as the next stage in a divine sequence of judgments or revelations. The order emphasizes the systematic nature of God's plan.

• I heard: John's auditory experience, highlighting the revelatory nature of the vision communicated through sound as well as sight. It reinforces the direct witness of the prophet.

• the second living creature: As one of the four angelic beings surrounding God's throne (Rev 4:7-8), this creature acts as an annunciator, adding weight and heavenly authority to the summons. Each creature announces a different horseman.

• Come!: (Greek: Erchou, imperative) A direct command, a summons from the throne room, initiating the appearance of the red horse and its rider. This is not a plea but a powerful divine decree.

• And another horse: "Another" (Greek: kai allos) signifies a new, distinct manifestation following the first white horse, yet part of the same series.

• fiery red: (Greek: pyrrhos, meaning "flame-colored" or "red as fire") This vivid color is highly symbolic, universally associated with bloodshed, warfare, violence, and intense destruction. It speaks to the devastating nature of the judgment it represents.

• went out: (Greek: exēlthen) Indicates its appearance or deployment into action. It implies a divinely permitted unleashing or activation.

• it was granted: (Greek: edothē, aorist passive indicative of didōmi, "to give") This key phrase implies divine permission and active allowance, not random occurrence. The power and ability of the rider are not inherent but delegated by God. It signifies God's sovereign control even over chaos.

• to him who sat on it: Focuses on the rider as the agent or embodiment of the force unleashed by the horse, indicating an intelligent and purposeful entity executing the judgment.

• to take peace from the earth: (Greek: tēn eirēnēn labein ek tēs gēs) This is the rider's primary purpose. "Peace" (Greek: eirēnē) encompasses well-being, tranquility, and harmony. The phrase signifies a global cessation of these conditions, both internationally and interpersonally, shattering any semblance of human stability. It is a polemic against any notion of lasting earthly peace apart from Christ's reign.

• that people should kill one another: (Greek: kai allēlous sphaxōsin, from sphazō, to slaughter, butcher, kill by violence) This reveals the devastating consequence of peace being removed: widespread internal strife, civil wars, mass violence, and reciprocal slaughter. It suggests a collapse of social order and brother against brother.

• a great sword: (Greek: machaira megalē, a large or long sword) This denotes an instrument of immense lethal power and suggests the magnitude and intensity of the killing. It symbolizes not just localized conflict but extensive and widespread military conflict and carnage.

Revelation 6 3 Bonus section

The active "granting" (edothē) of permission to the rider highlights that these catastrophic events, though horrific, are not random acts of chaos. They are part of God's overarching sovereign plan, initiated by Christ, the Lamb. This concept provides comfort amidst the terrifying imagery, as it means God remains in control, even over forces that dismantle human peace and lead to destruction. This sequence of seals demonstrates God's progressive unfolding of judgment and revelation, designed to prompt humanity toward repentance, or to highlight His justice for those who refuse to acknowledge Him. The series of horses here may also echo the horsemen visions in Zech 6:1-8, drawing on existing biblical motifs of divine judgment carried out by unseen forces. However, in Revelation, the emphasis is less on patrolling and more on specific consequences unleashed by the breaking of each seal.

Revelation 6 3 Commentary

The opening of the second seal in Revelation 6:3 marks a definitive shift from whatever initial, potentially deceptive, "peace" or conquest might have been suggested by the white horse of the first seal. Here, the Lamb, in His sovereign authority, actively unleashes divine judgment upon the earth, manifesting as ubiquitous human conflict. The vivid imagery of the "fiery red" horse unmistakably signals widespread bloodshed and warfare. It's not just a general state of unrest, but an explicit mandate "to take peace from the earth." This signifies the systematic dismantling of any form of societal tranquility, leading directly to an horrific outcome where "people should kill one another." This emphasizes a self-destructive element of humanity under divine judgment. The "great sword" signifies not minor skirmishes, but large-scale, brutal conflict. This judgment serves as a stark reminder that true peace is not a given earthly condition, but a divine gift, which can be removed as a consequence of unrighteousness.