In Revelation 6:1-2, we see the breaking of the first seal and the beginning of the judgments of God. With the first seal, we are introduced to yet another key character in the tribulation storyline. It is an abbreviated description, but when combined with the rest of the book and other prophetic passages of Scripture, we can piece together a fairly clear image of who this individual is and what his role in the end times will be. He will be the first a several riders who appear riding various-colored horses. There is a sequential nature to these seals, as each one reveals yet another aspect of God's coming judgment, each following the other in chronological order. John is being given a glimpse into the future, and he shared all that he sees with us, his fellow members of the church of Jesus Christ. As we will see, these images are not meant to scare or intimidate us, but to inform us about all that God has planned. They are also intended to produce in us a growing faith and confidence that our God is in complete control of all things, both today and into the future. There is nothing that is going to happen that God has not ordained to happen. The seeming instability of the world and the increasing presence of evil in our world are not the result of our God's indifference or inability to stop them. They are part of His sovereign plan. And we can trust Him.
