A Second Look at the Third Seal

In my article The Seven Seals, I wrote this analysis of the third seal:

This is obviously an economic attack on the basic necessities of life, while the luxury items are untouched. We have come to realize just how dependant our economy has become on oil, and how the price of oil determines the price of everything else we need in order to survive. As the price of oil has risen, so have the prices of food, clothing, utilities, cars, and shelter. Fuel service charges are now appearing regularly on billing statements, and naturally this is passed on to the consumer. It appears to me that this all began back in the 1970’s with the formation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Could this have been the black horse?

My statement reflects the popular opinion on this seal, and I simply quoted what I had always been told. However, I would like to take a closer look at this seal, for I now believe that it has nothing whatsoever to do with the economy – that is a red herring – but has everything to do with justice, or should I say, the lack thereof. Allow me to explain.

When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6)

As we all know, the color black always represents the worst in human nature, usually disease, famine, pestilence and the like, and always a result of sin, whether our own or that of others. The rider of the horse is carrying scales, which all agree represents justice, and in this case there black horse indicates the lack of justice. From this point, however, my interpretation has changed.

The wine and oil do not represent luxury items, as many believe, but represent the humans – two different groups of them to be exact. The olive oil is one group, and the wine another.

The prophet Zachariah’s vision illustrates my point:

He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4: 2-5; 14)

The prophet John had a similar vision:

“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (Revelation 11:3-4)

The oil in the lampstands (menorah) has always represented the spirit of God, flowing within the children of Abraham. When we keep our lamps trimmed, and full of fresh oil, that indicates that we have become filled with the Holy Spirit, and are ready for the day’s journey. This is done in the morning and again in the evening in the House of God, just as we take the time to pray twice daily, in the morning and again in the evening.

We can also see that wine is also associated with people; remember what Joel told us:

Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. (Joel 3:12-15)

Returning to Revelation, John shows us the same view:

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. (Revelation 14:17-20)

The black horse and its rider have been given their orders: do not damage the oil and the wine. The oil has traditionally been associated with the children of Israel, while the wine usually references the rest of the nations. I believe that when this third seal is broken, injustice will prevail over all the earth – yet there will be those who have the ability to remain unharmed by this; although injustice will be all around them, it will not prevail.

Those who are considered “the elite” of this world (i.e. celebrities, those with money and connections) can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and they can get away with it, while the average guy gets nailed to the wall. Like the drunken revelers of false gods, they consume their wine while ignoring the world around them. These people are represented by the wine, undamaged by injustice.

The other group, most often associated with Israel, is the oil of the olive tree. The very essence of the Spirit above: the first, pure drop of oil from the choicest fruit, which is the only oil that can burn in the menorah. The oil represents those who have dedicated their lives to maintaining the flame in the Temple within their hearts. Day and night, evening and morning, they fill their lamps with fresh oil and trim their wicks, waiting for the moment their Messiah appears. Although they can be touched by the injustice, they cannot be damaged by the injustice brought forth by the third seal.

When this third seal was broken, and its rider went forth to remove justice from the land, he was instructed to leave these two groups alone: the sons of the serpent and the children of Israel.

The rest of the world would see great suffering, as injustice prevails all over the earth, where giant corporations stomp over the lives of innocent people, just trying to eke out an existence here upon this crummy planet. Reveling in their sin, the elite trample upon the rights and lives of those they have deemed to be useless eaters, while they worship their god through their very acts of destruction. There is nothing that the little guy can do to overcome this rider upon his back horse.

There is always hope, however, as Yeshua has made a way for anyone to join into the family of Israel. Spiritual Israel consists of Jews and Gentiles, united in His service, and coming under the protection of the Holy One of Israel. When we confess our sins, clearing our hearts of their burdens and sweeping them away, we can then begin filling our lamps with fresh oil, trimming their wicks daily with prayer, and be protected from the injustice brought forth by the opening of the third seal.

Admittedly, I do not know when this seal was broken; it has taken time to circumnavigate the globe in its journey to spread injustice. I only know that the black horse and its rider have done a fabulous job of removing justice from the whole earth, allowing these two groups of people to remain untouched. However, the olive oil is nowhere near as plentiful as the wine, and soon the vineyard will become overgrown, trying to choke out the olive grove.

There is nothing that you or I can do to save ourselves from the events soon upon us. The elites will try to hide from the wrath of the Most High God, but they will soon discover that they cannot. The only safe place is within the secret place of the Most High, protected under the shadow of His wings. This place is accessible by anyone who calls upon Yeshua – God’s salvation – to save them. But know this:

We can only access His secret place through daily prayer. It’s time to begin…

NOW!