“When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword” (Revelation 6:3-4 NIV).
Red is a color that is frequently used to represent conflict or war. This is the color that served to distinguish the horse ridden by the Second Horseman Of The Apocalypse here in Revelation chapter six. We should also note that this rider’s horse wasn’t simply red; it was fiery red. Furthermore, this horseman didn’t simply carry a sword; he wielded a large one, presumably with the capacity to destroy large numbers of people quickly and efficiently.
“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand” (Revelation 6:5 NIV).
The color black offers a clear association with the characteristic qualities of sadness, death, or mourning. But what do the scales held by this horseman signify? The following verse offers a potential answer…
“Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!'” (Revelation 6:6 NIV).
A quart of wheat might feed a single person for a day. Given that people commonly use scales to determine the weight of various objects, this seems to indicate that essential provisions (like bread) may be subject to rationing. So if we were to rephrase this passage in contemporary terms, we might say that these economic conditions will deteriorate to the point where people will have to labor for an entire day in order to feed themselves.
However, it also seems that such limitations will not apply to everyone during this period, for this passage also includes the following aside: “…do not damage the oil and the wine!” While oil and wine were staples of ancient life, one could get along without them if necessary. From that perspective, these items were viewed as luxuries, not necessities.
This suggests that a sizable economic divide will exist between those who can afford such things and those who cannot. Some will be subject to economic devastation during that time while others will retain the ability to maintain their self-indulgent standards of living.