The Skeptics Annotated Bible (1002 page)

6
And 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.

First seal
: A man on a white horse goes conquering.

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.

(6.2) “I saw … a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow … and he went forth conquering.”

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

Second seal
: A man with a big sword on a red horse forces people to kill each other.

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.

(6.4) “Another horse … 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.”

Third seal
: A man on a black horse with a balance in his hand.

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.

(6.5) “I beheld … 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.

Fourth seal
: A pale horse with a rider named Death with Hell following was given power to kill one quarter of the earth’s population with the sword, starvation, and “the beasts of the earth.”

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.

(6.8) “I … 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.”

Fifth seal
: Dead martyrs. (This is the excuse for all the other killing.)

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:

(6.9) “When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw… the souls of them that were slain for the word of God.”

(6.10-11) The martyrs just can’t wait until everyone is slaughtered. God gives them white robes and tells them to wait until he’s done with his killing spree.

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?

(6.10) “They cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord … dost thou not … 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.

(6.11) “White robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest … until … their brethren … be killed.”

Sixth seal
: A great earthquake, the sun becomes black, and the moon red, the stars fall from heaven, mountains and islands move around, and everyone on earth wishes they were dead (if they’re not already).

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;

(6.12) “There was a great earthquake; and the sun became black … 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.

(6.13) “The stars of heaven fell unto the earth.”

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

(6.14) “Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”

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;

(6.15) “The … men … 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:

(6.16) “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from … the wrath of the Lamb.”

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

(6.17) “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

7
And after these things
I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth
, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

(7.1) “I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.” The earth is flat and square-shaped.

(7.2-3) God tells his murderous angels to “hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of your God on their foreheads.”

Christians like to use the first part of verse 7.3 to show God’s loving concern for the environment. But the last part makes it clear that it was the angel’s God-given job to “hurt the earth and the sea” just as soon as they finish their forehead-marking job.

2 And
I saw another angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God:
and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

(7.2) “I saw another angel … and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,”

3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

(7.3) “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

4 And I heard
the number
of them which were
sealed:
and there
were
sealed
an hundred and forty and four thousand
of all the tribes
of the children of Israel.

(7.4) “The number … sealed … were … an hundred and forty and four thousand … of the children of Israel.” 144,000 Jews will be going to heaven; everyone else is going to hell.