The third seal can be found in Revelation 6:5-6.

“When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.’”

Learn More:

>> The 7 Seals of Revelation
>> The 4rd Seal and the Pale Horse
>> The Second Seal and the Red Horse

The Third Seal: A Black Horse

This black horse depicts a departure from the purity of the faith of Jesus, represented by the white horse of the conquering apostolic church. During this time period, the truth of the Bible was cast down as pagan ideas infiltrated the church. Gradually, the church accepted the worship of idols, changed the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday and instated men as mediators between human beings and God.

The pair of scales in this seal symbolizes the scarcity of bread and spiritual food that would occur during this time. The Bible, the holy Word of God, was disregarded as church leaders turned away from Bible truth and instituted their own ideas and opinions.

The apostle Paul had foretold this apostasy in Acts 20:29-30: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

Just as Paul predicted, for the next two hundred years there was a great departure from pure gospel truth as the widespread absorption of pagan philosophy and forms continued in the Christian church.

But there was hope even in these tortured times. The oil is not harmed nor the wine. The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the wine symbolizes salvation through Jesus Christ (Plain Revelation by Ranko Stefanović). Even in times of spiritual drought and scarcity of God’s Word, the Spirit still works to bring people to salvation.