Since we are approaching the time of the Return of Jesus, we should be expecting to start seeing the other prophesied events in Revelation taking place, including the Seals in Revelation 6. However from Revelation 6 alone, it is difficult to see exactly what these events are, and how they start. However, with the help of Zechariah 6 (and Daniel 7) I believe we can now interpret some of this prophecy and show its fulfillment in progress.
Revelation 6:1-7 describe a white horse, red horse, black horse and pale horse. These horses are also described in Zechariah 6:1-8:
I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains--mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled--all of them powerful.
Zechariah 6:1-3
So this passage gives a major clue to when the events of Revelation 6 start: they come out from between two mountains of bronze. Until this century, nobody would have known what this referred to, but now it sounds like the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York, which were destroyed in the attacks of 9/11 in 2001. These were actually "mountains" of steel, rather than bronze, but I think they are still recognizably the same, either Zechariah was referring to the colour of the towers being bronze in his vision, or bronze was the closest word he had to describe their predominantly steel construction.
Before I go into the interpretation of the 7 seals, I should cover the link between the first four seals, Zechariah 6, and then Daniel 7. In Zechariah 6 the horses are going to the North, West and South (presumably also East, although not mentioned). In Daniel 7:2 we also have a reference to these directions:
Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
Daniel 7:2
So linking these three passages together we have:
First seal, white horse (Rev 6:2), corresponding to the first beast in Daniel 7 like a lion with wings of an eagle (Daniel 7:4), representing the USA.
Second seal, red horse (Rev 6:4), corresponding to the second beast in Daniel 7 like a bear (Daniel 7:5), representing Russia.
Third seal, black horse (Rev 6:5), corresponding to the third beast in Daniel 7 like a leopard (Daniel 7:6), representing China.
Fourth seal, pale horse (Rev 6:7), corresponding to the fourth beast in Daniel 7:7, representing the United Nations.
For more explanation of the beasts in Daniel 7, and why they represent those countries/organizations, please see my Daniel 7 page. So now my interpretation of the 7 seals:
First Seal, Late 2001 onwards
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Rev 6:1-2
I believe this corresponds to the USA-led "War on Terror" after 9/11, during which the USA conquered Afghanistan and Iraq (and many other military interventions, primarily in the Middle East).
Second Seal, 2008 onwards
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 people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
Rev 6:3-4
I believe this corresponds to the "Arab Spring", with violence across the Middle East, including:
It may also refer to the violence related to the rise and fall of the Islamic State (or ISIL).
Third Seal, 2014 onwards
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. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages, and six pounds of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
Revelation 6:5-6
Although the first two seals seem to correspond to events in the Middle East, this seal seems to be linked to events in the West of China (as noted above, the third seal is linked to China). The Xinjiang region of China borders on the Middle East. Here China started an operation in May 2014 it called the "Strike Hard Campaign Against Violent Terrorism". A UN Human Rights report on it is here. A wikipedia article is here, which describes it as "the largest scale detention of ethnic and religious minorities since World War II". The weighing out of food for a day's wages in the above verses, sounds like the forced labour China is accused of practising.
Fourth Seal, 2020 onwards
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6:7-8
I understand the word translated "earth" could also be translated "land" and refer to the Land of Israel. So the "fourth of the earth" could actually be about Gaza and the land of Israel bordering it. First affected by the Covid pandemic, like the rest of the world in 2020, and now also affected by war and famine since the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 and subsequent war.
The remaining Seals
If my interpretation of the first four seals is correct, then there appears to be a gap of about 6 years between each seal. Extrapolating forwards, this gives a suggested timeline for the remaining seals of:
2026: The Fifth Seal, Revelation 6:9-11, most likely referring to a rise in Christian persecution.
2032: The Sixth Seal, Revelation 6:12-17, a great earthquake, and other events.
2038: The Seventh Seal, Revelation 8:1-5, leading up to the Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-11:19).