The seven seals in Revelation 6 contains a prophetic description of astronomical events that will only occur in November of 2043, and not again within the space of at least 10,000 years. This is the short summary of my interpretation of the astrological references contained in Revelation 6. There have been many false interpretations of this passage, including some based in astrology. It is easy, then, to discount a new idea. However, I believe the clues for this interpretation are compelling and numerous, and that it explains many details that other interpretations do not. To properly interpret, it is important to go back to the original Greek language of the author and evaluate specific word choices, as well as understand references to ancient astrology and the myths and legends that relate to these symbols and would have been known to the author. This is the short version, and I will lay out the basic interpretation succinctly here. For the full details, please read my blog post here. It contains much more explanation and reasoning behind the interpretation. In my post, I have provided full references to all of the details, so that they can be completely verified as fact. Truth, sometimes, is truly stranger than fiction.
All of the seals described in Revelation relate to some type of heavenly sign. They are signs that authenticate the divine message of the visions of Revelation. The horses represent planets, and their colors specify which planet. The riders indicate asterisms that for planetary conjunctions for each planet. All of the conjunctions will happen at or around the same time. In November of 2043 the first four seals are fulfilled in the sky.
Horses and horse-drawn chariots have been used since ancient times as a way to describe of the path of heavenly bodies tracing their path across the sky. Astrological systems have colors that have been used to refer to the planets, with specific color correspondences. These do not all agree, but we have color correspondences dating back to ancient Mesopotamia that were passed to the Greeks and Romans. The ancient Akkadian color references are the most likely source of these colors for the author of Revelation who lived during the Roman Empire, and who made extensive reference to Old Testament prophetic literature written in Ancient Babylon and Mesopotamia. Additionally, various characteristics of the riders are also fit to the planetary assignments, as described in detail in my blog post. An ancient Akkadian tablet K.2346 lists the planets and their colors, which can be used as a decoding key. The tablet reads: “White star = Jupit[e]r, Red star = Mars, Green-yellow star = Venus, Black star = Saturn, var.: Mercury”.
Seal 1: The White Horse
Jupiter is the white horse. The rider is given a bow and a crown (actually a wreath-crown). I believe this is a compelling reference to Sagittarius. The fulfillment is clear. Jupiter will be in Sagittarius.
Seal 2: The Red Horse
The red horse is of course Mars. The rider is given a great curved knife, a machaira. Most translations here have “sword”, but the specific type of sword is a short, curved blade, akin to a machete. Ancient astrological references to “The Knife” relate to what is known as Leo’s Sickle, which indeed exactly resembles such a blade. In November of 2043, the same time as the other planetary conjunctions, Mars will be in close conjunction with the handle of this blade, the star Regulus.
Seal 3: The Black Horse
The black horse is Saturn, most commonly associated with the color black. According to Akkadian astrology, Mercury can also be considered a “black star”. The rider holds a pair of scales, as a clear reference to the constellation Libra. Both Saturn and Mercury, as it happens, will be in Libra in November of 2043.
Seal 4: The (Yellow-)Green Horse
The fourth horse is a yellow-green color. The Greek word is chloros (χλωρός). The described hue exactly matches that of the Akkadian text for Venus. References to death relate to the constellation Scorpio. Additionally, the name Venus became known as another name for death in ancient Rome due to the temple of Venus used for funeral arrangements and to collect the death tax. Scorpius is well understood as a symbol of death in ancient astrology. The author John reports that Hades follows after Death. Mercury is the Roman name for the Greek god Hermes, who was known to guide souls through the underworld, Hades. In early November, Venus is in the claws of the constellation Scorpius. A few days later, Mercury advances into Scorpius as well.
Seal 5: Souls under the Altar
This seal describes souls that are under the altar who have given up their lives to testify to God and Jesus Christ. I believe the altar refers symbolically to Tul-Ku, meaning “holy mound”, of the ancient Akkadian zodiac and name of their seventh month. Based on its position in the calendar, we can infer that this sign refers to the constellation Libra or an asterism near that location. Each of the souls are given a white robe. The first four seals uniquely describe a single astronomical fulfillment in at least 10,000 years. As a remarkable “coincidence”, at the same exact time as the other seals the periodic comet known as 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, or SW3, will enter Libra. This is a very unique comet, which has broken into over 34 fragments during its previous passes. It looks exactly like a cluster of stars wearing robes.
Seal 6: The Sun, Moon and Stars
The sun, moon and stars will be darkened. I do not think a normal eclipse is sufficient for this event. It is recorded by many Old Testament prophets and repeated by Jesus, and in Revelation. It is a very significant event that will be seen all over the world. I believe that this is not an event we can predict based on the motion of the heavenly bodies, but more likely is caused by a catastrophic event such as a nuclear detonation or astroid. I suspect that November 2043 is the sign of the beginning of the very end, the introduction of the antichrist and a new world order, and a warning that this catastrophic sign follows close behind.
Seal 7: Silence in Heaven
This sign is also in heaven, completing the heavenly signs. Silence may refer to an inability to see the stars due to the darkening of the sun, moon and stars in the sixth seal. It shows that the signs have been completed and the sufficiency of the revelation. I suspect this refers to a period of unusual and terrifying darkness, as described elsewhere in Revelation and by the Old Testament prophets.