The Old Rugged Cross: The Story Behind One of America’s Most Beloved Hymns
Every Lord’s Day at Victory Baptist Church in Carthage, Missouri, when the pianist strikes the opening chords of “The Old Rugged Cross,” something powerful happens in the hearts of God’s people. Grandfathers who have carried the weight of farm work and family responsibilities for decades stand beside young mothers and teenagers from across Jasper County. Together they sing words that have comforted saints for more than a century: “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suff’ring and shame.” In the rolling hills and small towns of Southwest Missouri, this hymn is not merely sung—it is believed, lived, and cherished.
Singing “The Old Rugged Cross” at Victory Baptist Church in Carthage, Missouri
Here in Carthage, Missouri, nestled in the heart of Jasper County, the old rugged cross still speaks with clarity and power. Our congregation knows what it means to walk through seasons of suffering. We have buried loved ones, prayed through cancer diagnoses, stood beside families in Jasper County who lost crops to drought or hail, and watched young people struggle with the pressures of a changing world. When we lift our voices on the chorus—“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down”—we are not singing empty tradition. We are testifying that the same Savior who bore the shame of Calvary is still present with His people in the fields, homes, and sanctuaries of Southwest Missouri.
The hymn’s simple yet profound message cuts through every layer of pretense. It does not promise a life without pain. Instead, it points us to the place where pain was redeemed. At Victory Baptist Carthage, we sing it during communion services, at revival meetings, at funerals, and on ordinary Sunday mornings when the sun streams through the windows onto the open hymnals. The cross remains the center of our preaching, our worship, and our hope.
This is the story of how one man’s deep meditation on the sufferings of Christ, born out of his own “trying experience,” gave the church a hymn that continues to minister to believers from Albion, Michigan to the pastures of Jasper County and far beyond.
George Bennard: A Preacher Forged in Hardship and Faith
George Bennard was born on February 4, 1873, in Youngstown, Ohio. His family soon moved to Iowa, where his father worked as a coal miner. Tragedy struck early when his father passed away, leaving young George, not yet a teenager, with heavy responsibilities to help support his mother and sisters. He labored in the mines himself, experiencing firsthand the toil and uncertainty of life in a fallen world.
Around the age of twenty-two, George Bennard came to saving faith in Jesus Christ during a Salvation Army meeting. The message of the cross gripped his heart. He and his first wife served faithfully as officers in the Salvation Army, preaching the gospel on street corners and in mission halls. Later, he transitioned into the Methodist Episcopal Church and became a traveling evangelist and holiness preacher, holding revival meetings across Michigan, New York, and other states. He would eventually write hundreds of gospel songs, yet none would touch hearts like the one born from his own wrestling with the meaning of the cross.
George Bennard (1873–1958), the faithful preacher whose personal encounter with the meaning of the cross gave the church one of its most cherished hymns
Bennard was known as a man of deep devotion and sincerity. He did not write for fame or fortune. He wrote because the truths of Scripture had taken root in his soul and he longed for others to see the beauty of the Savior who was willing to be nailed to a Roman cross for the sins of the world.
The Trying Experience That Drove Him to the Cross
While conducting revival meetings in Michigan, George Bennard encountered significant opposition. A group of young people began heckling and ridiculing the message he preached. The experience left him discouraged and deeply troubled. In his own words, it felt as though he himself were bearing a cross. Instead of growing bitter or retreating, Bennard turned to his Bible and to earnest prayer. He began to meditate long and hard on the sufferings of Christ—what it truly meant that the dearest and best was slain for a world of lost sinners.
He contemplated the shame of the cross, the mocking, the spitting, the nails, the spear, and the blood. He thought about the Apostle Paul’s desire to know “the fellowship of His sufferings” and to glory only in the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14; Philippians 3:10). Out of that season of personal trial and scriptural meditation, a melody began to form in his heart. Soon the words followed: “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross…”
Bennard later testified that the words “were put into my heart in answer to my own need.” He did not claim to have written the hymn in his own strength. He saw himself merely as the instrument God used. This humble spirit is part of why the hymn has endured—it points away from the songwriter and straight to the Savior.
In the face of ridicule and opposition during revival meetings, George Bennard turned to the cross and found the words that would touch millions
The Melody and Words Born in Albion, Michigan
The hymn took shape in the small town of Albion, Michigan. Accounts indicate that the melody came first while Bennard was staying there. He worked on the lyrics at a simple kitchen table, often by lamplight, with his Bible open before him. The first verse and chorus flowed relatively quickly, but he labored over the remaining stanzas to make sure every word honored the Lord and accurately reflected the gospel.
He carried the developing song with him as he traveled for meetings. The hymn was completed or significantly refined during evangelistic work in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and finalized in the parsonage of Rev. and Mrs. Leroy O. Bostwick in Pokagon, Michigan. On June 7, 1913, the song received its first public presentation. A small choir sang it, and the response was immediate and profound. Mrs. Bostwick was so moved that she helped pay for the printing plates so the hymn could be shared more widely.
Charles H. Gabriel, a well-known gospel composer of the era, reviewed the manuscript and reportedly told Bennard, “You will hear from this song.” He assisted with the harmonization, and the piece soon found its way into print. What began as a personal response to suffering and opposition became a gift to the entire church.
The sacred moment when the words “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross” were given to George Bennard in answer to his own need
From a Small Michigan Church to Billy Sunday’s Crusades and Beyond
The song spread steadily. Homer Rodeheaver, the famous song leader for Billy Sunday’s massive evangelistic campaigns, recognized its power. He secured the rights and helped popularize “The Old Rugged Cross” across America through the great revival meetings of the early twentieth century. It was recorded, published in countless hymnals, and sung by believers of many denominations.
By the 1930s it had become one of the most requested and beloved hymns in the nation. In one national radio poll it was reportedly voted America’s favorite hymn. Over the decades it has been recorded by artists ranging from Mahalia Jackson and George Beverly Shea to Johnny Cash and modern worship leaders. Its message transcends musical styles because its focus is eternal: the cross of Christ.
June 7, 1913 — the first public presentation of The Old Rugged Cross in Pokagon, Michigan, where hearts were deeply moved
George Bennard continued in faithful ministry for many years. He eventually retired to Reed City, Michigan, where a large memorial cross stands today in his honor. He passed into the presence of the Savior he loved on October 9, 1958. Though he wrote many other songs, he is remembered above all as the man who gave the church “The Old Rugged Cross.”
The Full Lyrics: Cherishing the Cross Until We Exchange It for a Crown
Here are the complete lyrics that have been sung by millions, including the faithful at Victory Baptist Church in Carthage, Missouri:
Verse 1 On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suff’ring and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.
Verse 2 Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross…
Verse 3 In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see; For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died To pardon and sanctify me.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross…
Verse 4 To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.
The Rich Theology That Makes This Hymn Endure
“The Old Rugged Cross” is theologically rich in ways that reward careful meditation. It begins with honest acknowledgment of the cross’s shame and suffering. The world despises it. Yet the singer declares, “I love that old cross.” This is not morbid fascination with death; it is love for the One who died there and the redemption accomplished by His blood.
The hymn beautifully captures the wonder of substitutionary atonement: “the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.” It points to the Lamb of God who left the glory of heaven to bear the cross to dark Calvary. The blood-stained cross is not ugly to the believer; it displays “a wondrous beauty” because it is the place where Jesus purchased our pardon and sanctification.
The chorus expresses the believer’s lifelong commitment: we cherish the cross, cling to it, and gladly bear its reproach until the day we lay down our trophies and receive the crown of life. This echoes the words of Scripture: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12) and the call to take up our cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). At Victory Baptist Church, we preach this same gospel every week—the cross is not a relic of the past but the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.
The Old Rugged Cross Still Stands in the Fields of Jasper County
Drive through the countryside surrounding Carthage, Missouri, and you will see simple wooden crosses standing in pastures and along country roads. They remind travelers and locals alike that the message of Calvary is not confined to church buildings. The same truth George Bennard discovered in the face of opposition more than a century ago still sustains families in Southwest Missouri today.
The message of the old rugged cross continues to stand tall across the fields and communities of Jasper County and Southwest Missouri
Farmers in Jasper County know what it means to labor under the sun and to face seasons when the harvest is lean. Parents know the weight of raising children in a world that often mocks the values of the cross. Widows and widowers know the loneliness that only the hope of the resurrection can comfort. When we sing “I will cling to the old rugged cross,” we are saying that no matter what trial comes, we will not turn away from the Savior who bore the cross for us.
The hymn also gives us language for our future hope. One day the cross we bear will be exchanged for a crown. That promise has comforted countless believers in Carthage, Joplin, Webb City, and every small community across our region as they have said goodbye to loved ones who died in Christ.
Singing with the Saints at Victory Baptist Carthage
If you live in or near Carthage, Missouri, or are visiting Jasper County and Southwest Missouri, we warmly invite you to join us at Victory Baptist Church. When the congregation stands to sing “The Old Rugged Cross,” you will hear voices that have been shaped by real life and real faith. You will sense the presence of the Holy Spirit who still uses this simple hymn to draw hearts to the feet of Jesus.
Whether you are carrying a heavy burden today, rejoicing in God’s faithfulness, or simply searching for hope, the message of the old rugged cross is for you. The cross that once stood on a hill far away is the same cross that stands at the center of our message and our lives. We cherish it. We cling to it. And by God’s grace, we look forward to the day when we will exchange it for a crown in the presence of our King.
Come and sing with us. The old rugged cross still calls sinners home.
Victory Baptist Church Carthage, Missouri Jasper County, Southwest Missouri
What happens when the created order begins to undo itself? In this powerful study of the sixth seal in Revelation, we witness a dramatic, cosmic “de-creation.” From shattering earthquakes and a darkened sky to falling stars and mountains moved from their foundations, the universe itself trembles at the holiness of God.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was
a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became like blood.
Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late
figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
Revelation 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every
mountain and island was moved out of its place.
Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the
commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves
in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
Revelation 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from
the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
This is section is like a de-creation or the undoing, reversing, of the created order
1. Earth
2. Sun
3. Moon
4. Stars
5. Firmament
6. Land
7. Man
I. THE SHAKING OF THE EARTH.
Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was
a great earthquake; …”
Haggai 2:6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake
heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
Haggai 2:7 and I will shake all nations,
II. THE DARKENING OF THE SKY.
Revelation 6:12 “… and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became like blood.
Exodus 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven,
that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
Exodus 10: 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick
darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
Exodus 10:23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for
three days.
Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over
all the land.
Joel 2:10 The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon
grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness.
III. THE FALLING OF THE STARS.
Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late
figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
IV. THE ROLLING BACK OF THE HEAVENS.
Revelation 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, …”
The sky rolling up like a scroll
https://gospeldoctrine.com/sites/default/files/bookImages/OT/rolled%20up%20like%20a%20scroll.jpg
Isaiah 34:4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be
rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine,
and as fruit falling from a fig tree.
Amazing Grace lost verse
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be for ever mine.
V. THE MOVING OF THE MOUNTAINS AND ISLANDS.
Revelation 6:14 “… and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Matthew 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved;
VI. THE HIDING OF THE WICKED.
Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the
commanders, ‘the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in
the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
Revelation 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the
face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is … longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
VII. THE COMING OF HIS WRATH.
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Joel 2:11 “… For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not
believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
About This Sermon: The Great Day of His Wrath Has Come
In this expository sermon from Victory Baptist Church in Carthage, we study the sixth seal of Revelation 6:12-17 – the moment when the great day of His wrath has come. The passage describes a dramatic, cosmic “de-creation” in which the created order begins to unravel before the holiness of God. As the sixth seal is opened, a great earthquake shakes the earth, the sun turns black as sackcloth, the moon becomes like blood, the stars fall from heaven, the sky rolls back like a scroll, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place.
The message walks through seven movements of judgment, showing how the great day of His wrath touches the earth, sun, moon, stars, firmament, land, and ultimately mankind. Each point is grounded in Scripture, connecting Revelation 6 to parallel passages in Haggai, Exodus, Joel, Isaiah, Matthew, and 2 Peter. The sermon closes with the searching question of Revelation 6:17 – “who is able to stand?” – and the hope of John 3:36 for all who believe in the Son.
Sermon Outline: The Sixth Seal of Revelation 6
I. The Shaking of the Earth – Revelation 6:12; Haggai 2:6-7
II. The Darkening of the Sky – Revelation 6:12; Exodus 10:21-23; Matthew 27:45; Joel 2:10
III. The Falling of the Stars – Revelation 6:13
IV. The Rolling Back of the Heavens – Revelation 6:14; Isaiah 34:4
V. The Moving of the Mountains and Islands – Revelation 6:14; Matthew 24:29, 24:22
VI. The Hiding of the Wicked – Revelation 6:15-16; 2 Peter 3:9
VII. The Coming of His Wrath – Revelation 6:17; Joel 2:11; John 3:36
Key Scriptures Referenced
Revelation 6:12-17, Haggai 2:6-7, Exodus 10:21-23, Matthew 27:45, Joel 2:10-11, Isaiah 34:4, Matthew 24:22-29, 2 Peter 3:9, and John 3:36.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “the great day of His wrath has come” mean in Revelation 6:17?
It marks the climax of the sixth seal, when the cosmic signs of judgment make plain that the day of God’s wrath has arrived, prompting the question, “who is able to stand?”
What is the sixth seal in Revelation?
The sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-17) unleashes a series of cosmic upheavals – a great earthquake, a darkened sun and moon, falling stars, a receding sky, and mountains moved from their place – portraying the undoing of the created order before God’s holiness.
Listen to the sermon audio or watch the video above, and follow along with the full sermon notes from Victory Baptist Church, Carthage, Missouri.
In the sermon “Heavenly Observations of Earth” from the Revelation: Jesus Revealed – The View Behind The Veil series, we examine the opening of the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9-11. The Apostle John sees the souls of faithful martyrs — slain for the word of God and their testimony — gathered under the heavenly altar. They cry out with a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Revelation 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy
and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Revelation 6:11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to
them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their
fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be
hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
1) Is there life right after death?
2) Do people in heaven remember life on earth?
3) Do people in heaven see what is happening on earth?
The 5th Seal
I. THE CONTEXT OF THEIR MARTYRDOM.
Revelation 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls …”
Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
Exodus 40:5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark
of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of
the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
Revelation 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls …”
Revelation 8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the
altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the
the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Revelation 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints,
ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
II. THE CAUSE OF THEIR MARTYRDOM.
Revelation 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
They were murdered for fulfilling the two greatest commandments–loving God and
loving people.
Revelation 2:13 “… And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in
the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you,…”
According to a report from watchdog group, Open Doors US, in 2025
“388 million Christians suffered persecution last year with 4,849 murdered and 3,632
churches and Christian properties were either destroyed or attacked.while 4,712
Christians were detained.”
With North Korea, Somalia, and Yemen being the top 3 worst countries
Satan past, present and future has always used an ungodly governments to be the
greatest persecutor of the church.
III. THE CRY FROM THEIR MARTYRDOM.
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy
and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Luke 18:6, “Jesus said, … Shall not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to
Him day and night, and will not God judge when His elect cry out to Him?”
Genesis 4:10 “…The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground …”
Revelation 6:10 “… will avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
IV. THE COMPLETION OF THE MARTYRDOM.
Revelation 6:11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to
them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their
fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested,
and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life.
V. THE CONTINUATION AFTER THEIR MARTYRDOM.
Revelation 6:9 (VOICE) When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the
heavenly altar the souls of those murdered for holding fast to the word of God and
their testimony.
Revelation 6:10 They cried out in a great, singular voice. Murder Victims:
1. Death is Not the End. Life goes on after Death.
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him
who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed
from death into life.
2. The Martyred Souls Aren’t Sleeping.
Daniel 12:2 ‘And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,Some
to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those
who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God
will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the
body and to be present with the Lord.
Philippians 1:23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart
and be with Christ, which is far better.
For unbelievers, death means everlasting punishment in hell (Luke 16:22–23).
Luke 16:22 “… the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, …”
3) People in Heaven Remember Life on Earth.
Revelation 6:10 (NLV) All those who had been killed cried out with a loud voice saying,
“How long will it be yet before You will punish those on the earth for killing us?
Lord, You are holy and true.”
4) People in Heaven See What is Happening on Earth.
Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in
heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to
the Lord our God!
Revelation 19:2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged
the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged
on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
Luke 9:28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He
took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
Luke 9:29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe
became white and glistening
Luke 9:30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,
Luke 9:31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about
to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Do you realize that we really don’t know one another here on earth?
1 Corinthians 13:12 “… Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
5. Don’t Forget The Fans In The Stands.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
The last invitation in the Book of Revelation is the last one in the Bible
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come…
Explore the terrifying and prophetic vision of the Four Horsemen in Revelation 6 in this powerful Bible teaching. As the Lamb opens the first four seals, the world is shaken by deception, war, famine, and death.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermoh Notes:
Revelation 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard
one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Revelation 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature
saying, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one
who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another;
and there was given to him a great sword.
Revelation 6:5 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.
Revelation 6:6 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.”
Revelation 6:7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature saying, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who
sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them
over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by
the beasts of the earth.
Job 39:19 “Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with
thunder?
Job 39:20 Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.
Job 39:21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the
clash of arms.
Job 39:22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from
the sword.
Job 39:23 The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin.
Job 39:24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come
to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
Job 39:25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.
THE 1ST SEAL: THE WHITE HORSE OF DECEPTIVE PEACE.
Revelation 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard
one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Opinions on who is the first rider is include:
1) Jesus Christ
2) the advance of the gospel,
3) False religion
4) the antichrist,
5) the spirit of conquest,
6) government persecuting Christians,
7) Satan’s servants in general.
8) Not a person but a personification
Revelation 6:8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat
on it was Death, and Hades
The horsemen are not persons, but personifications, representations
manifestations, embodiments,
It’s not that the four horses will actually ride over the earth, but are symbolical
representations of things that will happen
Revelation 6:4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one
who sat on it to take peace from the earth, …”
Daneil 11:21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give
the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by
Jeremiah 6:14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace,
peace!’ When there is no peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction
comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
THE 2ND SEAL: THE RED HORSE OF DESTRUCTIVE PUNISHMENT.
Revelation 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature
saying, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who
sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and
there was given to him a great sword.
Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom …”
Matthew 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved;
but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Albert Einstein said,”The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything
except our way of thinking. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking
if mankind is to survive.”
President Ronald Reagon once said, “Man has used every weapon he has ever
devised … It takes no crystal ball to perceive that a nuclear war, is likely … In a
nuclear war, all mankind would lose.”
Former Soviet president Brezhnev once said, “Only he who has decided to
commit suicide can start a nuclear war.”
THE 3RD SEAL: THE BLACK HORSE OF DIVISIVE POVERTY.
Revelation 6:5 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.
Revelation 6:6 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 barleåy for a denarius; and do
not harm the oil and the wine.”
Lamentations 5:10 Our skin is hot as an oven, because of the fever of famine.
Lamentations 4:9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger;
For these pine away, stricken for lack of the fruits of the field.
Matthew 24:7 “… And there will be famines …
Mark 13:8 “… and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
Revelation 6:6 “… and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
THE 4TH SEAL: THE PALE HORSE OF DEADLY PLAGUES.
Revelation 6:7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature saying, “Come and see.”
Revelation 6:8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who
sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them
over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the
beasts of the earth.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of
Man be.
Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But
Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.
Revelation 9:20 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues,
did not repent …”
Revelation 9:21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their
sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Song “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”
Life was filled with guns and war
And everyone got trampled on the floor
I wish we’d all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we’d all been ready
There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind
Acts 17:31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this
to all by raising Him from the dead.
Victory Baptist Church in Carthage, Missouri now offers a free Bible Reading Plan Generator on our website. Whether you want a 30-day sprint through Scripture, a balanced 90-day plan, or a full one-year journey, you can build a custom schedule and download a printable PDF in minutes.
Why Use a Bible Reading Plan?
A structured Bible reading plan removes the guesswork from daily devotions. Instead of wondering where to read next, you follow a clear path through God’s Word — one day at a time. Many Christians find that a printable plan with checkboxes helps them stay accountable and celebrate progress.
What Makes Our Generator Different?
Flexible duration — Choose 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 365 days, or any custom length
Multiple plan types — Whole Bible, New Testament, Old Testament, Gospels, or Psalms & Proverbs
Free printable PDF — Download instantly, no signup required
Built for real life — Perfect for personal devotion, families, or small groups
Get Started Today
Visit our Free Bible Reading Plan Generator, pick your settings, and download your plan. We would love to see you grow in the Word — and if you are in the Carthage area, join us for worship and Bible study at Victory Baptist Church.
