Revelation 6:3: And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

The Lamb‒Jesus Christ‒opened the second seal¹ to reveal his redemptive works during the second millennium of the earth's temporal existence from about 3000 to 2000 BC.² Many scholars misinterpret this meaning.³

The second beast that speaks to John probably had the face of a calf or ox, assuming it is the same second beast of the four beasts from Revelation 4:7.⁴ The specific form of the beast, however, does not add to the symbolic meaning of the second seal.⁵ The second beast says, Come (probably not, Come and see), as the second symbolic horse and rider of the apocalypse make their appearance.⁶

The second seal covers the period of Noah's life, including the universal flood.⁷ Earthly conditions of great wickedness leading to the flood typify earthly conditions of great wickedness just before Christ's Second Coming.⁸ Therefore, the symbolic images in Revelation 6:4 dualistically describe events just before the flood and similar events just before the Second Coming.⁹

Revelation 6:4: 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.

The fiery red color¹⁰ of this second horse denotes bloodshed¹¹ and death.¹² These conditions were prevalent in the days of Noah,¹³ and they will be increasingly prevalent again¹⁴ as the Second Coming approaches.¹⁵ Red also represents sin.¹⁶ This symbolism includes Christ's atonement for sin¹⁷ and the execution of God's judgments upon the wicked.¹⁸ At the Second Coming, Christ will be clothed in red¹⁹ as he executes judgment upon the wicked.²⁰

The rider on the red horse had power to take peace from the earth.²¹ This occurred when the city of Enoch was translated and taken into heaven.²² When peace was taken from the earth with Enoch and his city of peace,²³ only wicked people were left on earth²⁴ to kill one another.²⁵ This event foreshadows the little season that comes after the millennium in Revelation 20:7-9, when all celestial and terrestrial people will be resurrected and taken up from the earth leaving only telestial people and sons of perdition to fight the final battle of Gog and Magog. (Revelation 20:8) As the wicked slayed the wicked before the flood,²⁶ so also the wicked will slay the wicked just before the Second Coming²⁷ and in the final battle of Gog and Magog.

The wickedness and violence of the second seal ended the loss of nearly all life during the universal flood²⁸ in approximately 2350 BC.²⁹ The sword in the hand of the second horseman symbolizes war and slaughter among and between wicked people,³⁰ as well as the Lord's deadly judgments³¹ carried out by the flood.³² The sword of the second seal is a type for the great sword that hangs over the wicked at the Second Coming³³ and their final destruction by fire instead of water.³⁴ The ultimate antitype for these events will occur at the end of the earth when fire will destroy all remaining life at the end of the battle of Gog and Magog as recorded by John in Revelation 20:9.