3) Babylon fell and burned, and now the saints must endure the tribulation until the 144,000 are ready to rescue them and to destroy the beast. Rev. 6:5-6, Rev. 8:10-11, Rev. 12:5-6 (Rev. 13:6-10), Rev. 18:4.
- 6:5-6, And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Anytime the word “midst” is used in the Book of Revelation, the reference is to the Savior (Rev. 5:6). Therefore, John, tasked with receiving the Revelation and told to come and see, by the angel of Rev. 1:1, is the rider of the black horse.
John hears the Savior’s instructions that for every measure of wheat purchased, there are three measures of barley purchased for the same price. Since he, the Savior, is the purchaser via his life (Rev. 5:6), then he establishes the value of his purchase. That a measure of Barley is less valuable than a measure of wheat. That is, the Savior values in his purchase that one measure of wheat is equal to three measures of barley. The wheat holds the premium value in comparison to the barley.
Nevertheless, as the Savior instructs, calling the two groups oil and wine. John is to safeguard both groups purchased by the Savior’s atoning sacrifice as we go into the deeper parts of the tribulation.
Thus, the balance (Rev. 6:5) that is sweet (Rev. 10:10) is the saints purchased by God (Rev. 6:6), and per instructions to John, they are to be protected. Whereas the populations of the world belonging to Lucifer in the other balance (Rev. 6:5) that are not owned by the Savior (Rev. 6:6), are called bitter (Rev. 10:10), and are subject to destruction by the beast and his false prophet.
That is, in one balance called the sweet, are the saints of God, having been purchased by the Savior. And countering in the balance (Rev. 6:5) is the value of the remaining population of the world, the bitter, who are to be destroyed in the plagues, winepress, and wrath of God.
Thus, the two balances of Rev. 6:5 are those having salvation weighed against those who do not have salvation. Both of these groups go into the plagues (Rev. 6:8). However, one comes out in the harvests (barley/oil Rev. 12:6, wheat/wine Rev. 12:14), and the other does not but goes through the winepress (Rev. 14:17-20), followed by the judgment and the wrath of God (Ch. 16).
In conclusion, the little book eaten by John in Rev. 10 applies directly to Rev. 6:5-6, wherein those having salvation in Christ are to be protected in the plagues of the tribulation (Rev. 6:7-8).