What are the pair of scales for in Revelation 6:5?

Revelation 6:5 describes the third horseman of the apocalypse: “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.” A pair of scales had a vertical stand with a pivot at the top. A balance beam hung from the pivot, with a pan on each end—one for goods such as food, and the other for weights. The scales depict the weighing of food, suggesting scarcity and rationing due to a global famine (Leviticus 26:26; Ezekiel 4:16).

As John looked at the pair of scales, he heard the voice of an angel who explained how severe conditions will be during the famine: “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 6:6). The cost of these basic goods suggests a substantial increase from normal prices.

Wheat and barley were staple foods in the Roman Empire. The rich preferred wheat, while the poor more commonly ate barley. Two pounds of wheat would feed one person for one day, while six pounds of barley could feed a family for a day. However, the cost of these foods—a day’s wages—is up to 16 times higher than normal, indicating massive inflation. To use modern examples, this would mean that a $3 loaf of bread would cost $48, a $5 gallon of milk would be $80, and a $100 grocery bill would be $1,600. In summary, these details mean that the forthcoming famine will affect people of all social classes.

Olive oil and wine were not staples in the Roman Empire, but they were common in many people’s diets. The command not to damage them has two common interpretations. Some believe the description means the luxuries of the rich will remain intact, as they consumed more oil and wine than the poor. However, others say the command recalls past famines in the empire when emperors ordered vineyards cut down so there would be more land to grow wheat.

The context of the verse helps identify when this famine will occur. In Revelation 6:1–8, God reveals to John the apostle the content of the first four seals of the apocalypse, which the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ, opens at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. There are seven seals in total (Revelation 6:1–8:5). In the ancient world, opening a seal meant breaking the hardened wax that held a scroll closed. Opening a seal implied revealing the content written inside it. The first four seals the Lamb opens picture people and events as riders on horses. Because of this, Christians have often referred to them as the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

The third horseman of the apocalypse, food scarcity, naturally follows the second horseman, who brings warfare: “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” (Revelation 6:4). Red depicts bloodshed. The lack of peace and the abundance of death, as depicted by a large sword, have global ramifications. Just as famine has characterized past wars, it will do so on a much wider scale in the future.

Regarding the horse’s appearance, there are two common views of its black color. The first is that it reflects famine. Some scholars associate the black color with Lamentations 5:10, which also refers to food shortages: “The famine has blackened our skin as though baked in an oven” (NLT). To those who hold this view, the verse describes the discolored skin of a starving person. An alternative view is that black more broadly symbolizes evil or spiritual darkness (John 3:19).

Later in Revelation, an angel tells John that those who follow Jesus will participate in the wedding supper of the Lamb, symbolizing the union between Christ and His people. This supper signifies celebration and fulfillment, implying a time of abundance and restoration: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9). Like the other hardships described during the tribulation, the famine does not mark the end of the story for followers of Jesus. Rather, it is a temporary hardship that will give way to future glory (Romans 8:18).