Revelation 6 in the early church

[Vulgate: Apocalypse]

81 passages quote, allude to, or echo Revelation 6, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.

Verses: 1 · 2 · 4 · 5 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 16

Revelation 6:1

Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:1	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.1 · Victorinus of Pettau	quotation, high confidence	late 3rd century
Rev 6:1	Tractates 8 · Gaudentius of Brescia	allusion, low confidence	ca. 397-410

Revelation 6:2

So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:2	Against Heresies 4.21.3 · Irenaeus of Lyons	quotation, high confidence	ca. 180–190
Rev 6:2	On the Crown 15 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	211
Rev 6:2	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.1 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, high confidence	late 3rd century
Rev 6:2	On the Soul and Its Origin 4.34 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 419–420

Revelation 6:4

Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:4	On Modesty 20 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 210–220
Rev 6:4	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.2 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, high confidence	late 3rd century

Revelation 6:5

And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:5	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.2 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, high confidence	late 3rd century

Revelation 6:8

Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:8	On Modesty 20 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 210–220
Rev 6:8	Fragments on Luke, column 341 · Origen	quotation, high confidence	ca. 220-254
Rev 6:8	Commentary on Matthew 12.35 · Origen	quotation, high confidence	ca. 246–248
Rev 6:8	Passion of Marian and James 12 · Anonymous	echo, low confidence	259
Rev 6:8	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.3 · Victorinus of Pettau	quotation, high confidence	late 3rd century

Revelation 6:9

And when the Lamb 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 they had upheld.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:9	The Instructor 2.10.108 · Clement of Alexandria	quotation, high confidence	ca. 190–200
Rev 6:9–10	6 Ezra 15.8 · Anonymous	echo, medium confidence	3rd century
Rev 6:9	Commentary on Daniel 4.22-23 · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, high confidence	ca. 202-204
Rev 6:9	Antidote for the Scorpion's Sting 12 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 211–213
Rev 6:9	On the Soul 8 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 210
Rev 6:9	On the Soul 9 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 210
Rev 6:9	On the Soul 55 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 210
Rev 6:9	On the Resurrection of the Flesh 25 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 208–212
Rev 6:9	On the Resurrection of the Flesh 38 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 208–212
Rev 6:9	Commentary on John 6.276 · Origen	allusion, high confidence	ca. 230–248
Rev 6:9	Exhortation to Martyrdom 30 · Origen	allusion, high confidence	235
Rev 6:9	Exhortation to Martyrdom 39 · Origen	allusion, low confidence	235
Rev 6:9	Homilies on Judges 7.2 · Origen	allusion, high confidence	ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Rev 6:9	Homilies on Numbers 10.2 · Origen	allusion, high confidence	ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Rev 6:9–11	To Quirinus 3.16 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 248–250 (book 3 perhaps later)
Rev 6:9	In Praise of Martyrdom 30 · Anonymous	allusion, medium confidence	3rd cent. (disputed)
Rev 6:9	On the Good of Patience 21 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	256
Rev 6:9	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.4 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, high confidence	late 3rd century
Rev 6:9	Tractates on the Psalms 139.16 · Hilary of Poitiers	allusion, high confidence	ca. 360–367
Rev 6:9	Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:8 · Ambrosiaster	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 366–384
Rev 6:9–10	Question 68, section 1 · Ambrosiaster	allusion, high confidence	ca. 370–384
Rev 6:9	Apology of the Prophet David 85 · Ambrose	allusion, high confidence	ca. 384-390
Rev 6:9	Letter 36.24 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, high confidence	ca. 386–430
Rev 6:9–11	The Lord's Sermon on the Mount 1.22 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, high confidence	ca. 393–396
Rev 6:9	Poem 27, lines 198–224 · Paulinus of Nola	allusion, high confidence	ca. 393–431
Rev 6:9	Poem 27, lines 382–414 · Paulinus of Nola	echo, medium confidence	ca. 393–431
Rev 6:9	Letters 32.6 · Paulinus of Nola	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 394–413
Rev 6:9–10	Against Vigilantius 6 · Jerome	allusion, high confidence	406
Rev 6:9	On the Soul and Its Origin 4.34 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, high confidence	ca. 419–420
Rev 6:9	The Conferences 1.14 · John Cassian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 426–429

Revelation 6:10

And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?”
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:10	On Prayer 5 · Tertullian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 198–206
Rev 6:10	Commentary on Daniel 4.22-23 · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, high confidence	ca. 202-204
Rev 6:10	On the Resurrection of the Flesh 25 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 208–212
Rev 6:10	Homilies on Judges 7.2 · Origen	quotation, high confidence	ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Rev 6:10	On the Lapsed 18 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	251
Rev 6:10	On the Good of Patience 21 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	256
Rev 6:10	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.4 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, high confidence	late 3rd century
Rev 6:10	Tractates on the Psalms 139.16 · Hilary of Poitiers	allusion, high confidence	ca. 360–367
Rev 6:10	Tractates on the Psalms 140.1 · Hilary of Poitiers	quotation, high confidence	ca. 360–367
Rev 6:10	Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 51.34.6 · Epiphanius of Salamis	echo, low confidence	374-377
Rev 6:10	Explanation of Twelve Psalms 36.67.3 · Ambrose	quotation, high confidence	ca. 387-397
Rev 6:10	Seven Books of History against the Pagans 7.22.5 · Orosius	echo, low confidence	ca. 417–418
Rev 6:10	The Conferences 1.14 · John Cassian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 426–429

Revelation 6:11

Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:11	First Apology 45 · Justin Martyr	echo, low confidence	ca. 150–155
Rev 6:11	The Instructor 2.10.108 · Clement of Alexandria	quotation, high confidence	ca. 190–200
Rev 6:11	Commentary on Daniel 4.22-23 · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, high confidence	ca. 202-204
Rev 6:11	On the Lapsed 18 · Cyprian of Carthage	allusion, high confidence	251
Rev 6:11	On the Good of Patience 21 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	256
Rev 6:11	Commentary on the Apocalypse 6.4 · Victorinus of Pettau	quotation, high confidence	late 3rd century
Rev 6:11	Poem 18, lines 127–159 · Paulinus of Nola	echo, low confidence	ca. 393–431
Rev 6:11	City of God 10.21 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, medium confidence	413–426

Revelation 6:12

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:12	Lines 1003–1026 · Commodian	allusion, high confidence	3rd century (disputed)
Rev 6:12–17	Against Novatian 17 · Anonymous	quotation, high confidence	after 251 (disputed)
Rev 6:12	Divine Institutes 7.16.9 · Lactantius	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 303–311
Rev 6:12	Epitome of the Divine Institutes 66.5 · Lactantius	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 314–320
Rev 6:12–17	Part 4, chapter 17 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 445-450

Revelation 6:13

and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:13	Against Hermogenes 34 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 200–206
Rev 6:13	Lines 1003–1026 · Commodian	allusion, high confidence	3rd century (disputed)
Rev 6:13	Epitome of the Divine Institutes 66.5 · Lactantius	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 314–320
Rev 6:13	On the Soul and Its Origin 4.34 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, high confidence	ca. 419–420

Revelation 6:14

The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:14	Against Hermogenes 34 · Tertullian	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 200–206
Rev 6:14	Fragments on Genesis, column 73 · Origen	echo, low confidence	ca. 220-254
Rev 6:14	Recognitions 3.26 · Anonymous	allusion, medium confidence	Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407
Rev 6:14	Oration to the Assembly of the Saints 18.4 · Constantine the Great	echo, low confidence	ca. 325 (dated variously 317–325)
Rev 6:14	City of God 18.23 · Augustine of Hippo	echo, low confidence	413–426
Rev 6:14	On the Soul and Its Origin 4.34 · Augustine of Hippo	allusion, high confidence	ca. 419–420

Revelation 6:16

And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 6:16	Catechetical Lecture 15.21 · Cyril of Jerusalem	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 350