In Revelation 6.1-8, at the opening of each of the first four seals, one of the four living creatures says: “Come” (or “Come and see,” according to some translations).
Two main interpretations
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A call addressed to John (the seer)
Meaning: the living creatures invite John to draw near and behold the vision that is about to unfold.
Argument: John’s role is to “see” and to “report” what he beholds. The “Come” is therefore a liturgical invitation to take part in the revelation.
Consequence: this underlines that the revelation is given to the Church through John.
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A call addressed to the horseman
Meaning : the living creatures call the horseman to go forth and fulfil his mission.
Argument: immediately after the “Come,” the horse and its rider appear. The word works as an order to enter the scene.
Consequence: this underlines that the judgments are set in motion by divine authority, relayed by the living creatures.
Linguistic nuance
The Greek simply says “Erchou” = “Come.”
The text does not explicitly state who is being addressed.
Both readings are possible, and many commentators recognize a double function:
For John: an invitation to see.
For the horseman: an order to go forth.
Theological significance
If addressed to John: this highlights the prophetic calling, to see and to pass on.
If addressed to the horseman: this highlights divine sovereignty; the judgments are set in motion only at heaven’s command.
Integrated reading: the two meanings complement each other. John is invited to see what God commands, and the horsemen go forth because God calls them.
Synthesis
When the living creatures say “Come,” the text can be understood both as an invitation to John (come and behold) and as an order to the horseman (come and act). This ambiguity is deliberate: it underlines that the revelation is given to the prophet, but that the judgments are also set in motion by divine authority.