The first four seals are various horses with riders of destruction that are revealed to John. This is not Gods wrath poured out as of yet as His fierce wrath begins with the first trumpet sounding after the breaking of the seventh seal that leads through all events of Gods seven trumpet chastisements and seven vial judgments that are warnings to those who have not repented and remain in disobedience to God. During the time of Gods fierce wrath of those who walk in disobedience He still leaves that door of repentance opened up until the time of Christ return when the door of salvation will be closed forever to those who refuse to repent.
The first four horses and their riders are an outline much like Matthew 24 being an outline of all things which must come first before the return of Christ. Each one represents that of a governed enmity that Satan works through that controls worldly domination as being that same corrupt governed system the Pharisees and Scribes held close to as they had much favor from them for they brought the prophets, wise men and scribes before their Counsel to be persecuted and killed as they died a martyr’s death for preaching the Gospel of Christ, Matthew 23:33-39.
Jesus opens the seals and proceeds to reveal their meanings to John. The first four seals are that of four horses and what their riders bring with them. The first is false Christ, second to take peace from the earth, third is famine and the fourth is death and hell as found in the grave. Notice how each one is in succession of the other from first to last as already spoken by Christ in His Olivet disclosure in Matthew 24:4-13 as being the beginning of sorrows. There have always been sorrows, but never on a Global scale that will be seen during the timing of each rider of the four horses.