For years, I had always thought that this meant that as a result of the first four seals, ¼ of the earth would be killed. But is it possible that is saying that the 4 horsemen only had power over ¼ of the earth, rather than over the entire earth? If so, then in that fourth part of the earth, people would be killed as a result of those four seals being opened, and not necessarily the entire population of that fourth part would be killed, but the the total killed is not mentioned? It doesn't say that the four horsemen had power to kill ¼ of the population of the entire earth, but rather power was given them over a fourth part of the earth?