The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,
or simply the
Four Horsemen,
are described in Revelation chapter 6, verses 1–8.
The Four Horsemen are symbolic depictions
of
different events that will take place
in the end times.
As an example of the Bible’s influence on culture at large,
the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have been referenced
many times in literature, paintings, movies, and other media,
often as portents of an imminent cataclysm
or the means by which a disaster
comes to pass.
The Four Horsemen correspond with the
first four seals opened by the Lamb
as
He opens the scroll
of judgment in heaven (see Revelation 5).
When the Lamb opens the first seal, one of the living creatures
before the heavenly throne
says to John, in a
voice like thunder,
“Come!”
(Revelation 6:1).
John then records what he sees:
“I looked, and there before me was a white horse!
Its rider held a bow, and
he was given a crown,
and he rode out as a
conqueror bent on conquest”
(Revelation 6:2). Assumption of Mary
The first Horseman likely refers to
the Antichrist.
He is the false imitator of the
true Christ,
who is also associated with a white horse
(Revelation 19:11–16).
At the
beginning of the tribulation, the Antichrist
will be
given authority
(“a crown”),
and he will
wage war (“a bow”),
conquering all who oppose him.
(Word of God)
This description agrees with Daniel’s vision of the “little horn”
that rises to power and is bent on conquest:
"This horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them”
(Daniel 7:21; cf. Revelation 13:7).
When the Lamb opens the second seal,
the second living creature says,
“Come!”
(Revelation 6:3).
John looks and dutifully records what he sees:
“Then another horse came out,
a fiery red one.
Its rider was given power to take peace
from the earth
and to make men slay each other.
To him was given a large sword” (Revelation 6:4).
The second Horseman refers to terrible warfare that
will break out in the end times.
Those wars will include the
Antichrist’s rise to power,
which
requires the downfall of three other kings
(Holy trinity)
(Daniel 7:8),
and possibly the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38—39).
The Lamb then opens the third seal,
and the third living creature invites
John to “Come!”
(Revelation 6:5).
The third Horseman then appears:
"There before me was a
black horse!
Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
Then I heard what sounded like a voice among
the four living creatures, saying,
‘A quart of wheat for a day’s wages,
and
three quarts of barley for a day’s wages,
and do not damage the
oil and the wine!’”
(Revelation 6:5–6).
The third Horseman of the Apocalypse portrays
a great famine that will take place.
Food is scarce, and prices are inflated beyond reason.
The command to
spare the oil and the wine
seems to signify that
the luxuries (oil and wine)
will still be available during the famine,
but the staples will not.
When the Lamb
breaks open the
fourth seal,
the fourth
living creature says
Come
(Revelation 6:7).
John says, “I looked, and there before me was a
pale horse!
Its rider was named Death,
and Hades
was
following close behind him.
They were given power
over a fourth of the earth to
kill by sword,
famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth”
(Revelation 6:8).
The fourth Horseman
of the Apocalypse
is symbolic of death and devastation.
The horse’s pale color
(in the original language, it’s literally “pale green” or “yellowish green”)
denotes sickliness and biliousness.
The fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse will bring
further warfare and terrible famines
along with awful plagues, diseases, and attacks by wild animals.
A fourth of the world’s population will die.
What is most amazing, or perhaps terrifying, is that the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are just precursors
of even worse judgments that come later in the tribulation
(Revelation chapters 8—9 and 16).
For all the horror brought by the Four Horsemen, there is much more to come.
or simply the
Four Horsemen,
are described in Revelation chapter 6, verses 1–8.
The Four Horsemen are symbolic depictions
of
different events that will take place
in the end times.
As an example of the Bible’s influence on culture at large,
the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have been referenced
many times in literature, paintings, movies, and other media,
often as portents of an imminent cataclysm
or the means by which a disaster
comes to pass.
The Four Horsemen correspond with the
first four seals opened by the Lamb
as
He opens the scroll
of judgment in heaven (see Revelation 5).
When the Lamb opens the first seal, one of the living creatures
before the heavenly throne
says to John, in a
voice like thunder,
“Come!”
(Revelation 6:1).
John then records what he sees:
“I looked, and there before me was a white horse!
Its rider held a bow, and
he was given a crown,
and he rode out as a
conqueror bent on conquest”
(Revelation 6:2). Assumption of Mary
The first Horseman likely refers to
the Antichrist.
He is the false imitator of the
true Christ,
who is also associated with a white horse
(Revelation 19:11–16).
At the
beginning of the tribulation, the Antichrist
will be
given authority
(“a crown”),
and he will
wage war (“a bow”),
conquering all who oppose him.
(Word of God)
This description agrees with Daniel’s vision of the “little horn”
that rises to power and is bent on conquest:
"This horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them”
(Daniel 7:21; cf. Revelation 13:7).
When the Lamb opens the second seal,
the second living creature says,
“Come!”
(Revelation 6:3).
John looks and dutifully records what he sees:
“Then another horse came out,
a fiery red one.
Its rider was given power to take peace
from the earth
and to make men slay each other.
To him was given a large sword” (Revelation 6:4).
The second Horseman refers to terrible warfare that
will break out in the end times.
Those wars will include the
Antichrist’s rise to power,
which
requires the downfall of three other kings
(Holy trinity)
(Daniel 7:8),
and possibly the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38—39).
The Lamb then opens the third seal,
and the third living creature invites
John to “Come!”
(Revelation 6:5).
The third Horseman then appears:
"There before me was a
black horse!
Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
Then I heard what sounded like a voice among
the four living creatures, saying,
‘A quart of wheat for a day’s wages,
and
three quarts of barley for a day’s wages,
and do not damage the
oil and the wine!’”
(Revelation 6:5–6).
The third Horseman of the Apocalypse portrays
a great famine that will take place.
Food is scarce, and prices are inflated beyond reason.
The command to
spare the oil and the wine
seems to signify that
the luxuries (oil and wine)
will still be available during the famine,
but the staples will not.
When the Lamb
breaks open the
fourth seal,
the fourth
living creature says
Come
(Revelation 6:7).
John says, “I looked, and there before me was a
pale horse!
Its rider was named Death,
and Hades
was
following close behind him.
They were given power
over a fourth of the earth to
kill by sword,
famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth”
(Revelation 6:8).
The fourth Horseman
of the Apocalypse
is symbolic of death and devastation.
The horse’s pale color
(in the original language, it’s literally “pale green” or “yellowish green”)
denotes sickliness and biliousness.
The fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse will bring
further warfare and terrible famines
along with awful plagues, diseases, and attacks by wild animals.
A fourth of the world’s population will die.
What is most amazing, or perhaps terrifying, is that the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are just precursors
of even worse judgments that come later in the tribulation
(Revelation chapters 8—9 and 16).
For all the horror brought by the Four Horsemen, there is much more to come.
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