The four horsemen of the apocalypse

[Carbon]

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

 

[fastfredy0]

Who are these riders

1) Lucas McCain
2) Ben Cartwright
3) John Wayne
4) Clint Eastwood

that's my guess

 

[Tambora]

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

I would start with how the imagery (pagan or Jewish) of those things were used in the cultural area of the 7 churches the letter was written to.

I would also look to OT scripture that uses multicolored horses, such as Zechariah chapters 1 &6.
In both of those chapter we have multiple colored horses, and the context in those chapters is about judgement on the nations.

It might also be worthwhile to notice that all the judgements (seals, trumpets, bowls) did not result in repentance.

SEALS - no repentance​

Revelation 6​

(15) Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,​

(16) calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,​

TRUMPETS - no repentance​

Revelation 9​

(20) The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,​

(21) nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.​

BOWLS - no repentance​

Revelation 16​

(9) They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.​

(10) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish​

(11) and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.​

I find this interesting considering many of the judgments listed in the seals, trumpets, bowls, are reminiscent of judgments on nations in OT (such as the plagues on Egypt) which also did not result in repentance.

 

[CrowCross]

First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.

This is the anti-christ....

Some say this may be the white horse.


View attachment 982

 

[Carbon]

This is the anti-christ....

Some say this may be the white horse.


View attachment 982

I believe the rider on the white horse is Christ.

 

[Mr GLee]

I would offer another way to look to the way the word horse is used. It can can give another perspective .

Not a salvation issue.

Horses in parables are used as metaphors to represent the power of the renown of God as messengers which includes mankind David a renown messenger (apostle) of God, as well as horses .

Revelation 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

To eat the flesh . . born agin vessels strengthened by the kind of meat the apostles knew not of . The spiritual food or daily bread that works within to both give the understanding of the will and empower mankind to perform it to His good pleasure

Christ uses the tribe of Dan as Judge .A pale horse (death) and serpents false prophets, false prophecy , false apostles . The rider (pale horse) death fall backward slain in the spirit breaking his neck

Genesis 49:15-17King James Version151 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Four beasts four horses.

Seven seals, first four horses. Fifth seal souls of believers . Sixth the last day under the Sun

 

[CrowCross]

I believe the rider on the white horse is Christ.

Then you would believe wrong. Wrong kind of crown.
One of the four living creatures isn't going to command Christ to come.

This rider is the ant-christ. Jesus shows up on the true white horse in Rev 19.

 

[Josheb]

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

Part 1:

If the OT informs the NT then these are either the horses of Zechariah 1, their antithesis, or three of them when lead by death.

Zechariah 1:7-11
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are." And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth." So they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet."

Change the lead horse from white to black and you've got Rev. 6.

The white horse appears only on Zec. 1, Rev, 6, and Rev. 19. In Revelation 19:11, the rider of the white horse in that passage is names "Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war." Verse 2 of that chapter identify the one whose judgments are righteous and true as God. The rider of the white horse is described in verses 12-13 as having many crowns on his head and wearing a robe that has been dipped in blood. Aside from being called Faithful and True, he is also called the Word of God, which is a direct reference to Jesus (see John 1:1). 1 Timothy 6:15 further identifies Jesus as the King of Kings, the name written on Rev. 19's white horse rider. In Zec. 1 there are two white horses, one is the leader of the other three, and the other white horse is a patroller of the earth. This could be the two roles of Jesus, one heavenly and one earthly, the word of God who was with God in the beginning and was foreknown to be made flesh (Jn. 1:14) and be the perfect sacrifice (1 Pet. 1:20).

Note that in the Zec. 1 text the earth is at peace but then Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem are dispersed by the four horns. The four horns symbolism has two meanings in scripture. The first is that of sanctification and atonement, as described in Exodus 17-28 and Ezekiel 43. The second meaning is they represent four kingdoms, as described in Daniel 8 and Zechariah 1. In Zechariah 1, these kingdoms are the source of dispersing Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem, "the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it." which are defeated before Jerusalem is regathered.

However, the regathered Jerusalem is not and cannot be the old city. In Zec. 1 we read of God measuring the temple, in which His house will be built, and in the next chapter we read the city has no walls because there are so many people in the new city. Instead of walls built out of brick or stone, the LORD is the city's wall, "For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst." Revelation 21's city's walls are built on a foundation of precious stones on which the names of the twelve apostles are born. This is the city from which the white horsed rider first dispersed the inhabitants and then later regathered them.

Notice that NONE of these texts ever explicitly state Jesus is physically on earth until Revelation 21-22.

 

[Josheb]

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

Part 2:

The red horse of Zechariah is standing among myrtle trees and peace is declared by the four horses, whereas in Revelation 6 the red horse is given a great sword and "granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another." Same horse, or two different red horses? I read nothing in scripture reporting two different red horses, so I am inclined to say the horse in Zechariah and the horse in Revelation are the same horse. Observe the fact the KJV and the NAS have a title reporting the red horse is war, but that is not part of the scripture's text. It is a heading added to the Bible. I say this because the removal of peace does not necessarily mean war. A survey of scripture defining and describing "peace" (and lack thereof) as asserted in the Bible would take many posts, but I will submit that the chief peace with which scripture is concerned is not peace among men, but peace between God and Man. When there is no peace between God and Man there is no peace among men.

The same sort of "heading" problem occurs with the black horse. The heading in the KJV, NAS, BSB, ASV, and a few others doesn't exist in the Greek manuscripts. The heading is added post canonically . What the text describes is a shortage of grain and extraordinary inflation. Of oil and wine there is plenty (which implies things like olives and grapes do not suffer a shortage or corresponding inflation). Again, it would take several posts to survey the whole of scripture to define and describe the meaning of the particulars in this passage, but where there was no black horse in Zechariah, there is a black horse in Revelation, and that horse is accompanied by extreme inflation and what appears to be a shortage of grains. Two facts of scripture I will note is that in Leviticus 27 a homer (about 200 liters) of barley seed sells for 50 shekels (about 148 denarii), whereas in Rev. 6 three liters of barley sells for a denarius. In common terms, that breaks down to .74 denarii per liter in Leviticus and .33 denarii in Revelation. If that math is correct, then the black horse is not about famine or economic travail. The idea of famine comes from the premise a shekel was the equivalent of a day's wage so working all day for a liter of barley does sound expensive. A liter of barley makes 2-3 loaves of bread, so a day's work would bring 2-3 loaves of bread. Again, what scripture says in its entirety about the supply of loaves would be lengthy. Given these tidbits, I am inclined to look at the mention of wheat, barley, oil, and wine, as elements of worship, rather than famine or plenty, because they are all contained in the ritual practices of the Law.

Deuteronomy 8:7-10
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

Aside from the wheat harvest used throughout the OT as a sign of prosperity but wheat flour was also used in preparations without yeast, and yeast is typically a symbol of impurity. Barley and wine were used in consecration rituals. Oil was used in anointing rituals. All four were used in tithes to the priests. The black horse effects the elements of worship, particularly those of sanctification and consecration. Another curious aspect of the black horse is his scales. If the black horse is from God, then the scales are just and balanced (Pr. 11:1, 16:11 and 20:23). In addition, in many of the first century cultures death was believed to weigh each person to decide their fate. I am not inclined toward using pagan beliefs to render scripture but, given the red horse resulting in men slaying one another, this point may be valid given the additional fact.....

The sorrel/pale/green/young-shoot-colored horse has rider named Death, and the grave follows him. It's a curious juxtaposition because the Greek "chloros" is the term used to describe a young plant's early shoots or verdant life. I can think of only one death in scripture in which new life ensues. The rider of this horse kills. The rider of this horse kills with a variety of means. The rider of this horse kills while riding a horse the coloer of verdant life .

This is all followed by the breaking of a fifth seal in which "...the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained" were seen on the altar. It is Christians who were slain! They cry out to God for vengeance and are given white robes. They are mentioned again in the next chapter.

Revelation 7:13-15
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them."

Those people who were slain because of the word of God went through the tribulation, and they did not survive. They are martyrs. Since the black horse bears death and those killed are martyred for the word of God, I am inclined to say the black horse is symbolic of the resurrection.

Therefore, all four horses are descriptions of Christ.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

Jesus

 

[LeviR]

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

They represent God’s judgments to come upon His people(the Jews). These judgments are executed under the supervision of Christ, his saints and angels in the unseen realm. The visible acting under the supervision and execution of the invisible.

 

[Mr GLee]

Notice that NONE of these texts ever explicitly state Jesus is physically on earth until Revelation 21-22.

I would offer from a Amil position. No literal thousand.

Peter defined the metaphor thousand years used in parables as if a thousand not is a thousand .

The word thousand is used that way many times as to "whatsoever is in view, land, animals people. Like... he owns a thousand cattle on the thousand hills (all of the above. ) thousands upon thousands the prefect complete

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

It does not I believe become literally seen. . " walk by sight" in the prophecies identified as signified

Signified = using the temporal things seen as a signto give us the unseen gospel understanding . The opening instruction in Revelation 1 the hidden manna spoke of in Chapter 2:17

Revelation 1King James Version1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

No signs were given to wonder after .It would seem History continuing to repeat itself wars, rumors' ,famines,, and earthquakes, in different places. because of moral issues.

What is happening today same as then sexual sin gone wild .

He will come like a thief in the night on the last day under the Sun, and bring them to their new eternal home.

Remember Eternal God is not a dying man as Jesus the Son of man. His Spirit (Emanuel) worked in him with Jesus

He outwardly demonstrated the "Let there be power" that faithfully works in believers

Christ our husband did work in Jesus to both reveal his will and empower Jesus to finish it to the good pleasure of Christ, our Father.

The one time promised demonstration is over .We know no man after the dying flesh (the appointment to die once) . Some did know Christ that worked in the Son of man Jesus .No more demonstrations .

In that way we are no longer considered male and female, Jew nor Gentile .

2 Corithians5: 16-17 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

God is not a racist .Racism. .a sin like murder (prejudge .) God makes men different.

You could say Lefties losing its ability to deceive the flock. Teaching children that live in a world of images how who use thier imagination to sexualize . The Trump has sounded . restoring the law of prejudging the sin of murder. Satan the father of lies a murderer from the beginning.

The first things to reach innocent children. Do not sin by prejudging. Rather than take away the sting .

Brother against brother. the father of lies .

 

[CrowCross]

They represent God’s judgments to come upon His people(the Jews). These judgments are executed under the supervision of Christ, his saints and angels in the unseen realm. The visible acting under the supervision and execution of the invisible.

I believe it will affect the whole world....and not just the Jews.

 

[prism]

I saw the Four Horsemen in a movie (Judgment at Nuremberg?) when I was young. I didn't have a clue then, I still don't.

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Carbon,

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

• First horseman: Rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown, symbolizing conquest. Some scholars interpret this rider as Christ or the Antichrist.
• Second horseman: Rides a red horse and carries a great sword, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
• Third horseman: Rides a black horse and carries a balance scale, symbolizing famine.
• Fourth horseman: Rides a pale horse and is identified as Death, accompanied by Hades.

Who are these riders and what do they mean?

I believe the rider on the white horse is Christ.

I believe in the Continuous Historic view, and the period of time covered by the Seals is from AD 96 until the overthrow of the Pagan Roman Empire in AD 312 and its replacement by the Apostate Catholic Church. I would agree in general with your comment, in that the first period is a time of peace and quiet, when the Gospel was preached. The Second, Third and Fourth periods represent periods in the 2nd-3rd Centuries depicting war, famine and plague events in the Pagan Roman Empire as Judgements by God.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Mr GLee]

Greetings Carbon,


I believe in the Continuous Historic view, and the period of time covered by the Seals is from AD 96 until the overthrow of the Pagan Roman Empire in AD 312 and its replacement by the Apostate Catholic Church. I would agree in general with your comment, in that the first period is a time of peace and quiet, when the Gospel was preached. The Second, Third and Fourth periods represent periods in the 2nd-3rd Centuries depicting war, famine and plague events in the Pagan Roman Empire as Judgements by God.

Kind regards
Trevor

I would agree it can apply to apostate Catholicism as one of the many false prophets , false apostles (antichrists') bringing the oral tradition of dying mankind .

A hierarchy of dying mankind like the Nicolaitans leaving thier first love (believe eternal God. . not dying man ) .

Emanuel Christ in us working with us.

That Catholics call a succession of patron saints . . . false apostles passed on from one dying generation to the next .

Mormon or Jehovah Witnesses discrete elders .supporting the metaphorical number (144,000) used in that parable to represent the whole bride .

 

[CrowCross]

When did this happen in history?

Rev 6:7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The answer.....never. The 4 horses are still future.

 

[LeviR]

When did this happen in history?

Rev 6:7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The answer.....never. The 4 horses are still future.

None of it has happened yet because the day of vengeance is still future. This vengeance is to be executed by Christ and his resurrected immortal saints together.
And since the resurrection and translation of the faithful is future, so is this vengence.

The song of Moses is yet to be sung. It is sung in the day of vengence..

Deu 32:28 - For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.

Deu 32:29 - O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

Deu 32:30 - How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, excepttheir Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

Deu 32:31 - For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

Deu 32:32 - For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

Deu 32:33 - Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

Deu 32:34 - Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

Deu 32:35 - To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in duetime: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Deu 32:36 - For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants,when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

Deu 32:37 - And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,

 

[LeviR]

Those who claim the book of Revelation and the harlot woman has to do with the pope and the RCC would do just as well to claim it’s about Joseph Smith and the Mormons.

Ask Daniel. It’s about what is to befall his people in the last days.

Dan 10:14 - Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

 

[LeviR]

I believe the rider on the white horse is Christ.

The actual rider of the white horse is the visible Antichrist evil king of Israel.. However, the Antichrist is under the direction and supervision of Christ who is the invisible executor of the judgment brought by the visible rider king.

1Sa 8:18 - And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

 

[Mr GLee]

The actual rider of the white horse is the visible Antichrist evil king of Israel.. However, the Antichrist is under the direction and supervision of Christ who is the invisible executor of the judgment brought by the visible rider king.

1Sa 8:18 - And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

White represent the purity of the gospel . Christ the rider.

The same rider on the red horse representing the sword of the Spirit( and there was given unto him a great sword.)

Then the results of the conquer vicar Christ

The rider on the black horse "death" is reckoned as the antichrist the serpent's poison of false prophecy false apostles

Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

The pale dead horse " Pale approaching whitish appearance, bloodless, pallid,

Life and death Power of the tongue of Christ