Bible Gem 2250 – The Four Horses & Horsemen of the Apocalypse: The White Horse & Rider (Revelation 6:1-2)

¹As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” ²I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

³When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” ⁴Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.

⁵When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”

⁷When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” ⁸I looked up and saw a horse whose colour was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Revelation 6:1-8

Before we even begin to look into the details of this passage there are a few general things you ought to notice. Allow me to draw them to your attention. The formulaic nature of the way these statements are set is the first feature we ought to notice. Namely:

• {As I watched,} the Lamb broke the first {of the seven} seals . . .
• {When} the Lamb broke the second seal . . .
• {When} the Lamb broke the third seal . . .
• {When} the Lamb broke the fourth seal . . .

• {Then} I heard {one of} the {four} living beings say {with a voice like thunder}, “Come!”
• I heard the second living being say, “Come!”
• I heard the third living being say, “Come!”
• I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!”

• I looked up and saw a {white} horse standing there.
• {Then another horse appeared,} a {red} one.
• I looked up and saw a {black} horse,
• I looked up and saw a horse {whose colour was {pale green}}.

• Its rider {carried} a bow, and a crown was placed on his head.
• Its rider {was given} a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth.
• Its rider {was holding} a pair of scales in his hand.
• Its rider {was} {named Death, and his companion was the Grave.} 

• He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
• And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
• And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
• These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

At that point the above pattern changes when the fifth, sixth and seventh seals are opened. The patterning begins again with the blowing of the trumpets as the opening of the seventh seal continues with the blowing of seven trumpets.

I find it interesting that the introduction of the first horse, the white one, with its rider is made by one of the four living beings. Not the first living being, but one of the four living beings with a voice like thunder (indistinct). We are not told which of the four living beings (the lion, the ox, the man or the eagle) it is. Just one of the four living beings. One commentator I have read in my research suggests it’s the first living being, because the second, third and fourth are specified. So therefore the first one introducing the rider on the white horse must be the first living being. No, I think to say that is to miss the point of the indefiniteness. It is not stipulated because it doesn’t matter. These are just ordinal numbers. It could be any one of the four living beings who are introducing any one of the horses and riders. The specificity is immaterial.

The end of the worship service of Chapter Five was declared by all four living beings together pronouncing the “Amen”, whereupon the 24 elders fell down and worshipped. So too it seems appropriate that each of the four living beings are called upon to introduce each horse and rider with a “Come” or a “Go”. Whether it is John being called forth to step forward again or it is each rider on his horse being told to “Go forth” depends on your interpretation. Nevertheless, each time it is a redeemed human representative who has the task of calling John forward or sending the horse and rider off on their assignment. Don’t lose sight of the fact that the action described by the involvement of each living being is taking place in heaven but the resultant consequence takes place on earth – in the past, in the present and in the future.

Now, come with me as we look at the significance of each horse and rider in turn.

1. The White Horse and Rider

I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

Revelation 6:2

Our first question when reading this verse has to be, is this supposed to depict Christ? My answer, No Way in the Wide World. Compare this description with what follows.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Revelation 19:11-16

Is there any comparison to be made? Besides, why would Christ being returning to earth when as the Lamb He is still in heaven. No, the depiction in Revelation 6:2 is not Christ. It is simply a word picture of a warrior king in the Ancient World going out to conquer kingdoms in battle. The portion of the text which reads “He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory” is literally “He went forth conquering and to conquer”. Conquering and to conquer is a way of emphasizing the nature of conquering based on the Greek verb [nikao] and set in a very idiomatic Hebrew construction of noun with verb from the same root word. Nikē™ have marketed their brand well, by putting a more positive spin on it by expressing the act of conquering as gaining the victory, i.e. winning, being the victor. Thereby masking the horror of battle fields in the Ancient World . Having the knight or better yet the king riding a white stallion is somehow noble and evokes feelings of pride in winning battles for homeland and for the king. It sounds right and noble to be winning land for the kingdom and restoring order and peace.

The way victory is achieved is by the bow, the standard long range weapon of killing from a distance. It seems less brutal that way. You don’t have to deal with the blood and gore up close and personal. How much more so these days? Couched in these terms above, it sanitizes conquest and removes the horror. After all, this fighting is all done in the name of the king, so it must be alright. This first horseman symbolises the series of invaders who have conquered lands and their people over millennia. Just cast your mind back to the history I laid out for you for each of the seven churches of Revelation. That background needs to be held in your mind throughout the book of Revelation.

Need I remind you of the huge paintings hanging in Hall of Battles in the Palace of Versailles. The paintings are on canvases 4 metres high by 6 metres long depicting the glories of famous French battles won for the Kingdom and Republic over its history. The same is true of World War I and World War II with respect to the history of other nations. We call them World Wars, but in actual fact they were not true world wars. They were not even European Wars because not all nations participated. That will not be the case for what is coming in the future!

The signing of peace treaties and the assurances given to the populace of the peace and stability to come is far from true peace. Pax Romana was perceived to be like that, but only for the Romans. Am I making myself clear? Please don’t associate this section with the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is not the one sitting on the white horse in Revelation 6.

Take time to consider how each of these horses and horsemen go together before we move on to the Red Horse and Rider. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse form a deliberately connected series of word pictures which make the message and the resultant scene clear.

If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

Desmond Tutu

It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.

Robert E. Lee

Just as Nero blamed the early Christians for burning Rome, Christians will be blamed for the state of the world in end times. It is starting now.

Ian

Did Jesus really mean, “Two swords are enough” or did He mean, “Enough of that talk.”?

Luke 22:38