Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part 2

In the third and fourth chapters of The Revelation of Jesus Christ (last book in the Bible), we read of Him as the slaughtered and worthy Lamb ascending to God’s throne in heaven and receiving His decree for the events that would occur from the time of His exaltation. We then read in chapters six through eight of Christ opening the seven seals, and the events associated with each (1st in 6:1f; 2nd in 6:3f; 3rd in 6:5f; 4th in 6:7f; 5th in 6:9-11; 6th in 6:12-16; interlude in ch.7; 7th in 8:1-5).

The first four seals describe what are commonly called “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Apocalypse is from a Greek word meaning “uncovering or revealing of something hidden”. Apocalypse is translated “revelation” in 1:1, where the title of this last book in the Bible is given as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. Therefore, when we speak of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, we speak of the four horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8. They are identified by the colors of the horses upon which they ride: white (vv.1f), red (vv.3f), black (vv.5f), and pale (vv.7f).

1. In the first seal, the rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ bringing His people under His Lordship (vv.1f).
2. In the second seal, the rider on the red horse represents slaughterers of Christ’s disciples (vv.3f).
3. In the third seal, the rider on the black horse represents inflicters of economic hardship against Christ’s disciples (vv.5f).
4. In the fourth seal, the rider on the pale horse represents the common woes of mankind, from which Christ’s disciples are not immune (vv.7f).

We here present the riders on the red, black, and pale horses.