“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, NIV).
“Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.” (Revelation 6:4, NIV)
“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.” (Revelation 6:5, NIV)
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 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 6:7–8, NIV). "There is an additional departure from the first three horses: this rider has a companion. Probably the picture is of the companion following on foot rather than being seated on the pale horse behind the rider. The companion is named Hades—the grave." [1]
Undoubtedly the horse color symbolized something important but what was unleashed on the world was the activity of the riders. The first rider is obviously given the power to conquer nations. The second rider is a war-monger. The third and fourth riders are given power to cause famine and death.
Again it is no small point to see the ultimate cause of these events. “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. . . . When the Lamb opened the second seal . . . When the Lamb opened the third seal . . . When the Lamb opened the fourth seal . . .” (Verses 1, 3, 5 and 7). Clearly in this text we see two phenomenons. There is an ultimate cause or primary cause and there is a secondary cause. All war, famine and death occurs ULTIMATELY by the permissive will of Christ, the Lamb. But the riders are the secondary cause and the source of evil. They are Satanically and demonically driven. "In Zech. 1:8–15 and 6:1–8 the horses are identified together as being the same in nature, and this must also be the case in Rev. 6:1–8, since Zechariah 1 and 6 are an influential model in the author’s mind (Targ. Zech. 6:1–8 identifies the horsemen as the evil angels of the four pagan kingdoms of Daniel 2 and 7; cf. Targ. Zech. 4:7)." [2]
What we have before us in Revelation 6:1-8 is the working out of Christ's sovereignty over the nations. The four horsemen also correspond to the four evil kingdoms in Daniel 7.
Mark 13:7–8 (NIV) records the words of Jesus, "7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains." We are leaving in the time of birth pains.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:22–23, NIV)
Father today I groan. I groan with the earth. I see pollution environmentally, politically and morally. I see pollutants in me that cause me to cry, "Who can deliver me from this body of sin?" Father the evidence that we are approaching the end is in sight. Wars and famines have increased. We look forward to the revealing of Your Son the Righteous One. Come Lord Jesus, come!
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1. Easley, K. H. (1998). Vol. 12: Revelation. Holman New Testament Commentary (108). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2. Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (376). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
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