The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#5)

(but not in order)

I'm going to come right out and say it.. Parts of Revelation we can see came riding out upon the pages and stage of history. Granted, the horsemen (and the rest of the Seals) may indeed escalate at the 'end' - from a horses canter to a gallop? - but I don't think we should confine Revelation to a box titled "seven years only".

    The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

      Chapter Six: 1-8

Verse quotes are, for the most part, from - http://biblehub.com/interlinear/revelation/6-1.htm and the "Berean Literal" or "Study Bible" - http://biblehub.com/revelation/6-1.htm

1 - And I (John) watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as a voice of thunder, "Come!"

2 - And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

•  Cross references:
•  Revelation 19:11 - Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. (And conquers!)
• Colossians 2:14-15 - Having blotted out the handwriting in the decrees against us (having erased the charges that were brought against us via the law) which was hostile to us, He has taken out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. And having stripped the principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly -- having triumphed over them. (The Victorious Gospel / the Good News rode forth conquering!)

   

3 - And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come!"

4 - And another horse went forth, bright red; and to the one sitting on it, to him was granted to take the peace from the earth, and that they will slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

• To war, a great sword was given

5 - And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse, and the one sitting on it having a pair of scales in his hand.

• Much mercantilism.. scales in its hands.

6 - And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and you should not injure the oil and the wine."

7 - And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come!"

8 - And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and the one sitting on it, the name of him was Death, and Hades [note: "the place of the dead" / the grave] was following with him; and authority was given to them over the fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with plague, and by the beasts of the earth.

The grave following.. including the mass grave? From sword, famine and plague.. wild beasts/wild governings? "on a pale horse" - plague? Including chemical?

- - -

Book of Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#1)

Why Read The Book Of Revelation?

Book of Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#2)

Revelation Chapters Seventeen And Eighteen - A Two Part Study

- Foundation to the Rest of the Study - Part One - The Beast and the Harlot

- Part Two - and Revelation Chapter to Chapter (#2b) - The City and Merchants

Book of Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#3) - HE is King

Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#4) - The Faith On Earth

Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#5) - The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#6) - Time Times And Half A Time

Revelation Chapter by Chapter (#7) - The Iron And The Bronze

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

Book of Revelation 6:1-8

The scroll of the Revelation vision is kept rolled closed by seven seals. As the Lamb of God (Jesus who was slain for Earth's rescue) unrolls the scroll, each time he breaks one of the first four seals, a horse and rider come riding, each one of a different color.

The first horse is white, and its rider "went out conquering and to conquer". Many believe this first seal and horse and rider to be a last days false gospel and world religion. But I believe the seals span the whole latter age, the years of our Lord, A.D. and I believe it is the glorious gospel which conquered and was "openly victorious over powers and principalities", namely those ancient fierce 'gods'.

The four horsemen of the apocalypse continue their ride (from canter to gallop?) throughout the age, and to the 'end'. Each seal progresses from its beginning to the end of the age.

There's a 'lock on the vision' here. Each seal is described at it's opening (breaking) as a blend of two things. What it is at its beginning and what it is at its full progression and maturity. In this way, things which occur very late on the planet, are described here so very early on in the narrative!!

The second horse with rider, is red, he is war, and he is "given a long" or some versions say, "great sword" - our first look at thermo-nuclear weaponry?

The third horse is black and its rider holds a scale. He is imbalance and shortage, especially as a companion to war.

The fourth horse is a pale (or green) horse, and his rider is called "death" and "the grave follows after him". (Including the mass grave.) Many interpretations translate this as "and hell follows after him". But "the grave" is a closer translation.

I recently listened to a preacher who said the white horse is Roman Catholicism (or a form of it), the red horse is Communism, the black horse is Capitalism and the green horse is that radical religion we hear so much about these days. These also fit. I often think Bible prophecy is wider, more nimble than we realize and more than one interpretation works very well together. (To say nothing of different fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies from the time they were written, usually at least two, a 'soon' one and an 'end' times fulfillment.)

In summary - the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the Unveiling/Revelation) - Conquering gospel (with shadow rider, false? all forms) - War - Shortage & Inequity - that sad horror, the Mass Grave
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REVELATION STUDY - INTRODUCTION

This study will be in little bites, pun intended! And it will start at chapter six - because the Book of Revelation prophecy vision rolls out from chapter six.

However, there are some awesome things written in chapters one through five! Jesus is given a scroll, and at chapter six He unrolls it. This is the Revelation prophecy.

The scroll is sealed with seven seals which are broken, consecutively, as He unrolls the scroll. When the first seal is broken, the first horseman of the apocalypse - one of four - comes riding out.

Next Byte - The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse

"Apocalypse" which the Book of Revelation is often called, is a Greek word which means the "unveiling". The Book of Revelation is the climax of mankind's story and history. Without a climax and conclusion, nothing would be learned. Even "the angels are watching.."
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