Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. Rev 6:1-2
Horses are extremely helpful in assisting one's job especially in transportation and battle. Different types of horses are suitable for different kind of work. They are trained specially for the type of work involved. A farm horse is useless in warfare, but a liability. Similarly, a war horse is unsuitable for farming.
In warfare, a cavalier (horse soldier) is equivalent to tens of footmen (foot soldiers) and a charioteer is equivalent to many cavaliers. The horsemen (both cavalier and charioteers) are the magnified strength of the army in fighting the enemy's forces.
A chariot is normally pulled by four horses, harnessed together so that all the four horses' strength are unified. Its strength can be equated to that of the power of four horses. A horse, therefore, is the empowering force to the rider to assist and strengthen him in a particular type of work.
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; they all will perish together. Isa 31:3
Though the Egyptian armies were strong and powerful, and all the nations feared them, yet God reminded His people, the Israelites that the Egyptians were only human. Their horses too were flesh and not spirit, thus they are easily destroyed. When God sends forth His army, which is spirit, the whole Egyptian army will be wiped out. Both the riders and the horses which help them will be destroyed.
The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the LORD. Prov 21:31
God reminds us that the horse is just the empowering factor and not the almighty, for the victory is decided by Him.
I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" So the angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are." And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth." Zech 1:8-10
These horses were sent out by God to the world to do the work required of them in order to fulfill His plan. The colours of the horses are as follows:-
Here, God did not send out the black horse.
Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses-- strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel answered and said to me, "These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth." Zech 6:1-5
From the above scriptures, the four chariots were pulled by 4 different coloured horses as shown below:-
These chariots with their various coloured horses will each represent a greater empowering than individual horses in doing God's command. These 4 coloured horses/chariots are the 4 spirits of heaven.
And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. Rev 6:2-8
After opening the first seal, the white horse was seen with its rider holding a bow. The second horse was red and its rider took peace from the earth (representing wars worldwide). The third horse was black with its rider holding a pair of scale. He was not able to balance a day's wage to a miserable quart of wheat. He was confused with the absurd high price of cereals. The fourth horse was a pale horse, whose rider was called Death. From these Scripture verses, we observed that the different colours of the horses represent the different type of empowering to their riders to do God's command.
A summary of the first four seals.
| SEAL | HORSE | |
| No. 1 | White | He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him - Rev 6:1-2 |
| No. 2 | Red | Rider took peace from the earth, many people were killed - Rev 6:3-4 |
| No. 3 | Black | Rider had a pair of scales. A quart of wheat for a day's wage - Rev 6:5-6 |
| No. 4 | Pale | Rider was named Death, and Hades followed after him - Rev 6:7-8 |
Since the four horses are the four spirits of heaven, then I will classify the works of the horses as follows:-
The 4th. horse was pale in colour (or shade), i.e. the colour of a dead person. The rider of this pale horse was called Death. Thus, the empowering of this horse was to kill the people, whom God had destined for death. The pale horse will represent killing and death.
I saw by night,... and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Zech 1:8
Here, the odd horse is sorrel in colour. Sorrel means speckled or bright brownish. Thus, the spirit of death was sent to kill people of those colours. If the colours of the speckled were light brown, dark brown and yellow, then the possibility that the killing will be that of the Jews or Arabs (light brown), the Cannanites or the Indians (dark brown) and the Chinese (yellow).
With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses-- ... Zech 6:2-3
Here, the odd horse is dappled in colour. Dappled means grizzled or spotted. If the spots were black and brown against a white background then the Whites, the Blacks and the Brown skinned will be killed.
So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. Rev 6:8
Here, the pale (colourless) horse represents the killing of mankind without any distinction of race or colour of the skin. These horses were sent out by God since the early history of mankind. Their work is mainly to bring all mankind back to righteous living either directly (white horse) or through calamities (other coloured horses).
"When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers." 2 Chr 6:28-31
White represents purity and righteousness.
When a person is righteous, he stands for justice. He is fair and merciful. He is totally against the works of darkness. The deceptions of the covetous and wicked are abominations in his eyes. He cares for the poor and needy. He is the champion of the oppressed. He maintains a holy life. His love for the people can be seen in his concern for their welfare. An example is Job, whom God considered a righteous man (Job 1:1).
Because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and he who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the victim from his teeth. Job 21:12-17
Since the first seal in the book of Revelation reveals the white horse, then scriptures concerning this horse is carefully reviewed.
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev 19:11-16
The rider of this white horse in Rev 19, is the Lord Jesus Himself. Following Him in white horses are His saints, the armies in heaven. The riders of the white horses are to follow the instructions of our Lord Jesus, who is the commander-in-chief. They must follow His foot-step and obey all His words, teachings and commands. They must maintain themselves holy. They are full of zeal to destroy the devil's works.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. I Jn 3:8
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. I Jn 3:10
The white horse will empower the rider to go forth to destroy the works of the devil and to do the righteous works which please and glorify the Father.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18-19
The white horse, being one of the four spirits of heaven, is similar to that of the empowering of the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit.
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. Rev 6:1-2
However, the rider of this white horse carries an extra weapon, the bow, for warfare. The Lord Jesus with all His saints following Him were without any weapon. The sword (word of God) from His mouth is used to strike the nations and destroy the enemies.
From the book of Ephesians Chapter 6:10-18, we are told to put on the whole armour of God. The bow is not part of the armour. The fiery arrows (darts) of the wicked one are targeted at us to destroy our faith. Thus we must put on the shield of Faith, in order to be protected from these deadly darts. This rider, however, carries an extra bow instead of the sword.
Red represents anger, blood or shedding of blood.
When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword." Rev 6:3-4
This red horse is the spirit of heaven that empowers the rider to cause wars, riots, civil commotion, quarrels, mistrust, etc.
God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, Judg 9:23
Because of the conspiracy of Abimelech and the men of Shechem in murdering the sons of Gideon, God sent ill feeling between them. This led them to mistrust one another and finally to war against each other. There was great destruction on both sides and Abimelech was eventually killed.
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars." 2 Chr 16:9
God blesses those who are loyal to Him. But to those who are unfaithful, He will give them wars.
"When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers." 1 King 8:33-34
Here, it is clear that because of sin, God punishes His people by their defeat before their enemies. Throughout the whole Bible, it is clear that God wants our repentance before we can obtain His grace and forgiveness.
Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for His temple. Jer 51:11
Here God said that He had raised up the Medes to fight and destroy Babylon. God was taking His vengeance upon the Babylonians for their destruction of His temple when they were sent to destroy Judah and Jerusalem.
The Rider on the Red Horse
And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword." Rev 6:3-4
Whenever peace is taken from the earth, then there will be wars in:-
True peace can only come from God. Our Lord tells us that He will give us His peace when we are in Him.
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Peace can only come to the individual, family or nation if the people walk rightly in the eyes of God. No abomination or wickedness must be found in the land.
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God,... And he (Asa) built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 2 Chr 14:2,6.
Black represents darkness and lack of illumination or understanding.
When a person is in darkness, he is either sleeping or in complete confusion of things around him. He does not understand why all the happenings. He is confused by all the calamities, sufferings, disasters and destruction around.
"The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me." Deut 28:20
God cursed the people for forsaking Him by their extreme wickedness. So He sent confusion amongst them. The labour of the hands became unproductive.
The LORD has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; and they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. Isa 19:14
God caused confusion in the camp of the Egyptian so that they erred in their decisions. They behaved as though they have gone out of their mind.
When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." Rev 6:5-6
Here the rider was confused for he was not able to balance a day's wage with only a miserable quart of wheat. Cereals was absurdly expensive and scarce.
"Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." Isa 37:7
God caused the Rabshaken, the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army to err. He withdrew and returned home where he was subsequently killed because he blasphemed the Living God in front of His people.
When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. Judg 7:22
God confused the great army in the enemy's camp. The various factions began to kill each other that Gideon with only 300 strong could destroy them.
thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth-- to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.
This scarcity is the result of the calamities sent from God as a chastisement for their disobedience and wicked ways. This confusion is brought about by wars, famines, droughts, diseases, pestilences, earthquakes, etc. It will definitely make them realize how unstable and undependable worldly powers and wealth are. Only in Him alone is peace and security.
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, Isa 4:4
God uses calamities to cleanse His people by sending them through wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and other disasters. Their heart then will be purified.
For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. Isa 29:10
Here God has closed the eyes of the prophets because they wrongly taught the people to fear the Lord with the commandments of men (Isa 29:13).
"And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD." Jer 31:2
Pale colour is the shade of death.
God uses wars, diseases, famines, earthquakes and other calamities to kill mankind for their stubbornness in evil and wicked works.
But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him. Gen 38:7
God will kill us too if we are wicked in His sight.
"You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 'for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth." Deut 6:14-15
Idolatry is an abomination which deserves destruction.
Some of the other abominations of the Lord that will make Him destroy us are:
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Ps 5:6
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. Ps 102:5
Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD. Ps 101:8
The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. Ps 145:20
You have forsaken Me," says the LORD, "You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting! Jer 15:6
Wickedness is the common reason for God to destroy mankind. Others are liars, bloodthirsty and deceitful men, slanderers, evildoer, and those who forsake God.
"Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, `Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land'; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you." Deut 9:4
God destroyed the nations in Canaan land because of their wickedness. They had gone astray to worship idols. They even sacrificed their own children to their idols, thus rebelled against God's commandments.
"but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God." Deu 20:17-18
God instructed the Israelites to destroy all the inhabitants in Canaan land, for they would surely cause them to follow in their abominations. God then will have to destroy His own people as He is a Just God.
"The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron." Deut 28:22-23
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 2 Sam 24:15
In the above scripture, the seventy thousand men were killed for king David's pride in numbering his vast and powerful forces. His general Joab warned him against it.
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. Rev 6:7-8
This pale horse will empower its rider to kill for his name is Death. Since Hades followed him, many Christians during this period will be deceived and forsake the Lord. Their names will definitely be wiped off from the book of Life. They will lose their inheritance in heaven and after their death they will be cast to Hades, which will eventually be cast into the lake of fire. This is also a period of great apostasy for the church.
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" So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30 |
The fulfillment of `Operation Desert Storm' in Prophecy
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Start of the Endtime Events (Index) |
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The Seven Seals |
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The Mysteries of the Horses |
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| The 1st Seal | Site 3 |
| The 3rd. Seal | Site 4 |
| The 4th Seal (Period of Sorrows) | Site 5 |
| The 5th Seal (The Great Tribulation) | Site 6 |
| The 6th Seal (The Rapture) | Site 7 |
| The 7th Seal (Wrath of Satan) | Site 8 |