Before we look at part 2 of The Four Horsemen, let’s do a bit of a review.
Review
The seal judgments are a future event. The Rapture occurs prior to the Great Tribulation. The seals appear to be in line with the prophecies of Daniel 9:27.
The book of Revelation covers the seven years of tribulation upon the earth and all of mankind, which is the pouring out of God's wrath, that takes place in the last 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation.
Matthew chapters 24 and 25 are Tribulation passages, not Rapture passages.
With the opening of the first seal, we saw the introduction to the white horse.
After carefully considering who is on the white horse, we saw two possibilities:
· The white horse represents many false christs, or ---
· The white horse represents the antichrist.
So, the first seal summoned the first horse, the white horse.
Let’s continue our study by looking at Revelation 6:3-8.
The Second Seal: War
v.3, “And when He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come’”:
· The Lamb's opening of the second seal results in John hearing a command from the second living being:
o We’ll see this pattern as the first four seals are opened.
· Most theologians are in agreement regarding the nature of the second seal:
o It brings war, internal strife, international and civil conflict to the entire world.
o There are a couple of different interpretations.
o One view denies that the seal has any specific application in history:
Ø They would say that many such "red horses" (v.4) have been ridden down through the centuries to time.
Ø But this fails to account for the specific end-time nature of the seals.
o Another view is restricted to warfare against Christians by the Romans during the early years of the Gospel message:
Ø This explanation overlooks the fact that the seals are not directed against Christians, but against those dwelling on the earth who are in rebellion against God.
o Another view explains this seal as referring to the presence of Roman legions and the peace they brought through warlike means:
Ø But the Roman rulers wanted to preserve peace, not take it away.
· The correct timeline of the second seal puts it within the period called "the beginning of birth pains":
o This is in agreement with the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus predicts wars and rumors of wars.
o Further confirmation of the interpretation of the second seal comes from the “sword” carried by the rider:
o While the sword in prophetic literature is sometimes the sword of the Lord Himself, at other times, it’s a sword that He gives to His enemies, that they may destroy one another. And that’s what’s happening here.
v.4, “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”
· Along with the second seal comes the second rider.
· The word Greek word "another" indicates that this rider is another of the same kind as the one to whom John called special attention under the first seal:
o It not only shows a connection between the two, it also implies a separation in time.
· Peace and war cannot exist simultaneously, therefore, the events of the first two seals do not occur at the same time:
o Remember the rider of the white horse brought peace; this one brings war.
· The horse’s color, literally, "fiery red," tells us the nature of the afflictions under the second seal:
o It’s a time of slaughter and bloodshed.
o This horse is "red as fire," symbolizing that this is warfare in the most feared form.
· There have been attempts to identify the rider on this horse, and there are a variety of suggestions:
o Some call him the devil, but that’s not supported by the text.
o Some identify him as Nero, but that makes this a scroll of history (past) rather than prophecy (future).
o Some see him as the antichrist, but the context doesn’t support that either.
o The best view depersonalizes the second rider and makes him a representative of the forces of war and bloodshed along with their consequent horrors.
· The words "it was granted to him" reminds us that this rider, like the others, is appointed by God for a specific purpose:
o The purpose: "to take peace from the earth.”
o Whatever restraints have existed up to this point, this rider’s charge is to remove them.
o Another question relates to the time of this end of peace:
Ø One idea is that it coincides with the breaking of the covenant with Israel by the "prince who is to come," in Daniel 9: 26-27.
Ø This is identical with the abomination of desolation spoken of by Christ in Matthew 24:15.
o A better idea places the time during the first half of the seven years:
Ø This more closely matches what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 26:4:6. He called this “the beginning of the birth pangs,”
Ø So, they belong with the earlier part of the tribulation.
· "Peace" refers to the normal state of affairs, which is in line with the will of God:
o Sometimes it’s restricted to man's inner being, but not here.
o Here, it’s the outward peace of the whole world that this rider removes.
o Remember, this is a false peace, an imitation of the everlasting peace to come under the Messiah's rule.
o This “peace,” has been brokered by the rider of the first horse.
· The location from which the peace is removed is specified in the words "from the earth":
o This is the whole earth, not some limited part of it.
o The impact of all these seals is worldwide, not localized.
· The rider’s purpose is made more clear by the words "even that they might slay one another":
o Some have tried to make this into a sacrificial meaning, as in a sacrificial lamb, or Abraham’s sacrificing of Isaac.
o Some have tried to make this an issue of martyrdom.
o Yet, the Greek word does not support the idea of sacrifice or martyrdom:
Ø The martyrs are seen under the fifth seal, but it’s a stretch to view those martyrs as sacrificial victims.
o It's better to see this phrase "that they might slay" as the violent taking of life through warfare.
o This will be a judgment resulting in great bloodshed.
· A further identifying feature given to this rider, by authority from heaven, is noted in the words "and a great sword was given to him":
o The Greek word for “sword,” sometimes referred to a short knife carried in a sheath at the waist:
Ø But at other times, it describes a long sword carried into battle by Roman soldiers and others. That’s the meaning of the word here.
o The sword is best seen as a symbol of bloodshed, violent death, war, and international strife.
· This is a time of horrible calamity and bloodshed:
o Because it has never occurred on a scale that is described here, its best to place this action as part of “the beginning of the birth pains,” and that is in the future.
The Third Seal: Famine
v.5, “And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand”:
· The opening of the third seal brings another startling development:
o This will be a sad picture.
· The horse’s color is black, which suggests a time of lamentation and mourning.
· The horse’s rider has been identified in different ways:
o Some call him the antichrist, but that doesn’t match what’s said here in the text.
o Another idea is to see the rider as industrialism, commercialism, international finance, and commerce:
Ø But this ignores the obvious intent of the seal to signify famine (v.6).
o This rider should be identified as a personification of famine.
o Under the second seal, the world has experienced widespread war:
Ø Hunger is one of the aftermaths of war.
· One way of showing the scarcity of food is by the rider holding the “balance,” or a scale, in his hand:
o A careful weighing of food shows it to be in short supply.
o Food is so expensive that only the wealthy will have enough.
v.6, “And I heard, as it were, a voice in the center 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’”:
· John hears a special announcement:
o This time, the announcement doesn’t come from one of the four living beings.
· There's a degree of uncertainty here.
· John tells us that the voice comes from the heavenly presence, from the middle of the four living beings, but it is difficult to specify beyond that.
· There are a number of possibilities:
o One theory is that the voice is nature's protest against famine, which shows the interests of the four living beings who represent what’s best in nature (lion, man, eagle, ox):
Ø But this is not a statement made by these four living beings.
Ø It’s also misleading to identify the four living beings with the natural world. They are supernatural angelic beings.
o Another way of handling this is to avoid identifying the voice altogether by noting that it’s not really emphasized in the text.
o A third suggestion is that the voice is mysterious and unidentifiable. But the mystery shouldn’t discourage us from doing some research.
o The location from which the voice comes is, “the middle of the four living beings,” which is where the throne is, so it’s reasonable to say that the speaker is either the Lamb or God:
Ø The Lamb is the initiator of the seal judgments, and it’s reasonable that He announces the scarcity of basic food.
o But the evidence for assigning this announcement to the “one sitting upon the throne,” may be stronger:
Ø First, He’s the ultimate source of all these judgments.
Ø Second, in past times, He sent famines. Therefore, it’s fitting that He announces this future famine.
o Also, when taking into account that the unidentified voice under the fifth seal is the voice of God, evidence for identifying Him as a speaker here, is a little stronger.
· "a quart of wheat for a denarius":
o This is a dry measure of one quart.
o Wheat was the main food of the ancient world, a better grain worth more than barley.
o This much wheat was only enough to sustain one person for one day.
o Famine-condition prices will require a full day's pay to purchase the minimum amount of food.
o A denarius was the average day's wage for one working man.
o One day’s wages will buy only one day’s worth of food!
· v.3b, "and three quarts of barley for a denarius":
o These were the staple foods for the whole population: wheat and barley.
o By buying the cheaper food, a laborer could obtain three measures and have enough for himself and his family.
o But each person received less nutritional value from the barley than they did from the wheat.
o During this famine, the purchasing power of money drops far below what’s normal and results in widespread hunger.
· It appears as though the famine will not necessarily be universal, however:
o Protection of part of the population is seen in the words "but do not hurt the olive oil and the wine."
o Olive oil was used for lamps, healing, and anointing at feasts.
o What does the olive oil represent?
o One explanation sees olive oil as part of the regular food supply, as were barley, wheat, and wine:
Ø The command not to hurt the olive oil means there won’t be a shortage of it.
Ø This view is saying that the third seal will bring about poverty, but the famine will be only partial.
Ø This line of thinking also points out that the price of the wheat and barley places a limitation on the rider: he could have charged two denarii rather than one, making the famine even more severe.
Ø This view sees oil and wine more in the category of luxuries than wheat and barley.
o Another view sees olive oil as being associated with the rich and concludes that the wealthy are not hurt by the famine:
Ø This is seen, as a lesson is the inequality between the poor and rich.
Ø Comfort is denied to common worker, but the rich pass through the trial unscathed.
o Others argue against this idea by noting the universal nature of the seal judgments and by reasoning that the Lamb would not issue a command favoring the rich and aggravating the already difficult circumstances of the poor.
o But their objections can be dealt with by remembering that the rich will receive their judgment at the sixth seal.
o But, the problem with taking this as a reference to limited famine is that it minimizes the severity of the seals.
o This famine will be serious enough to make it unique in history up to that time.
o The world has already seen many famines, but never one like this.
o The limitation theory can’t explain the steep price of grain either:
Ø People can’t live on olive oil and wine, so these things must be seen as extras.
o Also, the seal judgments will not limit human suffering; they will increase it.
o So, I think it’s wrong to take a major feature such as this prohibition against hurting the oil and the wine and interpreting it as a “limited human hardship.”
o What this phrase shows us is that inequity will prevail:
Ø The poor will have it extremely hard, while the wealthy will experience much less hardship.
· There is a question about the relation of this famine to the one in the next seal:
o In view of the increasing intensity of difficulties as the seal's progress, it’s best to see the fourth-seal famine as even more severe. And this is verified in widespread death under that seal.
o The third seal famine will still be the most severe ever to grip the world up to that time.
· What about the wine?
· Wine is thought, by some, to be symbolic of communion:
o If this is true, then the meaning would be that believers would be spared the misery of this famine:
Ø But this can hardly be a promise of protection for believers.
Ø We know they will be persecuted severely, even martyred for their faith in Jesus as their Savior.
· Another view is that the wine is tied to the Roman emperor Domitian, who in A.D. 92, prohibited the planting of new vineyards and ordered the destruction of half the existing ones:
o This was done because of a lack of grains and overabundance of wine.
o The reaction of the people was so strong that he had to withdraw the decree.
o That situation made the command "do not hurt the wine" particularly dramatic in the minds of the first readers of Revelation.
o The problem with this connection is that Domitian’s decree had nothing to do with the famine:
Ø That decree was issued to protect Italian vine growers.
· The command, "do not hurt" addressed to the third rider, is phrased so as to forbid even the beginning of damage to the wine:
o The privileged lifestyle of the rich will remain completely intact.
The Fourth Seal: Death
v.7, “And when He broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’”
· Notice, again, with the fourth seal, we have the fourth living being calling forth the horse and rider.
· Things get ratcheted up with the opening of the fourth seal.
· Remember, there has never been a time when the four afflictions of the fourth seal have happened simultaneously over a fourth of the earth. It will be a time of awful misery.
v.8, “And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
· The Greek word used to describe the fourth horse’s color literally means “pale green”:
o This is the color of grass and other vegetation, but in the present usage of the word, it designates the yellowish green of decay, and the pallor of death.
o It’s a pale ashen color that conveys a face bleached because of terror, or a corpse in the advanced stage of decomposition.
· Here, again, there are lots of ideas about who this rider represents:
o Some suggest that he represents the release of the devil and his deadly spiritual forces:
Ø But that's based on a non-literal interpretation of the text.
o He has also been tied to the four means by which God threatened Jerusalem back in Ezekiel 5:17, famine, wild beasts, plagues and bloodshed:
Ø But this explanation fails to account for “hades” as the rider's companion.
o Pestilence has been another identification of this rider:
Ø This is reasonable because the name "death" is the same as the word translated "pestilence" later in the verse, and pestilence often follows famine.
· But this rider's work includes more than plagues and disease:
o The presence of “hades” with the rider shows that his impact upon the population covers more.
o It’s therefore best to see this rider has the personification of death in its many forms:
Ø Only death can have hades as its inseparable companion.
· The word "hades" is also personified:
o Hades, at its root means "unseen":
Ø At times it refers to the place where all humans go at the time of physical death.
Ø At other times, however, it’s the intermediate place of only the ungodly.
Ø Whereas believers go immediately into the presence of the Lord, the ungodly go to “hades” to await eternal judgment.
· Whether hades is pictured as on foot, riding a separate horse, or riding the same horse depends on how we interpret how "hades was following with him":
o Obviously, there is no fifth horse, so the symbolism of the four horsemen must be maintained.
o If hades is not on a horse, he’s on foot and apparently acts as death's hearse, standing ready to swallow up and hold death's victims until the final judgment.
· The ravages of this fourth seal are staggering, but limited in comparison with what comes later:
o This rider, along with hades, will kill one fourth of the earth’s population using sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts of the earth.
o Today's world population figure is estimated to be 8.2 billion people:
Ø That means that death and hades have authority to take the lives of 2 billion 500 million people!
o The magnitude of this catastrophe can hardly be grasped because nothing comparable has ever happened throughout all of human history.
· The first three items in the lists are different means that God will allow death and hades to use in taking human life: sword, famine, and pestilence:
o The “sword” is a symbol of death by violent means, perhaps warfare.
o “famine” has already come on the scene under the third seal, but it will worsen under the fourth.
o The inclusion of “pestilence” means that fatal diseases will be rampant and many will die from them.
o The last item on the list are the wild beasts that roam the earth, looking for prey and taking advantage of all who are defenseless and dying.
After such terrifying development, could matters get worse?
How can the gloom of the fourth rider be exceeded?
We'll see that in the remaining seals to come.
After all, these are only "the beginning of birth pangs."
If you are a believer in the Lord, Jesus Christ, then these judgments are not for you. You are part of the Church and the Church is “caught up” in the Rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18). The Church, the “bride of Christ,” is not appointed unto wrath (1 Thes. 1:8-10; 5:9-11.
Romans 5:9).
May the Lord bless you as you continue to study His Word in order to grow in grace and truth.
By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.
