The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Most everyone is familiar with the Four Horseman, as they are written about in Revelation 6:
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 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.
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5 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. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 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.
You may not be familiar with another occurrence, found in Zechariah 6:
1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth.
6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
The Difference
Did you notice the difference between the two descriptions? It's the order in which the horses appear.
This is the order in which they appeared:
Revelation:
1. White
2. Red
3. Black
4. Pale (green)
Zechariah:
1. Red
2. Black
3. White
4. Grisled (dappled/ pale)
Why Is There A Difference?
This is the question I had when I first realized the difference in order. It just didn't make sense at first!
It is clear that Zechariah 6 described an event that has already taken place. But it is also apparent that it has apocalyptic, end times implications. In other words, Zechariah is also describing an event that takes place in the end of days- the opening of the first 4 seals found in Revelation 6. This is commonly referred to as the four horseman of the apocalypse.
The reason that John (author of Revelation) and Zechariah see the horsemen in a different order is...
PERSPECTIVE
The authors saw this event from a different perspective!
John was taken to heaven for his vision, as shown in Revelation 4:
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
John was in heaven for his vision, so he saw the horsemen as they left heaven.
Zechariah was on earth in his vision, so he saw the horses as they appeared on earth.
Actions of the Horsemen
The actions of the horsemen are found in Revelation, and are as follows:
White horse- "Goes forth conquering and to conquer". Is given a crown. Likely the antichrist
Red horse- Takes peace from the earth (war)
Black horse- Inflation and poverty
Pale/dappled/green horse- Death by sword, famine, beasts, possibly plague. Power over 1/4 of the earth
Conclusion
Anytime the book of Revelation is concerned, there is no one who can be absolutely certain that their interpretation is correct. That being said, consider my conclusion written below and take it to the LORD in prayer.
My conclusion is that contrary to popular belief, the white horse (antichrist) may not be the first horse that we see on earth. The white horse is the first to leave, but according to Zechariah it appears that the red horse (war) may be the first horse revealed. The second horse to be revealed may be the black horse (inflation and poverty). The third horse to be revealed may be the white horse (antichrist). Finally, the last horse to be revealed may be the pale/dappled/grisled horse (sword, famine, beasts, plague)
This conclusion would also make sense because the world would be much more likely to welcome the antichrist as it's leader, if the inhabitants have already lived through the wars, inflation, and poverty of the red and black horsemen.
I believe we are currently seeing the stage being set for widespread war and inflation, ushering in the red and black horsemen of the apocalypse.
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ReplyDeleteThe one thing I MUST always point out, is that these are ALL PROPHESIED events. Prophesies given to the prophets of Israel. HOWEVER, we can not, INTO them, lump the UN-Prophesied Body of Christ, or this current Dispensation of the Mystery, which was FIRST given to the Apostle Paul by the RISEN Christ. Because the Body of Christ was a Mystery, that was HID IN GOD.
Regardless of what the preachers, leaders, and pastors teach, or do not teach, let each of us, who are saved by the Grace of God, be established by the preaching of Jesus Christ, ‘ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY,’ which had been hid from all men until the risen Christ revealed it to the Apostle Paul and gave him his Gospel by revelation (Galatians 1:11-13 ; Ephesians 3:1-4 ).
If we really believe that the prophesied spiritual‑political Kingdom of Heaven has been postponed and that the clock of prophecy really stopped with the fall of Israel, after the Apostle Paul’s warning in Acts 13:40-41 and the great turn of Acts 13:46 , let us be sure that the Lord will have the Church of the Mystery (unprophesied) safe, and in Heaven, before the awful time described in Luke 21:25-33 ; Matthew 24 ; and Revelation 6-13 .
Surely the ‘MYSTERY’ should convince any spiritual, intelligent student of the Scriptures that members of the Body of Christ, will NOT be here on earth during the prophesied period called ‘the Great Tribulation.’
AND...We should not expect anything but confusion, in any explanation that the Church will be saved from the Great Tribulation, from Bible teachers who teach that ‘the Dispensation of the Mystery’ (Ephesians 3:9 ), ‘the dispensation of the Grace of God for Gentiles’ (Ephesians 3:1-4 ), began on the day of the Pentecost several weeks after the death and resurrection of Christ.
The great events foretold by Joel, David, Moses, Samuel and all the prophets, including Amos, and proclaimed by Peter and the Eleven, ‘the times of the restitution of all things’ (Acts 3:19-21 ), had nothing to do with God’s purpose and Grace given to Gentiles in Christ before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9 ).
The Grace that Peter preached, he wrote, was prophesied Grace. (1 Peter 1:10-11 ). There was NO mystery in what God began, or continued, with Peter and the Eleven on the day of Pentecost. Little wonder then that Pre-Tribulation brethren, who teach that the Mystery began with Acts 2 , are becoming Post-Tribulationists. If the Apostle Paul told the truth, that the MYSTERY was revealed to him, surely it was not revealed to him BEFORE he was saved. The Apostle Paul told Gentiles to be saved by Grace and be raised up to sit with Christ where He is, in the Heavenlies. The Apostle Peter preached to Israel to repent and God would send Christ back to earth where they were, in their land. (Ephesians 2:5-8 , and Acts 3:19-21 ). Even a babe in Christ should know the difference between the ‘Restitution’ and the ‘Rapture.’