The Book of Revelation: Part 13, The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17 (BSB)

This week, in our series on the Book of Revelation, we are looking at chapter six, which describes what happens as the Lamb opens the first six seals of the scroll. For as complicated as the first five chapters of Revelation might have been, I think those have been relatively straightforward compared to what follows. The amount of conjecture and speculation as to the meaning of these next events is rather epic, but in no way do I think we need to address the many theories that exist as to what these events represent. Instead, I want us to continue to walk through this slowly, trying our very best to see it through the eyes of John, who wrote all this down. Let’s pay attention to the words he writes, and as we’ve tried to do this whole time during this sermon series, let’s especially continue to look for what this chapter reveals to us about Jesus.

Before we read the text for today, though, I want us to think for a moment about this scroll that the Lamb is about to open. We are told it has seven seals, but we aren’t told what is written inside of it, although earlier, John had said he could see there was writing on the outside as well, although he doesn’t tell us if he could read what it said.

As seems to be the case with almost every verse in Revelation, scholars have varying opinions as to what this scroll is and how these seals were placed on the scroll. Some people think the seals were affixed to multiple scrolls within scrolls. Explaining this idea more, Barnes’ Notes says: “When the Lamb opened one of the seals - This was the first or outermost of the seals, and its being broken would permit a certain portion of the volume to be unrolled and read.”  

He could be correct, and each of the seven rolls could be contained within each other. But others think that all seven seals were sealing one scroll, and it’s not without reason they think so. For example, the Expositor’s Greek Testament says, “There is no proof that each seal meant a progressive disclosure of the contents, in which case we should have to imagine not a roll but a codex in book form, each seal securing one or two of the leaves… A Roman will, when written, had to be sealed seven times in order to authenticate it, and some have argued that this explains the symbolism here.”

So, you can see there are different ideas about this scroll. But since it doesn’t say that anybody reads anything from the scroll after each seal is opened, and John says originally that he saw seven seals, I don’t think it’s as Barnes describes. I think the seven seals are affixed to one large scroll.

But the more important question we need to answer is this: What is this scroll? Again, there is a plethora of opinions. And I think it’s telling that even such a long time ago, Charles Ellicott, who was born in 1819, said, “Numberless interpretations have been offered: it is the Old Testament; it is the whole Bible; it is the title-deed of man’s inheritance; it is the book containing the sentence of judgment on the foes of the faith; it is the Apocalypse; it is part of the Apocalypse; it is the book of God’s purposes and providence.”

The truth of the matter is that we are never told expressly what is in the scroll that has the seven seals. Each seal is opened and things happen, but we are never told what the scroll says. Maybe the scroll contains the details of what happens each time the seal is broken? Or maybe it’s something else.

Like all passages in Scripture, we should seek to interpret Scripture with Scripture. And in Daniel 12 we see a very interesting passage. Daniel was given a vision in which he was given a scroll, and he was told to “shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end.” Maybe we should think about this scroll in the same way. Maybe we won’t know what is written on this scroll until the time that these visions are describing actually arrives. What John sees is a vision of the future; I don’t think he’s time traveled and is seeing it as it happens.

But what’s important is that John doesn’t tell us what’s written on the scroll. If that were the main point, John would have told us more about it. Instead, what John has told us so far is far more important: Jesus is the only one who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals.

So now, with all that background in mind, let’s read the text. But to be sure we’re picturing the scene correctly, remember that John said that he sees through a door into Heaven, and he sees the throne room of God. There is One seated on a throne, surrounded by twenty-four elders on other thrones, and in the middle—surrounding the throne—are four living creatures, seven flaming torches, and the Lamb who had been slain is holding a scroll with seven seals. The Lamb, who is Jesus, is going to open the seals.

Let’s read what happens as He opens the first four. Revelation 6:1-8 says:

1 Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”

2 So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.

3 And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

4 Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.

5 And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” 

Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. 

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 do not harm the oil and wine.”

7 And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

8 Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.

Collectively, these four seals are sometimes referred to as “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Maybe you’ve heard that term used before in books or movies. Most Bible translations also give each seal a subheading. For example, the NASB has given them these: Conqueror on a White Horse, War, Famine, Death. The KJV is the same, except it says, “Rider on a White Horse” for the first seal. Most translations with headings do a similar thing. But it’s been surprising to me for one reason: why do they call out the horse and rider in the first, but not the horses and riders in the other three? I think those translations are making a point, but I’m not sure it’s the correct one to make.

Now, let’s read through this passage again, but this time, let’s take it one seal at a time.

Verses 1-2 say, “Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.”

In Ellicott’s Commentary he says about verse 1, “To whom is the summons addressed? Who is bidden to come? If it was taken to be addressed to the seer…it seems difficult to see the purpose of such a command. He was near already. He had seen the Lamb opening the seal. There was no object in his drawing near…The simplest way of answering the question is to ask another: Who did come in obedience to the voice? There is but one answer—the horseman.”

Some people think this first horseman on the white horse is Jesus. I think the many Bible translations that give this seal a special designation are implying this, and there are actually a lot of commentators who think this is Jesus. I think the confusion might come from the fact that Jesus is seen riding a white horse later in Revelation 19:11, which says, “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.”

Other people don’t think it’s Jesus, and some of them think it is the “Antichrist” wearing a false crown. I don’t think it is Jesus, because He was already present in the vision: He is the One who is opening each seal. And I don’t think it’s one particular “Antichrist.” Rather, I think the white horse and rider with a crown is representative of conquering rulers and kingdoms of this earth who gain authority and rule over people. I think this rider is anyone who is given a crown and rides out to overcome and conquer.

Now, usually, the second seal seems to be given the title “War,” and I think you can see why. Verses 3-4 say: “And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’ Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.”

Did you notice, too, how we are told that this time a different living creature spoke the word, “Come!”? It could be that John numbered these four animals and the order in which he first described them corresponds to the order in which they summoned these horses and riders. In that case, the first time one spoke, it would have been the animal who looked like a lion. If that is true, then the second living creature would be the second animal which John described by saying it looked like a calf. I don’t know if the animals’ descriptions correlate to what happens when they summon the horses and riders or not, but some commentators think so.

It would have been helpful if John had told us which animal spoke, because then we’d know for sure. But since we don’t know for sure, maybe we shouldn’t ascribe too much importance to it. The greater point seems to be what these horses and riders do, not who in particular summoned them.

And what did the second rider do? He, with permission, took away peace from the earth and made “men slay one another.” He was also “given a great sword.” The first rider had a bow and a crown, and he rode out to conquer and overcome. The first horse is white, and the second is red. Red seems to be emblematic of bloodshed, so that goes together with war. The first being white is more difficult to understand. Again, being white, people think the rider is Jesus, and the white signifies His purity. But the white could signify the idea that the conquering ruler is promising good things to the people who support that ruler. No kingdom can conquer another unless there are people within that first kingdom supporting the takeover of another people. All kings must have followers. To those followers, their king is good.

So, maybe these riders represent that idea: first, a popular king (the white horse and rider) goes out and overcomes and conquers more people by force, and then second, because they’ve been conquered, those peoples’ peace is taken away and violence ensues in order for those conquered people to stay conquered. Well, just based on history, what usually happens after that occurs? I think what we read next—what happens after the third seal is opened—is what happens.

Verses 5-6 say, “And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. 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 do not harm the oil and wine.’”

This third living creature who called out could be the third animal who had a face like a man, or it might not be. But what’s important is that we note what color the horse is and what’s in the rider’s hand. The horse is black, and that color often represents mourning. The scales are explained by what one of the four living creatures said when the black horse and its rider appeared: “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.’”

To understand what that means, I think we need to think about this in the context of what else is in this text, and verse 8 mentions famine. So, thinking about that, after a people are overcome and conquered, their peace is taken away because they are being held down with violence. Then, their ability to provide for their basic necessities is threatened, isn’t it? Those scales in the third rider's hand could be for weighing and measuring goods and money, possibly even representing taxes. That means that this rider is given permission to bring about a partial famine caused by food costs rising to become so high that a little bit of food costs a full day’s wages. We know what a denarius equals thanks to Matthew 20:2, which says, “He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.” A denarius seems to have been the normal amount paid to a field worker.

But if you notice, the oil and wine are not harmed. So it could be, as some people like N.T. Wright think, that it’s only the wealthy who could afford oil and wine and they aren’t harmed by this famine like the common people are. If you look over history, the same story does seem to repeat: the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Governments tend to raise the costs and ration out the food that the common people eat, but they don’t tend to harm the things they (being the wealthy) personally are partaking of.

But others, like the Pulpit Commentary, point out that wine and oil were not luxuries. It says, “These were typical articles of food as Psalm 104:14-15 says, ‘That he may bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.’”

Regardless of how we interpret it, I think it’s clear that it’s showing that it’s the people in authority who hold the power to set prices and taxes, which then create prosperity or scarcity. So often, this imbalance of power (which the scales could also represent) brings about injustice.

Then the fourth seal is found in verses 7-8 and it says, “And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’ Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.”

Now, again, if these four animals are assigned numbers, then this fourth animal who speaks would have been the one who looked like an eagle flying. I don’t know how that ties in with what happens, other than we do see at the end of Revelation, after there is widespread death, that the Lord calls on all the birds of prey to come and feast. So maybe that is the connection—if there is supposed to be one.

But this time, when the rider arrives—and this time on a pale green horse—the rider’s name is given to us: it is Death. And it also adds that “Hades followed close behind.”

In the Topical Encyclopedia on Biblehub.com, it says, “Hades is a term found in the New Testament of the Bible, often translated as ‘hell’ or ‘the grave.’ It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word ‘Sheol,’ which appears in the Old Testament. Both terms refer to the abode of the dead, a temporary place where the souls of the deceased reside until the final judgment.”

So, in this verse, Hades is being personified. But we see a personification of Death and Hades in other verses of the Bible, too. 1 Corinthians 15:55 asks, “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?” as if they could answer.

But this verse in Revelation also says, “And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.” The use of the word “they” could simply mean that Death and Hades were given authority to kill through sword, famine, plague, and the beasts of the earth, or “they” could mean all four of these riders and Hades. I think it might mean the latter because those things correspond to the four horsemen. The white horse and rider with a bow and crown represent kings who conquer people and gain authority, ruling over them; the red horse and rider with a sword represent war which is won through the power of the sword; the black horse and rider with the scale represent the regulation of goods which leads to injustice and famine; and the pale green horse and rider is death which is brought on by disease, plagues (pale green is a rather sickly color), and beasts. Here we see the first time this word translated as beasts is used in Revelation. It is the Greek word thérion, which means wild animal, and is different from the word zoon, which means living animal and is used for the four living creatures.

There are some more things in this verse that are a bit unclear, though. It says that “they were given authority over a fourth of the earth.” We don’t know whether that means each were given a fourth of the earth, or if together they are only allowed to harm a fourth of the earth. It could mean either or neither!

In the same way, we don’t know whether all these things that are described, including the presence of Hades, are alluding to specific times in history when specific kingdoms rose to power and specific wars were fought, or when specific famines or plagues happened. I don’t think we can say with certainty. I also don’t think we can say with certainty that right before the end of the world these four things will happen in this sequence and then Jesus returns. I think these four things, including the presence of “Hades” on this earth, have been causing evil since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. But it’s not as if there are literally four horsemen on four different colored horses who are causing this mayhem and destruction. These four things: ill-gotten authority, war, famine, and death are evils that the Devil and sinful humans have inflicted on others all throughout history.

Since the beginning, the world’s rulers have repeated a pattern of conquest, violence, injustice, and death. I think that’s why, as we’ll see at the end of this book, it’s not until the very end and Jesus has returned that Death and Hades will be banished forever from the earth. Which is also when we’ll get to know what’s written on the scroll.

I really like how N.T. Wright, in his book, Revelation for Everyone, sums this up. He says, “What happens when the ‘seals’ are opened is that the forces of human conquest and oppression are allowed to do their worst, before the divine purpose, which is to deal with the world’s ills, can be read from the scroll” (p.61).

But, again, I want to point out that even though these forces seem to have been doing their worst since the beginning of time, this vision shows us that even the forces of evil are ultimately subject to the permission of the Lord. When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated death and Hades. He has already conquered them. The battles we will read about in Revelation have already been won before they’re even started. Right now, we live in the in-between time: Jesus is on the throne, but we’re still living in the flesh, on this sinful world.

That’s why, as Ellicott says, “The living beings cry ‘Come,’ … and their voice has in it an undertone which sighs for the advent of the Prince of Peace, who is to come.”

Just as we long for Jesus’ return, Scripture tells us in Romans 8 that all of creation longs for the coming of the true King. Creation itself longs for this cycle of destruction to end. The world has been marked by conquest, war, famine and death. But those things don’t have the final word. Those things are not in charge. It’s the Lamb who is on the throne and is opening the seals. Not them.

The Lamb’s rule is the opposite of these four riders. Unlike the world's systems of rule, which, when given authority, bring conquest, war, famine, disease and death, God’s Kingdom rule brings freedom, peace, prosperity, justice, and eternal life.

It might feel overwhelming to think about all the violence and war, injustice and famine, sickness and death that threaten our world each day. But let me ask you an important question. Where is Jesus in this vision?

Jesus is the One who is holding the scroll and opening each seal, and it’s only by His permission that these four horsemen come forth. He’s presiding over all of it. That doesn’t mean He is causing these things to happen though. He’s not making these evils happen on our earth. People have free will. People have done this to one another, and for sure, the devil has done his part. Yet even as all this violence and destruction is allowed to run free on the earth, this vision shows us that Jesus still reigns over it and limits its power.

I hope that fills you with hope, as it does me. 

Next week, we will read what happens when the next two seals are opened, but for now, let’s rejoice that the Lamb who opens these seals is the same Lamb who was slain. He is Jesus. And just as we trust Him for our salvation, we can trust Him to help us through whatever evils come our way. We can have faith that He will help us and protect us, because His death on the Cross tells us that He loves us. And His resurrection from the dead proves that He has triumphed over death and Hades. And John’s vision tells us that the horsemen are not in control. It is the Lamb who rules over all things. It is Jesus who is on the throne. It is Jesus who can open the seals. And because of that, we do not have to be afraid if we are counted among His friends.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have proved Your great love for the world by sending us the Lamb to die on the Cross for our sins. Thank You for making a way to redeem us so we can be made holy and be with You. Please help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, so that whatever we face, we can trust that You are with us to help us and save us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.