Revelation 6:1-8 “The four horsemen of the apocalypse ”

Intro... The four horsemen of the apocalypse.

I think most people who have never even studied Revelation have heard of the four horsemen…

Although some interpretations differ, the four riders commonly are seen as symbolizing: Conquest, War, Famine and Death.

The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as messengers of the Last Judgment.

This is the beginning of the great tribulation.

Text: Revelation 6:1-8

Big Pic: We don’t need to be afraid of God’s judgment when we know our hearts are truly His.

We go from Jesus’ words of instruction and warning to the seven churches, to images of worship before the throne of God in heaven…

Revelation now shifts to events on earth and God’s judgment.

Revelation 4-7, spans the entire time period between Christ's first coming and His return.

This section, is describing for us the history of the church in the world as she lives between the first coming of Christ and His return.

Last week we talked about the seven seals that protect the scroll, which reveals the future of mankind.

The first four seals are different from the last two in that they describe four horses of different colors with riders who are given different powers over the earth.

Zechariah’s visions of these horsemen are divine instruments of judgment of the enemies of God’s people.

v. 2 The white horse whose rider has a bow and a crown, came out to conquer.

Some people think this horse represents Christ, however, Rev. 19:11-16 is a better description of Christ on a white horse.

Remember the Lamb (who is Christ) is the one who opens the seals, so he can’t also be the one on the while horse here.

The rider on the white horse could more likely represent God’s enemy, the Antichrist and his forces which seek to conquer the followers of Christ.

The bow and crown represent war and conquest.

When we go with this explanation of the rider on the white horse, then we can see how each of the four seals (horses and riders) represent the conflict directed at Christians to test them and sift out false disciples.

v. 3 The red horse whose rider represents war (“permitted to take peace from the earth so that people should slay one another”) and he was given a great sword.

The color red symbolizes bloodshed and slaughter.

The great sword permitted the rider to take peace from the earth.

With the first horse, the pursuit of conquest brings bloodshed.

v. 5-6 The black horse whose rider carries scales for measuring grains and their prices.

This horsemen represents poverty and famine.

The grain prices cited here about 12 times normal.

Conquest and war will destroy trade routes driving prices up and producing scarcity.

Oil and wine…staple foods in the East, so this third seal brings poverty and partial, but not severe famine.

v. 7-8 The pale horse whose rider represents death and Hades (Hell).

2 Pale Rider “A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.”

Pale, yellowish-green, depicting death and decomposition-of a sick person in contrast to a healthy appearance.

This death is brought on by pestilence or plague, which often follows famine.

Death is no respecter of persons; it comes to believer and unbeliever alike.

Yet for the believer, there is comfort in knowing that we belong to the One who holds the keys to Hades and Death.

Death sums up the disasters symbolized by the white, red and black horses.

So these are God’s judgments carried out by various agencies, conquest, the sword, famine, plague and the wild beasts (horses) of the earth.

Even with the fourth horse, death, their authority to kill is limited to a fourth of the earth.

However, even a fourth of the earth would be a great tribulation, such that has never been seen before.

So…Revelation 6-19 could represent the great tribulation.

God’s providence restrains both his own wrath and humanity’s violence.

Four horsemen… four ends of the earth or the four corners of the earth.

These four horsemen ride forth to the ends of the earth; no part of the earth is left untouched. God’s judgment is total.

The horsemen of the apocalypse proclaim to us the activity of God!

God is active in the salvation of His people and in the judgments He pours forth upon the unrepentant.

In the same sense, hearing the word of God taught, either by me or someone else should wake us up to God’s judgment.

Let’s listen to God’s judgment now so when the four horsemen of the apocalypse show up, we are not afraid.

The image of the four horsemen/four winds/four corners of the earth/four tools of death is a theme in Zechariah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah.

In Matthew 24-25 known as “The Olivet Discourse” (because Jesus sat on the Mt. of Olives) he speaks of the same judgment and tribulations.

So the concern is not so much for the detail specifics of each rider, but that they represent God’s judgment on the entire earth.

Conclusion:

It is Christ Himself who sends forth the judgments that proceed from the opening of those seals.

God’s judgment is swift and sure, that’s never changed whatever imagery you use.

These four horsemen of the apocalypse are intended to point us to another Horseman. We read of Him in Revelation 19:11-16.

Are we ready for the Horsemen?

Psalm 68: 1-2, 17, 32-34

We find similar imagery in Zechariah 6:1-8.

In these passages we find the Lord coming from His holy habitation, riding upon the chariots, bringing judgment upon the wicked, and at the same time salvation for His people.

We need to remember that no matter who is riding on these horses, Christ will be the ultimate victor. (17:14)

Big Pic: We don’t need to be afraid of God’s judgment when we know our hearts are truly His.