4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Conquest
4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Conquest
The 4 horsemen of the apocalypse are considered common in this day and age. They are seen as the harbingers of the end of days. Sometimes they are represented as evil creatures or demons sent to destroy the earth. Sometimes they are just seen as mythical creatures that are just symbolic of the end times. They are even featured in Marvel comics as ‘mutants’. But, what do they really symbolize? We’ll dive into that in the next 4 posts.
INTRODUCTION:
The 4 horsemen of the apocalypse are found in Revelation 6. But before we get to that chapter, we need to start at Revelation 5. John the Apostle sees a scroll in the hand of God the Father who is sitting on the throne. This scroll is sealed with seven seals. Then we see an angel proclaiming, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” (Revelation 5:2). There is no one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth who was able to open the scroll or even look at it. The only one who was able to was Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. This chapter shows us that the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse who will be released in the next chapter are beings sent by God to do His will. They aren’t symbolic creatures or demonic in nature. They come from God. This is how Revelation 6 starts. It is the beginning of the tribulation leading up to Christ’s Second Coming.
Revelation 6:1,2 - 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.
What do these verses tell us about the first horseman?
The rider is nameless, but he rides a white horse
The rider has 2 items with him - a bow and a crown
The rider has a purpose - to conquer
Who is this horseman?
The most common interpretation is that this horseman is the Antichrist. Since he is an imitator of Christ, who is also seen in association with a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16), many believe that he is the rider on this horse. The Antichrist has been given authority over the earth and he will strike all those who oppose him - seen through the crown and bow, respectively.
I however don’t believe this interpretation because the Antichrist would already come into the world stage after the believers are raptured. There would be no need for him to be shown as coming to conquer. Furthermore, these horsemen are sent from God Himself for the tribulation of the earth and its inhabitants. The Antichrist is part of the devil, not of God.
In modern times, the first horseman is commonly referred to as Pestilence. There is no real reason as to why we see this name change other than it being alluded to in some translations of Revelation 6:8. There are also some interpretations regarding the horseman’s weapon. Many believe that during that time, bows and arrows were synonymous with disease and its spread.
What is the significance of the horse?
The first horseman is seen riding a white horse. White horses tend to represent heroism, righteousness, and purity. Since this horseman has come to conquer, the color of his horse is meant to be misleading. He is operating under a sort of pseudo-righteousness to deceive those around him.
Fun fact: White horses are very rare. Camargue, located in the south of France, is famous for its wild white horses. They are the oldest living breeds of horses in the world.
What is the significance of the items the horseman holds?
The first horseman is provided with 2 items - a bow and a crown. Crowns are a symbol of authority and victory. He wears one crown, whereas Christ wears many crowns when He comes (Revelation 19:12). This shows that while this horseman comes to conquer, it is temporary. Christ’s crowns show that He is the ultimate King and victor.
Bows tend to represent strength in battle. Something to note in the verse, the horseman was given a bow, but no arrows were mentioned. This can mean that while he has some strength, he is not conquering with his might. He may be conquering using other methods - like persuasion or deception.
What does the horseman’s purpose tell us?
The first horseman marks the beginning of the tribulation period. His purpose is to conquer. The meaning of the word conquer is to overcome and take control of a place or people by use of military force. As discussed in the portion regarding his bow, this horseman may not be using full military force in order to subdue people. His tactics seem to be centered around deception.
This form of conquering is seen to some degree today. It is the spread of false information and half-truths. With so much misinformation being spread, it is nearly impossible for people to hear the truth. We know that at the time that the horsemen ride on earth, the believers are gone. But will the people left behind understand why? Will they know that the believers are gone because that is part of God’s design and that those left behind will be facing tribulation? This first horseman may conquer the world using slander and misinformation to lead those left away from the truth.
In this post we discussed the first horseman of the apocalypse. I intended for this to be a single post, but after doing much research, there turned out to be more information than I was expecting. Tune in for part 2 coming up soon!
