The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
By
James Scott Trimm
Recent events have drawn attention to certain prophecies giving us signs of the beginnings of the end times. And this has led to questions about the interpretation of the mysterious “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” which are also the first four seals of the seven seals of the sealed book.
To begin with, passages of prophecy can have more than one fulfillment. For example the prophecy in Daniel of the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) can refer either to the desecration of the alter by Antiochus Epiphanies (1Macc. 1:41-64 & 2Macc. 6:1-6) or the anti-Messiah (Matthew 24:15). The prophecy about “My son” coming out of Egypt in Hosea 11:1 can refer either to Israel (Ex. 4:22 & Hosea 11:1) or to the Messiah’s return from Egypt (Matt. 2:15); The prophecy of Rachel weeping in Jeremiah 31:14(15) can refer either to the tragic events of the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, or to the slaughter of the innocents (Matthew 2:18). So giving one interpretation of a prophecy does not exclude the validity of others.
This said, there is an interesting parallel between the Four Horsemen (Rev. 6:1-11 ) and what Yeshua calls “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8) and these help us to see, at least one valid interpretation, of these Four Horsemen:
The White Horse: Apostate Faith
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four beasts that spoke, as the voice of thunder, Come and see.
2 And I heard, and I saw: and behold, [there was] a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him. And he went out victorious, both conquering and to conquer.
(Rev. 6:1-2)
Yeshua gives us a key to this seal:
4 Then Yeshua answered and said to them: Let no man deceive you,
5 For many will come in My Name, saying, I am Messiah, and will deceive many.
(Matthew 24:4-5)
The Red Horse: War and Rumors of War
3 And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second beasts saying, Come.
4 And a red horse went out, and it was given to him who sat on it, to take shalom from the earth: that they might slaughter one another, and there was given to him a great sword.
(Rev. 6:3-4)
Yeshua again gives us the key:
6 For you will hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you are not foolish. It must be that such things be done, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,…
(Matthew 24:6-7a)
The Black Horse: Famine
5 And when the third seal was opened, I heard the third beasts saying, Come. And behold, [I saw] a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice from among the beasts saying, A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius, and do not hurt the wine and the oil.
(Rev. 6:5-6)
Yeshua again gives us the key:
…and there will be famine… (Matthew 24:7b)
The Pale Green Horse: Pestilence and Earthquakes (Death)
7 And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the beast saying, Come.
8 And I saw a pale green horse,1986 and the name of him who sat on it [was] Death, and she’ol followed him. And authority was given to him, over one fourth of the earth to kill: by the sword, and by famine, and by death, and by the wild animal of the earth.
(Rev. 6:7-8)
and again Yeshua gives us the key:
… and pestilence, and earthquakes, in every place…. (Matthew 24:7c)
Conclusion
Revelation uses the picture of the four horsemen only on the first four of the seven seals, signalling a change of some sort in the final three seals. Likelwise in Matthew 24:4-8 Yeshua describes these things as only “the beginning of sorrows.”
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