Sermon Tone Analysis

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Passage

The seals closely parallel the signs of the approaching end times spoken of in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Mt 24:1–35; Mk 13:1–37; Lk 21:5–33).

In these passages, the events of the last days fall into three periods: (1) the period of false christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and death called “the beginning of birth pains” (Mt 24:8); (2) the period of the great tribulation (Mt 24:21; NIV, “great distress”); and finally, (3) the period “immediately after the distress of those days,” when the sun, moon, and stars will be affected and Christ will return (Mt 24:29–30).

This parallel to major parts of Revelation is too striking to be ignored.

Thus the seals would correspond to the “beginning of birth pains” found in the Olivet Discourse.

The

Overview

The seals closely parallel the signs of the approaching end times spoken of in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Mt 24:1–35; Mk 13:1–37; Lk 21:5–33).

In these passages, the events of the last days fall into three periods: (1) the period of false christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and death called “the beginning of birth pains” (Mt 24:8); (2) the period of the great tribulation (Mt 24:21; NIV, “great distress”); and finally, (3) the period “immediately after the distress of those days,” when the sun, moon, and stars will be affected and Christ will return (Mt 24:29–30).

This parallel to major parts of Revelation is too striking to be ignored.

Thus the seals would correspond to the “beginning of birth pains” found in the Olivet Discourse

the events immediately preceding the end can stretch out over the whole age of the church, from John’s time until now, and can still be viewed as “next” (4:1) in the sense that the “last days” began in the first century and are still continuing (cf. 1 Jn 2:18).

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

We find the background for the imagery of these four seals in Zechariah 1:8–10 and 6:1–8.

In Zechariah’s visions, the horsemen and chariots are divine instruments of judgment on the enemies of God’s people, while the colors represent geographical points of the compass.

This may also be the best interpretation of the horses and their riders in Revelation 6, where each is sent by Christ through the instrumentality of the living creatures.

Though the rapture of believers is never specifically addressed in Revelation, it is my judgment that it occurs sometime before .

says we are not destined for the wrath of the Day of the Lord.

And the rapture is discussed in before the Day of the Lord is addressed in .

This, and the doctrine of imminence, supports a pretribulational eschatology.

- there is a telescopic relationship to the judgments, with each successive series coming out of the last of the former.

In other words, the seventh seal is the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet is the seven bowls.

This would indicate an increase both in rapidity and intensity as the judgments unfold

- As we investigate the four horsemen, it is important to note their Old Testament background and imagery from ; ; (esp.

v. 21); and even .

But the words of Jesus are also imperative, as recorded in ; ; and .

Verse 1

— this is the spirit of deception and conquest that will be embodied in the counterfeit Christ, the antichrist

An analogy may be a first-century amphitheater or circus, with various charioteers being summoned into the arena of the world by the call “come!” or “go forth!”

Again the “bow” would most naturally be connected with the enemy of God’s people (Eze 39:3; cf.

Rev 20:7–8).

Finally, the parallelism to the Olivet Discourse shows that the first events mentioned are the rise of “false Christs and false prophets” (Mt 24:24).

Each of the first four seals, then, represents conflict directed at Christians to test them and to sift out false disciples (6:10).

A “crown” refers to victorious conquest in 19:12, where Christ wears “many crowns.”

“He was given” is the formula for the sovereign permission to carry out acts

Therefore, the first rider represents a satanic force attempting to defeat and oppress believers spiritually through deception, persecution, or both (so 11:7; 13:7).

The image of the rider may include reference to (1) the antichrist, (2) governments that persecute Christians, or (3) the devil’s servants in general

Here white may refer to the forces of evil as they try to appear righteous and thus deceive by imitating Christ (cf. 2 Cor.

11:13–15).

The portrayal is intended by John as a parody of Christ’s righteousness and victory in 19:11–16: Satan’s attempts to be victorious are but feeble imitations of Christ, worthy only for ridicule (as in, e.g., 11:7; 13:1–13)

Therefore, the horses in Rev. 6:1–8 signify that the natural and political disasters throughout the world are caused by Christ in order to judge unbelievers who persecute Christians and in order to vindicate his people.

This vindication will demonstrate his love for his people and his justice

Verse 2

— This rider takes peace from the earth.

Anarchy and worldwide bloodshed are signatures of the last days.

The second horseman is war and bloodshed.

He rides on a “fiery red” steed, whose color symbolizes slaughter (2 Ki 3:22–23); he is given the “large sword” because the number of those he kills is so great

This amount suggests food prices about twelve times higher than normal (Beckwith, 520) and implies inflation and conditions of famine (Mt 24:7).

A quart of wheat would supply an average person with one day’s sustenance.

Barley was used by the poor to mix with the wheat.

The

Verse 3-4

The second horseman is war and bloodshed.

He rides on a “fiery red” steed, whose color symbolizes slaughter (2 Ki 3:22–23); he is given the “large sword” because the number of those he kills is so great

Verse 5-6

— the color black is associated with famine in

This amount suggests food prices about twelve times higher than normal (Beckwith, 520) and implies inflation and conditions of famine (Mt 24:7).

A quart of wheat would supply an average person with one day’s sustenance.

Barley was used by the poor to mix with the wheat.

So in this view the third seal brings poverty and partial, though not severe, famine.

Mounce, 144, notes, “This interpretation is in harmony with the increasing intensity of the three cycles of judgment.

The fourth seal affects ‘the fourth part of the earth’ (6:8), the trumpets destroy a third (8:7, 8, 10, 12), and the destruction by the bowls is complete and final (16:1ff.).”

— a man will work all day for just enough wheat to sustain himself or enough barley to barely keep his family alive.

This means that inflation prices would be 10–16 times above normal according to prices cited by Cicero for wheat sold in Sicily

— Food for the poor will be scarce and in short supply.

Still, there are limits, at least for now.

Verse 7-8

— Its rider is Death, that which claims the body.

Following close behind is its ever-present companion Hades, that which claims the soul.

— death visited on the earth is massive and comprehensive in its numbers: one-quarter of the earth.

It is also comprehensive in its nature: it kills by the sword (see v. 4), by famine (see v. 6), by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The fourth seal reveals a rider on a “pale horse.”

“Pale” (chlōros, GK 5952) denotes a yellowish green, the light green of a plant, or the paleness of a sick person in contrast to a healthy appearance

This probably refers to the death brought by pestilence or plague, which often follows famine (cf.

Jer 14:12; Eze 5:17; 14:21; Lk 21:11).

“Hades was following close behind [Death].”

But how?

On foot?

On the back of the same horse?

On a separate horse?

Scripture does not say.

(On “Hades,” see comments at 1:18.)

There seems to be a growth of intensity in the judgments as they are carried out by various agencies—the sword (human violence), famine, plague, and now the wild beasts of the earth

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