TEXT: REVELATION 6: 1- 8 1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened that third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (KJV)

Today we would like to learn about the four horses on Revelation through a message entitled “FOUR HORSES.”

Let’s learn about a horse first. We can find a hint written in James to understand a metaphor of a horse.

It is here written a metaphor concerning a teacher. A teacher is likened to a bit in the horses’ mouths. And the total body of a horse is written as a whole church. Therefore, a horse can be seen as one of metaphors of churches.

Well, there are many kinds of metaphors of churches such as a house, city and so on. And each metaphor represents each aspect of a church. For example, a house refers to the aspect of a house of a church.

There are father, mother, brothers and sisters in a house and also in a church. A house refers to such an aspect. And a woman represents another aspect of a church. A woman has marriage relation with her husband. So, a woman is a metaphor of a church that should have relation to her husband, Christ.

Well, what aspect of a church does a horse represent, then?

ZECHARIAH 6: 1- 8 1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;

3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.

7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.

8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. (KJV)

The above passage can be referred to. Let’s look at it.

1 “And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.:

It is written, “the mountains were mountains of brass.” Brass may represent judgment in the Bible. So these four horses may have relation to judgment.

And these horses are related to each chariot. So, these horses, these churches, are related to battle. It is probably supposed to refer to the battle of the Lord in the end time.

2 “In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses.”

As to red, it is written on Revelation, “And there went out another horse that was red (fiery red).” So, red represents fire, that is, spirit. Black is opposite of white. White represents righteousness, as is written, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” The opposite of it, black, represents sin.

3 “And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.”

White shows righteousness. What then does grisled and bay mean? It is black grisled on white or the opposite? Anyway, white and black are mixed. So, this church is mixed with righteousness and sin.

4 “Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.”

What are the roles of these horses, churches? They are “the four spirits of the heavens.” So, they may be influencing believers in the whole world. For example, the Japanese army went out in all directions. As a result, they attacked the Pearl Harbor of America in the east, Singapore and so on in the south and China to rule over them in the west. They influenced the whole world. Likewise, these horses represent the changes of churches in world-wide scale in the end time.

And these go forth “from standing before the Lord of all the earth.” What does that mean? It means to show that these changes in churches go out of God.

6 “The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.”

It is written about the north and south countries. The center of the world is Jerusalem in the Bible. The north is the Northern Israel. It may mean sin spreading in the Northern Israel, the Catholic now, that the black horses go forth into the north country.

But it is also written, “the white go forth after them.” It may mean that the restoration or revival would arise in the end time.

As the grisled go forth toward the south country, the situation of mixture of white and black will arise in the south country. If the north country is the Northern Israel, the south country should be Judah, that is the sign for the Protestant.

7 “And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.”

The horses walked to and fro fast, and the situation like that represented with these white, black and bay would be realized in the Church.

8 “Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.”

The black horses went forth into the north country. Sin would spread over this country. And, later, the white horses, the righteous churches, would go forth. So, it is expected the battle between the white and black, the righteous and the unrighteous, would arise. The consequence of sin is the judgment, and the wrath of God would be quieted with that.

Well, with these in mind, let’s look at the text on Revelation.

1 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.”

Thunder has relation to rain. Rain waters and supports vegetation as blessing. But though thunder is related to rain, it hits and harms people with thundering. Therefore, thunder suggests judgment on things that do not obey the Holy Spirit of God.

2 “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

Here comes a white horse. As to the meaning of white, if we do not make private interpretation but refer to other passages, we will be able to get to the right answer. White is the color of righteousness as below.

REVELATION 1: 14, 2:17, 3: 4, 5, 18, 4: 4, 6: 11, 19: 14, 20: 11

The Victor is on the white horse and He is about to win the victory after victory.

He should be the victor of the end time who is prophesied in the seven churches on Revelation. At that time victory and restoration will be given many churches.

3 “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4 And there went out another horse that was red (fiery red): and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”

This horse is fiery red. Fire is a metaphor of spirit. So, it tells that the revival movement will spread. But, it is not necessarily limited to that of the Holy Spirit.

It is written, “power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” In short, this fire would bring in conflict into the Church. Some may think and say, “Such revival would never bring in conflict into the Church,” but it is the fact hidden in the Bible and the Lord also prophesied as below.

LUKE 12: 49- 53 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I strained till it be accomplished!

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against the mother in law. (KJV)

It is here also written about the fire and peace robbed as in written on Revelation. So, fire would bring in conflict. Of course, if the fire is of the Holy Spirit, there would be agreement. But if it be spirit not of the Holy Spirit but of devils, conflict would arise.

“and there was given unto him a great sword.”

Sword is the metaphor of the Word, as is written, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

But the enemy will distort the Word and bring disaster on the God’s people in the end time. As is written, “A great sword,” this lie will be practiced to the great extent.

And, when Pope says based on the Bible such as, “There would be no end time,” the God’s people would be deceived by such lies and eventually be judged.

5 “And when he had opened that third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”

Black represents sin, and it shows that the day would come when sin covers over the Church of the whole world. It is written, “thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” “The oil and wine” are the metaphor of the Holy Spirit, and the time would come when spirit is hurt and other spirits work in the Church.

7 “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

The last is a pale horse. Death sits on it and Hell follows. Therefore, death and hell would spread over churches of the whole world at that time. This death is spiritual. Because the Holy Spirit is driven out, the life of spirits would be gone.

The reason for that is “with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Sword represents distorted Word, doctrine. Hunger represents famine of water of the Holy Spirit, and death many kinds of sickness of spirits because of no Holy Spirit. Love perishes and they would suffer from ideas of devils. And the beasts of the earth represent the political organization of this world. It would order to prohibit them to follow the Lord truly.

Some of these have happened before us. If we do not see them, we are blind so that we should be made by the Lord to see them.

We should fear the Lord. For, it is written, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.”

Let us do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.