The Prophecy of the Four Horsemen in Revelation 6, begins with a Lamb, identified as the Branch of David in chapter 5, opening the first four of seven seals. As the Lamb opens each seal a different colored horse and rider are revealed along with items specific to each one. Bible commentaries often identify them as personifications of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.
Revelation 6:8 … “And power was given unto them (all four Horsemen) 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 fourth part of the earth could also be read as the four parts of the earth which would be the whole world. The horse in scripture is a symbol of power and it is significant to notice that the horsemen work together. They represent much more than Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. These Horsemen represent the world dominating powers that bring this oppression upon the earth. What follows is an explanation of exactly who those powers are.
The method we are going to use to identify the Horsemen is called stringing pearls. This method has been used since ancient times to interpret and magnify God’s Word. It is done by comparing key words and phrases from one scriptural text with another to come to a fuller understanding of both. With that in mind, these articles are going to be scripturally heavy. If you don’t take some time to study and research on your own, you will not be able to fully grasp God’s Word. This is the seek part of “seek and you shall find.”
Behold a White Horse
Revelation 6:1-2 “And I saw when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard, the first Living creature saying, as with a voice of thunder, Come. And I looked, and behold, a white horse: and he that sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
The color white indicates clean, light and good while the crown indicates rule, power and authority. What is interesting here is that this horseman has a bow with no arrows indicating that he appears to be armed but is not, yet he is still able to conquer. So, let’s string some pearls.
Why a White horse?
The word white appears 29 times in the New Testament and almost always represents good. Jesus in a white robe, angels in white, the worthy, the elders, those who have come out of great tribulation, the bride, and of course the Great White Throne of God. For example:
Matthew 17:2 “And (Jesus) was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Revelation 19:8 “And to her (the Bride) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the holy ones.”
What then could be the meaning of a conqueror on a white horse?
Matthew 24:3-4 “And as he (Jesus) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming (revealing), and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no one deceives you.”
Before we go to the next verse, let’s take a moment to consider that the first thing Jesus said in answer to the disciple’s question regarding the end was “Take heed that no one deceives you.” The only way to ensure that no one can deceive you is by first knowing the Word of God and then, with that knowledge, identifying who the deceivers are. So, according to the Word, who are the deceivers and how will they deceive you?
Matthew 24:5 “For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many (majority).”
This verse can be read as the deceivers saying that they are Christ or saying that Jesus is the Christ simply by moving the comma which didn’t exist in the original Greek. Either way, if they come in his name they are Christians intent upon deceiving Christians.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as (appear to be) the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
The ministers of Satan appear to be Christian teachers which is how Satan “deceives the whole world.”
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels (ministers) were cast out with him.”
How then do we identify them?
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
John 1:36 “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he (John the Baptist) said, Behold the Lamb of God!”
If Jesus is the Lamb of God, then sheep’s clothing is the “white as light” garment he wore. This suggests again that these false prophets appear to be followers of Christ and therefore Christian.
2 Peter 2:18-19 “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they beguile (deceive) through the wanton lusts of the flesh (the fleshly mindset), those that barely escape from them who live in error. While they (false teachers) promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome (conquered), by him also he is brought into bondage.”
Now remember the First Horseman went forth conquering and to conquer, so here again we have false teachers doing the same. It is interesting that they promise liberty and what you receive is bondage. Jesus said the following of the Pharisees, the false teachers of his day:
Matthew 23:4-5 “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: …”
Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
There is a true white of righteousness and there is the whitewash of the wicked. The White Horse represents false religion, specifically false Christianity which having no arrows is unarmed, yet it places those who would be cleansed in bondage.
The Gospel of Thomas :102 “Jesus said, “Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let the oxen eat.”
The Bow with no arrows
Psalm 18:13-14 “The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yes, He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.”
The voice of God is His arrows.
Psalm 7:12-13 If he (the wicked) turn not, He (God) will whet His sword; He has bent His bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him the instruments of death; His arrows which He has ordained against the persecutors.
Jeremiah 51:19 “The portion of Jacob is not like them (wicked idolators); for He (God) is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of His inheritance: the LORD of hosts is His name. You are My battle axe and weapons of war: …”
The arrows of God are not only His Words but those who He has ordained to speak them, the ministers of righteousness. Remember the living creature spoke with the voice of thunder.
Psalm 127:4-5 “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them (children/arrows): they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with (rebuke) the enemies in the gate.”
Genesis 22:17 “God said to Abraham, …in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your children as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your children shall possess the gate of their enemies;”
Daniel 12:3 “And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
Which means that the arrows are the children of Abraham and the stars of heaven who rebuke the wicked and turn many to righteousness.
Having a Bow with no arrows is like having Knowledge without Wisdom. They might sound impressive, quoting scripture, but they have no idea what it means and their use of it is only to elevate themselves.
The Crown – Ruling Power/Authority
If the White Horseman represents Christianity with no understanding of God. Who elevated it to power by giving it a crown, and why?
Matthew 4:8-9 “Again, the devil took him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And said unto him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said unto him, Get away, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve.”
What Satan is offering Jesus is an earthly crown of power over all the kingdoms of the earth. Who has this power today? Who has been the kingmaker since the time of Jesus? Whoever they are, they appear to be Christian. However, unlike Jesus, they bowed the knee to Satan in order to receive the crown of power over all the kingdoms of the earth. This means that Satan is the one who has given the Crown of earthly power to the White Horseman, the false religion created in Jesus’ name.
From the Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563, the following declaration emerged:
“The pope is … not responsible to any earthly tribunal or power. He is the judge of all, can be judged by no one, kings, priests, or people. He is free from all laws, and cannot incur any sentence or penalty for any crime … He is all in all, and above all, so that God and the pope, the Vicar of God, are but one … He hath all power on earth, purgatory, heaven, and hell, to bind, loose, command, permit, dispense, do, and undo. Therefore it is declared to stand upon necessity of salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. All temporal power is his; the dominion, jurisdiction, and government of the whole earth is his by divine right.”
Encyclopedia Britannica
Politics of St. Gregory VII (1073-1085 AD)– The famous Dictatus papae (“Dictates of the Pope”), … consists of 27 brief and pointed declarations that extol papal primacy and even includes the radical claim that the pope had the right to depose emperors.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be vain, covetous, boasters, proud, arrogant, blasphemers, false accusers, despisers of the righteous, high minded, …” etc… etc… “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. …”
2 Timothy 3:7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.“
In Conclusion
The White Horseman is a false religion that appears to be Christian. Satan has given it an earthly crown but it has no arrows, because they don’t know the truth and the children of God are not among them.
Revelation 6:1-2 “And I saw when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard, the first Living creature saying, as with a voice of thunder, Come. And I looked, and behold, a white horse: and he that sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
Who have they conquered you ask? According to a Pew estimation in 2025, Christians made up to 2.3 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people. That is pretty darn close to a “fourth part of the earth.”
Revelation 6:8 … “And power was given unto them (all four Horsemen) over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
Also, consider that Christianity is the foundational religion of the most powerful nation on earth, giving it power over all the earth as well. In the next installment we will cover this powerful nation and Behold a Red Horse.