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The Bible, in Revelation 6:1-8, describes four mysterious horsemen. These are the subject of this short article. The four represent the entities or institutions that have defined and dominated human existence ever since human societies began. On the contrary, Rev. Billy Graham's 1983 book, 'Approaching Hoof beats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse', views these entities largely as players with a futuristic significance. The four horsemen can be identified as follows
[a] The Rider On A White Horse
[b] The Rider On A Red Horse
[c] The Rider On A Black Horse
[d] The Rider On A Pale Horse
THE RIDER ON A WHITE HORSE
"I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest" [ v 2 ]. Billy Graham was of the opinion that the rider on the white horse symbolized 'deception', appearing in a form similar to that of Christ, the King of kings [ Rev 19:11 ]. In other words, this rider connotes false religion. As much as I respect that great man of God, I wish to go a different path on the subject. The rider on a white horse indeed symbolizes the governments of human societies. '...he was given a crown...' underscores the fact that the machinery of governance in the world has divine approval [ Rm 13:1 ]. This, however, should not suggest that God chooses leaders for us. The people who constitute the nations of the world have to do that for themselves.
The leaders we choose are represented here by the rider on the white horse. This rider is not necessarily evil - as many are wont to think - just as political leaders are not necessarily evil or corrupt. The rider only epitomizes the institution and personalities of governance, bad or good. Over human history, we have seen countless numbers of both, from Nimrod to Obama.
THE RIDER ON A RED HORSE
Unlike the rider on a white horse, the rider on a red horse is clearly evil. "Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword" [ v 4 ]. This rider represents violence and violent conflicts in the world. He represents all the warmongers and terrorists ( of whatever faith or ideology ) of this world. This rider engineers large scale violence and destruction. When these elements gain political power or work in close alliance with political leaders, we can always expect nothing but chaos.
The impact of this entity has been largely felt by humanity through all the wars the world has witnessed since the beginning of human associations. From Nimrod to Hitler, to the present-day warmongers.
THE RIDER ON A BLACK HORSE
When our bank account is in the black, that's good news, because it means we have a good amount of money in the account. The rider on a black horse symbolizes the financial systems and institutions in the world, from their crudest forms to what they are today. "....I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand" [ v 5 ]. Like the rider on a white horse, this rider is not necessarily evil. I'm an admirer of IMF's Christine Lagarde, but we all know the headaches that the banking industry has caused the world, especially in recent years.
The rider on a black horse has the ultimate duty of regulating finance in the world. This, God expects the rider to do with a deep sense of responsibility and compassion, considering the fact that a vast majority of humanity live in abject poverty. Forget about the multimillion-dollar colourful adverts governments pay for on CNN.
THE RIDER ON A PALE HORSE
"I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him...." [ v 8 ]. Like the rider on a red horse, this rider is obviously bad news. The rider is specifically identified as Death, working in collaboration with Hell ( or Hades ). This rider is responsible for all the plagues and natural disasters the world has ever experienced. His business is to end life, through natural and artificial means.
CONCLUSION
I hope this very brief exposition has helped to demystify the personalities often referred to as 'The Four Horsemen'. They are neither recent nor futuristic entities in world affair. They have always been with us since the founding of human societies.
