Page 48 - BV17

48 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ O Death, where is your sting? O
Hades, where is your victory?”

Therefore the words “conquering, and to conquer” provide strong, conclusive proof that the
passage refers to Yeshua the Messiah -- and not to some antichrist. Also, it particularly symbolizes
the GOING FORTH OF YEHOVAH’S GOSPEL into the world -- from the first century through to
the return of the Messiah and YEHOVAH God at the end of the age.

The Red Horse

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and
see.” And another horse, FIERY RED, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat
on it to TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH, and that people should kill one another;
and there was given him a great SWORD (Revelation 6:3-4).

These words aptly describe the symbols of another mighty spiritual agency or power that
has exerted a tremendous influence in shaping the development of Christian evangelism down
through the ages. The color of the horse (RED), the words “to take peace from the earth” and “kill
one another,” -- and the symbol of “a great sword” -- clearly testify as to the significance of this fea-
ture of the vision. What we have here is a symbolic prophecy of WAR. But it would be a great mis-
take to regard this symbol as meaning only (or even primarily) physical wars. It signifies something
much broader in scope than that -- namely STRIFE OR VARIANCE OF EVERY SORT. In other
words, what is pictured here is something SPIRITUAL rather than material.

This is underscored by Yeshua’s words in Matthew 10:34, when he sent forth the twelve
apostles to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Their “peace” was to come upon every house they en-
tered that was worthy, while if it were not worthy their peace was to return to them (v.13). Yeshua
then warned them to “beware of men,” predicting that they would be DELIVERED UP TO
COUNCILS, and that they would be SCOURGED and BROUGHT BEFORE KINGS AND
GOVERNORS. He then warned them that BROTHER SHOULD DELIVER UP BROTHER TO
DEATH, and THE FATHER THE CHILD; and CHILDREN SHOULD RISE UP AGAINST
THEIR PARENTS and cause them to be put to death (vss. 17-21).

So here we have Yeshua the Messiah’s own words -- spoken at the first going forth of the
gospel -- that the IMMEDIATE EFFECT would be antagonism, variance and deadly strife. In other
words, THE RED HORSE WAS TO FOLLOW HARD ON THE HEELS OF THE WHITE
HORSE! And then, to sum up the whole matter into a single vivid sentence, Yeshua draws a word
picture which astonishingly agrees with this detail of the picture of the rider on the red horse, say-
ing: “Think not that I am come to send peace on the earth; I CAME NOT TO SEND PEACE, BUT
A SWORD” (v.34). When we compare these words with those of the vision in Revelation 6:4,
“power was given him TO TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH...and there was given him A
GREAT SWORD,” we can’t help but come to the conclusion that this apparent similarity of lan-
guage is designed to reveal to us that the prophecy and the vision refer to the same thing. Not only
that but Yeshua’s next words explain the figurative expression “a sword” -- as follows:

The Berean Voice September-October 2002