"Destruction cometh
and
they shall seek peace, and there shall be none"
(Ezekiel 7: 25)
"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." (Rev. 6: 3-4)
Having considered the white horse rider and its significance, we now look at the next rider, the fiery red horse and its rider. The red horse is certainly a "horse of a different color"!
"The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD." (Prov. 21: 31)
"...as the horse rushes into the battle." (Jer. 8: 6)
"The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him." (Eze. 7: 15)
Questions (to be studied)
1. What is meant by the taking of peace from the earth?
2. Is the removal of peace in politics alone, or in other areas?
3. Is the removal of peace worldwide?
4. What is the nature of the mutual slaughter of people against people?
5. What will be the impetus for this mutual killing?
6. What will be the means of this widespread murder?
7. What will be the effects of this murderous and violent state?
8. What is the significance of the great sword?
9. For what purpose is the sword given?
10. Is it to stop the killing or to promote it?
I will begin this initial overview look at the verses informing of the coming of the fiery red horse and its sword wielding rider by citing from the great J. A. Seiss and his famous work "The Apocalypse."
Seiss said this about this red horse:
"IT must be borne in mind, in dealing with these seal openings, that we are dealing with the scenes of the judgment. They relate to “the day of the Lord.” Anticipatory fulfilments have occurred, but the proper breaking of these seals, and whatever is connected with their opening, belongs to the future, and to that momentous period, now at hand, which is to close up the entire order of things now existing. The whole scene presents the action of the judgment throne in heaven, toward those then living upon the earth."
This is what must be kept in mind throughout the opening of the seals.
The rider on this horse comes when the second seal of the book of redemption is opened and its contents disclosed.
The coming of the red horse and his rider signifies the coming of a particular kind of awful judgment that will come from heaven upon an unbelieving and wicked world. There is reason and purpose behind the calamities associated with the coming of this Apocalyptic judgment. The Lord intends to "kill" the wicked, to "uproot" them from the earth. Notice these texts that speak of this:
"And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day." (Deut. 29: 28)
"For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." (Pro 2: 21-22)
"But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." (Matt. 15: 13)
The killing done by the Lord in the Apocalyptic judgments are intended for removing of the wicked from the earth so that only the righteous are left.
Seiss continued:
"I have shown that horses, in prophetic vision, are images of God’s swift, invisible, resistless power for the defence of his people, especially in its going forth upon the proud, guilty, and unbelieving world. It was so in the case of those seen by Elisha’s servant, and in the case of those mentioned by Zechariah.
In the case of the red horse rider we see the power of God exercised in terrible judgments that are intended to bring retribution to those who have hated God and his people. Paul writes of this in II Thessalonians 1, referring to how "the churches of God" were enduring "persecutions and tribulations" and that at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ God will "recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." The death and destruction that comes with the riders on the four horses are nothing but tribulation sent as repayment for the tribulation brought against the saints.
Seiss continued:
"In these four different horses and horsemen, we are to see four different forms of the coming forth of the judicial power of God upon the inhabitants of the earth, looking to the breaking up of the dominion of wickedness, the punishment and casting out of transgression, and the consummation of that long-pending revolution whose accomplishment is at once the fulfilment of all prophecy and all prayer."
This is what we should see and understand as Christians in regard to the purpose of these awful judgments. They are not intended for Christians, for God's own people, but for the wicked world.
Seiss continued:
"We are not to suppose, however, that the action of one ceases entirely, before the other comes into play. They are consecutive in their incoming, in the main stress of them, and in some of their more marked circumstances, but they are all, in a measure, contemporaneous. The action of the first horseman certainly is continuous; for he goes forth in conquest unto conquest, which terminates only in the complete victory in which the opening of the seals ends. His career, therefore, runs on through that of his three successors, and through all the remaining seals. No such intense continuity is expressed with reference to the action of the other horsemen; and the nature of their work is such as not likely to extend itself so far. But there is an inner and natural relationship between the things adumbrated, which renders it quite evident that their several careers overlap each other, and that the doings of the one run side by side with the doings of the other."
I believe that this should be kept in mind as one studies the opening of the first four seals of the scroll.
Seiss continued:
"The colour of this horse is red — fiery — the hue of blood. This itself is indicative of vengeance and slaughter. The great dragon is “red,” and he is “a murderer from the beginning.” The mighty Hero of Salvation, travailing in the greatness of his strength, and crushing his enemies beneath his feet, is “red” in his apparel, emblematic of his work of violent destruction. Nor can we be mistaken in regarding this horse and his rider as significant of bloody times. His work is specifically described to be the taking of peace out of the earth. A great and terrible weapon is also put into his hand; not the ordinary sword of war (romyai>a), but (macaira megalh) a great sword of one having the power of life and death. And the result of his presence is war, much taking of life by public executions, and mutual killing among men."
The time under the red horse will indeed be a "reign of terror" that will make the French Revolution pale in comparison. But, we will discuss more on this in the next several postings.
Seiss continued:
"The picture is particularly terrific. It presents not only disturbance of the relation of nations, the rising of nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; but internecine collisions, civil wars, the murderous hate of one portion of citizens exercised against another portion, and bloody commotions all over the face of society, having no issue but wretchedness and depopulation. It is the rampage of human passion raging to all forms of bloodshed, and the authorities of state in vain drawing the sword to put it down."
I have read many commentaries on the significance of the events connected with the coming of the red horse rider, and none of them really capture the fullness of the calamitous state of things on earth during that time. But, more on that later.
Seiss continued:
"A small specimen of this state of things was enacted in the days of Asa, when Israel had been “a long season without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;” in which times “there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city; for God did vex them with all adversity.” (2 Chronicles 15:3, 5.)
There have been lots of prior "specimens" and examples of such a chaotic state of things civilly. Times when peace and safety were hardly known at all. But, under the coming Tribulation, it will exceed all previous examples.
Seiss continued:
"Fancy a world which has no peace in it — no concord but that of lawless and selfish passion — no regard for life when it stands in the way of covetousness or ambition — no amity between its nationalities, or internal harmony and toleration between citizens of the same city or state — but every man’s sword is against his fellow, and every one’s hand rises up against the hand of his neighbour, and international slaughter, civil butchery, and private revenge and murder are the order of the day, — and you have what the earth will be under the judgment power of this red horse and his rider. Of old, already, Jehovah threatened to bring a sword to avenge the quarrel of the covenant; and to “call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Jeremiah 25:29.) And in this horseman, with his great sword taking peace from the earth, and desolating the world with violence and bloodshed, we have the final fulfilment of that threat. Nor need any one be at a loss to see how everything is already tending to just such a condition of society and the world."
Clearly, the purpose of the great sword given to the rider of the red horse is to inflict violent death on masses of people in divine judgment. This second seal plainly represents conflict, war, destruction, and bloody death.
The word for slay is really the word "slaughter." It is a reference to civil war or civil anarchy where mobs of people group together to attack and destroy other peoples whom they do not like. When peace is taken from the earth, people will slay one another. The verb (σφάζω) is associated with violence and murder; it is a vivid word meaning “to slaughter, either animals or persons; in contexts referring to persons, the implication is of violence and mercilessness”. In Revelation 5:6 the same verb is used to describe the Lamb standing “as though it had been slain.”
Who is causing these terrible calamities? Some will say God. Some will say Satan or extraterrestrials. Those who say God will either ascribe to God his honor and fear him, or else curse him.
In the next posting we will begin to answer our questions on this prophetic passage.
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