By Ron Smith
Comparing
Scripture with Scripture and using no commentary, one can see the identity of
the white horse in Revelation 6 not as Christ, but as conquest or captivity
(predatory beasts). Scripture explains itself in the chart below. This same
symbol is used of Christ in Revelation 19 as the conquering king. In a sense, God
rides all four horsemen: “O LORD,… Was Your
wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of
salvation?” (Hab 3:8)
Scholars
I highly respect have identified the white horse of Revelation 6 as
Christ. But “If one gives an answer
before he hears, it is his folly and shame. The one who states his case first
seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:13&17
ESV).
The Catholic
Encyclopedia says, “They signify conquest, slaughter, dearth and death” If that
is true, the white horse is conquest, the red is war, the black is dearth, and
the pale is death.
Revelation 6:8
summarizes them as beasts (white horse), sword (red horse), famine (black
horse), and pestilence (pale horse). The white horse goes forth conquering and
to conquer just as the predatory beasts of Daniel 7 conquered the world.
In Jeremiah 15:3, God
calls them “Four forms of destruction.”
In Ezekiel 14:21, God calls them “My four severe judgments.” What are these four forms of judgment?
My Four Severe Judgments
“For thus says the Lord God: ‘How much more it shall be when I send
My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts [captivity] and
pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?’” – (Ezekiel 14:21)
God calls them, “four
forms of destruction” in Jeremiah.
Four Forms Of Destruction
‘“And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,’ says the LORD: ‘the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy’” (Jeremiah 15:3).
The
chart below proves that the white horse, as conqueror, is called beasts. This sampling of
verses describe beasts as the hand of Nebuchadnezzar in some places, or into
all kingdoms, under the yoke, or carried captive, etc. In each case the white horse is conquest.
War Famine Pestilence Conquest
Rev. 6:8 Sword Famine Death Beasts
Jer 16:4 Sword Famine Death Beasts
Jer 21:7 Sword Famine Pestilence The hand of Nebuchadnessar
Jer 24:9-10 Sword Famine Pestilence Carried into all kingdoms
Ezek 5:17 Sword Famine Pestilence Beasts
Jer 32:24 Sword Famine Pestilence Hand of Chaldeans
Jer 32:17 Sword Famine Pestilence Among all kingdoms
Jer 38:2 Sword Famine Pestilence To the Chaldeans
Ezek 6:9-10 Sword Famine Pestilence Carried captive
Ezek 7:15-16 Sword Famine Pestilence On the mountains
Ezek 12:15-16 Sword Famine Pestilence Among the nations
Christ is
depicted in Revelation 19 as the Coming Conqueror on a white horse (Rev 19:11). The prophet Habakkuk reveals that God rides all four.
“O
LORD… Was Your wrath against the sea,
That You
rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?”
(Hab 3:8). God says these four severe judgments are His. “I send My four severe
judgments” (Ezek 14:21). They cannot ride unless God sends them. The devil can
do nothing without God’s permission. For example, did God send the “9/11” destruction on the twin towers? The Bible gives the answer: “If there is
calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3:6) Why does He do it? He does it as His judgment for
sin.
God
Is The Absolute Sovereign
Whenever there is conquest, war,
famine, and pestilence, they are sent as God’s four forms of destruction as His
judgments for sin. The word accident
cannot be found in the Bible. There is no such thing. Therefore, nothing can
happen unless God does it. The buck stops with God.
The world is in a mess not because God
is not in control. It is in a mess precisely because He is in control. God sends death, destruction, crime,
slavery, and war because of sin. The devil and evil men are simply God’s tools
of wrath. But nothing can happen to those chosen by God unless He permits it.
And if He does, it is for their good (Romans 8:28).
This is exactly how the Bible portrays
God. Men resent this. Man wants to be the god to judge God. Rebellious man
feels betrayed. He imagines that his rebellion can somehow save him.
“The LORD knows the
thoughts of man, That they are futile”
(Psalm 94:11).
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you
rest”
(Mat 11:28).
Dr. R.D. Smith
Churchofthekingmcallen.org
