Dive deep into the prophetic meaning of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as described in Revelation 6:1-8. Discover how each horseman represents key events and truths in God's sovereign plan.

https://youtu.be/tGxjka0Yfa4

Table of contentsThe First Horsemen of the Apocalypse Is the AntichristThe "Instead of Christ"First, who comes riding on a white horse to make war?Second question: who is part of a Trinity?Third question: who is given power, authority, and a throne from his father?Fourth question: who dies and comes back to life?Fifth question: who is worshiped because of his holiness or set-apartness?Sixth question: who puts a mark on his people’s foreheads?Seventh question: Who is called a prince?Eighth question: Who makes a covenant with the Jews?Would the Jews Embrace the Antichrist?The Second Horsemen of the Apocalypse Removes PeaceThe Third Horsemen of the Apocalypse Is FamineThe Fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse Is DeathGod Is Sovereign When Things Look the WorstGod's Sovereignty with JobGod's Sovereignty Over Death and Hades

Famous horses seem to fall into three categories. The first category is racehorses:

Seabiscuit was made more famous by the 2003 film showing his underdog story.

Secretariat won the Triple Crown —the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes—and still holds the fastest time records in all three races. He also received his film in 2010.

Frankel is also known as “The Unbeatable Wonder Horse” because he was unbeaten in his fourteen-year career.

The second category is famous television horses:

Silver, the Lone Ranger’s horse.

Trigger was the horse of singer, actor, and performer Roy Rogers.

For any cartoon fans: Quick Draw McGraw, the anthropomorphic white horse, wearing a red Stetson cowboy hat, a red holster belt, a light blue bandana, and occasionally spurs.

As a Lord of the Rings fan, I hoped Shadowfax, Gandalf’s horse, would make the list, but he didn’t.

The third category is warhorses:

Sergeant Reckless achieved the military rank of sergeant for her bravery and service during the Korean War.

Comanche was Captain Miles Keogh’s (pronounced key-oh) horse. Part of Comanche’s fame comes from being the lone survivor of The Battle of Little Bighorn.

Marengo was Napoleon’s horse. He fought in battles such as Austerlitz and Waterloo. Interestingly, Marengo’s skeleton is displayed at the National Army Museum in London.

If I asked for the most famous horses in Scripture, I think most people would say the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The beginning of the Olivet Discourse describes the birth pains. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse also describe birth pains, paralleling what Jesus preached in the Olivet Discourse. When Jesus described the birth pains in the Olivet Discourse, you could say that He was prophesying about the Four Horsemen.

As we look at each of the four horsemen, I will give you the parallel prophecy from the Olivet Discourse so you can see how they mirror each other.

Because we are jumping into the book of Revelation, let me give you some context. In Revelation 4, John finds himself caught up in heaven. The chapter describes God's throne room. Revelation 5 transitions from focusing on the throne room to focusing on the scroll in God's hand. The scroll is given to Jesus, and Revelation 6 begins with Him opening its seven seals. Each seal releases a new judgment on the earth. The first four seals contain the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The First Horsemen of the Apocalypse Is the Antichrist

Revelation 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

The four living creatures are exalted angelic beings or cherubim. They appear repeatedly in Revelation, and one is associated with each of the four horsemen. Whenever one of the seals is opened, one of the four living creatures invites John to “Come and see.”

The rider of this horse is almost universally recognized as the antichrist. This follows the way Jesus began the Olivet Discourse, prophesying the first birth pain would be false Christs:

Luke 21:8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

The "Instead of Christ"

People often think wrongly about the antichrist. They think of him as the opposite of Jesus: the way Jesus went around doing good, the antichrist will do evil; the way Jesus went around teaching good, the antichrist will go around teaching evil. The problem is that the Bible teaches that he will come as a man of peace. We should think of him more as the counterfeit Christ.

The prefix “anti” can mean “instead of,” and it’s better to see the antichrist as the “instead of” Christ. He will be the christ chosen by many instead of Jesus. He will be embraced as the world’s savior instead of the real Savior. Consider these verses describing Satan as the great imitator:

2 Corinthians 11:13 [Satan’s servants] disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

Let me show you how much the antichrist imitates Christ by asking eight questions.

First, who comes riding on a white horse to make war?

I could be talking about the Antichrist as we read in Revelation 6:2:

Revelation 6:2 I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Or I could be talking about Jesus at His Second Coming:

Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

Christ comes on a white horse to make war, and the antichrist comes on a white horse to make war:

Second question: who is part of a Trinity?

Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Antichrist is part of the Unholy Trinity. The Antichrist, also called the first beast in Revelation 13, imitates Christ. Satan imitates God the Father. Before Satan’s rebellion in heaven, he said:

Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

The false prophet, also called the second beast in Revelation 13, completes the satanic or unholy trinity, as he imitates the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:

John 16:14 [the Holy Spirit] will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit’s primary ministry is glorifying Christ, and similarly, the false prophet will glorify the antichrist.

Third question: who is given power, authority, and a throne from his father?

Christ, but consider what it says about the Antichrist:

Revelation 13:2 [the devil] gave [the antichrist] power and his throne and great authority. 

Fourth question: who dies and comes back to life?

Christ, but consider what it says about the antichrist:

Revelation 13:3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 

He seems to experience a mortal wound or be killed but then is healed, and he comes back to life or seems to.

Fifth question: who is worshiped because of his holiness or set-apartness?

We know the Lord is. Holiness is the one attribute God used thrice-fold to describe His separateness from the rest of creation: holy, holy, holy. Throughout the Old Testament, the phrase, “Who is like Him?” is used to praise God for His holiness: nobody is like Him:

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Psalm 35:10 “O Lord, who is like you?”

Psalm 71:19 O God, who is like you?

Psalm 113:5 Who is like the Lord our God?

But consider what they say about the antichrist:

Revelation 13:4 [People] worshiped the beast (referring to the Antichrist), saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

Praise previously reserved exclusively for God will be given to the Antichrist. Instead of thinking nobody is like God, people will think nobody is like the Antichrist.

Sixth question: who puts a mark on his people’s foreheads?

The Lord does!

Revelation 7:3 “[Seal] the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

And the antichrist puts the famous mark of the beast on his followers’ foreheads:

Revelation 13:16 [He] causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,

Seventh question: Who is called a prince?

Take your minds to Daniel’s Seventy Weeks…

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince,

Referring to Jesus. The next verse…

Daniel 9:26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince (referring to the antichrist) who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

Eighth question: Who makes a covenant with the Jews?

We know the Lord did…

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”

And antichrist does…

Daniel 9:27 And he (the antichrist) shall make a strong covenant with many (the Jews) for one week.

You get the point that instead of being the opposite of Christ, the antichrist will look like Christ.

Would the Jews Embrace the Antichrist?