Audio Download

Rev 6:3-4 The Red Horse

[Study Aired April 26, 2024]

Rev 6:3  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4  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.

In our last study we learned that when the Lamb opened the first four seals on the book  of the word of God we were show four horses with four riders. The first horse was a white horse, the second was a red horse, the third was a black horse and the fourth was a pale horse. We learned from Zechariah 1 what the four horses and their riders do in the Lord’s service:

Zec 1:8  I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
Zec 1:9  Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
Zec 1:10  And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
Zec 1:11  And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

We saw in this first chapter of Zechariah that when the kingdom of our old man “sitteth still, and is at rest”, and when “the heathen [within us] are at ease” that the Lord “[is] very sore displeased with the heathen”, and He comes to us on a red horse and to “take peace from [our] earth”:

Zec 1:12  Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
Zec 1:13  And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Zec 1:14  So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
Zec 1:15  And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

While the colors of the horses vary from Zechariah to Revelation, as brother Tony pointed out, the combined horses number eight, and since the Man on the white horse comes conquering and to conquer” the fruit of these eight horses riding through our lives is the birth of a new man in the image of the Son of God.

Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Words like ‘crown’ and ‘conquer’ are never associated with the adversary. We are told that God has “given” him the kingdoms of this world (Luk 4:5-7), and he is called “the god of this world”, but the adversary’s actions are never referred to as ‘conquering’ anything. We are told that the adversary was created as a tool in the hand of his Creator. He is assigned and sent by his Creator to take all of Job’s possessions and to afflict Job with boils (Job 1-2). The adversary is sent as “and evil spirit from the Lord” to “trouble” King Saul (1Sa 16:14). We are told that the adversary was “created” as “the waster to destroy” (Isa 54:16-17). Words like “a white horse… a crown… and to conquer” are not appropriate to describe the actions of this crooked serpent who is nothing more than a tool in the Creator’s hand for spreading trouble, lies, destruction and death (Job 26:13). Satan is never once referred to as riding a white horse and going forth “conquering and to conquer”. The scripture makes very clear who it is who rides upon this white horse:

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

It is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” who is sitting on this powerful white horse and riding this white horse as He conquers every enemy of His kingdom in our lives.

Christ comes into our lives, and while He is on a white horse here, He still has a bow in Revelation 6:4, and a sharp sword in Revelataion 19:15. Both are instruments of war which take peace from our ‘earth’. The outcome of this war is not in question, because Christ is “given a crown”, and “He goes forth conquering, and to conquer.”

There has been a lot of controversy over the years concerning the symbolism of this white horse and his rider. Many ministers and commentators teach that this particular ‘white horse’ symbolizes a false Christ, with a false spirit, and a false gospel. There is not one verse of scripture which says that Satan conquers anything. Neither is Satan ever given a crown or a white horse anywhere in scripture.

The outcome of this heavenly battle was settled in Eden, and it is reiterated after Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden. It was while still in the garden that the fate of the Adversary was revealed:

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [Christ] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The efforts of the Adversary causing us to stumble and ‘bruising our heel” are revealed to be futile in the end. Though we will rebel, and though the adversary is given to “bruise [our] heel”, ultimately Christ will be our ruler, and we will submit to His will in our lives because “[He] will ‘bruise [our] head’, the ‘head’ of the kingdom of our old man.

Eve typifies our first rebellious ‘harlot’, ‘bondwoman’ mother, signifying the churches of this world who have given us into all the lies of the Adversary. She, too, will be judged.

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to [H413: ‘êl/‘el, against] thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

“The first man Adam” is the vessel of clay which was deliberately marred in the Potter’s hand. His salvation comes only through his destruction: That is the judgment placed upon our old “first man Adam.”

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

“Thorns and thistles” are Bible-speak for lying words and false doctrines.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

It is none other than Christ Himself who tells us “the field is the world.”

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];

“The herbs of the field” are the false doctrines of this world.

It is only through Adam’s loss that He is saved. That simply does not compute in the mind of the natural man, but that is the doctrine of Jesus Christ:

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

It is through the destruction of the first Adam, that Christ, the last Adam, is placed upon His rightful throne in our hearts:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

There is one more example of the prophecy of this white horse and his rider at the beginning of the entire Bible. Look at what the Lord tells Cain just before Cain kills Abel.

Gen 4:2  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep [man of God feeding the Lord’s sheep], but Cain was a tiller of the ground [A man of the field, the world].
Gen 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto [H413: ‘êl/‘el, against] thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

The Hebrew word translated ‘to’ in Genesis 3:16 and ‘unto’ here in Genesis 4:7 is the exact same Hebrew word which is translated “against” in the very next verse.

Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against [H413:  ‘êl/‘el, against] Abel his brother, and slew him.

The Hebrew word translated ‘to’ in Genesis 3:16 is ‘el.’ The Hebrew word translated ‘unto’ in Genesis 4:7 is ‘el.’ ‘El‘ is also the Hebrew word translated ‘against’ in Genesis 4:8. Cain is told that sin’s desire would be against him, just as the desires of our flesh are against us all.

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Eve is told that her desire would be against her husband. Cain is told that sin’s desire would be against Cain. Both are told that in the end, through the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-15), the white horse rider would conquer sin, and salvation would be God’s gift to “the whole world.”

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [not exclusively] of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours [believers] only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

So, the revelation of Jesus Christ is to be found at the very beginning of the Bible, just as this white horse conqueror is at the very beginning of the opening of the seven seals which have held the Bible completely sealed away from the eyes of the natural man.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Why cannot the natural man hear the Lord’s words? This is the only reason:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

In other words, Christ Himself has deceived and blinded this world so they “cannot hear [His] word” (Joh 8:43) because “it is not given to them… to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” This revelation is “good words and words of comfort” to all who have the testimony of Jesus Christ. For us it is good news to be told that Christ has come conquering and to conquer the kingdom of our old man. This white horse conquerer cannot be seen until after He has already begun to conquer “another Jesus… another spirit… and another gospel” which our old man had received. This false Jesus is given to do “many wonderful works” (Mat 7:22), conquering many weaknesses of the flesh, while remaining completely impotent against all the false doctrines of the principalities and powers in the heavens.

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

This “white horse” is seen through a “door opened in heaven,” and it is through this “door opened in heaven” that we see all the heavenly powers and principalities which maintain all the false doctrines of the great whore, whose great city is full of what appears to be God’s own “gold, silver and precious stones.” This is the very meaning of John 8:37.

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Christ is speaking to you and me in this verse. This is what we want to do to the true Christ while we are in Babylon, while we are still in bondage to the doctrines of Babylon.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

It is the revelation of this false religious system, and its hold on the throne of God within us, which causes this white horse to appear and begin this war which must take place within us. It is this white horse rider with a bow and sharp sword who begins this war, which causes so much of the “fiery trials” and the judgments which “must first begin at the house of God.”

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

These four horses and their four riders are shown to us by the four beasts which are “in the midst of… and round about the throne” of God (Rev 4:6). As such, they symbolize “the [true] revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1). It is not the revelation of “another Jesus, with another spirit, and another gospel

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

This fake Jesus, with a fake spirit and a fake gospel, is not that easy to detect.

Gal 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Without a doubt, there is “another Jesus” who brings “another gospel.” The removing of this seal, and the gospel shown to us by the first beast, is the true Christ who sends these horses and their riders into our lives. The white horse comes to conquer, and that is what He will do in the lives of those who receive this revelation.  The only other mention of this “white horse” in this prophecy of the revelation of Jesus Christ is in chapter 19, and it is the end-product of the work of these four horsemen in our lives and in our heavens. It is the same white horse and the same ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s’ (Rev 19:16) riding upon a white horse. It is Christ in us (Col 1:27). All in whom dwells the word and spirit of God, all in whose mouths is the sharp two-edged sword of God’s Word are riding on powerful “white horses”, and they, too, are “clothed in fine linen, white and clean”, prepared for battle as part of “the armies in heaven”:

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

It is “good words and words of comfort” (Zec 1:13) to be told that those who follow Christ will “smite the nations and rule them with a rod of iron, and tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Second Beast Reveals The Red Horse

Rev 6:3  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4  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.

Christ makes it very clear that it is He Himself who takes peace away from the world, and the “great sword” with which He takes peace away from our ‘earth’ is His own words and His doctrines:

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a [“great”] sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes [shall be] they of his own household.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Christ is also the rider of this red horse. Only when we come to see this will we know what is meant by “good words and comfortable words”, because we will then understand that the world is within us, and it must be burned out of us for the kingdom of God to be set up in our hearts. It is by this red horse and his rider that all our false doctrines are challenged and are conquered. ‘The beast’ is within us, and it begins to be dethroned, and our old man begins to “die daily” (1Co 15:31) as this ‘red horse’ rides through the kingdom of our old man. That is how we become the “new man” and have “the kingdom of God within us” (Luk 17:20-21). It is a time when peace is taken from our earth by the “great sword” of His words and doctrines. It is at this time that we begin to lose the life and kingdom of our old man, and in doing so we find the life and kingdom of Christ.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

It is the ‘new man’ only who knows what is true doctrine, who teaches what is the true “love for the children of God,” and the true “love of God.”

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

The world into which we are born hates this doctrine of what is the love of the children of God, and what is the love of God. It is given to very few to appreciate the function of the rider of this red horse. Nevertheless, He must ride through our lives or we do not yet know or understand these words.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

That simply does not compute in the mind of the natural man. He simply “cannot receive” the words of Christ:

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Christ Himself tells us that it is He and His doctrine which begins to “take peace from the earth” when we are given to accept Christ’s Words.

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a [great] sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Rev 6:4  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.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Summary

We will have to wait until the next study to get to the black and the pale horses and their riders.

We have seen that it is Christ Himself who opens the seven seals on this book, but the meaning of these four horses and their four riders is revealed to us, not directly by Christ Himself, but rather by the four beasts which are “in the midst of the throne.” In other words, the understanding of the revelations hidden by the seals is made manifest by God’s elect to God’s elect.

We have seen that the reason we are talking about horses instead of any other animal, is that this revelation of Jesus Christ is the revealing of a war that is being waged in our heavens. Horses, in scripture, are animals which are associated with war.

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

We have seen that the white horse is the revealing of the truth which is hidden behind the first seal, and that white horse and his rider are Christ in us, having come to conquer all His enemies within us. He has come on a powerful white horse to do battle with a bow and “a great sword”, to do war, to conquer, and He will not be deterred.

Finally, we saw that Christ is also “He that sat on… a red horse”, who comes into our lives tp “take peace from [our] earth”. We have seen that “the earth” is God’s own people who “cannot receive His words.” He does all of this with “a great sword,” which is “the sword of the word.”

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In our next study, Lord willing, we will see what Christ will real to us when He opens the third and fourth seals and has the third and fourth beasts tell us to “come and see.”

Rev 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Rev 6:7  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.