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Revelation 6:1-2

Updated April 17, 2024

Rev 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
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.

Introduction

If we keep in mind that we are commissioned to “keep the things written therein” and the fact that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, then the first thought that should enter our minds is, “How does this prophecy apply to me?  Are these four horsemen evident in my life?” We also must remember that John is “looking behind” himself to see this revelation of Jesus Christ. If we can keep these principles in mind, then we will begin to see that the secrets hidden under these seven seals are all just the capstone on an entire Bible that is full of “the spirit of prophecy” and is full of “edification, exhortation, and comfort.” That is the very definition of the word ‘prophecy.”

1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See you do it not: I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Who does God use to “show us these things? By whom does God “speak unto men?” God always uses “His body which is the church.”

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

We have seen that “the four beasts, and the four and twenty elders” around the throne of God are the symbols of God’s firstfruit elect through whom He is bringing all men to Himself. We saw earlier, that the 144,000 are just another symbol of God’s firstfruit elect, who, like the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, are revealed to be the kings and priests of God who will reign with Him on this earth.

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And have made us unto our God a kingdom and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Is this not what we are also told of the one hundred and forty four thousand?

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty- four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in midheaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people,

Both in the same order have harps, both sing a new song, both are “redeemed from among men.” One is “a kingdom of priests and will reign on earth.” The other “has the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on earth.” That is the work of a priest.  So they are both symbols of God’s elect who will reign as kings and priests on earth and will bring the knowledge of Christ and His Father to all men. That is what the four beasts do in revealing to us these four horsemen of the first four seals which hide from our view the revelation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Notice who it is who reveals each of these four horsemen.

Who reveals to us these four horsemen?

Here it is (Rev 6:1). It is “one of the four beasts” which says to us, “Come and see.” So the message hidden behind the first four seals of the revelation of Jesus Christ is shown to us by “one of the four beasts” who we are told signifies “those who [are] redeemed from among men, and [are] kings and priests who will reign on earth.” What does the first of these four beasts show us? He shows us that there is a “white horse” behind the first seal. The second beast reveals that there is a red horse hidden behind the second seal which is upon this revelation of Jesus Christ. The third beast reveals a black horse, and the fourth beast reveals a pale or a green horse.

Notice that it is Christ who opens the seals, but it is not Christ Himself who shows us what is behind that seal. Rather, it is the first, second, third and fourth beast which are used by Christ to say to us, “Come and see.”

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
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.
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.
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.

Since we are told that it is the four beasts who are granted to reveal what is behind the first four seals, it is therefore the work of God’s elect who say, “Come and see.” That being the case, those four beasts are not at liberty to speculate about what a white, red, black and pale or green horse is. The Lord’s elect live by these words of admonition:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other.

These four beasts signifying the Lord’s elect overcomers who will rule with Him on this earth “tremble at the Word of God” and take great pains not to speak of themselves. These four beasts have grown past the milk of the word. These four beasts signify those who follow the principle of “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” to come to know and understand that Word.

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:
Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This [Christ is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD [Christ] was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

“Precept [must be] upon precept”, so let us go directly to the word of God to understand “precept upon precept” what these four various-colored horses and their horsemen are. Where in the Old Testament are four horsemen to be found? Here they are, and here is what they do:

Zec 1:7  Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
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.

Here in verse 8, we have a man on a red horse, and we are told “he stood among the myrtle trees.”  Myrtle trees are mentioned six times in the Old Testament.

– Original: הדס
– Transliteration: Hadac
– Phonetic: had-as’
– Definition:

1. myrtle (tree)

– Origin: of uncertain derivation
– TWOT entry: 475
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine
– Strong’s: Of uncertain derivation; the myrtle: – myrtle (tree).

Total KJV Occurrences: 6

• myrtle, 2
Neh_8:15; Isa_41:19

• tree, 1
Isa_55:13

• trees, 3
Zec_1:8; Zec_1:10; Zec_1:11

Three of the six entries for this word are right here in Zechariah 1, in verses 8, 10, and 11. The myrtle tree is mentioned once in Nehemiah as one of the trees of which branches could be used to make booths for the feast of booths, also called the feast of tabernacles. It is how the Myrtle tree is used in the prophecy of Isaiah which gives us the meaning of this tree as it is referred to here in Zechariah 1. Here are the verses from Isaiah which are so revealing:

Isa 41:18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Isa 41:19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
Isa 41:20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

The myrtle tree is planted by “the hand of the Lord.” The myrtle tree is associated with “rivers in high places… fountains in the midst of… valleys and a pool of water in the wilderness and springs of water… in dry land.” There is only one thing capable of doing all those things.

Now let’s look at the next entry for ‘the myrtle tree’ here in the prophecy of Isaiah and we will discover what that ‘one thing’ is which can do all these things:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it [All those things of Isaiah 41:18-20].
Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. [For the ability to receive and live by “My Word”, which is Christ and His doctrines]
Isa 55:13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Here Isaiah tells us that the Lord contrasts the myrtle tree with thorns and briars. The connecting word ‘for’ in verse 12 associates the myrtle tree of verse 15 with “My Word” – the Lord’s Truth as opposed to the lies and false doctrines signified by ‘thorns and briers.’

Here are three verses which demonstrate what is the mind of the spirit in using the phrase ‘thorns and briers’ or ‘briers and thorns’:

Isa 32:13  Upon the land of my [apostate] people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

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.

Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

“Thorns and briers” are used by the holy spirit to signify the false doctrines of “Many false prophets who have gone out into the world” (1Jo 4:1). Conversely “the myrtle trees” signify those who are used as the Lord’s prophets who faithfully adhere to His doctrines.

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.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Queen Esther, who lived about 34 years prior to Zechariah, was named Myrtle by her Hebrew parents. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means ‘myrtle’.

– Original: הדסּה
– Transliteration: Hadaccah
– Phonetic: had-as-saw’
– Definition: Hadassah = myrtle

• queen Esther’s Jewish name

– Origin: from of H1918
– TWOT entry: None
– Part(s) of speech: Proper Name Feminine
– Strong’s: Feminine of H1918; Hadassah (or Esther): – Hadassah.

Total KJV Occurrences: 1

• Hadassah, 1

Est_2:7

Going back to the first chapter of Zechariah, verse 11 tells us that this man on the red horse is “the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees.” The “man riding upon a red horse” is there with another red horse behind him. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs Concordance, the word translated ‘speckled’ in verse 8 is defined as “sorrel, reddish, tawny, bay.” So, what we have in verse 8 are two red horses, a bay horse, and one white horse. Zechariah sees these four horses “by night… and standing among the myrtle trees.” What are these four horses and the men, or angels, who are riding upon them? Zechariah wants to know, and the angel tells him who they represent. The rider is called “the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees”, which we have shown signify the Lord’s people.  It is “the angel of the Lord” who tells Zechariah, “These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 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.” While the four horses of Zechariah do not include the black and pale (green) horses which we find in  Revelation 6, we still learn that they signify “the angel[s] of the Lord.” Now we know who the riders of our four horses are. These four horsemen are “they whom the Lord hath sent…” to speak His fiery words of Truth:

Is it not a good thing when we are told that “all the earth is at rest?” That is certainly what any natural carnal-minded man would think, but that is not what those who are taught to “compare spiritual things with spiritual” think, and that is not what Zechariah thought.

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.
Zec 1:16  Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Why are there three red horses and just one white horse? The answer is that there is peace on the earth in the time of Zechariah. Christ is working all things, including the peace of the Gentiles, after the counsel of His own will. So He is here “among the myrtle trees” on two red horses, a brown horse and white horse. Later Christ will come to “take peace away” from the earth. At that time “the heathen will [not] be at ease” within us. This may sound discomfiting to the natural man, but is it comforting to the New Man who is signified by the myrtle trees among which the Lord is standing in the midst of the night. The fact that Zechariah witnesses this vision “by night… among the myrtle trees” signifies that when the earth is at peace, it is because the Lord’s people are being suppressed and oppressed by the man on the red horse because of their sins against Him.

The function of these four horses is explained in the preceding verses.

Zec 1:2  The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Zec 1:5  Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
Zec 1:6  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

It is only through judgment that we return to the Lord, and when we do He returns to us:

Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

“The Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words” (Zec 1:13). When it is finally given us to “see the things of the spirit” and to “compare spiritual things with spiritual things,” then we, too, will agree that when the four beasts say “Come and see” what we are seeing are “good words and comfortable words” which reveal the making of the New Man within us as we “read, hear, and keep the things written therein.” That good work of the Lord within us will always be at the expense of the peace and comfort of the old man within us.

Why Horses?

Why are we talking about horses instead of a donkey or an ox or a camel? The reason we are talking about horses is to inform us that this is all speaking of the power which the Lord has to wage war, instead of the simple work of an ass to carry us and our possessions about…

Num 22:30  And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

… or the “increase that can come from the strength of an ox,”

Pro 14:4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

… or the merchandise that can be carried by a camel.

Gen 24:10  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

This revelation takes place in heaven, and there is “war in heaven.” We are waging a war against all the “principalities and powers of the heavens.”

Exo 14:9  But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Eph 6:12  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)

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

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 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

“In righteousness He judges and makes war.” Peter tells us that “judgment is now on the house of God.” This is our “day of judgment.” This is our day of making war against “the principalities and powers in [our] heavens.” This is our “day of the Lord.” This is the day of our “war in heaven”, and that is why we are dealing with horses instead of any other animal here in the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

We will consider the spiritual significance of each of these four horses and their riders in our future studies.