The Four Horsemen Ride Through History
Zechariah 1:8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.” 11 So they responded to the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is still and quiet.”
Zechariah 6:1-8 Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong spotted horses. 4 So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going out to the north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the south country.” 7 When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
What we learn from these two passages is that the four horsemen of Revelation are not some recent additions to the heavenly host. Zechariah’s vision comes in the late 6th century before Christ. We get the understanding from the first chapter of Zechariah that these colored horses with their riders have been patrolling the earth apparently as long as men have intermittently disrupted peace on the planet. Where is the dappled horse in chapter one? Could it be still out on patrol? Why, also, were there two of each colored horse in chapter 6? They apparently patrol in some instances in pairs. The explanation is that in chapter six we find four pairs of colored horses at home ready for their next patrol. In this vision we learn that the black, red, white, and dappled horses can also be sent out as pairs pulling four chariots. These horsemen can then move in the four compass directions throughout the earth. The northbound horseman reports back peace, a place that the Lord’s Spirit may take rest.
The next time we encounter the four horsemen, they are introduced by the first four seals of the Book of Revelation. Have any of the seals of Revelation 6 been opened? When will the events prophesied in Revelation take place, “? There is a clear statement in Revelation 1:1 that the events predicted to occur were “soon to take place.” Should we believe the direct words of Christ to John, or should we practice our most convoluted reasoning skills to reinterpret the verse to our own liking. Yes, one day is as a thousand years to God, 2 Peter 3. That was written to the distant future in context of the appearing of Christ at the end time and the patience of man. The message to John and the seven churches of Asia was written in the context of the times in which he lived and to him as a person. John was told these events would “take place in swiftness,” genesthai en tachei. God understands context. He was speaking to John. The events revealed to John began in his own period in history.
We then turn to Revelation chapter six and learn of the four horsemen’s most current mission. First, the Book of Daniel gives us context for the history of the planet. Daniel’s fourth and final kingdom for the earth is the Roman Empire. Its influence over the earth will stretch more than two millennia. The conquest of Rome establishes the Pax Romana which endures for two centuries late into the second century. During the third century barbarian invasions, civil wars, and other weaknesses began to wear away at Roman stability. The final fall of Rome dated 486 A.D. begins a period of barbarian rule and their quests for legitimization by recognition from the remaining eastern Roman Empire located in Constantinople. The western portion of the empire will be resurrected as the Holy Roman Empire by Charlemagne three centuries later. This empire will last officially until the 19th century. Europe will undergo turmoil and exist as separate countries until the European Union attempts a secular unification at the end of the 20th century. The Union is now poised for strong leadership in the spirit of a resurrected Rome. This union will be ready and waiting for this leader of a world in peril during the coming end times.
This particular mission of the horsemen has covered two millennia. It is type of the spiritual warfare we note in Daniel 10:13. Daniel, like John, was given an unbroken sequence of events until the end time. John in like manner has a revelation of an unbroken sequence of events until the end time beginning with his own day. The mission of the four horsemen during the first four seals, also covering the dark ages (476-1,000 A.D.), is a perfect fit for the events that have occurred over the last two millennia. Conquest, war, economic collapse leading to famine, and death from plague have been the norm for this period. The horsemen orchestrate and control God’s plan on earth. The sixth and seventh seal introduce cosmic disaster into the scenario. This will be the final opportunity for these four horsemen to finish setting the stage for end time events and the rise of the antichrist. We now await these last two seals and the stars falling from heaven with the appearing of our Lord in the heavens.