WESTERN THOUGHT AND CULTURE

Western Thought and Culture I: The Classical World

Western Thought and Culture I: The Classical World

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are heavenly and mysterious characters mentioned in the New Testament, the sixth chapter of the Apocalypse. This is a reworking of two visions of a prophet of the Old Testament, Zechariah. Their ride inaugurates the beginning of the end of the world, as they appear when the Lamb, a figure of Jesus resurrected, opens the first four seals. The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse symbolize the plagues, in charge of a demonic violence; fall upon the human race to destroy it. The first rider on a white horse, is the plague, he let fly with his poisoned arrows. The second horseman, powerful and fiery, denotes arrogant youth and violence; on its war, which drives men to kill. The third horseman, gaunt, his black horse represents famine, which is in his hand a scale to weigh grain. The fourth rider on a mummy horse problem is death, which destroyed a quarter of mankind by the sword, famine, wild beasts of the bite and the disease (Mounce, 1997, p. 140).

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is described in Chapter 6 of this book, verses 1-8. The four horsemen are symbolic descriptions of different events taking place at the end of time. The first horseman is mentioned in Revelation 6:2, "And I looked, and behold a white horse and its rider had a bow, and was given a crown, and he went out conquering and to conquer." The first rider seems to refer to the Antichrist, who will be given authority and will conquer all who oppose him. The antichrist is the false imitator of the true Christ, who will return on a white horse ...