Open the Seals
The Fourth Seal
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:7-8).
John was shown the rider of the pale horse, whose name was Death, and his companion, Hades (Hell), followed close by. Death in Greek is θάνατος (Thánatos), which means the end of life physically and/or spiritually.[1] We know that death began with the beginning of sin, which originated with man’s fall in the Garden of Eden, for which the Lord warned would happen should man fail to obey Him. The Bible says: “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17). This death was not just a physical one, but man experienced a spiritual separation from God. This means that when we disobey God’s commands, we are disobeying the Lord Himself, which allows sin to be a wall between us and the Lord. The Word of God says: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The Lord is holy and righteous; therefore, sin cannot dwell in His presence. Yet, God has always wanted to dwell with man, so this is why Jesus came to earth to restore the relationship that separated us from the Father. The Bible says: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We have been reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son, because of Jesus’ birth, death on the cross, and victorious resurrection. Therefore, death, though he rides on the pale horse, has no power over those who are in Christ Jesus. Yet, in John’s vision, Death and Hades were given the power to kill ¼ of the world’s population. Now, who is this companion, Hades, who follows nearby?
The Greek word "follow" is ἀκολουθέω (akoloutheō), which means to go behind or accompany someone closely, and is used frequently in the New Testament.[2] While no separate horse is mentioned for Hades, he is still noted as being a follower of the rider Death. Therefore, Hades could be considered riding pillion, which means that one person is riding behind another on the same horse. While the person up front controls the direction of the horse, the person riding pillion is subject to the front rider's authority and direction and must therefore follow their lead.[3] This can explain why, even though no horse is mentioned for Hades, he is stated as following close by.
Hades (ᾅδης) in Greek is defined as the grave, realm of the dead, or hell. This may help one understand why the rider Death and Hades are closely connected because death causes one to go to the grave physically and/or spiritually. Still, even though this may be the case, Death does not have to lead to an eternal hell if one accepts Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Furthermore, one only has to fear Hades if they are not in right fellowship with the Lord. While death may take the physical body to the grave, this is not the end for those whose names are written in the book of life. The Bible says: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). This verse encourages all believers with the blessed hope of being with Jesus upon separation from our physical bodies, which go into the grave. Therefore, Death and Hades, although they ride together to inflict judgment upon the earth, have no victory over God’s faithful. The Bible says: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
In many biblical translations, the color description pale is used to describe the fourth horse. However, in Greek, pale is written as χλωρός (Chloros), which is also translated as green, ashen, or yellowish. This means that the horse was a pale, sickly shade of green. According to medical connotations of the word’s usage in ancient Greek, historians argue that the color demonstrates the paleness or pallidity of a dead body. In other words, while the color green often represents life in the Bible, it has the opposite meaning for this fourth horse described in John’s vision. Similarly, the color green did not have a favorable undertone with God regarding particular fabric contaminations during Moses' day. The Bible says: “As for any fabric that is spoiled with a defiling mold—any woolen or linen clothing, any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather—if the affected area in the fabric, the leather, the woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a defiling mold and must be shown to the priest” (Leviticus 13:47-49). Due to the nature of the riders involved, this horse does not represent life but death.
The death rider of this horse was given the power to kill in four ways: sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. These are the same measures God used to punish Israel and Judah when they turned their backs on Him. Let’s examine a few verses regarding these judgments.
Sword: The Lord judged Judah with the sword because of their defiance against Him. The Bible says: “‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath” (Jeremiah 21:4-5).
Famine: The Lord judged Judah by taking away their food supply because they refused to listen to His warnings and went their own way into idolatry. The Bible says: “He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin” (Ezekiel 4:16-17).
Plagues: The Lord promised to allow plagues to destroy Israel should they failed to obey Him. The Bible says: “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. (Leviticus 26:14-16).
Wild Beasts: The Lord used wild beasts to destroy Israel and eat their crops because of their sins before Him. The Bible says: “I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted” (Leviticus 26:22).
There are many fatalities taking place in the world today. People are killing one another without considering the harm they are doing or the hurt they are causing their loved ones who are left behind. The Bible says: “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:12). Many people may wonder why we are seeing so much violence and calamities taking place across the world, but there is one answer which many do not want to acknowledge—sin. The world has engaged in and endorsed every vile and grievous sin that could be committed, and yet, it has remained unrepentant. Therefore, this is why God will and has allowed judgments to come upon the earth, with more to come.
The rider of this horse also caused famines and plagues, just like the rider of the red horse. Once again, there are people in various countries around the world who barely have enough food and lack adequate shelter. Children are often left to fend for themselves, and many die without any sense of hope. Yet, if you recall, something was different about the pale horse. It had not only one rider, but seemingly two riders, which means they were very closely connected. Why is this? Many people are not only going to die in their sins, but their final destination will be more than just the grave—hell itself will receive them. The Bible says: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Death and Hades are very closely connected because there is no chance of redemption once someone dies. There is no purgatory for them to go to with the hope that they will be able to barter their way to Heaven. No, this may be the belief of many, but unfortunately, they are sadly mistaken.
Another important fact about the riders of this horse is that they were given the power to kill a fourth of the earth, and by the wild beasts. Now the killing of the sword could be done by way of war. However, it is essential to recognize that the Bible does not specify that all of this would occur at one time. There can be many events leading to the killing of a fourth of the earth. Some may ask the question, “How is it that beasts or animals will be able to kill humans?” That’s a good question. In the event of famine, animals would also require resources such as food and water. However, if they cannot get the resources they need in their natural habitat, they could search elsewhere. This could cause humans to become prey where they were once the hunter. The Bible says: “Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them” (Amos 9:3).
One may wonder if the riders of these four horses are already riding due to what is happening on Earth. This could very well be the case for many people around the world, as they are experiencing many, if not all, of the things that these horses represent. However, the riders' pace may be at a trot for the present, but if they are already riding, they will soon begin to increase in pace and with incredible speed, as we have never seen before. The Bible says: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).
[1] Bible Hub Editorial Staff, "Strong's Greek: 2288. θάνατος (thanatos) -- Death," Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages, last modified 2021, https://biblehub.com/greek/2288.htm.
[2] Marg Mowczko Editorial Staff, "A quick look at the Greek word for “follow”," Marg Mowczko, last modified March 11, 2012, https://margmowczko.com/a-look-at-the-word-follow-akoloutheo/.
Homework: Watch the attached video about William Miller and the Great Disappointment. This week, do your own research about this event and find Scripture regarding what took place.
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