The Identity Of The White Horse Proven

Comparing Scripture with Scripture and using no commentary, one can see the identity of the white horse in Revelation 6 not as Christ, but as conquest or captivity (predatory beasts). Scripture explains itself in the chart below. This same symbol is used of Christ in Revelation 19 as the conquering king. In a sense, God rides all four horsemen: “O LORD,… Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?” (Hab 3:8)

         Scholars I highly respect have identified the white horse of Revelation 6 as Christ.  But “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:13&17 ESV). 

         The Catholic Encyclopedia says, “They signify conquest, slaughter, dearth and death” If that is true, the white horse is conquest, the red is war, the black is dearth, and the pale is death. 

         Revelation 6:8 summarizes them as beasts (white horse), sword (red horse), famine (black horse), and pestilence (pale horse). The white horse goes forth conquering and to conquer just as the predatory beasts of Daniel 7 conquered the world. 

         In Jeremiah 15:3, God calls them “Four forms of destruction.”  In Ezekiel 14:21, God calls them “My four severe judgments.”  What are these four forms of judgment?  

My Four Severe Judgments

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts [captivity] and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?’” – (Ezekiel 14:21)

         God calls them, “four forms of destruction” in Jeremiah.

Four Forms Of Destruction

‘“And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,’ says the LORD: ‘the sword to slay, the dogsto drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy’”  (Jeremiah 15:3).

         The chart below proves that the white horse, as conqueror, is called beasts. This sampling of verses describe beasts as the hand of Nebuchadnezzar in some places, or into all kingdoms, under the yoke, or carried captive, etc. In each case the white horse is conquest.

       War      Famine   Pestilence  Conquest

Rev. 6:8         Sword   Famine   Death          Beasts

Jer 16:4        Sword    Famine   Death          Beasts

Jer 21:7      Sword    Famine   Pestilence  The hand of Nebuchadnessar 

Jer 24:9-10   Sword   Famine  Pestilence   Carried into all kingdoms

Ezek 5:17      Sword   Famine  Pestilence   Beasts

Jer 32:24       Sword   Famine  Pestilence   Hand of Chaldeans

Jer 32:17       Sword   Famine  Pestilence   Among all kingdoms

Jer 38:2         Sword   Famine  Pestilence   To the Chaldeans

Ezek 6:9-10 Sword   Famine  Pestilence    Carried captive

Ezek 7:15-16 Sword   Famine  Pestilence  On the mountains

Ezek 12:15-16 Sword   Famine  Pestilence  Among the nations

         Christ is depicted in Revelation 19 as the Coming Conqueror on a white horse (Rev 19:11). The prophet Habakkuk reveals that God rides all four. “O LORD… Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?” (Hab 3:8). God says these four severe judgments are His. “I send My four severe judgments” (Ezek 14:21). They cannot ride unless God sends them. The devil can do nothing without God’s permission. For example, did God send the “9/11”destruction on the twin towers? The Bible gives the answer: “If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3:6) Why does He do it? He does it as His judgment for sin.

God Is The Absolute Sovereign

         Whenever there is conquest, war, famine, and pestilence, they are sent as God’s four forms of destruction as His judgments for sin. The word accident cannot be found in the Bible. There is no such thing. Therefore, nothing can happen unless God does it. The buck stops with God. 

         The world is in a mess not because God is not in control. It is in a mess precisely becauseHe is in control. God sends death, destruction, crime, slavery, and war because of sin. The devil and evil men are simply God’s tools of wrath. But nothing can happen to those chosen by God unless He permits it. And if He does, it is for their good (Romans 8:28). 

         This is exactly how the Bible portrays God. Men resent this. Man wants to be the god to judge God. Rebellious man feels betrayed. He imagines that his rebellion can somehow save him.