I spent my college years at the University of Kansas. The school’s natural history museum is located just behind my old dormitory. One of the museum’s most prominent displays is Comanche, the taxidermied horse of General George A. Custer (pictured below). Comanche became legendary as the “last man standing” amidst the slaughter of Custer, his 250 men, and their horses at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Comanche, Custer's taxidermized Horse

Unlike Comanche, the horses of Revelation 6:1-8 are not the principal feature of the narrative. Although each horse represents a symbolic color and gives its rider extra speed and power, details associated with the riders divulge more clues to the meaning of this part of Revelation’s mystery.

I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!  So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.

Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.

Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay, and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

Then when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked and here came a pale green horse! The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth. Revelation 6:1-8 NET

 Here are my basic observations:

    • All four seals are broken by the Lamb — the only one qualified to break them (from Chapter 5).
    • The four living creatures surrounding the Lamb in Chapter 5 each cry “Come” in turn as successive seals are broken.
    • Each of the four horses, designated by a different color, are “power vehicles” for four separate riders.
    • Riders are depicted carrying a symbolic object or objects, and are given or accompanied by an additional symbolic object or warrant. 

In general, the horses and their colors as well as the riders and their items represent the following disasters (others have slightly different lists):

    • War/Conquest – one nation against another
    • Strife/severe internal conflict 
    • Basic food shortage
    • Death along with disease


Those who study historical disasters have seen this progression repeat itself in stories of nations throughout the two millennia since Revelation was distributed to the seven churches. But how does this sequence connect with Revelation’s other mysteries? Should we brush off the horses and their riders as a tidy “one and done” in the first century and dismiss ideas of further prophetic fulfillment as “beating dead horses”?

Because there are many approaches to reading Revelation, it’s wise to begin or refresh yourself by researching what the Apostle John’s first readers understood the colors and symbols to represent. Also, considering more than one academic viewpoint often provides greater insight into how this section might fit with the rest of the unveiling.

To that end, I offer you studylight.org as an online resource where a wealth of scholarly commentaries with a variety of perspectives are offered free of charge. You might start with this one to give you a picture of what first readers of Revelation likely thought about Revelation 6:1-8. Have an eventful ride!


by Kathleen Petersen