Horsemen of the apocalypse from the new testament. Mythology: Four horsemen of the Apocalypse Four horsemen of death
How was the Revelation of John written and what symbolic role does the appearance of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse play in it? What does each of the four apocalyptic horsemen represent? What development did the symbolism of the horsemen of the Apocalypse receive in the painting of the Middle Ages and Modern Times?
What do the four horsemen of the Apocalypse mean?
(Horseman of the Apocalypse as a symbol of death)
The most mysterious biblical book called the Apocalypse was written, by all accounts, by one of the beloved disciples of Jesus -. Revelations came to him during his exile to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. Some apocryphal legends claim that John saw key scenes of the Apocalypse when, on the orders of Emperor Domitian, he was tortured in boiling oil. John emerged from the cauldron unharmed, but during the trial unusual visions came to him, which later returned and were recorded by the apostle in all details.
John's revelation dates back to the developed apocalyptic tradition, which was developed by many authors. The end of the world was portrayed by them in vivid symbolic images that could be deciphered in different ways. Most of them had a well-established mythological basis. When interpreting the plots and images of the Apocalypse of John, one must always keep in mind that this sacred text is also not a simple description of any specific events. Rather, it presents some signs by which you can determine the approach of the end of the world. To understand them seems real only in the context of the entire Holy Scripture and the established allegorical tradition. It should be borne in mind that the symbolism of the images of Revelation is very ambiguous.
"Savior and John the Theologian" (writing of "Apocalypse")
John the Theologian immediately divides the whole world and its representatives into two opposing spheres.
The Highest Sphere - Angelic World; The Church that triumphs in Heaven; Church persecuted on Earth. The head of this sphere is the Savior Jesus - the Son of God.
The lowest is the realm of evil... It is represented by the unbelieving world, sinners, false teachers, conscious fighters against God and demons of all stripes. The fallen angel in the form of a dragon has power over them.
Throughout most of his Apocalypse, John shows the history of constant war between representatives of these two spheres of life. It will last all the time allotted for the existence of mankind. In his insights, the apostle gradually reveals the different facets of the struggle between good and evil. He talks about how the self-determination of people is accomplished. Some of them take the side of good, the second choose evil. Throughout this ecumenical conflict, the Divine Judgment over earthly nations and individuals is being accomplished in stages. Before the very end of the world, the earthly Church will be extremely weakened, but evil will greatly strengthen its positions.
Seven seals and four horsemen
The story of them begins in the 6th chapter of Revelation, which reveals the fate of mankind. The Lamb-Christ takes turns removing seven seals from the Book of Life... This is the beginning of the last times, which are marked by an intensification of the struggle between the Church and the devil. After the first four seals and tetramorphs (winged creatures with the faces of a man, an eagle, a lion and a bull) were opened, they shouted their "Come and see!" Horsemen of the Apocalypse... Kabbalistic interpretation of the number 4 (hezed) means greatness, power, elemental principle and at the same time - mercy. In Revelation, horsemen are God's instruments, carrying, among other things, anger and punishment. In addition, in Holy Scripture, horsemen denote earthly kingship. Appearing before the world in turn, they determine the change of historical formations, which are filled with certain events.
The first seal is a rider on a white horse... He is crowned with an angel and holds a bow in his hands. He is given different names: Victorious, Conqueror, Pestilence (Plague, Disease). Many believe that he will bring with him into the world various natural and social cataclysms, strife and terrible diseases... However, many Bible interpreters point out that the basic meaning of white in Holy Scripture is associated with the concepts of purity and holiness. In particular, Jesus himself sometimes appears on a white horse.
This fact gave rise to the opinion that the rider on a white horse will mark the era of spirituality and the triumph of Christianity.... These will be times of not material, but spiritual abundance, when the earthly Church will shine in its full glory, almost as in the first centuries of the spread of faith. This, from the point of view of some Christian mystics, will be the first stage of the destruction of the millennial Kingdom of Christ (which began on the day of the Savior's death on the cross). According to Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who lived in the II century, the white horseman is one of the images of Christ himself. According to another assumption, he - The Holy Spirit Carrying the Teaching of Faith to People.
There is also an opposite interpretation: this rider is a false righteous, who is sent to confuse the weak in spirit and to commemorate the arrival of the Antichrist in the world. Some interpreters of Revelation even personify the one who descended on a white horse with the Antichrist himself.
The second seal - a rider with a large sword on a red horse... He is called the War (Abuse), he is sent "to take peace from the earth, and to kill one another" (Revelation 6: 4). The color of his horse and sword (they are also called red and "fiery") traditionally symbolize blood, consuming fire, selfishness, intemperance, cruelty, various powerful animal instincts in man. Red in mythology is a characteristic of the monster Typhon, who entered the battle with the forces of light from the side of darkness. The second rider will bring with him terrible bloody wars, all kinds of violence and destruction... People who rejected Christ's teaching will plunge into the abyss of mental and social turmoil, which will be accompanied by the continuation of natural disasters. An era of heresies and persecution of the Church will begin. Then the blood of martyrs will be shed, who will zealously fight the enemies of faith. In addition, the sword in the hand of the warrior indicates that he will administer judgment on the fallen people in the name of God.
Third Seal - Rider on a Black Horse... In his hand he holds a measure (scales), and his name is Hunger. After long wars on Earth, a period of hunger vegetation will begin, which this rider will bring with him. It is believed that it marks drought and crop failures, lack of food and numerous starvation... The black color of his horse symbolizes precisely death, evil, danger and decay. And the measure in his hands is the price for the lasting sins of people. In the time of John the Evangelist, the measure was a very high price to pay for something (since then, the well-known expression "to pay in full" has remained). Bible interpreters believe that another meaning of black in it is lack of spirituality. This means that the times that the third horseman will open will be deprived of grace and filled with a spiritual hunger for unbelief. Perhaps the symbolism of the black rider is primarily just that: he will mark the beginning of the animal existence of most people who will cease to care about their own spirits.
Fourth seal- a rider on a pale horse - has a common name "Death". He drives empty-handed, as his main purpose will be to open the gates of hell. However, in many ancient drawings, the authors give him a scythe as the most famous medieval attribute of death. The pale color of the horse (most often it is believed that it is visually pale green) imitates cadaverous colorlessness. This rider is the only one whose name is directly mentioned in the Book of Books, but various translations suggest calling it the Plague or Plague (obviously, guided by the words of John that he will "kill with the sword and hunger, and with pestilence and the beasts of the earth" (Revelation 6: 8))... Judging by this quote, the fourth horseman is a combination of the first three: he leads diseases, wars, hunger, the final spiritual death of a huge number of people to Earth. A number of Bible interpreters assert that it is the fourth horseman who will announce with his arrival the era of the reign of the Antichrist, who in a vast area - a quarter of the Earth - will be able to establish a new false faith in himself.
The most terrible thing in this part of the Apocalypse about the four seals is that the times of the horsemen with countless sorrows and sufferings of mankind are only foreshadowings of real troubles that will come in the years to come and will be much more terrible (they are what John calls the Calamities).
Illustration of the Bible "Apocalypse". Netherlands
"The rider on a white horse". Bamberg Apocalypse (1000-1020)
"The rider on a white horse". J. Frederick Watts
"The rider on the red horse". J. Frederick Watts
"Rider on a black horse". Angersky Apocalypse (1372-82)
"The rider on the pale horse". William Blake
Images of horsemen of the Apocalypse in painting
They began to appear and develop in the early Middle Ages, primarily in the art of lithography and engraving. Biblical texts were supplied with images of this kind. The most complete illustrative material for the Bible was first created by A. Durer, who paid great attention to the Revelation of John. On his famous engraving "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" the first is written in the form of a dignitary in a royal cap with a pitying look on people. The second is full of rage and gallops forward. The third - with his bare head and indifferent eyes - absent-mindedly looks over the exhausted crowds somewhere into the distance. The fourth looks like an emaciated old man, riding an equally thin horse without horseshoes and with a rope instead of a bridle. The old man holds a trident in his hands. Behind all four, hell itself strives into the world in the form of a terrible, toothy beast. Under the feet of horses, pitiful people fall to the dust: peasants, townspeople, rulers, monks. None of them will escape their due punishment.
Do you think the end of the world will come with the advent of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? No! This is so, a warm-up, they are just in the forefront, such harbingers of a nightmare. Let's take a closer look at them and learn to distinguish: who has a sharp braid, and who has scales. And how can you literally portray the expression "hell followed him" - well, that is, what do the legs of this Hell look like, which stomps behind Bony's trail? (And also we will learn to better understand the songs of Johnny Cash and the band "Alice").
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This chapter is extremely eventful, and they are so vivid that most people from the entire book of "Apocalypse" usually remember only about them. (And in vain, further will be steeper oh-oh-oh).
Chapter 6(synodal translation), part 1.
1 And I saw that the Lamb removed the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four animals, speaking as if with a thunderous voice: go and look.
It is assumed that the Book, i.e. the scroll was arranged as follows: "The package was one, but consisted of seven turns - parts that were separated from one another by seals; as the seals were removed, the package itself unfolded further and further and revealed its content. The seals themselves could be placed on the edge of the convolution ".
Fragment of a drawing by W. Blake
2 I looked, and behold, white horse and on him a horseman who had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he came out victorious, and to conquer.
Although the First Horseman is not named in The Apocalypse, it is traditionally believed to be the Plague. Obviously because he has a bow and arrow - remember. and in Greek mythology, Apollo sent out epidemics by shooting people with a bow. In addition to the bow and arrows, he has a crown and a white horse.
"Removing the first seal" (the Lamb lifts his paw, see, bent it back?) The first animal of the four, although the author does not name it, in this miniature is a lion whispering in John's ear.
Douce Apocalypse, 13th century
3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second animal saying: Go and see.
4 And another came out horse, red; and it was given to him who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The name of the second rider is traditionally War. He has a sword in his hands, and his horse is red.
5 And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third animal say, Go and see. I looked, and behold, black horse and on him a horseman, having a measure in his hand.
The third horseman began to be called Hunger, because in his hands he holds scales, symbolizing how carefully food is weighed during a shortage.
The famous Johnny Cash song "The Man Comes Around" is dedicated to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and is almost entirely based on the text of "Apocalypse". In the first lines - about the first horseman of the Apocalypse, at the end - about the fourth. I invite fans of the singer to familiarize themselves with comparing the song with the Bible: each, in fact, almost every line has a parallel text. There is even about the 24 bowing elders from the last chapter. I say that rock music becomes much more interesting after studying "Apocalypse".
7 And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal, saying: Go and see.
8 And I looked, and behold, pale horse, and on it the rider called "death"; and hell followed him; and power was given to him over a fourth of the earth - to put to death with the sword and hunger, and with pestilence and the beasts of the earth.
The 4th horseman is the only one who is directly given a proper name in the Holy Scriptures. It is curious that in the first period of illustrating the Apocalypse, this character was not depicted as a walking skeleton, but looked the same as his three colleagues. The scythe as an attribute also appeared later; in the early period, a bowl with fire was more popular. Here's an example.
English manuscript 1255-1260 John is drawn outside the frame of the miniature, the eagle reports to him through the window.
But from the earliest period, the line "and hell followed him" was completely literalistically illustrated. It turned out to be the demon Hades with a huge mouth, sometimes full of sinners, sometimes breathing fire, as befits Hell.
Hans Memling. "Polyptych of St. John" (detail), 1470s
Although there is no line in the Apocalypse where 4 horsemen are mentioned "in one shot", such iconography has emerged over time and has become extremely popular.
Another fragment of the same picture. We already know what is in the upper left corner in the rainbow sphere, but we will learn to "read" the upper right corner in other chapters.
"Alice" - the song "Horsemen" (text online). Here, as far as I understand, a rarer interpretation of the figures of horsemen was used: some Church Fathers believed that the 1st or 4th horseman is a positive character, if exactly - Christ in general. More on this another time.
(the end of the 6th chapter will be next time, there is already a different plot develops, not about the riders)
Chapter 6 (modern translation), part 1
1 I saw the Lamb remove one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four creatures say in a thunderous voice: "Come here!"
2 And I saw: behold a white horse, on him a rider with a bow. He was given a wreath and came out as a winner to win.
Despite the title of the painting, the focus here is on the first rider, not the second.
Philipp Jakob Loutherbourg d. J. "Opening of the second seal". 1798
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second being say, "Come here!"
4 And the second horse came out — a fiery red one. His rider is allowed to take the world away from the earth, so that everyone can cut each other to death. And he was given a great sword.
Rider on a Red Horse, Carlo Carrà, 1913. The Italian Futurists adored red horses, and it is said to be based on the "Apocalypse". I am beginning to suspect Petrov-Vodkin of something ...
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third being say, "Come here!"
And I saw: behold a black horse, and the rider had a balance in his hand.
Giusto de Menabuoi. Fresco in the Padua Baptistery, 14th century
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth being saying, "Come here!"
8 And I saw: behold a whitish horse and a rider. The rider's name is Death, followed by Hell. They have been given power over a quarter of the earth: to kill with a sword, hunger, a deadly plague and wild beasts.
Gustav Dore. 1865. This is already a classic example of the iconography of the Fourth Horseman, whose name is Death: skeleton, scythe, etc.
Yet The fourth horseman a bunch, he's the most popular.
Giotto. OK. 1320
Édouard Ravel de Malval
Odilon Redon. 1899.
Angersky apocalypse, tapestry, 14th century
John Hamilton Mortimer, c. 1775
Unexpected Turner. 1825
William Blake. OK. 1800. The rider is not a skeleton. See the scroll with the seals?
This is a very interesting series by the Austrian artist Karl Rössing, created in 1946-7, with allusions to the Second World War.
Very recognizable silhouettes of two anti-aircraft shelter towers. The towers still stand in the center of Vienna (6 in total).
Other:
First rider: white horse, bow, arrows, sometimes a crown.
The name is "Plague" because arrows are an allegory of contagion.
George Frederick Watts, 1878.
Angersky tapestry, 14th century
Luigi Sabatelli, 1800s.See the influence of Apollo's iconography?
Fresco in the Cathedral of Anagni, Italy
Saint Denis stained glass
Spain, 1189
ROTTING CHRIST-The Four Horsemen. A very themed song, and quite lyrical (well, for amateurs).
I will not embed any more videos in this chapter, here you go, I have collected huge playlist of rock songs on youtube on this topic.
Then only pictures:
Second rider: red horse holding a sword. The crown is gone.
The name is "War" because the sword is an allegory for murder.
Saint Denis stained glass
England, approx. 1250
Third rider: black horse, scales.
His name is "Hunger" because the scales are an allegory for a meager amount of food.
Bamberg Apocalypse, c. 1000
Angersky tapestry, 14th century
In terms of popularity, Death is the most popular, then Plague (probably because it is photogenic), and the remaining two separate ones are not very good.
A fragment of the German modern mosaic, which I showed in the previous. ch. It is interesting because the seals here depict its consequences - i.e. on the first four are our riders.
That's the whole quadriga - now you know how to find out where who is.
Engraving from the Mortier Bible. A Book with 7 seals hangs in the sky.
Arild Rosenkrantz - The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1952. An example of 20th century visionary work.
Karl Rössing, 1946-7
Matthias Gerung. Ottheinrich-bible, 1530-2
Boris Anisfeld. 1946
Jacopo Palma the Younger. 1580s.
During the Renaissance, the plot was depicted very rarely. There is St. John with an eagle. In the lower left corner, don't miss the mouth of Hell.
Miniature from "Beatus Facundus". 1047. Test yourself on the basis of knowledge of the attributes - where is the rider?
Holbein the Elder. Illustration for the "Zwingli Bible", 1531
Viktor Vasnetsov's sketch for the Kiev Cathedral (it did not go into business, did not dare to decorate the walls of the temple with such a plot) - this is the best illustration of the plot, really. Better than Western artists. Because Vasnetsov understood fabulousness. 1887 year.
Did you see the Lamb with the Book under the ceiling?
German stained glass, contemporary
Benjamin West. "Death on a pale horse." 1817. A ridiculous attempt by the representative of academism.
He's the same. A more successful version of 1796. Probably because there is more baroque
Manuscript from Thuringia, 14th century. Below Death is the mouth of a late Hell
Vasily Root, "Bible for the Poor", 1690s.
Durer, 1498
A rare example of the Orthodox: a fresco in Yaroslavl.
Fresco on the outside of the German
11.08.11
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, described in the revelation of John the Evangelist. This article contains paintings by different artists, from different periods of time, depicting the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, as well as get acquainted with the comments of the researcher V.V. Sorokin, with assumptions about what events are meant by the lifting of seals.
Rider on a white horse
« I looked, and, behold, a white horse, and on him a rider with a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he went out victorious, and to conquer.»
First seal
The “opening” of the “first seal” marks the appearance of the rider on a white horse (Rev. 6: 1-2). The rider in Holy Scripture serves as a symbol of royal power, earthly kingdom; accordingly, the riders appearing one after the other signify the change of eras that have this or that spiritual fulfillment. White color in Holy Scripture is a symbol of purity and holiness; Christ sometimes appears as a rider on a white horse (Rev. 19:11). All this suggests that "the opening of the first seal" will mean the beginning of the era of the spiritual triumph of Christianity in the world. It does not at all follow from this that the Church will become dominant in the world and everyone will become Christians; also, one should not draw conclusions about external well-being in this era. It is rather about the spiritual flourishing of the Church, when the radiance of Her holiness, perhaps, will again become as bright as in early Christian times. Some Christian mystics confuse this time with the millennial Kingdom of Christ (cf. Rev. 20: 4-6), while it is, in essence, not its beginning, but its completion, for this Kingdom began on the day of the Savior's death on the cross with the resurrection of the first saints (Matt. 27:52). How long this era will last is unknown, how the duration of all other apocalyptic eras, and the time of the Last Judgment itself, is unknown.
Carlo Carra Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1908. Art Institute, Chicago
M.Vrubel
Albrecht Durer, The Revelation of John the Evangelist: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1497-98, woodcut, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe
Vision of the white horse, The Artist: DE LOUTHERBOURG, Philippe Jacques Date: 1798
Masha Shmakoff. Rider on a white horse
The Rider on the White Horse by George Frederic Watts
Rider on a red horse
« And another horse came out, a red one; and it was given to him who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him.»
Second seal
"The opening of the second seal" marks the appearance of a rider on a red horse - a symbol of a new era, an era of world wars and disorder (Rev. 6: 3-4). Probably, the world, once again rejecting the light of Christ that was revealed to it, will plunge into the abyss of universal turmoil, accompanied by more frequent natural disasters. This, apparently, is the “famines, pestilences and earthquakes in places” promised by the Savior at the end of times (Matt. 24: 7-8). At the same time, the persecution of the Church is likely to begin - a harbinger of the Antichrist persecution (Matt. 24: 9-14). In a certain sense, every time of trouble in history is a prototype of this last time of troubles, but at the end of times it, apparently, must become universal. It doesn't have to be, as is sometimes thought, a world war; local sluggish wars can be spiritually even more destructive, tk. world war begins and ends usually during the lifetime of one generation, and the so-called. "Small wars" can drag on for decades, so that generations of people are born who, since childhood, have not seen anything in their lives except war and turmoil. But such a universal turmoil, of course, cannot continue indefinitely.
George Frederic Watts. British, 1817 - 1904. The Rider on the Black Horse
Black horse rider
« And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third animal saying: go and see. I looked, and, behold, a black horse, and on him a rider with a measure in his hand.»
Third seal
After the “opening of the third seal,” a rider appears on a raven horse with a measure in his hand (Rev. 6: 5-6). The black horse is opposed to white: if white is a symbol of grace, then black means the complete gracelessness of that era, which is personified by a rider with a measure in his hand. Obviously, he will restore peace and order on earth, and he will rule the whole world - a civilization without grace, anti-spiritual in its essence will cover the entire planet. It is very likely that then there will be only one ruler on Earth, and his regime will be completely totalitarian. Of course, any totalitarian regime carries something of the Antichrist; but the coming epoch will obviously surpass in this sense all that has been achieved. It does not at all follow from this that people will perish solely from the terror of the authorities - modern civilization, even with a completely democratic outward structure, may well subjugate a person socially and psychologically - “soft terror” of the environment and “public opinion” is sometimes more effective than state terror. It is possible that the supercivilization of the last times will use both of these levers. The prohibition to touch bread and wine, which personify grace in Holy Scripture, speaks of her perfect gracelessness (Rev. 6: 5-6). In the text of the Apocalypse there are also indirect indications of the development in the last times of magic and magical means of influencing the human psyche (Rev. 13: 12-15). Such a combination of technology and magic, perhaps, will make the control over a person completely total, so that anyone who wants to maintain spiritual independence will be outside of society and, obviously, persecuted (Rev. 13:16).
William Blake. Death on a Pale Horse. Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum
The rider on the pale horse
« And I looked, and, behold, a pale horse, and on him a rider, whose name was "death"; and hell followed him; and power was given to him over a quarter of the earth - to put to death with the sword and hunger, and with pestilence and the beasts of the earth .»
Fourth seal
"The opening of the fourth seal" means the appearance of the Antichrist in the world (Rev. 6: 7-8). The horse is "pale", i.e. colorless, means the infinite quality of the era that has come from the point of view of metahistory: the Antichrist is outside of History as a providential process; it is the embodiment of the spirit of darkness, striving into nothingness. It is possible that outwardly the Antichrist will come to power in a completely "earthly" way; but in the end he will certainly manifest his satanic essence, most likely by introducing some kind of obligatory quasi-religion, in the center of which he will stand (Rev. 13: 5-8). "The fourth part of the earth" (Rev. 6: 8) means, probably, the partial subordination of nature (through its perversion) to the power of antichrist (the number 4 in kabbalistic symbolism means elemental principles; "the fourth part" means their partial involvement in the antichrist's plan to conquer power over the world).
Horseman of death, The
Artist: COLOMBE, Jean
Date: 1485-89
Technique: Illumination
Location: Musée Condé, Chantilly
Notes: From "Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry"
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, Warriors of the Apocalypse, 1887
B. Anisfeld. Four horsemen of the Apocalypse. 1940s
Arnold Becklin
Arbo. Valkyries
Turner Rider on a Pale Horse 1825-1830
Ashley wood
Riders of Denis Mezentsev
Four horsemen of the Apocalypse, The
Artist: CAROLSFELD, Julius Schnorr von
Date: 1851-60
Technique: Engraving
Location:
Notes: From "Bibel in Bildern"
Four horsemen, The
Artist: PLACIDUS, Stephanus Garsia (active 11th cenury)
Date: 11th century
Technique:
Location: Bibliothéque Nationale de France, Paris
Notes: From the "Beatus of Saint-Sever: The Apocalypse of John" of France (Ms. Latin 8878), illuminated in the middle of the 11th century by Stephanus Garsia for Gregorio Montaner, the then abbot of the monastery of Saint-Sever , Gascogny, France
Death on a pale horse
Artist: WEST, Benjamin
Date: 1796
Technique: Oil on canvas
Location: Detroit Institute of Arts
Benjamin west
Death on a pale horse
Pen, pencil and wash,
570 x 1120 mm
dated "1783, retouched 1803"
London, Royal Academy of Arts
Fifth seal
"The opening of the fifth seal" means the fulfillment of that measure of holiness and - at the same time - the measure of evil that should be fulfilled by the end of time (Rev. 6: 9-11). Every century the Church reveals to the world new saints, whose number is growing all the time. Obviously, their number should especially increase at the expense of those who will accept a martyr's death during the last great persecution of the Church (it is possible that it will begin even before the appearance of the Antichrist in the world, but under him it will probably intensify).
Sixth seal
"The opening of the sixth seal" signifies the beginning of the transformation of the world (Rev. 6: 12-17). Physical nature itself is changing, and this is accompanied by an inevitable cataclysm. The Earth seems to be switched off at this moment from the space-time continuum that God created on the “fourth day”. Great peace comes when both Heaven and the Abyss are simultaneously opened (Rev. 7: 1-2). At this moment, everyone's spiritual choice has already been made, and the Lord spiritually separates His saints (Rev. 7: 3). The number 144000 (Rev. 7: 4) is, of course, symbolic (12000x12 = 144000, cf. Rev. 7: 5-8): it means the number of saints of the Universal Church (the sons of Israel - spiritually - symbolize the Church; a thousand in Holy Scripture symbolically indicates completeness). At this last moment of the historical existence of the world, many saints who do not belong to the "people of Israel", that is, discover Christ for themselves. to the Church; many of them, obviously, were killed for the truth of God, as they understood it in the times of the last persecution, and now they are with Christ together with those who from the very beginning belonged to the Church of Christ (Rev. 7: 9-17).
Seventh seal
"The opening of the seventh seal" (Rev. 8: 1-6) completes the process of the transformation of the world. The great silence (Rev. 8: 1) and the expectation of angels (Rev. 8: 2) is replaced by preparation for that last spiritual action in history, which should complete the process of the transformation of the world and which is symbolically revealed to the priest as the sound of the trumpets of angels (Rev. 8: 6). It is significant that the prayers of the saints, which are a kind of spiritual incense, mysteriously participate in this action (Rev. 8: 3-4).
Louse, the rider of Apocalypse, 1944. Imre Amos
At the very end of the video, the first of all four horsemen, about whom it is written in many religious books. Euronews report in Egypt. On the Internet it has already been called "the fiery rider".
All about the end of the world. Researchers studying the Greenland ice sheet make a frightening discovery ... Florida, 2005. Suddenly the beach is covered with the corpses of sea creatures ... Indonesia, 2004. A powerful underwater earthquake causes a monstrous tsunami ... Experts believe that all this is just the beginning. Could all these events have been predicted by the Bible? Are we getting closer to the final line? We just need to open our eyes, and we will see that they are already here - 7 signs of the Apocalypse.
4 horsemen of the Apocalypse names are not simple, sometimes ambiguous, and terrifying for mere mortals, but before we begin to analyze them, let's turn to the "Apocalypse" itself.
What is the Apocalypse?
Today the word "apocalypse" is often used in everyday life in the general meaning of some kind of global catastrophe or the end of the world, but etymologically (in translation from gr. - revelation) goes back to "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, or" - closing the New Testament and containing prophetic visions about the end of the world. This ancient monument of early Christian literature was written at the end of the 1st century on the island of Patmos by John the Evangelist (Theologian).
The author of "Apocalypse" uses symbols and allegories, therefore "Revelation" is the most difficult book of the Holy Scripture to interpret. Symbols reflect general concepts, not particulars, allegorical images are timeless and universal in nature. Therefore, the "Revelation", created in the 1st century, is relevant for the present and future generations.
Horsemen appear in the 6th chapter of the "Apocalypse" sequentially, one after another, after the opening by the Lamb of the first 4 of the seven seals of the book of Divine Revelation and are accompanied by the exclamations of tetramorphic beings: "Go and see." Horsemen of the Apocalypse are a kind of "patrols", oprichniks of heaven, called by God and endowed by him with the power to administer justice over negligent humanity, bringing devastation, torment and suffering to the Earth.
In fact, in the "Revelation" itself, the name of only one of the horsemen is clearly spelled out - the 4th: "his name is Death", while others are represented only by a short description and mention of their mission on Earth or, as in the case of the 3rd horseman, a voice commentary from one of the tetramorphic beings. Variants of the names of these horsemen, according to their characteristics, were given by subsequent interpreters of the "Apocalypse". In their interpretations, the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse most often bear the following names:
So, the first in the "Apocalypse" appears a rider on a white horse with a victory crown on his head and a bow in his hands. His mission is to win. Interpreters about this image radically disagree. According to one version, it symbolizes the evil and false prophecies of the Antichrist, according to the second - on the contrary, the light and Jesus Christ. Accordingly, the color of his horse - white - personifies pseudo-righteousness or righteousness. Such a difference in the views of the interpreters arose due to the fact that Christ also appeared on a white horse in chapter 19, but most researchers cite a number of counterarguments not in favor of this version and are inclined to conclude that the name best suited to this rider is Conqueror. In their opinion, the bow is a symbol of militaristic power, in particular, a symbol of the conquest of the Roman Empire by the Parthians, who were associated with riders on white horses.
If the 1st horseman of the Apocalypse personified the image of a conqueror from the outside, then the mission of the 2nd, with a huge sword in his hands (referring to the words of the Savior: "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword"), - "to take peace on earth, so that one he killed another, "that is, to turn the destructive instincts of people against each other in a fraternal war, which manifests itself in human history in the form of various uprisings, revolutions and civil unrest. Most commentators agree that the name of this rider is Strife. Some historians associate this image with the uprising and numerous victims in Britain or the atrocities in Palestine and the German wars in those historical times. The horse color of this rider - red or fiery red - is a symbol of fire and spilled blood.
The Horseman of the Apocalypse, who appeared in the 6th chapter of the third, is credited with the name Hunger, he appears on a black raven horse and with scales in his hands. Tellingly, the "Revelation" does not directly speak of his mission, but the appearance of the rider is accompanied by the following words of one of the tetramorphic creatures: "A measure of wheat for a denarius and three measures of barley for a denarius, do not harm olive and wine." In these words and attribute - scales - interpreters saw an omen of the need to divide bread in times of famine, when the prices of cereals are too high, it will become worth its weight in gold. But even then, Christians will not have to touch the oil and wine used in the sacrament rite as symbols of faith. Some scholars, in connection with the 3rd horseman, draw analogies with the famine years in Palestine and Armenia.
The name of the 4th horseman of the Apocalypse is mentioned in the "Revelation" itself - riding a pale horse. The scripture explicitly states that hell followed her. The mission of this messenger of God is also clearly defined: "This rider was given power over a fourth of the earth - to kill with the sword, hunger and pestilence, and the beast of the earth." The pale color of a horse, it is also ashy or yellowish-green (found in different translations), is associated with the pallor of a dead body, a corpse. Some supporters of the historical interpretation of the Bible associate the image of the 4th horseman of the Apocalypse with the epidemics that broke out at that time in Ephesus and Asia.
The 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse also received their names in other synonymous variants, such as War, Abuse, Plague, Pestilence, which is primarily due to translation difficulties.
The Book of Revelations by Jonah the Theologian is the last book of the New Testament in the Bible. The sixth chapter of this book mentions the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Horsemen of the apocalypse will appear on earth one by one and will bring war, famine, plague and death. The appearance of the horsemen should be facilitated by the removal by the Lamb (Jesus) of the first four seals out of seven in the Book of Life.
After opening the first seal, a rider will appear on a white horse, with a bow in his hand.
“And I saw that the Lamb had removed the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four animals, saying, as it were in a thunderous voice: go and see. I looked, and, behold, a white horse, and on him a rider with a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he came out victorious, and to conquer. (Rev 6: 1 - 2).
A rider on a white horse will bring natural disasters, civil wars and strife between people. American evangelist and spiritual advisor to the President of the United States, Billy Graham interpreted the Rider on the White Horse as the Antichrist who will carry false prophecies.
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, a theologian who lived in the 2nd century, called the Rider on the White Horse Jesus Christ himself. Later, centuries later, many theologians supported this point of view.
There is also an assumption that the Rider on the White Horse is the Holy Spirit sent from heaven to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Rider on a red horse
When the second seal opens in the Book of Life, a rider on a red horse with a sword in his hands will appear.
“And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second animal saying: go and see. And another horse came out, a red one; and it was given to him who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him. (Rev 6: 3 - 4). "
A rider on a red horse will bring violence, bloody wars and will administer judgment in the name of God.
Rider on a black horse
After the opening of the third seal, the Rider on a black horse appears with scales in his hands.
“And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third animal say, go and see. I looked, and, behold, a black horse, and on him a rider with a measure in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals, saying, a chinix of wheat for a denarius, and three chinix of barley for a denarius; But do not damage the oil and wine. (Rev 6: 5 - 6) "
A rider on a black horse will bring hunger with him, the scales in his hands mean the way of dividing bread during a famine on earth.
The rider on the pale horse
After the opening of the fourth seal in the Book of Life, a rider on a pale horse appears, his name is Death.
“And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal, saying: go and see. And I looked, and, behold, a pale horse, and on him a rider, whose name was "death"; and hell followed him; and power was given to him over a fourth of the earth - to put to death with the sword and hunger, and with pestilence and the beasts of the earth (Rev 6: 7 - 8). ”
The last of the horsemen of the apocalypse is called Death. The fourth horseman carries nothing in his hands, his mission is to open the gates of hell. However, in some ancient illustrations, he has a scythe in his hands. The color of the horse is pale, reflecting the pallor of the corpse.
Some clerics compare the horsemen of the apocalypse with the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel.
