Revelation 6:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

NIV: I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

NASB: I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

CSB: I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.

NLT: I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

KJV: And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

NKJV: And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

This is the result of Jesus opening the first of seven seals, securing a scroll containing God's judgment on sin (Revelation 5:1–7). John describes the first horseman as riding a white horse and carrying a bow. He received a crown, and he conquered. Interpreters vary on the identity of this rider.

Some believe this rider is Christ, because he rides a white horse and wears a crown. However, the surrounding context eliminates this possibility. When Christ returns to earth, He does so at the end of the tribulation, not at the beginning, and He introduces a thousand years of peace and security (Revelation 19:11–13; 20:4). Conditions that follow the rider on this white horse are chaotic, not calm.

Some believe the rider is the world leader identified in Revelation 13:1–10, who receives worldwide homage and worship. Others believe he is the king of the North referred to in Daniel 8:23–25, because barbarians to the north of Palestine were feared for their skillful use of the bow. The Daniel reference to "the king of the north (Daniel 11)" is usually interpreted as pointing to the Russian invader (Ezekiel 38:1–9).

The heavy symbolism and poetry of Revelation should inspire caution. Readers should not be dogmatic about the first horseman's identity, because the Bible does not identify him by name.

Revelation 6:1–8 introduces John's vision of Jesus, the Lamb, opening the first four of seven seals. He also heard one of the four living creatures issue the thunderous command, ''Come!'' What John saw next was the first calamity to strike the earth in the tribulation: seven years of judgment following the rapture of the church. There is no way to know whether the four horsemen follow each other sequentially or ride forth simultaneously. If they follow each other sequentially, we cannot know how much time elapses between their rides. The judgments appear to belong to the first half of the tribulation. However, some interpreters believe the sixth seal may be an exception.

This chapter typifies the dramatic, heavily symbolic description of end-times events for which Revelation is famous. John sees a series of visions corresponding to Jesus opening the first six seals of the scroll He received in chapter 5. The first four seals unleash four horsemen, respectively symbolizing a world leader, war, famine, and death. The fifth seal reveals the prayers of martyrs pleading with God to avenge their deaths. The sixth seal unleashes massive natural disasters. In response, the people of the world cower in fear, admitting that they are suffering under the wrath of God.

The largest section of Revelation extends from chapter 4 to the end and describes events ''that are to take place after this'' (Revelation 1:19). Chapter 5 focused on a scroll containing God's judgment on sin and a search for someone to open it. Only Jesus is worthy to open it. When Jesus took the scroll from God, He received praise from every creature in heaven and on earth. Now, in chapter 6 our attention focuses on the events that transpire when Jesus opens six of the seven seals, one at a time. This process will continue through chapter 8.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''