"Knights of the Apocalypse" or "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is a term used to describe four characters from the Revelations of John the Evangelist, the last book of the New Testament. There are several interpretations of these characters, but most often the horsemen of the Apocalypse are associated with the disasters that will befall humanity at the last stage of development.
Instructions
Step 1
In the Revelations of John the Evangelist, God calls four creatures on white, red, raven and pale horses and gives them the power and strength to sow destruction on earth. Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the harbingers of the Last Judgment. There is no consensus as to what each of the riders represents. It is believed that the rider on a white horse embodies the Plague, on a red horse - War, on a raven - Hunger, and on a pale horse - Death. The riders appear strictly after each other, their appearance is preceded by the unsealing of the Book of Life by the Lamb (Jesus Christ).
Step 2
The first to appear is a rider on a white horse, armed with a bow. His image is the most controversial. There are various interpretations of the image of a rider on a white horse. German evangelicals interpreted this image as civil war, internal strife. Evangelist Billy Graham believes that this image personifies the Antichrist, false prophecy.
Step 3
The influential theologian of the 2nd century Irenaeus of Lyons believed that the rider on the white horse was Jesus Christ himself, and the white horse was a symbol of the success of spreading the Gospel. Subsequently, many theologians supported this point of view. White color in the Bible most often personifies righteousness, Jesus Christ appears as a rider on a white horse, as the Word of God in Revelations, and in the Gospel of Mark it is said that the spread of the Gospel may precede the approach of the Last Judgment.
Step 4
Most often, a rider on a white horse is considered the personification of pestilence, infectious diseases and is called the Plague. The origin of this interpretation is unclear. In some Bible translations, the "plague" is mentioned before the description of the fourth horseman. It is unclear if it only refers to the fourth horseman or to all four horsemen.
Step 5
The second rider rides a red horse and is armed with a sword. Most often, this image is interpreted as a symbol of war. His horse is red, which is most often perceived as a symbol of spilled blood. The symbol of the massacre is the rider's sword raised up. Some Bible scholars believe that the rider on the red horse may also be an allegory for the persecution of Christians.
Step 6
The third rider, riding a black horse, is most often perceived as Hunger. In his hands he holds a scale. When he appears, voices are heard, talking about the prices of grain and barley, which should rise after the destruction caused by the Famine. At the same time, it is mentioned that the prices for wine and oil will remain unchanged. This can mean an abundance of luxury goods when food is scarce, as well as the salvation of Christians who use wine and oil in their ordinances.
Step 7
The fourth rider, the rider on the pale horse, is the only one whose name is mentioned in the text, and that name is Death. The fourth horseman holds nothing in his hands, but it is said that hell follows him. The pale color of the horse represents the pallor of the corpse.