The 4 living creatures and the 4 types of horses

[metroames]

I have started gathering notes for chapter 4 of my commentary I'm writing on Revelation. The Lord has laid it on my heart to not just focus on chapter 4, but also chapter 6. I believe it is because there is some connection between the four living creatures and the four horses of the apocalypse, as they are the ones that announce the breaking of each seal.

What I am stuck on is what exactly the horses and horsemen are. From the parallels in Zechariah, I am led to believe that they are spirits (i.e. spirit of antichrist, spirit of war, spirit of famine, and spirit of death), because the only other time we find the phrase "walk to and fro throughout the earth" (Zechariah 1:9) is in Job 1-2, where Satan was said to do just that. The 7-fold Spirit of God, on the other hand, is said to "scan" to and fro throughout the earth (Zechariah 4:10, Revelation 5:6). However, the possible parallel in Zechariah 1 have red, white, and sorrel (other translations speckled or dappled) horses. Most believe the pale horse is the sorrel horse, but this is not certain. There is also no black horse found here. The possible parallel in Zechariah 6, which states that they are "spirits from heaven" includes all four colors of horses (assuming dappled = pale), but there are many horses with chariots, not just one like in Revelation.

We see similar creatures in Ezekiel 1, 3, 10, 11 who are accompanied by the "wheels within Wheels", but they are never called chariots. Anyway, these are the observations I've made, though I'm not making much sense of them yet, because there are not clear cut parallel here. I'm gathering that I'm not alone, as I'm hard up to find anything on the internet that discusses the connections to these creatures and horses back to Zechariah. Any insight, comments, or solid sources of teaching on this topic are appreciated.

Here are the passages below that I mentioned in my ramble above:

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Revelation 6

First Seal: The Conqueror
6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 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.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

Zechariah 6:6 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”

Zechariah 1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” 11 So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

[tbrian40]

The book of Enoch is interesting but not widely accepted...I don't even know where to begin...great topic. This is gonna be fun!

[metroames]

The book of Enoch is interesting but not widely accepted...I don't even know where to begin...great topic. This is gonna be fun!

I'm guessing you meant "Zechariah" instead of "Enoch"? Yes, it is an interesting book. Hopefully we will have some good discussion.

[Steve53]

The book of Enoch is interesting but not widely accepted...

And for good reason. Enoch here. (Rules 6 and 16)

[IamHis]

As to the colors of the horses in Revelation and the chariots, I am afraid
there is no way you can connect a pale horse and a dappled ( speckled or spotted)
horse, without trying to smash a square peg into a round hole. Also, the color sorrel
in a horse is reddish brown, it is in no way a pale color.

[Buzzardhut]

I have started gathering notes for chapter 4 of my commentary I'm writing on Revelation. The Lord has laid it on my heart to not just focus on chapter 4, but also chapter 6. I believe it is because there is some connection between the four living creatures and the four horses of the apocalypse, as they are the ones that announce the breaking of each seal.

The 4 living creatures represent Jesus; the 4 horses/men of the apocalypse release the judgments they represent but are not the judgments themselves.

What I am stuck on is what exactly the horses and horsemen are...

They are creatures God releases to administer judgments upon the earth.

[ReadytoGoNow]

The 7-fold Spirit of God, on the other hand, is said to "scan" to and fro throughout the earth (Zechariah 4:10, Revelation 5:6).

This I don't understand. I don't think I have ever heard anything said about it- no sermons or in my reading anything. Can someone explain it to me? What is the 7-fold spirit of God?

[Steve53]

This I don't understand. I don't think I have ever heard anything said about it- no sermons or in my reading anything. Can someone explain it to me? What is the 7-fold spirit of God?

Question: "What are the seven spirits of God?"

Answer: The "seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The seven spirits of God are not specifically identified, so it’s impossible to be dogmatic. Revelation 1:4 mentions that the seven spirits are before God's throne. Revelation 3:1 indicates that Jesus Christ "holds" the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5 links the seven spirits of God with seven burning lamps that are before God's throne. Revelation 5:6 identifies the seven spirits with the "seven eyes" of the Lamb and states that they are "sent out into all the earth."

There are at least three possible interpretations of the seven spirits of God. The first is that the seven spirits of God are symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The Bible, and especially the book of Revelation, uses the number 7 to refer to perfection and completion. If that is the meaning of the “seven” in the "seven spirits," then it is not referring to seven different spirits of God, but rather the perfect and complete Holy Spirit. The second view is that the seven spirits of God refer to seven angelic beings, possibly the seraphim or the cherubim. This would fit with the numerous others angelic beings that are described in the book of Revelation (Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 19:4-5).

A third possibility is based on Isaiah 11:2; which says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This could possibly explain the seven spirits of God: (1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who/what the seven spirits are, but the first interpretation, that they are the Holy Spirit, seems the most likely. http://www.gotquestions.org/seven-spirits-God.html

[Buzzardhut]

These are mysteries about God; similar to the trinity.

[ReadytoGoNow]

Thank you.

[metroames]

The 4 living creatures represent Jesus; the 4 horses/men of the apocalypse release the judgments they represent but are not the judgments themselves.
They are creatures God releases to administer judgments upon the earth.

I guess I was looking further beyond the "judgment" aspect, as that is not their sole role in Zechariah and Ezekiel. That said, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around what these creatures are doing in the Old Testament. My study is a word and phrase study, attempting to interpret Scripture with Scripture. How does Scripture show us that the 4 living creatures represent Jesus?

This I don't understand. I don't think I have ever heard anything said about it- no sermons or in my reading anything. Can someone explain it to me? What is the 7-fold spirit of God?

From my study on Revelation 1:

Revelation 1:4 - "and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne"

In fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1, Jesus declared that the "Spirit of the Lord" would be upon Him:

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed

Generally, it is thought that "Holy Spirit" and the "Spirit of the Lord" are interchangeable names for the third member of the Godhead. However, the following passage shows that the "Spirit of the Lord" is just one attribute of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:1-2 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

The Holy Spirit is one member of the Godhead with seven attributes, as described by Isaiah:

1. Spirit of the Lord
2. Spirit of Wisdom
3. Spirit of Understanding
4. Spirit of Counsel
5. Spirit of Might
6. Spirit of Knowledge
7. Spirit of the Fear of the Lord

The following passages show how the Holy Spirit's attributes are administered. Take note, that in several cases more than one attribute of the Holy Spirit is at work:

Exodus 28:3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Deuteronomy 34:9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Isaiah 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

Daniel 5:13-14 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

Micah 3:8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.

Acts 9:31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Ephesians 1:15-18 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints

Ephesians 3:14-16 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man

Later in Revelation, the seven Spirits of God are described as follows:

Revelation 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

As we will see in Revelation 1:20, the churches are represented by seven lampstands. It is apparent from Revelation 4:5 that the Holy Spirit is the source of the fire for the lampstands. Interestingly, at Pentecost, when the Church was born, the Holy Spirit manifested as cloven tongues of fire:

Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The seven spirits are said to be before the throne of God. The reason the Holy Spirit is before, but not on the throne, is because He is not in the executive position of authority that the Father owns and has given to the Son:

John 5:26-27 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Instead, the Holy Spirit's position is that of "the Helper", who gives instruction through the "seven spirits", or attributes, discussed previously according to the Will of the Father and Son:

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

As to the colors of the horses in Revelation and the chariots, I am afraid
there is no way you can connect a pale horse and a dappled ( speckled or spotted)
horse, without trying to smash a square peg into a round hole. Also, the color sorrel
in a horse is reddish brown, it is in no way a pale color.

Good point. It is interesting that wikipedia describes a pale variety called a "blond sorrel". Also, the Hebrew interlinear seems to cast doubt on the interpretation of "sorrel" for the word. In any event, it is probably best to note that there is likely a difference, which may indicate that there are more than just four type of heavenly horses, but only four are chosen in Zechariah 6 and Revelation 6, while there are only three colors present in Zechariah 1. That said, their purpose seems tied with going out into all the world, whether in judgment, or to just "check things out".

[tbrian40]

The entire chapter (4) of Zechariah is a mystery still. Particularly Zechariah 4:2,3,6. This must pertain to Israel's end-time status on the temple. At the end of the chapter, verse 14, the "two" could be the revelation witnesses? This chapter certainly relates to Israel only and not the church. Any ideas? ty

[Hootmon]

Good point. It is interesting that wikipedia describes a pale variety called a "blond sorrel". Also, the Hebrew interlinear seems to cast doubt on the interpretation of "sorrel" for the word. In any event, it is probably best to note that there is likely a difference, which may indicate that there are more than just four type of heavenly horses, but only four are chosen in Zechariah 6 and Revelation 6, while there are only three colors present in Zechariah 1. That said, their purpose seems tied with going out into all the world, whether in judgment, or to just "check things out".

'Pale' is 'chloros'. 'Light green' is closest to its meaning in the Greek. Take a look (dont breathe) into a bottle of Chlorox to see what I mean

[ReadytoGoNow]

Excellent study metroames. Thank you.

[Verisimilitude]

'Pale' is 'chloros'. 'Light green' is closest to its meaning in the Greek.

To go further on this, anywhere else where the word "chloros" appears in the NT, it does in fact mean green. Green is a color associated with Islam. Many Islamic countries have green in their flags. Death is riding this horse, it has control over 25% of the world, carries a sword and hell follows it. About 25% of the worlds population is in the middle east in Islamic countries, we see constantly they do not value life. Just a few hours ago, a suicide bomber killed 44 people in Yemen. The Bible talks about beheadings for faith in Christ durng the tribulation. I can easily associate the sword with this.

Hell follows. Hell, wow. Islam insists God has no Son. Jesus is a minor prophet in Islam, far less important that mohamad. When these people die, people who have rejected Jesus' divinity, they go to hell. It's a fact, sad but true.

Radical muslims don't seem to care who they kill, even if it's a fellow muslim, just as long as they're killing someone. For me, the pieces of the puzzle really do point to a green horse with death on it referring to Islam. The two are a perfect fit, but as with all of the Lord's prophecies, only time will show just how thing will play out.

[Buzzardhut]

I guess I was looking further beyond the "judgment" aspect, as that is not their sole role in Zechariah and Ezekiel. That said, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around what these creatures are doing in the Old Testament. My study is a word and phrase study, attempting to interpret Scripture with Scripture. How does Scripture show us that the 4 living creatures represent Jesus?

The 4 living creatures represent Jesus' omniscience and omnipresence.

To go further on this, anywhere else where the word "chloros" appears in the NT, it does in fact mean green. Green is a color associated with Islam. Many Islamic countries have green in their flags. Death is riding this horse, it has control over 25% of the world, carries a sword and hell follows it. About 25% of the worlds population is in the middle east in Islamic countries, we see constantly they do not value life.

The pale horse is not released until after the rapture.

[metroames]

The 4 living creatures represent Jesus' omniscience and omnipresence.

Where in God's Word are we shown this? How did you come to this conclusion?

[Steve53]

http://www.gotquestions.org/four-living-creatures.html

Question: "Who are the four living creatures in Revelation?"

Answer: The four living creatures are found in Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 6:1-8; 14:3; 15:7; and 19:4. The texts that describe these creatures do not indicate that they are figurative—they are real, actual beings. The four living creatures (literally “beings”) are a special, exalted order of angelic being or cherubim. This is clear by their close proximity to the throne of God. Ezekiel 1:12-20 suggests that they are in constant motion around the throne.

Revelation 5:6-14 describes the duties or purposes of the four living creatures. They fall down and worship the Lamb, Jesus Christ, offering the same reverence to Him that they did to the Father (Revelation 4:10), proof positive of the deity of Jesus Christ. Along with the 24 elders, they have “harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Harps are frequently associated with worship in the Old Testament, as well as with prophecy (2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chronicles 25:1). Incense represents the prayers of the saints. Therefore, taken together the four living creatures and 24 elders hold in their hands all that prophets ever prophesied and believers ever prayed for—all about to come to pass.

The purpose of the four living creatures also has to do with declaring the holiness of God, leading in worship and adoration of God, and they are involved in some way with God’s justice, for when He opens for first four seals and sends out the four horsemen to destroy, their powerful voices, like thunder, command “come” (6:1-8). The horsemen respond to the summons of the four powerful creatures, indicating the power the creatures possess. That power is seen again in Revelation 15:7 when one of the four unleashes the last seven plagues of God’s wrath on mankind.

The four living creatures are very similar, if not the same, beings as those in Ezekiel 10:2, 14; and 20 and Isaiah 6:1-3. They are four in number, full of eyes, have faces like the beings in Ezekiel 1:10; six wings (Isaiah 6:2), and offer worship as the beings in Isaiah 6:3; saying “holy, holy, holy is the Lord.” They may not be the exact same beings, but they definitely are comparable and probably of the same order.

In summary, these beings are an exalted order of angels whose purpose is primarily that of worship (Revelation 19:4). They are very similar to the beings in Ezekiel 10 and Isaiah 6:1-3; and they are in some ways involved in God’s divine justice.

[Buzzardhut]

Where in God's Word are we shown this? How did you come to this conclusion?

http://www.gotquestions.org/Ezekiel-wheels.html
http://www.bibleprophecyrevealed.us/main/ezekiel.html
http://www.secretplaceministries.org...ls_wheels.html