Chapter Sixteen/Four Horsemen at the Gallop! -The Pale Horse and Its Rider

 The story is not yet completely told. Jesus opens the fourth seal, and John tells us the result: "And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature say: 'Come!' "(Revelation 6:7) This is the voice of the cherub that resembles a flying eagle. Farsighted wisdom is indicated, and truly John, the John class, and all other earthly servants of God have needed to observe and act with insight in view of what is here depicted. So doing, we may find a measure of protection from the scourges that plague the worldly-wise of today's proud, immoral generation." -1 CORINTHIANS 1:20, 21. 

What new horrors are unleashed, then, as the fourth horseman responds the call? John tells us: "And I saw and look! a pale horse; and the one seated upon it had the name Death, and Hades was following close behind him." (Revelation 6:8a) The rider of the last horse has a name Death. He is the only one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to reveal his identity so directly. Fittingly, Death rides a horse that is pale, since the word pale (Greek khlo-ros') is in Greek literature to describe faces that are blanched, as if by disease. Also fittingly, Death is closely followed in some unexplained manner by Hades (gravedom), since Hades receives to itself the greater number of those who fall victim to the ravages of the fourth horsemen. Happily, for these there will be a resurrection, when 'death and Hades give up those dead in them.' (Revelation 20;1-3) But how does Death claim those victims?

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