Transparency is needed to sort things out. Before big change happens, God first reveals what’s really going on.

In the Book of Revelation - the last book of the Word - the apostle John describes a series of apocalyptic visions that he experienced during his exile on the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea.

In one of these visions, he saw four horsemen, the first riding a white horse, the second a red horse, the third a black, and the fourth - named Death - riding a pale horse. These "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" - oft-pictured - are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

What do these horses, and their riders, represent? What do they have to do with us, today? Watch as Curtis Childs and Jonathan Rose explore the hidden Bible meaning of the Four Horsemen in the Book of Revelation, in this video from the Swedenborg and Life Series, from the Swedenborg Foundation.

Plus, to go straight to the source, follow the links below to the places in "Apocalypse Revealed" where Swedenborg explained the inner meaning of this famous Bible story. A good place to start would be Apocalypse Revealed 298.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 315; Apocalypse Revealed 262-263, 301, 306, 314, 316, 320, 322-323)

12. It says in chapter 6 of Revelation:

When the Lamb opened the first seal of the scroll a white horse came forth, and the one who sat on it had a bow and was given a crown. When he opened the second seal a red horse came forth, and the one who sat on it was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal a black horse came forth, and the one who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. When he opened the fourth seal a pale horse came forth, and the name of the one who sat on it was Death. [Revelation 6:1-8]

The only way to decipher this is by means of its spiritual meaning, and it is fully deciphered when we know the meaning of the opening of seals, a horse, and so on. These serve to describe successive states of the church from beginning to end with reference to its understanding of the Word.

The opening of the seals of the book by the Lamb means the Lord’s bringing those states of the church out into the open.

A horse means the understanding of the Word.

The white horse means an understanding of the truth of the Word during the first state of the church.

The bow of the one who sat on the horse means the teachings about caring and faith that fight against false beliefs.

The crown means eternal life as the reward of victory.

[2] The red horse means the understanding of the Word during the second state of the church: in ruins with respect to what is good.

The great sword means false principles fighting against what is true.

The black horse means the understanding of the Word during the third state of the church: in ruins with respect to what is true.

The pair of scales means thinking truth has so little value that it is virtually worthless.

The pale horse means the absence of any understanding of the Word in the fourth or final state of the church, because of evil lives and consequent false beliefs.

Death means eternal damnation.

It is not obvious in the literal or earthly meaning that this is what is intended in the spiritual meaning; so unless that spiritual meaning is opened at last, the Word will remain closed in regard to this passage and the rest of the Book of Revelation - so tightly closed that no one will know where in that book anything holy or divine is hidden.

This is equally true of the meaning of the four horses and the four chariots coming out from between the two mountains of bronze in Zechariah 6:1-8.