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.

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

735. The reason why temptation as regards things of the understanding, that is, as regards the falsities residing with man, is mild is that man is subject to the illusions of the senses; and the illusions of the senses are such that they are bound to enter in, and for this reason they are easily dispersed. This is the case with all who keep to the sense of the letter of the Word, where the statements made are in accordance with man's mental grasp, and so in accordance with the illusions of his senses. If those people in simplicity have faith in these things because it is the Lord's Word, then despite being subject to illusions, they easily allow themselves to be taught. Take, for example, someone who believes that the Lord is angry, punishes, and does evil to the wicked; because he has acquired this from the sense of the letter he can easily be taught the truth of the matter. Equally, if in simplicity he believes that of himself he can do good and that he receives a reward in the next life if he is a good man of himself, he also can easily be taught that the good he does comes from the Lord and that the Lord out of His mercy grants the reward for nothing. Consequently when such people enter into temptation as regards things of the understanding, that is, illusions such as these, they are able to be tempted only mildly. It is this initial temptation, scarcely seeming to be temptation at all, that is the subject here. The situation is altogether different however with people who do not believe the Word from simplicity of heart but who confirm themselves in illusions and falsities for the reason that these favour their own evil desires. For that reason they accumulate from ideas of their own and from the facts they know many more compelling arguments which they then confirm by means of the Word, and in so doing impress upon themselves and persuade themselves that falsity is truth.