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.

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

8152. 'And he pursued the children of Israel' means the attempt to bring under his control those governed by faith bonded to charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'pursuing' as the attempt to bring under one's control, as in 8136; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with often, thus those governed by faith bonded to charity. For members of that Church are governed by this faith both in doctrine and in life. The good of faith, which is charity, is the essential element, and so occupies first place with those who belong to the genuine spiritual Church. But with those with whom faith is separated from the good of faith both in doctrine and in life the truth of faith, or simply faith, is the essential element or occupies first place. The latter are not members of that Church, for life constitutes the Church, not doctrine except in the measure that it becomes applicable to life. From this it is evident that the Lord's Church is not in this particular location or in that, but that it resides wherever people lead lives in keeping with the commandments of charity, both within the kingdoms in which the Church exists and outside them. So it is that the Lord's Church is spread throughout the whole world, and yet is one; for when life constitutes the Church, and not doctrine separated from life, there is one Church. But when doctrine constitutes the Church there are many.