Revelation 6: The Four Horsemen of Revelation in Partial Preterist Interpretation: A Former Adventists Philippines Perspective

 Introduction

The Four Horsemen of Revelation, described in Revelation 6:1-8, have captivated Christian interpreters across generations, inspiring countless eschatological theories. While futurist readings typically assign these figures to end-times tribulation events, Former Adventists Philippines, adopting a partial preterist hermeneutic, interpret these visions as symbolizing divine judgments in the first-century context. Specifically, they see these judgments as fulfilled in the catastrophic events surrounding the Roman siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the accompanying socio-political turmoil. This perspective interprets Revelation as a prophetic message to its immediate audience rather than an encrypted prediction of distant future calamities.

The White Horse—Conquest and Fulfillment

In this reading, the White Horse of Revelation 6:2, whose rider bears a bow and wears a crown, going forth "conquering, and to conquer," symbolizes the victorious advance of the gospel through Christ and His apostles. Drawing from Psalm 45:3-5, where the Messiah rides forth with a bow in majesty and truth, Former Adventists Philippines identify this figure not as the Antichrist or a future world ruler, but as Christ Himself at the head of the apostolic mission. The imagery aligns with the portrayal of Christ later in Revelation 19:11-16, riding a white horse in conquest. The conquest here is spiritual, marked by the explosive growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire before Jerusalem's destruction. This reading emphasizes Christ’s sovereignty over history and His covenantal faithfulness to vindicate His people.¹


The Red and Black Horses—Warfare, Bloodshed, and Famine

The Red Horse, seen in Revelation 6:4, whose rider is granted the power to "take peace from the earth, and that people should slay one another," represents the internal strife and civil conflict that devastated Judea during the first century. Former Adventists Philippines connect this judgment to Matthew 24:6-7, where Jesus predicts wars and rumors of wars within a generation. Josephus’s Jewish War records brutal infighting among Jewish factions, culminating in the siege of Jerusalem. This fulfillment underscores the covenantal sanctions outlined in Deuteronomy 28:49-57, where God warns of internal violence and siege conditions for covenant unfaithfulness. By paralleling these Old Testament judgments, this interpretation reinforces the idea of Revelation as a prophecy against apostate Israel, warning of imminent covenant curses for rejecting the Messiah.²

The Black Horse in Revelation 6:5-6, bearing scales and announcing inflated food prices—"a quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius"—signifies famine and economic collapse. Former Adventists Philippines see this as fulfilled during the Jewish-Roman conflict when sieges led to severe food shortages. This scenario echoes Lamentations 4:4-10, which describes desperate hunger during Jerusalem’s earlier destruction by Babylon, and Leviticus 26:26, where God threatens to break the staff of bread, forcing ten women to bake bread in one oven. The voice declaring to not harm the oil and wine likely signifies the survival of luxury items, highlighting the social inequality and corruption that exacerbated the suffering of the poor in Jerusalem at the time.³

The Pale Horse—Death as Divine Judgment

The Pale Horse, whose rider is named Death with Hades following, introduces widespread mortality through war, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, as described in Revelation 6:8. Former Adventists Philippines link this to Ezekiel 14:21, where the Lord declares, "How much worse will it be when I send my four devastating judgments against Jerusalem — sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague." This consistency with prophetic judgment language affirms the horsemen as successive phases of divine chastisement upon apostate Israel, culminating in the catastrophic destruction of A.D. 70. The death toll recorded by Josephus affirms this fulfillment, with famine driving desperate acts, pestilence following the crowded sieges, and Roman and Jewish violence claiming countless lives.⁴

In summary, the Former Adventists Philippines’ interpretation of the Four Horsemen situates these apocalyptic symbols firmly within first-century events, reading them as stages of covenantal judgment upon Israel for rejecting Christ. Supported by extensive biblical typology and prophetic precedent, this view interprets Revelation not as a cryptic forecast of distant disasters but as a solemn proclamation to its immediate audience. The theological thrust of this reading underscores the justice of divine judgment, the faithfulness of God to His covenant promises, and the unstoppable advance of Christ’s kingdom through history.

Footnotes

1. See also Psalm 45:3-5; Revelation 19:11-16.

2. Cf. Matthew 24:6-7; Deuteronomy 28:49-57; Josephus, The Jewish War, Book IV.

3. See Lamentations 4:4-10; Leviticus 26:26.

4. Cf. Ezekiel 14:21; Josephus, The Jewish War, Book VI.