Bible Question:
What is the meaning of the white horse in Revelation 6:2?
Bible Answer:
Revelation 6 describes six of seven seals. These seals provide an overview of what will happen during the tribulation period. The specifics are later described by the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. So, what is the meaning of the white horse in Revelation 6:2?
Revelation 6:1-2 describes the first seal or the first of the seven seals. In verse 1 we are told the first seal is opened. As a result, a white horse appears in verse 2.
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
The rider on the horse wears a crown and holds a bow but no arrows. The fact that the rider does not have any arrows gives us a hint as to the meaning of the white horse.
Meaning of the White Horse in Revelation 6:2
What is the meaning of the white horse in Revelation 6:2? The meaning is revealed in verses 3-4.
When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. Revelation 6:3-4 (NASB)
Verses 2-3 state that when the second seal is broken, the red horse appears. This horse takes peace away from the earth. People are killed and blood runs. This means the white horse symbolizes peace just as a white flag is associated with peace. The white horse in Revelation 6:2 symbolizes peace. The fact that the white horse does not have arrows helps us understand that the white symbolizes power but without the use of war or violence.
Conclusion:
When the first seal reveals the white horse in Revelation 6:2, it symbolizes that peace will exist initially upon the earth during the first part of the tribulation period. This corresponds to the first 3.5 years of the seven-year-tribulation. The other horses symbolize war, famine, death, the martyred saints, and the final events of the tribulation.
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