Giving Life or Bringing Death

The word “pallor” describes the pale color of skin caused by sickness, emotional shock, or stress. It’s not significant unless it is accompanied by paleness of the lips, tongue, palms, and mouth. It might occur due to anemia, fear, frostbite, cancer, medications, heart disease, and other causes.

When the fourth seal is opened, John sees a pale horse. The color represents more than a passing illness. The Greek word for pale is chloros and is best understood as a yellowish green. Since the rider of the horse is “Death, and Hades [the grave] followed with him,” the picture is one of both fear and the color of a corpse. The New American Standard Bible translates chloros as “ashen.”

This is the description of the Dark Ages in Medieval Europe from AD 538–1517, leading up to the beginning of the Reformation. During this period, huge epidemics, like the bubonic plague, killed over 25 million people. It was also a time when the papacy withheld the Word of God from the common people, who were told they were not educated enough to understand it. Some Bible students believe the influence of the Catholic Church during this time impacted “a fourth of the earth.”

The sequence of killing with the sword followed by hunger, death, and the ravaging of wild beasts of the earth literally took place when the Crusades, the Inquisition, and religious wars killed millions. It certainly describes the spiritual condition of the earth as well, for the removal of the Bible left many to starve for truth and become prey to the ravaging heresies within the church.

From a white horse (the first seal) to a deathly pale horse (the fourth seal), the church turned from giving life to spreading disease and death. Yet God had not forsaken His people. Hope is on the horizon.

Lord, as the world continues to decline spiritually, may I grow stronger and purer through Your life-giving Word. May I die to self that You may live through me.

For Further Study: Daniel 7:25; 8:9; 11:32; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 13:3

Key Bible Texts

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (Revelation 6:7 KJV)