以色列的四面旗，撒迦利亚书中的四马和启示录中的四骑士

Viktor Vasnetsov 1887年的画作

启示录中的四骑士

维基

启示录中的四骑士（英语：Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse）被记载在《启示录》第6章，启示录中的四骑士传统上被解释为瘟疫、战争、饥荒和死亡，不过，对于四骑士的解释略有争议。

四马与骑马者

马     马的象征     骑马者     能力     骑马者的象征     顺序
白马     瘟疫     攜帶弓箭     征服     征服，失去健康     第一
红马     屠杀     攜帶佩剑     战争     战争或迫害     第二
黑马     饥荒     攜帶天平     飢餓     贫困，缺乏食物     第三
灰马     死亡     攜帶鐮刀     阴间     步入死亡或黃泉     第四

应当指出，虽然白马骑士经常被解释为敌基督，但是在《启示录》中并非总是如此。

圣经译文
“
    羔羊揭开七印中第一印的时候，我观看，就听见四活物中的一个，声音如雷，说，你来。
    我就观看，看哪，有一匹白马，骑在马上的拿着弓，并有冠冕赐给他，他便出去，胜了又要胜。
    羔羊揭开第二印的时候，我听见第二个活物说，你来。
    我就观看，看哪，另有一匹红马出去，骑在马上的得了权柄，可以从地上夺去太平，使人彼此相杀，又有一把大刀赐给他。
    羔羊揭开第三印的时候，我听见第三个活物说，你来。我就观看，看哪，有一匹黑马，骑在马上的手里拿着天平。
    我听见在四活物中，仿佛有声音说，一个银币买一升麦子，一个银币买三升大麦，油和酒不可糟蹋。
    羔羊揭开第四印的时候，我听见第四个活物的声音说，你来。
    我就观看，看哪，有一匹灰马，骑在马上的，名字叫作死，阴间也随着他。有权柄赐给他们管辖地的四分之一，用刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫、地上的野兽去杀害人。
”
——《启示录》第6章第1-8节

解释

白马

对于第一匹马与骑马者是代表敌基督还是代表假先知，解释无法达成一致，但保守的圣经学者的普遍共识是，他是敌基督，敌基督的前半段统治看似平静.缺少箭表示，他的征服不使用武力。此外，他戴的冠冕希腊字是 Στέφανος (Stephanos)，是“胜利者（运动员）的冠冕”，而不是基督将要戴上的王冠。

历史上，认为白马骑士是基督的观点只是少数派的意见，其中包括乔纳森·爱德华兹[1]。他认为这位骑马者代表基督的理由包括四匹马的出现是由于基督揭开了第一印，在《启示录》第19章第11-16节，描述他骑白马回来。


1047年画在羊皮纸上的四马

另有一些学者认为，骑白马者既不是代表基督，也不代表敌基督。

红马
代表战争

黑马

第三位骑马者骑在黑马上，一般解释为饥荒。第三匹马的黑色可视为饥荒的标志。

灰马

第四位骑马者骑在灰马上，代表死亡。

撒迦利亚书中的四马

《撒迦利亚书》第6章第1-8节也提到了四辆马车，原文如下：
“
    我又举目观看，见有四辆车从两山中间出来；那两山是铜山。
    第一辆车套着红马，第二辆车套着黑马，
    第三辆车套着白马，第四辆车套着有斑点的壮马。
    我就问与我说话的天使说，我主阿，这些是甚么意思？
    天使回答我说，这些是天的四风，是在全地的主面前侍立而从那里出来的。
    套着黑马的车出来，往北方之地去，白马随后出来；有斑点的马出来，往南方之地去。
    壮马出来，想要在地上巡行。祂说，你们只管在地上巡行；牠们就在地上巡行。
    祂又呼叫我，对我说，看哪，这些出来往北方之地去的，已在北方之地使我的灵得了安息。
”
——《撒迦利亚书》第6章第1-8节

第五个骑马者

《启示录》第19章第11-16节记载耶稣再临，骑着一匹白马，戴着王冠（并非荆棘冠冕，Crown of Thorns）：
“看见天开了，并且看哪，有一匹白马，骑在马上的，称为忠信真实，祂审判、争战都凭着公义。
祂的眼睛如火焰，头上戴着许多冠冕，又有写着的名字，除了祂自己没有人晓得。
祂穿着蘸过血的衣服，祂的名称为神的话。
在天上的众军，骑着白马，穿着细麻衣，又白又洁，跟随着祂。
有利剑从祂口中出来，可以用以击杀列国；祂必用铁杖辖管他们，并要踹全能神烈怒的酒醡。
在祂衣服和大腿上，有名字写着：万王之王，万主之主。”
——《启示录》第19章第11-16节

        
Friday, January 4, 2013
 
THE FOUR BANNERS OF ISRAEL

Although there is no Biblical testimony to indicate what the images were on the four banners described at Numbers 2:2ff, there is considerable information available so that we are able to make some very probable conclusions.

The research on this subject has been collected by Tony Garland (www.SpiritAndTruth.org) and is quoted here.

As to the contents of each camp’s standard, tradition tells us that each camp had a different symbol upon its standard:

Neither the Mosaic law, nor the Old Testament generally, gives us any intimation as to the form or character of the standard (degel). According to rabbinical tradition, the standard of Judah bore the figure of a lion, that of Reuben the likeness of a man or of a man’s head, that of Ephraim the figure of anox, and that of Dan the figure of an eagle; so that the four living creatures united in the cherubic forms described by Ezekiel were represented upon these four standards.7

Jewish tradition says the “four standards” under which Israel encamped in the wilderness, to the east, Judah, to the north, Dan, to the west, Ephraim, to the south, Reuben, were respectively a lion, an eagle, an ox, and a man, while in the midst was the tabernacle containing the Shekinah symbol of the Divine Presence.8

The Talmud saw in these four creatures the four primary forms of life in God’s creation. It also noted that the twelve tribes of Israel camped under these four banners; some with Reuben (symbolized by a man), others with Dan (symbolized by an eagle), others with Ephraim (symbolized by the calf, or ox), and the rest with Judah (symbolized by a lion).9

The Jewish writers tell us, that the standard of each tribe of Israel took the colour of the stone which represented it in the high priest’s breastplate, and that there was wrought upon each a particular figure—a lion for Judah, a young ox for Ephraim, a man for Reuben, and an eagle for Dan.10

No further information is provided about the size, color or representation on these standards. Jewish tradition, however, does provide a clue to the way in which later generations of Jews viewed the standards. The Aramaic paraphrase of the Torah, called Targum Jonathan, and the ancient commentary on Numbers, called Bemidbar Rabbah , suggest that each tribe was assigned a color corresponding to the color of its respective stone in the high priest’s breastplate. Thus, the color of Dan would be blue because a sapphire is blue. The four standards, therefore, were composed of the colors of the three tribes of each triad. The tradition continues that each of the four standards depicted a living being. Judah’s animal was a lion, Reuben’s a man, Ephraim’s an ox and Dan’s an eagle. This tradition may have been influenced by the cherubim in Ezekiel’s vision who also had four faces (Ezek. 1:10; see also Rev. 4:7+). It should be emphasized that there is no solid biblical or historical basis for these descriptions of the standards. The Jewish tradition, however, does provide the most logical suggestion for their descriptions, particularly in the case of Judah and Ephraim (see Gen. 49:9 and Deu. 33:17).11

Jewish tradition holds that the standards contained the very symbols Scripture reveals in association with the four living creatures (Eze. 1:10; 10:14; Rev. 4:7+).

In opposition to this tradition, some have noted the adverse reaction of the Jews of NT times to the images on the Roman standards:

Every tribe had its particular standard, probably with the name of the tribe embroidered with large letters. It seems highly improbable that the figures of animals should have been painted on them, as the Jewish writers assert; for even in after ages, when Vitellius wished to march through Judea, their great men besought him to march another way, as the law of the land did not permit images (such as were on the Roman standard) to be brought into it. Josephus Ant. 1. xviii. c. 7.12

It is not clear that the Jews would have allowed images on their standards: In the time of Augustus, Roman legionaries would leave their standards in the Judean port city of Caesarea, so that the images drawn upon them would not offend the sensitive Jews.13

In response to this proposed difficulty, it may be observed:

    Jewish writers and rabbinical tradition maintain the standards did have images of animals upon them. Of all people least likely to suggest that animal insignias were upon the standards (due to Ex. 20:4), it is the Jews themselves who give us this tradition.

    The opposition of the Jews of Josephus’ day to the Roman standards may have been due to the particular images they contained, not the mere fact that they contained images. Concerning Jewish opposition to the Roman standards, Josephus relates, “[F]or that the laws of their country would not permit them to overlook those images which were brought into it, of which there were a great many in their ensigns.” [emphasis added]14

    The Israelites were instructed to decorate the tabernacle, and later the temple, with various images, including lions, oxen, and cherubim (Ex. 26:1; 36:8, 35; 1K. 6:32; 1K. 7:29; 2K. 16:17; 2Chr. 4:3-4, 15). If these images were so offensive to the Jews that they dare not have them upon their standards, how is it that cherubim (of which some have four faces) appear in the tabernacle along with lions and oxen in the temple?

If Jewish opposition to unbiblical images upon the Roman standards is seen in light of the biblical symbolism allowed within the tabernacle and temple, the view that their ensigns could not have contained insignia of the four faces is less convincing, especially in the light of Jewish tradition itself. It seems likely that Adam and Eve would have seen cherubim when they were driven out of Eden (Gen. 3:24). Perhaps their knowledge of the faces of these incredible angelic beings, though not recorded in Scripture until Ezekiel’s time, was preserved by tradition.

Jerome Prado provides additional background correlating the images with the camps:

Jerome Prado, in his commentary upon Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1 p. 44), gives the following minute description according to rabbinical tradition: “The different leaders of the tribes had their own standards, with the crests of their ancestors depicted upon them. On the east, above the tent of Naasson the first-born of Judah, there shone a standard of a green colour, this colour having been adopted by him because it was in a green stone, viz., an emerald, that the name of his forefather Judah was engraved on the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 25:15ff.), and on this standard there was depicted a lion, the crest and hieroglyphic of his ancestor Judah, whom Jacob had compared to a lion, saying, ‘Judah is a lion’s whelp.’ Towards the south, above the tent of Elisur the son of Reuben, there floated a red standard, having the colour of the sardus, on which the name of his father, viz., Reuben, was engraved upon the breastplate of the high priest. The symbol depicted upon this standard was a human head, because Reuben was the first-born, and head of the family. On the west, above the tent of Elishamah the son of Ephraim, there was a golden flag, on which the head of a calf was depicted, because it was through the vision of the calves or oxen that his ancestor Joseph had predicted and provided for the famine in Egypt (Gen. 41); and hence Moses, when blessing the tribe of Joseph, i.e., Ephraim (Deu. 33:17), said, ‘his glory is that of the first-born of a bull.’ The golden splendour of the standard of Ephraim resembled that of the chrysolite, in which the name of Ephraim was engraved upon the breastplate. Towards the north, above the tent of Ahiezer the son of Dan, there floated a motley standard of white and red, like the jaspis (or, as some say, a carbuncle), in which the name of Dan was engraved upon the breastplate. The crest upon this was an eagle, the great doe to serpents, which had been chosen by the leader in the place of a serpent, because his forefather Jacob had compared Dan to a serpent, saying, ‘Dan is a serpent in the way, an adder (cerastes, a horned snake) in the path;’ but Ahiezer substituted the eagle, the destroyer of serpents as he shrank from carrying an adder upon his flag.”15

In relation to the eagle being associated with the tribe of Dan, we note that Dan means judge (Gen. 30:6; 49:16) and the symbolism of the eagle is often connected with judgment (Deu. 28:49; Job 9:26; Pr. 30:17; Jer. 4:13; 48:40; 49:22; Lam. 4:19; Eze. 17:3; Hos. 8:1; Hab. 1:8; Mtt. 24:28; Luke 17:37).

Notes

1 Carl Friedrich Keil, and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), 1:659.

2 Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, M. Richardson, and Johann Stamm, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (New York, NY: E. J. Brill, 1999, c1994-1996).

3 Robert Laird Harris, Gleason Leonard Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999, c1980).

4 Harris, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.

5 Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, 1:660.

6 See also [John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1997), 199] and [W. A. Criswell, and Paige Patterson, eds., The Holy Bible: Baptist Study Edition (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), 192].

7 Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, 1:660.

8 A. R. Fausset, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” in Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, 1877), Rev. 4:8.

9 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), Rev. 4:8.

10 J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse: Lectures on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966), 106.

11 William Varner, Jacob’s Dozen: A Prophetic Look at the Tribes of Israel (Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1987), s.v. “The Tribal Encampment.”

12 R. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1995), Num. 2:2.

13 Chaim Potok, Wanderings (New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1978), 268.

14 Flavius Josephus, The Complete Works of Josephus (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1981), s.v. “Ant. XVIII, v3.”

15 Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, 1:660n11.

MY SUMMARY

Anyone who has studied the Old Testament in great depth has discovered that there is much information that is not explicitly revealed. This is because much of that information was UNDERSTOOD by the Hebrew people, who were the primary recipients of the Old Testament Scriptures, and it was passed on to progeny through verbal instruction.

One subject that has been clouded in apparent mystery is the significance of the FOUR FACES on the Cherubim of Ezekiel’s vision of chapters 1 and 10; and the FOUR FACES on the four living creatures seen in John’s vision of Revelation 4:6-8.

Related to this is the absence of any specific description of the four tribal banners used to order the camping arrangement for Israel as revealed by God to Moses, and recorded in Numbers 2:3, 10, 18, and 25.

There were four groupings with three tribes in each group, with one tribe seen as the LEADER.

Accordingly, the other tribes would be arranged and camped under the banner of that leader tribe. They camped around the tabernacle so that it was seen to be in the middle of the site and would be well protected from any incursion by unwelcome attacks.

The camping arrangement, then, was for the FIRST BORN tribe, Reuben, to be situated on the SOUTH in reference to the “tent of meeting.”

Judah was on the east side (the right) of the tabernacle; Ephraim was on the west side (the left); and Dan was on the north.

“The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.” Numbers 2:2

"Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah . . . Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar . . . Then comes the tribe of Zebulun.” Verses 2:3-7

“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben . . . And those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon . . . Then comes the tribe of Gad.” Verses 2:10-14

“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim . . . And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh . . .  Then comes the tribe of Benjamin.” Verses 2:18-22

“On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan . . . And those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher . . . Then comes the tribe of Naphtali.” Verses 2:25-29

It is believed by many Jewish historians and rabbinic writers that Ezekiel’s vision of the four cherubim reveals the images on the four primary banners of Reuben, Judah, Ephraim and Dan.

Respectively, those images are: for Reuben, the man; for Judah, the lion; for Ephraim, the ox; and for Dan, the eagle.

Ezekiel 1:10
As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

But we are not limited to this appeal to Ezekiel’s vision. We can find various hints in the Old Testament that strongly suggest that the above identification is accurate.
 
 We start with the most obvious.

Rev. 5:5: And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book, and its seven seals.

This is the only place where LION is used in connection with Jesus. I suggest that the only reason for this reference is to make the direct connection to the tribe of Judah as the Messiah’s tribe of origin. It is the LION that makes that connection because the lion is the emblem on Judah’s banner.

Consider Genesis 49:8-10.

"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you.

"Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him {shall be} the obedience of the peoples.

The next item to consider is the banner for Ephraim; the Ox. This symbol is not as obvious as the Lion but there is a little bit of information that can be found in the Scriptures.

According to the prophecy of Jacob at Genesis 48:11-20, Joseph was given the DOUBLE PORTION right of the first born instead of Reuben (1Chron. 5:1). And Ephraim (the younger son) was made the recipient of the first-born right and blessing over Manasseh (the first born). So the tribe of Joseph would later be replaced with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. (Levi became the priestly tribe and would not be numbered as a separate tribe.

Deuteronomy 33:13-17, The Blessing of Moses on Israel.

“And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that couches beneath, And for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, And for the precious things of the growth of the moons, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, And for the precious things of the everlasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush. Let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. The firstling of his herd, majesty is his; and his horns are the horns of the wild-ox (NOT, unicorn as in the KJV): With them he shall push the peoples all of them, [even] the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

Several times the OX is associated with Ephraim.

Hosea 10:11
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself

Jeremiah 31:18
I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the LORD my God.

In Solomon's temple there were twelve oxen standing beneath and supporting a very large tank of water called a sea. These 12 oxen are facing the four directions of the compass.

1 Kings 7:25
“It (the tank of water; bronze laver) stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.”

And throughout the temple there were many oxen and lions.

1 Kings 7:28-29
“This was the design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the frames,
and on the borders which were between the frames were lions, oxen and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.”

1 Kings 7:36
“He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around.”

Oxen characteristically represent devout service (Isaiah 1:3), and could be representative of Israel’s commission to represent the truth of God to the world (Ex. 19:5-6).

However, it could also be representative of the divided kingdom, which was shared by Ephraim and Judah. The Northern kingdom was designated as Israel or Ephraim, and the Southern kingdom was designated as Judah. Thus we have the oxen and the lions to represent this division and the promised re-uniting of the two in Messiah’s kingdom.

Together with the other factors, this seems to be more likely.

When we look more closely at the 4 cherubim of Ezekiel’s vision, we notice a very interesting parallel.

Ezekiel 1:10
As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

From the perspective of Ezekiel, the face in the lower position on the cherub was that of a man. The face on the right was that of a lion, which would correspond with the encampment of Judah ON THE EAST (right) side of the tabernacle. The face on the left was that of an ox, which would correspond with the encampment of Ephraim to the WEST of the tabernacle.

And that would make the face at the top to be that of an eagle, which would correspond with the encampment of Dan on the NORTH side of the tabernacle. Thus, the face in the lower position on the cherub (the man) would correspond with the encampment of Reuben on the SOUTH side of the tabernacle.

The only reasonable explanation of this is that it is designed to be symbolic of the nation of Israel as the evangelistic servant of God, which is about to come under severe discipline from God.

Likewise, the living creatures of John’s vision are designed to be symbolic of the nation of Israel, but from the perspective of INACTIVITY. They are still the focal point of God’s plan for humanity on the earth so are shown to John in his vision. The description of these creatures with the 4 faces corresponds with both Ezekiel’s vision and with the four primary banners of Israel’s encampment arrangement.

COMPARISON of Ezekiel’s vision with John’s:
When Ezekiel is shown the symbolic cherubim, they appear different because there is a different significance. For Ezekiel, Israel was still a functional nation with a job to do. The cherubim on the wheels, moving in various directions communicates the purpose of Israel as the evangelistic agent to the world.

As with John, Ezekiel does not need to question what these four faces mean. It would have been clear to him that they indicated the four banners of Israel and as such symbolized the nation of Israel as a whole.

The Southern kingdom of Judah is currently under the 4th cycle of discipline, but if they do not recover, the 5th cycle will be implemented in 7 years, and the nation will temporarily cease to be God’s representative on the earth. The Northern kingdom had already been disciplined in like manner and the two will soon be joined in captivity in the kingdom of Chaldea.

SEE TOPIC: Israel, 5 cycles of discipline
The date of this first vision is 593 BCE. The fifth cycle will be implemented in 586 BCE and last for 70 years. In Ezekiel chapter 10, the 4 cherubim are shown to depart from the temple,  along with the Spirit of God. This shows that God has temporarily turned away from the nation during the Babylonian captivity, which will last for 70 years. During that time of national discipline, the nation will not function as God’s evangelistic agent.

In John’s vision, the symbolic cherubim are shown without the wheels and without the rapid movement in various directions. This communicates the fact that the nation is currently under discipline from God, having been temporarily set aside with the destruction of the city and temple in 70 AD. But God still has a major role for the nation of Israel. In fact, His plan will revolve around that nation until the end of Messiah’s earthly kingdom. Accordingly, John is shown these symbols of four living creatures as representatives of the nation of Israel.

John does not question who the living creatures are or what the meaning of the 4 faces is, for he understands it based on his knowledge of the Old Testament.

In the absence of any direct identification of the emblems on these four banners, it seems to be a reasonable deduction to identify them as summarized above.

The banner to the SOUTH of the tabernacle would have had the face of a man.
The banner to the EAST of the tabernacle would have had the face of a lion.
The banner to the NORTH of the tabernacle would have had the face of an eagle.
The banner to the WEST of the tabernacle would have had the face of an ox.

1. The evidence is strong that Judah’s emblem was a lion and Ephraim’s was an ox.
2. There is no reason to show Ezekiel and John these symbolic creatures with the 4 faces UNLESS it is to portray the nation of Israel. This would have meaning only to the Jews who KNEW what the four emblems were.
3. Accordingly, it is a simple step in logic to assign the emblems of eagle and man to the two remaining banners.

Why is Reuben given the symbol of a MAN? Probably because he is the ACTUAL firstborn.
It is true that Ephraim inherited the first born right of the double portion (two tribes), but Reuben is still the ACTUAL firstborn.

Why is Dan given the symbol of an eagle? I can’t find any reason so I will simply repeat what Tony Garland observed as cited above.

“In relation to the eagle being associated with the tribe of Dan, we note that Dan means judge (Gen. 30:6; 49:16) and the symbolism of the eagle is often connected with judgment (Deu. 28:49; Job 9:26; Pr. 30:17; Jer. 4:13; 48:40; 49:22; Lam. 4:19; Eze. 17:3; Hos. 8:1; Hab. 1:8; Mtt. 24:28; Luke 17:37).”

The following diagram is from www.hooper-home.net/TEMPLE/BannersTribalIsrael.html.

← Out Of Cursing Into Blessing – Because Of The Cross [Combined Service at SIC on 28 September 2008]
Becoming Unshakeable In Times Of Shaking – Part I [1st service, 19 October 2008] →
God’s Protection Plan Against The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse [1st and 3rd services, 5 October 2008]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by tycm

God’s Protection Plan Against The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

1st and 3rd services of 5 October 2008

preached by Pastor Joseph Prince

as noted by Yeo Choon Meng Terence

Nehemiah 2:20
Neh 2:20 “Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”

On 16 September 2008, the Straits Times reported that New Creation would pump in an extra SGD 220 million for the One-North project. This SGD 220 million is similar to the scripture reference Nehemiah 2:20 which Pastor used to exhort the congregation many months before the decision was taken to increase the investment by SGD 220 million. We can therefore see the Lord’s divine footprints in New Creation’s SGD 220 million additional investment!

Where are we now?
We are in a period before the Rapture. In a time, Matt 24:8 calls the “beginning of sorrows”.

7 Seals of Revelation
The 7 seals were on a sealed scroll. That scroll represented the forfeited inheritance of mankind (i.e. forfeited by Adam). As long as that seal remained sealed, it is bad news, that is why John wept (Rev 5:4). But praise God! Jesus was worthy to unseal the seals (Rev 5:5). When Jesus unsealed each seal, we can see the contents of each seal. Jesus is in fact loosing and freeing us from the bondage of these seals! and reclaiming back our inheritance! Good news! Also note that in Rev 5:6, Jesus in His capacity as the Lamb, conquered as the Lion in loosing the seals.

The first 4 seals consist of what is known collectively as the “4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. These seals represent the evil spirits that are already running rampant upon the earth. It is important to note that these seals are NOT from God. On the contrary, we are sealed with His Holy Spirit (2 Cr 1:22).

Rev 6:1    And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2    And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Rev 6:3    And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4    And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Rev 6:5    And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6    And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Rev 6:7    And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8    And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

The 4 Horsemen are synonymous with the 4 winds of the book of Zechariah.

Rider on White Horse in Rev 6:2

This represents the spirit of false doctrine. The rider rides rides a white horse and wears a crown i.e. he is trying to impersonate Jesus Christ (as depicted in Rev 19:11) and lead people astray.

[Editor's note: The difference is that this evil spirit is going out to conquer and carries a bow for war. However, we know that because of Jesus Christ at the Cross, the Father is now at peace with us. In fact there is a rainbow around His throne (Rev 4:3) and upon His head (Rev 10:1) symbolising that there is no more judgement on those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour. In Hebrew, the word translated into English as bow (for war) is the same for rainbow. We know in Gen 9:13 that the bow in the sky symbolises God's covenant of no more judgement. The rainbow can be seen as an upturned bow which hung up on the wall no longer to be used as a weapon i.e. there is peace, no more war or judgement. Therefore, we see that this spirit of false doctrine is inter alia, leading people astray by giving the impression that God is still angry with them.

The root cause of a person’s problems is wrong belief and this can stem from the spirit of the false doctrine as symbolised by the rider on the white horse in Rev 6:2. Example: a woman does not get tempted to be unfaithful to husband until she is convinced that her husband does not love her.

Rider on Red Horse in Rev 6:4
This represents the spirit of war.  Power was given to this spirit to “take peace” from the earth and this spirit carries a “great sword”.

Rider on Black Horse in Rev 6:5
This represents the spirit of famine. This spirit carries a pair of scales.

Rider on Pale Horse in Rev 6:8
This represents the spirit of death. In fact the Greek word which is translated into English as “pale” is chloros which can be understood as green or yellowish pale. This is the colour of corpses.

This spirit brings disease and death.
NKJV Zech 6:3, the OT depicts the same spirit as “dappled horses” i.e. having spots of colour.

The word “beasts” in “beasts of the earth” in Rev 6:8 is a diminutive term in the Greek and therefore suggests that it can be viruses and bacteria that do the killing.

Rev 6:6
In Rev 6:6, it is stated that the spirit is not to harm the “oil and the wine”. In the Hebrew, the word used for oil here can refer to olive oil as well as the black oil. Pastor believes that it is black oil which will not be affected. Pastor also speculates that man’s leisure pursuits such as sport etc and which give rise to happiness i.e. symbolised by “wine” will not be affected.

Who is the “one of the 4 beasts” in Rev 6:1 who told John to “come and see”?
It is Jesus Christ in symbolic form and it represents one of his 4 facets are set out in Rev 4:6-7

Rev 4:6    And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7    And the first beast [was] like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast [was] like a flying eagle.

(1)    Lion – typifies Jesus as King of Kings, characteristic most emphasized by the Gospel of Matthew, also emblem on the standard of tribe of Judah encamped on the east of entrance to tabernacle of Moses；
(2)    Calf or ox – typifies Jesus as tireless servant, characteristic most emphasized by the Gospel of Mark, also the emblem on the standard of tribe of Ephraim encamped on the west of entrance of tabernacle of Moses；
(3)    Man – typifies Jesus as Man, characteristic most emphasized by the Gospel of Luke, also the emblem on the standard of tribe of Reuben (in Hebrew meaning, see the son) encamped on the south of the entrance of tabernacle of Moses；
(4)    Eagle – typifies Jesus as God, characteristic most emphasized by the Gospel of John, also the emblem on the standard of tribe of Dan encamped on the north of the entrance of tabernacle of Moses.

Fulness of Christ

Eph  4:13    Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

We are to sit under ministries which emphasize the fulness of Christ’s nature so that we too grow and manifest the fulness of Christ.

We ought to aim for all 4 qualities of Christ:
(1)    Lion – boldness;
(2)    Ox – untiring;
(3)    Man – spiritually intelligent;
(4)    Eagle – to be able to see prophetically.

We ought NOT to be un-balanced. For example, we should not be so prophetic that we are no earthly good, or so bold but lacking in intelligence.

The 4 facets of Christ are also depicted in the OT:
Ezekiel 1:10    As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel literally saw the 4 faces of the tribes of Israel encamped.

Numbers 2 : Encampment of tribes around tabernacle of Moses
Num 2:1    And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 2:2    Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.
Num 2:3    And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab [shall be] captain of the children of Judah.
Num 2:4    And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
Num 2:5    And those that do pitch next unto him [shall be] the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar [shall be] captain of the children of Issachar.
Num 2:6    And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, [were] fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
Num 2:7    [Then] the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon [shall be] captain of the children of Zebulun.
Num 2:8    And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, [were] fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
Num 2:9    All that were numbered in the camp of Judah [were] an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth.
Num 2:10    On the south side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben [shall be] Elizur the son of Shedeur.

Judah is leader of eastern section and encamped together with Isaachar and Zebulun.

Reuben is leader of southern section and encamped together with Simeon and Gad.

Ephraim is leader of the western section and encamped together with Manasseh and Benjamin. [Editor's note: It is Important to observe where Benjamin Generation is located.

Dan is leader of the northern section and encamped together with Asher and Naptali.

Notice that the 12 tribes are arranged 3 to a side on each of the 4 cardinal directions. From an aerial perspective, you will see the cross!

Lord is rearguard
Isa 52:12    For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel [will be] your rear guard.

All tribes were camped facing the tabernacle i.e. they all camped facing God. That meant their backs were vulnerable to attack. However, no where in the bible does it indicate that Israel was ever attacked when they were encamped and at rest facing and focusing on God.  This is a good posture for us to adopt today. Our lives should revolve around the dwelling place of God.

4 horsemen of Revelation are pictured as 4 chariots or 4 winds/spirits of heaven in Zechariah

Chariots are slower than horses. This shows us that the evil spirits in OT times are now moving at a faster pace in New Covenant times as they are depicted as horses in Revelation.

Zech 6:1    Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze.
Zech 6:2    With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses,
Zech 6:3    with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds.
Zech 6:4    Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
Zech 6:5    And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.
Zech 6:6    The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.”

The means that the spirit of Famine (black horse) is coming from the south and going towards the north and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is the divine Man (Reuben — See the son [of man] in Hebrew – is encamped on southside of tabernacle).

Likewise, the spirit of  Death (pale horse) is coming from the the north and going towards the south and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is God, the Eagle (Dan is encamped on northside of tabernacle). The Gospel of John records the story of Lazarus and how Jesus raised him from the dead. It stands to reason that if you spend a lot of time in the Gospel of John — the Eagle gospel, you’ll probably live long in the earth.

The spirit of False Doctrine (white horse) is coming from the west and going towards the east and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is the King of Kings, the Lion (Judah is encamped on the east side of tabernacle).

The spirit of War (red horse) is coming from the east and going towards the west and it therefore faces off with that aspect of Christ which is the Tireless Servant, the Ox (Ephraim is encamped on the west side of tabernacle).

Keil-Delitzsch, 2 Messianic-Jewish scholars state in their commentary that rabbinical tradition holds the standard of Judah was a Lion (see Gen 49:9), the standard of Reuben was a Man or Man’s head (as Reuben means “See, the son”), the standard of Ephraim was that of an ox, the standard of Dan was an eagle. Initially, it is said that Dan got a snake as its emblem because of Gen 49:17, but this was understood rightly as a prophecy and not as a blessing on Dan, therefore according to tradition, God allowed Dan to change its emblem to that of an eagle which kills the snake.

Isa 59:19
So shall they fear
The name of the LORD from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

So literally Isa 59:19 is true when you consider the four facets of Christ effectively facing off and prevailing against the 4 horsemen. Hallelujah!

The Cross

The top of the Cross of Jesus can be seen as pointing North. Jesus (Luke 23:46) breathed out and dismissed His spirit at the northside. He gave up His life for us and in the process conquered death (pale horse) for us.

The bottom of the Cross of Jesus can be seen as pointing South. Jesus (Matt 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:24, John 19:24) saw the Roman soldiers gamble for his garments at the southside. Christ gave up his riches (the garment was seamless and was thus expensive symbolising Jesus’ wealth) to redeem us from poverty and famine (black horse) and to restore us to His riches.

The Western part of the cross is where the right hand of Christ was nailed. The “great sword” is held by the rider on the red horse. Swords are typically held on the right hand. Jesus’ right hand was nailed on the westside of Cross and he redeemed us from the spirit of war (red horse).

The Eastern part of the cross is where the left hand of Christ was nailed. An archer’s bow is held by his left arm. Jesus’ left hand was nailed on the eastern side of Cross and he redeemed us from the spirit of false doctrine (white horse). The rider on white horse wields a bow. Jesus redeemed us from the fiery darts of the red horse rider.
Jesus HIMSELF suffered the 4 Winds at the Cross to protect and redeem us against them! Hallelujah!

Glory of God
Isa 58:8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard guard.

When we focus on Lord, His Glory is our rear guard!

Psalm 125:1-2 They that trust in the LORD [shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for ever. As the mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so the LORD [is] round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Graphically, we can see that if we (symbolised by the tribes of Israel) turn away from Jesus (the tabernacle), we are exposed to the 4 winds. Remain focused on Him and we remain protected!

Don’t ever be cynical, just let God watch your back. It is too difficult to watch your own back and go forward at the same time!

We see the 4 winds described in Matthew as well!

Matt 24:3-5 (False Doctrine – white horse) parallels Rev 6:1-2
Matt 24:3    And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Matt 24:4    And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you
Matt 24:5    For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The only person who is fit to ride the white horse is Jesus!

Matt 24:6 (War – red horse) parallels Rev 6:3-4
Matt 24:6    And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matt 24:7a (Famine – black horse) parallels Rev 6:5
Matt 24:7a    For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,

Pastor Prince believes that “famines” refer to financial as well as famines relating to food supply. But praise God, CHRIST is in the market, and there is therefore no crisis in the market for Believers!

Matt 24:7b (Death – pale horse) parallels Rev 6:7-8
Matt 24:7b ” …and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

The amazing thing about the description of the 4 winds in Matthew is that they parallel in the order they were listed in Revelation!

Matt 24:8    All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

This is the beginning of sorrows before the Tribulation.

Nevertheless, take joy because the LORD has brought us “to the banqueting house, and his banner over” us love. [Song of Songs 2:4]

Enter into the joy of the Lord

Christians, draw unto Jesus. For those married, He will give you strength to love your spouse. For Children, study to glorify Jesus not please parents. For our finances, they are to glorify Jesus.

Therefore in the end, Matt 25:21 will be true for us.

Matt 25:21    His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Copyright ©  13 October 2008  Yeo Choon Meng Terence.