The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a commonly referenced biblical allusion. It can be found in the book of Revelation 6 : 1-8. The book of Revelation is a detailed account of John the Apostle's vision of Jesus' revelation, or second coming. It describes the different things that will happen to the Earth while after all believers have been taken to Heaven. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse occurs relatively early in the book and act like clues which can help people on Earth determine when the revelation will occur. In the vision John sees the Lamb (Jesus) holding a scroll with seven seals, the first four of which are the four horsemen. The first horsemen represents conquest and is riding a white horse, the second represents war and rides a red horse, the third represents famine and rides a black horse, and the fourth represents death and rides a pale horse. These horsemen chronicle events that will be common in the times before the second coming of Jesus. They share a common theme of death and suffering and are used to create an ominous feeling, or warning.
Allusions to the Horsemen:
Works Cited:
The Apostle, John. "Revelation." The Bible. N.p.: Zondervan, 2005. 1023. Print. NIV.
"Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Forerunner Commentary) :: Bible Tools." Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Forerunner Commentary) :: Bible Tools. Church of the Great God, 1992 - 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/3322/Four- Horsemen-of-Apocalypse.htm>.
Allusions to the Horsemen:
- One of the most commonly used allusion to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is “deaths pale horse.” It can be found in the title of a Piers Anthony novel (On a Pale Horse) along with many other places within literature. Titling the book in this way is a way to identify a main theme of the book as death and how it approaches.
- You can also find an allusion to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the book Beloved, by Toni Morrison. A schoolteacher comes to get one of the characters, Sethe, and the author describes the group he is found in as “the four horsemen.” This describes the group as focused on death and rather depressing.
- In Barbara Kingsolver's Poisenwood Bible you can find an allusion to The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on page 9. “Maybe I (will) even confess the truth, that I rode in with the horsemen and beheld the apocalypse, but still I (will) insist I was only a captive witness.” This allusion is used to help suggest that although the speaker may have been a part of something bad, she only played the role of witness.
- Allusions to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse can be found everywhere and it is important to have a firm understanding on the meaning of this allusion when delving into the world of literature.
Works Cited:
The Apostle, John. "Revelation." The Bible. N.p.: Zondervan, 2005. 1023. Print. NIV.
"Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Forerunner Commentary) :: Bible Tools." Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Forerunner Commentary) :: Bible Tools. Church of the Great God, 1992 - 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/3322/Four- Horsemen-of-Apocalypse.htm>.