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The Four Horsemen of Revelation
RE-EXAMINED
HorsesHold Your
For generations, the image of the four horsemen of the apocalypse has captured the imagination of Bible interpreters.
Front and centre is the rider on the Black Horse – usually depicted as a mysterious skeletal figure, draped in a black hooded robe, holding out a pair of scales in his thin bony hand, unleashing famine on the earth.
But is this picture correct?
While researching the meaning of ‘barley’ in Scripture, D.A. Cleland discovered the rabbinical tradition linking ‘barley’ to God’s deliverance from hunger and death, and His abundant provision. Cleland observed that there is a consistent pattern that is evident not only in the Old Testament but continues throughout the New Testament, leading to the re-evaluation of Revelation 6 in the light of the ‘Law of First Mention’.
Presented here is a fresh new reading on the four horsemen, drawing on the entire biblical text. Highlighted is the importance of the ‘denarius’ and the ‘balances’ which prove to be the two symbols that are the essential keys confirming without a doubt who rides the mysterious Black Horse of Revelation!
It is believed that this is the first book published that uses the interpretative approach of the ‘Law of First Mention’ to ascertain what the symbols of the Four Horsemen of Revelation signify.
The Four Horsemen of Revelation
RE-EXAMINED
Do we have a case of MISTAKEN IDENTITY?
9 780473 418106
ISBN 978-0-473-41810-6
HorsesHold Your
NEWEDITION
The Four Horsemen of Revelation
RE-EXAMINED
HorsesHold Your
Hold Your Horses
Published by D.A. ClelandNew Zealand
© 2017 D.A. Cleland
Second edition
ISBN 978-0-473-41810-6 (Softcover)ISBN 978-0-473-41811-3 (ePUB)ISBN 978-0-473-41812-0 (Kindle)
Production & Typesetting:
Andrew Killick Castle Publishing Services
www.castlepublishing.co.nz
Cover design: Paul Smith
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan.
All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations taken from the
New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.Used by permission.
Other scripture quotations taken from
the King James Version.
Emphases have been added to scripture quotations throughout.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior written permission from the author.
Contents Introduction 7Behold the Black Horse ‘Feast or Famine’? 9John is in heaven but where is Jesus? 57Behold the White Horse 67Behold the Red Horse 81To Sum up the Four Horsemen and the Seven Seals 85Trees in the Garden 89A Hidden Message for Israel 99Our God paralleled in the Sun, Earth and Moon 103Jesus the Rock 107In My Father’s House There Are Many Mansions 113Rainbows and Miracles 121Knowing God 129Acknowledgements 135
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Introduction This book all came about due to the prompting of a few friends who have enjoyed learning through some of my studies and reflec-tions, which I have shared with them. My greatest delight is when I convey to someone what the Lord has shown me and then see their face light up as they recognise the spiritual truth that has been put before them.
The study that stands out the most for me is the one on the Black Horse of Revelation. I began researching what barley represented throughout scripture at first, which led me to this horseman and I found some unexpected discoveries! I have endeavoured to inter-pret scripture with scripture, doing my best to bring out the correct exegesis. I have not come up with the same findings as many popular teachers but I do hope that as you read, you will see the consist-ent message that each symbol conveys right throughout the Bible. I have not seen anyone else examine this horseman in any great detail, so I have done my very best to present a full and comprehen-sive study on this subject, hoping that readers will have a biblically sound view to understand exactly what this horseman is telling us. After studying the Black Horse and finding some unexpected facts, I decided to research the other horsemen. I have presented my stud-ies on the Red and White Horses, and touch on the Pale Horse, as well. Included in this book are a few observations and reflections from other sections of the Bible and one or two special revelations the Lord has given me. As advised in the Bible, we must be like the Bereans and search
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Scripture diligently for ourselves to make sure that what another teaches us is in fact true. I also ask you to be a Berean with me and not to take for gospel what I say but search the Word for yourself to see if what I have put before you is true. I hope this book is a bless-ing to you and that you can share some of the things that I have covered with others. Why the new edition?After being challenged on a couple of points that needed to be addressed, and discovering some important new evidence which added more weight to what I had covered in my first book, it became apparent it was time to publish a ‘new edition’ for readers. I am pleased to present this comprehensive and more complete ver-sion of Hold Your Horses.
D.A. ClelandNovember 2017
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Behold the Black Horse ‘Feast or Famine’? I would like to begin with this question. Many say the four horse-men of Revelation 6, represent the ‘four sore judgements’. My question to them is this: ‘If the four horsemen represent the four sore judgements, why are the saints asking in the very next seal, when are you going to judge and avenge our blood?’ Here are the most commonly accepted explanations given by popular teachers of today for these horsemen, they are: White Horse – Antichrist (although a great number of earlier commentators saw this horse as the Gospel moving forward); Red Horse – war; Black Horse – fam-ine; Pale Horse – death by sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts. Why I undertook the study on the Black HorseAs I have outlined on the previous pages, I had initially been researching what ‘barley’ signified in Scripture, which eventually led me to the Black Horse of Revelation. I spent almost two years looking at this horse on and off, examining each element carefully and lining up scripture with scripture as much as I possibly could. Once I saw that the Black Horse meant quite the opposite to what most mainstream scholars teach, I decided to take a further look at the remaining horsemen. I have conscientiously researched, going right back to the root words in the Greek to understand the text fully and have used the ‘law of first mention’ to ascertain the clear meaning of the symbols, particularly regarding the Black Horse. (The ‘law of first mention’ is the principle whereby the first time a subject is mentioned it establishes a consistent pattern in Scripture.) While the Red and Pale Horses remain much the same as others have interpreted, the White Horse for me, paints a different picture
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than the one I had first held; and so I begin now with the Black Horse to show you why my views changed.
The Message Written in the Symbols of the Black HorseRevelation 6:5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the centre of the four living creatures say-ing, ‘A quart (a measure) of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts (three measures) of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’ My main aim is to show you the consistency of the mention of bar-ley in scripture and its application to the Black Horse of Revelation and how the Black and White Horses of Zechariah parallel the Black and White Horses of Revelation. I would also like to point out the significance of the terms ‘a measure’ and ‘three measures’ and how they all bring the same message! Did you know Jewish rabbinical tradition states that whenever bar-ley is mentioned in the text in the Old Testament that it speaks of God’s deliverance and protection from the enemy and his abundant provision? From my extensive studies, I have found this to be true. Here is the article quoted:
Manner of Waving the Omer The Rabbis considered the bringing of the ’omer as one of the most important observances: it is a repayment to God for the manna given in the wilderness, of which every Israelite collected the measure of an ’omer. God made the repayment so easy that only the quantity of one ’omer, and that of barley only, was required from all Israel. The virtue of the ’omer was so great
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that, according to the Rabbis, on its account God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham. The ’omer made peace between husband and wife, that is, the meal-offering of jealousy did, which consisted of the tenth part of an ephah of barley-meal (comp. Num. v. 15). It was the ’omer that rescued the Israelites from the Midianites in the time of Gideon, from the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah, from the Babylonians in the time of Ezekiel, and from the Amalekites in the time of Haman, these conclusions being inferred by the Rabbis from the word ‘barley’ mentioned in connection with each of these events (Pesik. R. l.c.; Pesik. l.c.; Lev. R. xxviii. 4-6). (Source: www.jewishencyclo-pedia.com/articles/11699-omer)
After I read this article, I decided to investigate for myself and went about thoroughly examining all the references to see if this claim was true. I found that it was consistent even in the New Testament and when I got to the Black Horse of Revelation I realised that the mention of barley in the text had to represent power and vic-tory over, or deliverance from the enemy and abundant supply, not famine. I would like to emphasise here how the rabbis state that the ‘barley made peace between the husband and wife’. This will be of significance later. Jesus is our husband and we are the bride (wife)! Here are a few examples showing how the barley brought about deliverance and abundance for the people; it is also very significant when wheat, barley, oil and wine are mentioned together in the text. I will explain more about this later.
Exodus 9:25-26 & 9:31 – The Exodus of the Israelites in the Barley Harvest: God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians and kept their grain safe, giving them food for their exodus out of Egypt.
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Judges 7:13 – The Story of Gideon and the Dream of the Barley Cake: God delivered Gideon from the Midianites and the Israelites were kept safe. Ruth 1 – Ruth and Naomi and the Barley Harvest: Ruth and Naomi were redeemed through God’s power, and given an abun-dance of food. 2 Kings 7 – The Lepers and all Israel Receive Flour and Barley Worth a Shekel: God prophesied through Elisha that the flour and barley would be worth a shekel and this came about and He deliv-ered the lepers and all Israel from hunger. 2 Kings 4:42-44 – The Men’s Poisoned Stew is Replaced with Barley Loaves: Elisha asked for the first fruits of barley bread and was given 20 loaves. The bread is multiplied like Jesus’ miracles in the New Testament – everyone is fed and there is more left over. Jeremiah 41:8 – Ishmael and his men went to slaughter 80 men from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria. The 80 men offered their treasures in the field which included Barley: The men, who were being attacked asked not to be killed and they offered the treasures in the field of wheat, barley, oil, and honey; this appeased their enemies and they were spared death. 2 Chronicles 2:15 – Solomon Provides Food including Barley for his Servants who build the Temple: The Lord commands that the servants be provided with an abundant amount of wheat, bar-ley, oil and wine as they build the temple. Please note that all of the items provided for ‘temple builders’ are also mentioned together in Revelation 6.
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Behold the Black Horse
And lastly in the New Testament, John 6:9 – the Fish and Barley Loaves provided by the little boy’s lunch: The little boy provided two fish and five barley loaves. God’s power was shown in this mira-cle; 5000 followers of Christ were delivered from hunger and were supplied with an abundance of food, (followers who eat the bread from heaven, Jesus, have abundant life through the Son! John 10:10).
Can you see the connection now with the barley? And particu-larly when the wheat, barley, oil and wine are mentioned together in the text, over and over again God’s power and victory over the enemy and His protection and abundant provision is demonstrated throughout. The Significance of Barley The Hebrew word for barley is se`orah and means a ‘plant’ in the feminine form and ‘grain’ in the masculine form. Barley was used as a part of temple worship during biblical times. When the barley had ripened, a single sheaf of barley was waved before the Lord at the first glimpse of dawn at the rising of the sun (symbolic of the rising of the Son – see Malachi 4:2); this signified the beginning of the harvest. The barley sheaf was offered up with a sacrificed lamb and presented to the Lord as the ‘first fruits’. This very act was sym-bolic of what was to come because, as it turned out, the Jews waved a barley sheaf at the temple on the very morning that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus fulfilled the first fruits and His resurrection marked the first in the harvest of many sons. The One and Three Measures and their Relationship to the Black Horse Grain A Measure The first mention for ‘a measure’ (of food) appears in Exodus.
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I have listed other times the measure appears to show you the theme of abundant supply, deliverance, and resurrection. A measure of manna bread is supplied to the Israelites as they wander through the desert, delivering them from hunger, giving them life: Exodus 16:4&16 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you’… This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, ‘Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer (measure) for every man, according to the number of your persons.’ John 6:31-32 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilder-ness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’ In 1 Kings 17:7-24 Elijah visits the widow’s house and she prepares him some food with just a measure of flour and some oil. Elijah prophesies and says, ‘For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’’ The widow’s measure of flour and oil sees her son resurrected. The flour and oil are multiplied, giving them both life! This is a picture of the resurrection and Jesus, the Bread of Life. In 2 Kings 7:1-2 Elisha said, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.’ The royal officer did not believe Elisha. He said, ‘If God could open the windows in heaven, could such a thing be?’ He was killed because of his unbelief! The lepers and all Israel were delivered from death and hunger and given an abundance of food from the
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‘windows of heaven’. Barley features here as well, in keeping with the theme of deliverance, abundance and life. And here is a verse from the New Testament regarding ‘a measure’. Luke 6:38. Give, and it will be given to you. A good ‘measure’, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. This principal in the book of Luke matches the story of the widow in the Old Testament who gave her measure of flour and oil to Elijah. The Lord multiplied the measure and gave it back to her. Three MeasuresThe first mention of ‘three measures’ appears in Genesis 18:6. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly, pre-pare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.’ Abraham and Sarah have three men who visit them and they receive the news from the Lord through one of the men that Sarah would bear a son (Isaac). Sarah was delivered from barrenness. Isaac was to be the first of Abraham’s ‘sons of faith’, the ‘first of the many sons’ he was promised. In 1 Samuel 1:20 God heard Hannah’s prayers and at last she gave birth to a son, Samuel, whom Hannah, in turn, gave to the Lord. Hannah’s offering to the Lord for her son was one ephah, three measures of meal (v 24) so her son could serve in the temple. Eli prays that Hannah would have more sons and she gives birth to three more sons and two daughters. Hannah is delivered from bar-renness as Sarah was, and given a son who serves in the temple and more sons to follow.
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In Judges 6:18-19 Gideon was keen to please the Lord so he could find the Lord’s favour to win the battle against the Midianites. His offering was an ephah or three measures of meal. Gideon and his men were delivered from death. Also of note, yet again, the word barley is present in this story in the dream of the barley cake, in which the Lord prophesies and shows that the Midianites’ ‘tent’ would be destroyed. In Ezekiel 45 and Ezekiel 46:5-7 The prince provides the burnt offerings along with three measures (or three quarts from five bushels of wheat and three quarts from five bushels of barley). The whole of Ezekiel 45 sees all Israel fully atoned for and restored! The princes take back possession of the people through the wheat, bar-ley, oil and sacrifice. There is that mention of barley again! Explaining Israel the NationIn Exodus (in the verses referenced just below), the whole nation of Israel is referred to as ‘God’s son, His firstborn’. The nation of Israel (many) yet as one are delivered from Pharaoh. The three measures (which I have demonstrated earlier) pictures the delivery of the firstborn son through Sarah and Hannah, but it also pictures Israel, the many sons as one who are delivered and atoned for through the ‘Prince’ (a picture of Jesus). We are delivered through Jesus as one, we are the body of Christ which is made up of many, through the firstborn Son. Can you see the parallel picture? Exodus 4:21-23 The Lord said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, My firstborn.’ So I said to you, ‘Let My
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son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’ To Sum up the Measure and the Three Measures:A Measure – Deliverance and Abundance of Bread:Manna Bread:Deliverance from hunger and death/Bread from Heaven Lepers and Israel: Deliverance from hunger and death/Food from Heaven The widow’s son resurrected: Deliverance from hunger and death/Bread from HeavenOne Measure – Life for the Son/‘Israel’ through the Son/Bread of Heaven. (Jesus said I am the Bread!) Three Measures –The First of Many Sons – Deliverance:Abraham – promise of a Son: Deliverance from barrenness / the first of many sonsHannah – prayer for a Son: Deliverance from barrenness/the first of more sonsGideon – Whole nation of Israel delivered from deathPrince’s offering: Whole nation of Israel atoned for and deliveredThree Measures – First Son given Life! – The promise of Life for Many Sons. (Jesus said ‘I am the Life’!) (Also Israel the first son – Nation given life – through Israel came redemption through Jesus.) I hope you are beginning to see a pattern emerge. Wheat and Barley and its relationship to two people groupsThe Bible commentator, Albert Barnes, has gone into great detail in
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his commentary presented below, expounding the mention of bar-ley and wheat in Isaiah 28:25. He highlights how the description of the grain is quite unique to the rest of the Bible.
Isaiah 28:25 – And cast in the principal wheat – Margin, ‘The wheat in the principal place.’ Vulgate, Per ordinem – ‘In its proper order, place, proportion.’ So Lowth, ‘In due measure.’ So Aben Ezra and Kimchi render it, ‘By measure;’ and they suppose it means that if too much wheat be sown on the land, it will grow too thick, and that the spires will crowd and suffocate each other. Our translators have rendered the word הרוש s’orah, ‘principal,’ as if it were derived from הרש s’arah, ‘to rule,’ and seem to have supposed that it denoted wheat that was ‘especially excellent,’ or distinguished for its good qualities. Gesenius sup-poses that it means ‘fat wheat,’ from an Arabic signification of the word. Probably the word is designed to denote ‘quality,’ and to convey the idea that wheat is the ‘principal, or chief grain’ that is sown; it is that which is ‘most valued and esteemed.’ And the ‘appointed barley’ – The barley is a well-known grain. The word rendered ‘appointed’ (ןמסנ niseman), ‘occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures’. Castellio, Taylor, Grotius, Calvin, our translators, and others, suppose that it is derived from a Hebrew word which does not now occur – ןמס saman, ‘to designate, to mark, to seal’: and that it means barley that had been put aside and marked as ‘especially excellent’, or seed-barley. In Chaldee, the word ןמס simman occurs in the sense of ‘to seal, to mark, to designate’ (Chaldee Par. Numbers 17:3; 2 Kings 9:13; Esther 5:1). The Septuagint, translated it κεγχρον kengchron, and the Vulgate, Aquila, and Theodotion, understand the word as denoting a species of grain, the millet. The idea is probably that expressed by Grotius, and in our version – of barley that
For generations, the image of the four horsemen of the apocalypse has captured the imagination of Bible interpreters.
Front and centre is the rider on the Black Horse – usually depicted as a mysterious skeletal figure, draped in a black hooded robe, holding out a pair of scales in his thin bony hand, unleashing famine on the earth.
But is this picture correct?
While researching the meaning of ‘barley’ in Scripture, D.A. Cleland discovered the rabbinical tradition linking ‘barley’ to God’s deliverance from hunger and death, and His abundant provision. Cleland observed that there is a consistent pattern that is evident not only in the Old Testament but continues throughout the New Testament, leading to the re-evaluation of Revelation 6 in the light of the ‘Law of First Mention’.
Presented here is a fresh new reading on the four horsemen, drawing on the entire biblical text. Highlighted is the importance of the ‘denarius’ and the ‘balances’ which prove to be the two symbols that are the essential keys confirming without a doubt who rides the mysterious Black Horse of Revelation!
It is believed that this is the first book published that uses the interpretative approach of the ‘Law of First Mention’ to ascertain what the symbols of the Four Horsemen of Revelation signify.
The Four Horsemen of Revelation
RE-EXAMINED
Do we have a case of MISTAKEN IDENTITY?
9 780473 418106
ISBN 978-0-473-41810-6
HorsesHold Your
NEWEDITION
