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Who is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse?

By Author Eli of Kittim

There are No Counterfeit Signs in the Bible

There are no counterfeit signs found anywhere in the Bible. So why should this be a precedent? That is, why would a white horse (a symbol of purity and righteousness) represent something as black as hell? Is God deceiving us? Is it possible that white is really black or that good is really evil in the Bible? Is the Bible inconsistent in its use of imagery and symbolism when referring to good or evil? The mainstream view—which holds that the first horseman of the Apocalypse represents the Antichrist—would have to reservedly admit that it’s possible, only because that is the logical conclusion of a counterfeit sign found in Scripture. I disagree. The Bible says “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isa. 5.20)! As a matter of fact, the white symbol of purity is consistent throughout the Bible. There are no counterfeit signs in Scripture. That’s why all references to God, Christ, or to the saints are always couched in white imagery. Here are some examples (italics mine):

Ecc. 9.8 - “Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.”

Isa. 1.18 - “ ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.’ “

Dan. 7.9 - “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.”

Mt. 17.2 - “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”

Mt. 28.3 - “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.”

John 20.12 - “saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been.”

Acts 1.10 - “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.”

Rev. 1.14 - “The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow.”

Rev. 2.17 - “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it.”

Rev. 3.4 - “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”

Rev. 3.5 - “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white.”

Rev. 3.18 - “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear.”

Rev. 4.4 - “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.”

Rev. 6.2 - “I looked, and there before me was a white horse!”

Rev. 6.11 - “Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer.”

Rev. 7.9 - “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

Rev. 7.13 - “Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?’ “

Rev. 7.14 - “I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ “

Rev. 14.14 - “I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man.”

Rev. 19.11 - “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.”

Rev. 19.14 - “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”

This is Irrefutable evidence, especially since Rev 19.11 explicitly says that the white horse represents Christ, and Rev. 19.14 claims that “the armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses”. The Bible is seemingly designating what is considered to be good or pure through the nomenclature of symbols. Thus, from the perspective of Biblical symbolism, the white horseman cannot possibly represent the Antichrist.

Why is the White Horse of Rev. 6.2 the Only One Announced “in a voice like thunder”?

"I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, 'Come!'" (Rev. 6.1).

Notice that none of the other horses of the Apocalypse are announced “in a voice like thunder.” In 2 Samuel 22.14, we read: “The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.” Rev. 4.5 describes what appear to be “peals of thunder” proceeding from the throne of God. In other words, the first horseman of Revelation 6.2 is the only one that seems to be announced by heaven itself, proceeding as it were out of the mouth of God.

The Diadem Versus the Stephanos Crown

In the Bible, the Diadem (Gk. diadema) represents the crown of a ruler, whereas the Stephanos is a wreath that symbolizes the crown of a champion or victor. Both Christ and Antichrist are said to wear diadems (diadema). Case in point: the so-called "Beast" (Antichrist) wears a diadema in Rev. 13.1. Similarly, in Rev. 12.3, the fiery red dragon has seven diadems (diadema) on his head to signify he is a ruler, just as Christ wears many crowns (diadema) in Rev. 19.12 because he is King of kings and Lord of lords. But Christ is also an overcomer, so he wears a stephanos crown as well! Stephanos “crowns” are typically worn by believers and victors in Christ. For example, in James 1.12, overcomers receive the stephanos crown of life. In 2 Tim. 4.8, overcomers who are victorious receive a stephanos crown of righteousness, just as in 1 Peter 5.4, God bestows on them the stephanos crown of glory. Similarly, in Rev. 2.10, victors in Christ are given a stephanos crown of life. This pattern is repeated in Rev 4.4 in which 24 elders are clothed in white robes having stephanos “crowns of gold on their heads.” In fact, the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head (Mt. 27.29) is also called a stephanos because of his victory over death that would follow. Moreover, those scholars who dismiss the idea that Christ wears a stephanos crown in the Bible can be directed to Rev. 14.14 wherein Christ is said to wear a golden stephanos crown. The Stephanos “crown” is therefore a symbol of victory for the believers in Christ. Accordingly, the Antichrist would not wear a stephanos crown.

What Does the Greek Word Νikao Mean in Rev. 6.2?

Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ, ἵππος λευκός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἔχων τόξον; καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στέφανος, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν νικῶν, καὶ ἵνα νικήσῃ (Rev. 6.2).

Translation: “Immediately I saw a white horse appear, and its rider was holding a bow; he was given a victor’s crown and he went away, to go from victory to victory” (Rev. 6.2 NJB).

The words νικῶν and νικήσῃ that are used in Rev. 6.2 to refer to the actions of the rider of the white horse are based on the Greek word νικάω (nikaó, see Strong's G3528), which means to “overcome” or to be “victorious.” For example, Rev. 2.7 uses the same Greek word nikao (overcomes) when referring to the overcomers in Christ. Similarly, Rev. 2.11 says, “He who overcomes (nikao) shall not be hurt by the second death.” Furthermore, in Rev 2.17, he who overcomes (nikao) receives God’s hidden manna. This pattern is repeated over and over again. Rev. 2.26 similarly states, “And he who overcomes (nikao), and keeps My works until the end, I will give power over the nations” (see also Rev. 3.5, 12, 21). In Rev 5.5, Christ is worthy to open the scroll precisely because he “has prevailed” (nikao). For this reason, the word nikao, which is found in Rev 6.2, can only refer to an overcomer in Christ and cannot possibly be attributed to an Antichrist figure. What’s more, when Rev. 5.5 says that “the Lion . . . has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals,” it is metaphorically referring to Christ initiating the final events on earth.

Conclusion

There are no counterfeit signs found anywhere in the Bible. That’s why all references to God, Christ, or to the saints are always couched in white imagery. What is more, the white horse of Rev. 6.2 is the only one that is announced “in a voice like thunder,” signifying that it is sanctioned by the Most High God. We have also seen that the stephanos “crown,” which is mentioned in Rev. 6.2 in reference to the white horseman, is a consistent symbol of victory in the Bible for the believers in Christ. Biblical studies of the Greek word nikao, which is found in Rev 6.2, have produced similar results, indicating that this word can only refer to an overcomer in Christ and cannot possibly be attributed to an Antichrist figure. Moreover, there are no hints given to suggest that the white horseman is a nefarious figure. For example, Revelation 6.8—in discussing the upcoming, end times wars and famines—makes no mention of the white horse at all, but begins rather with the second horse, the Red Horse: “And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6.8). Notice that the white horse is never mentioned in the aforesaid sequence. The war commences with the second horse (The Red Horse, which I believe represents the Antichrist): “And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword [2nd horse/red horse: ‘and a great sword was given to him’ Rev. 6.4] and with famine [3rd horse/black horse] and with pestilence [4th horse/ashen horse] and by wild beasts of the earth.” The biblical term "victory" (nikao) is intimately associated with Christ's resurrection from the dead, which ultimately results in the conquering of death itself (see 1 Cor. 15.54, 57), while the metaphor of the bow represents God's covenant with the human race (see Gen. 9.13). Further evidence that the word “toxon” (bow) in Rev. 6.2 can mean “rainbow” comes from the Septuagint (LXX), an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which translates “rainbow” as “toxon” (bow) in Genesis 9.13! Accordingly, this brief study would strongly suggest that the white horseman is not the Antichrist, but Jesus Christ (cf. the white horseman in Rev. 19.11)! This constitutes further proof that Jesus is the first person to be revealed in the last days, who commences the sequence of end time events.

Both Iris & Toxon mean Rainbow in the Bible

By Eli Kittim 🎓

All the Evidence Points to a Christ-Like Figure in Rev. 6.2

In this study I want to focus primarily on two words, iris & toxon, in order to show how they completely change our understanding of Revelation 6.2. But before I do this, I would first like to show you some proofs concerning the implied benevolence of the White horseman of the Apocalypse. That the white horse is a symbol of purity and righteousness is multiply attested by its linguistic usage patterns. For example, the phrase “and behold, a white horse,” in Rev. 19.11, is identical to the one used in Revelation 6.2. In other words, the two white horses of Revelation 19 & 6 represent the exact same figure who “is called Faithful and True” (Rev. 19.11)! That’s why Irenaeus, a second century theologian, held the same view, namely, that the first rider of the white horse who is depicted as a peacemaker represents Jesus Christ (Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Rev. ed. [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997], p. 141).

This is also confirmed by the type of crown the rider of the white horse wears. Stephanos “crowns” are typically worn by believers and victors in Christ (see e.g. the Greek text of Matthew 27.29; James 1.12; 2 Timothy 4.8; 1 Peter 5.4; Revelation 2.10; 4.4; 14.14)! All these proofs clearly show that the white horseman of Rev. 6.2 is neither deceptive nor evil, as many Bible commentators would have us believe!

The Hebrew Bible Uses the Word Bow for Rainbow

In the New Testament, the Greek noun ἶρις (iris) means “rainbow” (see https://biblehub.com/greek/2463.htm). Curiously enough, the Greek noun τόξον (toxon), which we find in Rev. 6.2, means “bow” but——as we shall see——it also means “rainbow” (see https://biblehub.com/greek/5115.htm). Τόξον can be seen as a contraction for ουράνιον τόξον (rainbow), from Ancient Greek οὐρανός ("heaven") + τόξον ("bow").

Given that the Greek noun “iris” is the most widely used term for “rainbow” in the New Testament, some commentators argue that since the word in Rev. 6.2 is “toxon,” not “iris,” it means that “toxon” (τόξον) cannot possibly refer to a rainbow. However, many notable Bible commentators, such as Chuck Missler, have said that the “bow” (toxon) in Rev. 6.2 appears to represent the “rainbow” of Genesis 9.13. In other words, the bow (toxon) represents the peace-covenant of Genesis 9.13. The actual verse in Genesis 9.13 (NRSV) reads:

“I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Bear in mind that Genesis 9.13 uses the Hebrew phrase qaš·tî (קַשְׁתִּ֕י), which means “my bow.” It comes from the Hebrew noun קֶשֶׁת (qesheth), which means——wait for it——a bow (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7198.htm).

The Septuagint (LXX) Translates the Hebrew Word for Rainbow with the Greek Word Toxon

Further evidence that “toxon” (bow) can mean “rainbow” comes from the Septuagint, an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Lo and behold, the Septuagint translates “rainbow” as τόξον (toxon) in Genesis 9.13!

Thus, this brief study illustrates my point, namely, that “iris” and “toxon” are interchangeable in the Bible! The Septuagint (LXX) translation of Genesis 9.13 by L.C.L. Brenton reads as follows:

τὸ τόξον μου τίθημι ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῖον διαθήκης ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς.

Translation:

“I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of covenant between me and the earth.”

Conclusion

Therefore, both “iris” and “toxon” mean “rainbow” in the Bible! They are interchangeable terms. This means that the rider of the “white horse … [who] had a bow” (τόξον), in Rev. 6.2, is symbolically holding the “rainbow,” which represents the covenant of peace between God & man in Genesis 9.13!