Revelation 6:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The second seal sends out a red horse whose rider is given power to take peace from the earth and a great sword.
What Does Revelation 6:4 Mean?
The second rider comes on a fiery red horse, the color of blood. To him is given power to strip peace from the earth, so that people turn and kill one another, and he is handed a great sword. Twice over the text says this authority is 'given'; the rider does not seize it but receives it within bounds he did not set.
Here is the grief of a world at war with itself, violence loosed where peace once held. Scripture does not hide this from us. Yet it frames the sword as permitted, not ultimate. The same Lord who allows the sword for a season is the One who will one day beat swords into plowshares. The believer mourns the bloodshed while trusting the hand that holds even this on a tether.
Revelation 6:4 in the Original Language
machaira (μάχαιρα), 'sword' -- a large cutting blade, here an image of war and slaughter unleashed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 6:4
What does Revelation 6:4 mean?
The second seal sends out a red horse whose rider is given power to take peace from the earth and a great sword.