Revelation 6:8 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The fourth seal reveals a pale horse named Death, followed by the grave, given power over a fourth of the earth.
What Does Revelation 6:8 Mean?
The last rider comes on a horse of sickly pale green, and for the first time the rider is named: Death, with the grave following close behind to gather what Death cuts down. To this pair is given power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts, the ancient weapons of judgment. Once more the authority is 'given,' held within a fixed share.
This is the most sobering of the four, and yet even here a boundary stands: a fourth, not the whole. Death rides, but on a leash. For the one who trusts the Lamb, this scene is read in the light of what the rest of Scripture promises, that Christ has the keys of death and the grave, and that the last enemy to be destroyed is death itself. The pale rider has his hour, but not the final word.
Revelation 6:8 in the Original Language
thanatos (θάνατος), 'death' -- the name given the rider, the same word that elsewhere can mean deadly plague.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 6:8
What does Revelation 6:8 mean?
The fourth seal reveals a pale horse named Death, followed by the grave, given power over a fourth of the earth.