Revelation of John the Evangelist, chapter 6

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.

1. And I saw the Lamb open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come and see.

2. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and his rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he came out victorious, and to conquer.

3. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see.

4. And another horse came out, a red one; and to him that sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him.

5. And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. I looked, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a measure in his hand.

7. And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature, saying, Come and see.

8. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider, whose name was death; and hell followed him, and power was given to him over the fourth part of the earth - to kill with the sword and hunger and pestilence and the beasts of the earth.

9. And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the word of God and for the testimony that they had.

11. And white robes were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest still for a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would be killed like them, would complete the number.

12. And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became dark as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood;

13. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, like a fig tree shaken strong wind, drops his unripe figs;

14. And the sky disappeared, rolled up like a scroll; and every mountain and island moved from their places;

15. And the kings of the earth, and the great, and the rich, and the captains of thousands, and the mighty, and every slave and every free man, hid themselves in caves and in the ravines of the mountains,

16. And they say to the mountains and stones: Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb;

17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is a term describing four characters from the sixth chapter of the Revelation of John the Theologian, the last of the books of the New Testament. Scholars still disagree on what exactly each horseman represents, but they are often referred to as Conqueror (Plague, Disease, Pestilence), War, Famine and Death (Pestilence). God calls them and gives them the power to wreak holy chaos and destruction in the world. The horsemen appear strictly one after the other, each with the opening of another of the first four of the seven seals of the book of Revelation.

Typically in Christian tradition interpreted as the Antichrist. However, the white color of his horse is also associated with righteousness, and in verse 19 of Revelation Jesus is described as sitting on a white horse, which gave rise to another point of view, namely that the first rider may be Jesus himself. In the traditional interpretation, the common name of the horseman is “Plague” (“Pestilence”).

Irenaeus of Lyons, an influential Christian theologian of the second century, was one of the first to name the rider as Jesus Christ himself, and interpreted the white horse as the success of the spread of the Gospel. Many theologians subsequently supported this view, citing the subsequent appearance of Christ on a white horse as the Word of God in Revelation 19. Additionally, earlier in the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark states that the spread of the Gospel may indeed precede and foreshadow the approach of the apocalypse. White color also represents righteousness in the Bible, and Jesus is described as a conqueror in a number of appearances. However, opponents of this view say that it is most likely that the first horseman of chapter 6 is not the same one that appears in chapter 19, for they are described very differently. differently. Moreover, Christ, being the Lamb who opens the seven seals, is unlikely to simultaneously be one of the powers created by the seal. The horseman may also represent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to the apostles on Trinity Day after the departure of Christ. The appearance of the Lamb in chapter 5 of Revelation personifies the triumphant appearance of Jesus in heaven, and the White Horseman, in this case, may be the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus and the spread of the teachings of Jesus Christ. By the opening of the first seal we can mean the host of apostles who, like a bow, directed the Gospel sermon against the demons, brought to Christ those wounded by saving arrows and were crowned with the crown of incorruption, for they defeated the prince of darkness with the truth and suffered violent death for confessing the Master’s name for the sake of the second victory.

The second horseman is associated with war, due to the color of his horse and sword. The common name of the horseman is “War” (“Arrest”). He carries out judgment in the name of God himself. His horse is red, in some translations - “fiery” red or red. This color, as well as the large sword in the hands of the horseman, signify the blood shed on the battlefield. The second horseman can also represent civil war, as if in contrast to the conquering one, which the first horseman can personify. According to Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea, here of course is the apostolic teaching preached by the martyrs and teachers. By this teaching, upon the spread of the sermon, nature was divided against itself, the peace of the world was disrupted, for Christ said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” By confessing this teaching, the victims of the martyrs were raised to the highest altar. The red horse means either shed blood, or the heartfelt zeal of the martyrs for the name of Christ. The words “to him who sits on him it is given to take peace from the earth” indicate the wise will of God, which sends trials for the faithful in adversity.

Rider on a black horse

The color of the horse of the third rider hints at the color of the cattle that have fallen [from hunger], and the scales (measure) indicate “merciless justice.” The following line also hints at hunger: “And I heard a voice among the four living creatures, saying: A quinix of wheat for a denarius, and three quinixes of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and wine.” And although to modern man These prices do not say anything; in the time of John the Theologian this was an extremely high price. The common name of the horseman is “Hunger” (“Hunger”). The black color of the horse can be considered the color of death. The horseman carries a measure or scales in his hand, signifying the way of dividing bread in times of famine. Of all four horsemen, the black one is the only one whose appearance is accompanied by a spoken phrase. John hears a voice coming from one of the four animals, which speaks about the prices of barley and wheat, while talking about the integrity of the oil and wine. it is implied that due to the famine rushing by the black horseman, grain prices will rise sharply, but the price of wine and oil will not change. This can be explained naturally by the fact that cereals tolerate drought worse than olive trees and vine bushes, which take deep roots. This saying can also mean an abundance of luxuries with an almost complete depletion of essential goods such as bread. On the other hand, the preservation of wine and oil can symbolize the preservation of Christian believers who use wine and oil for communion. The black horse can also mean weeping for those who have fallen from faith in Christ due to the severity of their torment. Libra is a comparison of those who have fallen from the faith either by inclination and fickleness of mind, or by vanity, or by weakness of the body. The measure of wheat for a denarius perhaps signifies sensual hunger. In a figurative sense, the measure of wheat, valued by a denarius, means all those who labored legally and preserved the image of God given to them. Three measures of barley can be those who, due to lack of courage, submitted to the persecutors out of fear, but then brought repentance.

The only horseman whose name is directly mentioned in the Bible. However, it is also called differently: “Plague”, “Pestilence”, based on various translations of the Bible (for example, the Jerusalem Bible). Also, unlike the other riders, it is not described whether the last rider is carrying any object in his hand. But hell follows him. However, in illustrations he is often depicted carrying a scythe or sword. In some translations it does not mean power was given to him, but power was given to them, which can be interpreted in two ways: either given to them - this is Death and Hell, or this can sum up the purpose of all horsemen; Scientists disagree here. The color of the last rider's horse is described as khlôros (χλωρóς) in Koine, which translates as "pale", but other possible translations include "ash", "pale green" and "yellow green". This color represents the pallor of a corpse. Other real colors, such as mousy and piebald, can also match this color. Despite the fact that in the Russian synoidal translation the horse is designated as “pale”, in Greek it was used special word to indicate an unhealthy greenish tint. In some legends, the color of this horse is called “Isabella”.

One horse was white, the other horse was red -

Hooves touched patched roofs.

Granite angels in the old cathedral

They looked at the burning city from niches.

The third horse is black as a winter night,

Like a flock of crows that fly away

Who can no longer be helped.

The last ray of light slides over the hills

On women's hands and on children's cheeks...

The fourth horse is pale and has blue veins

They pulsate to the beat of weightless steps.

Winged trumpeter with a dead man's face

Played the trumpet about the beginning of the end,

About the fact that the last stronghold of man

Will fall on this day under the heel of the Reaper...

This dream will pass and another will begin.

Concrete walls keep your peace.

But remember: hooves

They knock day and night above your head!

Preterist view

Many modern scholars and theologians view the Revelation of John the Evangelist from a preterist point of view, arguing that his prophecies and visions relate only to the first century in Christian history. In these judgments, the Conqueror, a rider on a white horse, is sometimes seen as a symbol of the Parthian troops: The Horseman carries a bow, and the Parthian Empire at that time was famous for its horse archers. The Parthians, in turn, were often associated with white horsemen. Some scholars even point specifically to Vologeses I, the Shah of Parthia, who fought against the Roman Empire, and even won one significant battle in 62 AD. Historical context may also have influenced the image of Famine, the black horseman. In 92 AD, the Roman Emperor Domitian tried to curb the overly active spread of the vineyard, while stimulating the spread of grain, which was followed by a violent reaction of protest from the population, and therefore he abandoned his plan. The goal of the Famine to deplete the supply of barley and millet, leaving wine and oil untouched, may well be an illustration of the above-described event. The red horseman, called to take peace from the earth, could personify the internal strife that raged at the time of the writing of Revelation. Internecine conflicts raged in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD and for a short time before it.

Other points of view

According to the theory of the Church of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), each of the seven seals revealed in Revelation symbolizes a specific thousand-year period of time. The appearance of the first horseman, the Conqueror, appearing after the breaking of the first seal is associated with the period 4000-3000 BC. He represents the prophecy of Enoch, who, according to Mormons, founded the righteous city of Zion around that time period. In this interpretation, however, the white horseman is good, and his "conquest" is seen as a moral victory rather than a military victory. The second horseman represents the time of Noah himself (3000-2000 BC). The third horseman is the era of Abraham (2000-1000 BC). The fourth horseman - from 1000 BC until the birth of Jesus Christ. As in many other interpretations, the last three horsemen represent War, Famine and Death, respectively. Mormon theologians argue that the corresponding catastrophes raged during the periods of history attributed to the horsemen. There is another interpretation that compares the horsemen with specific historical events and dates. So, in the first centuries of Christianity, interpreters recognized the first horseman sitting on a white horse as the Parthian king Vologeses, who in 62 AD forced the Roman army to capitulate. The second horseman was associated with the British rebellion of 61, in which up to 150,000 people died, or with the wars of the same time in Germany, or with the troubles in Palestine. The third horseman corresponded to the famine of 62 in Armenia and Palestine; the fourth - the epidemic of 61 in Asia and Ephesus; fifth seal - Nero's persecution of Christians.

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" Albrecht Durer

In every century, Christian theologians see new interpretations of both the horsemen and Revelation as a whole. Those who believe that Revelation describes modern times interpret the horsemen by their colors used in modern history. Red, for example, is often attributed to Communism, black is a symbol of Capitalism, and green is attributed to the emergence of Islam. Shepherd Irwin Baxter Jr., founder of End Times Ministries, supports this interpretation. Some equate the four horsemen with the angels of the four winds. (See Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, these archangels are often associated with the four cardinal directions)

Another interpretation of the white horse says that he is the Holy Spirit sent to our world after the death of Christ. The fiery red horse is the blood shed by Christian martyrs. The black horse represents the disunity of the Jewish people during the Roman Empire in the 70s. AD The pale horse represents the Islamic peoples (with a direct connection with Death and Hell left behind by them)

General vision of St. Andrew gives the following interpretation to the horsemen: the opening of the first seal is the embassy of St. The apostles, who, like a bow, directed the Gospel sermon against the demons, brought the wounded to Christ with saving arrows and received a crown for defeating the ruler of darkness with the truth - this is what is symbolized by the “white horse” and “who sits on it” with a bow in his hands. The opening of the second seal and the appearance of a red horse, sitting on which “it was given to take peace from the earth,” signifies the incitement of the infidels against the believers, when the peace was broken by the Gospel preaching in fulfillment of the words of Christ: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10 :34), and when the blood of confessors and martyrs for Christ abundantly filled the earth. “Red horse” is a sign of either the shedding of blood, or the heartfelt jealousy of those who suffered for Christ. The opening of the third seal and the subsequent appearance of a black horse with a rider who had “a measure in his hand” signifies the falling away from Christ of those who do not have firm faith in Him. The black color of the horse symbolizes “crying for those who have fallen from faith in Christ due to the severity of torment.” “A measure of wheat for a dinar” means those who labored legally and carefully preserved the Divine image given to them; “three measures of barley” are those who, like cattle, due to lack of courage, submitted to the persecutors out of fear, but then repented and washed the desecrated image with tears; “Do not harm oil or wine” means that one should not, out of fear, reject Christ’s healing, leave without it the wounded and those who have “fallen” into thieves, but bring them “wine of consolation” and “oil of compassion.” The opening of the fourth seal and the appearance of the pale horse with its rider, whose name is death, means the manifestation of the wrath of God in vengeance for sinners - these are various disasters of the last times predicted by Christ the Savior (Matthew 24:6-7).

According to Jehovah's Witnesses, the vision of the four apocalyptic horsemen is fulfilled from 1914 until the destruction of this system of things. This is consistent with Rev. 1:1,10, which states that the events described in the book of Revelation take place in the “day of the Lord.” The first horseman is Jesus Christ, who was given a crown symbolizing that he had begun to reign in heaven as King (Daniel 7:13,14). The remaining three horsemen symbolize war (red or red), hunger (crow), disease, epidemics and other causes of premature death (pale). In support of this, Jehovah's Witnesses provide a parallel between the vision of the four horsemen and the signs of the presence of Christ and the last days, which are spoken of in the Gospels of Luke (chapter 21) and Matthew (chapter 24).

“The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” are characters from the sixth chapter of the Revelation of John the Theologian, the last of the books of the New Testament. Scholars still disagree on what exactly each horseman represents, but they are often referred to as Conqueror (Plague, Disease, Pestilence), War, Famine and Death (Pestilence). God calls them and gives them the power to wreak holy chaos and destruction in the world. The horsemen appear in strict succession, each with the opening of another of the first four of the seven seals of the book of Revelation.

Horsemen

The appearance of each of the horsemen is preceded by the Lamb removing the seals from the Book of Life. After removing each of the first four seals, the tetramorphs exclaim to John - “come and see” - and apocalyptic horsemen appear in front of him one by one.

Rider on a white horse

“And I saw that the Lamb had opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see.” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and his rider had a bow, and He had a crown; and he went out victorious, and to conquer" (Rev. 6:1-2)

The white color of a horse is usually seen as the personification of either evil or righteousness:

Evil

Based on the fact that the remaining horsemen clearly personify evil and the destructive forces of nature, and taking into account the general style of appearance and description of the horsemen, we can conclude that the first horseman also personifies evil. The German Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel calls it civil war and internal strife. Evangelist Billy Gramma interprets the Rider on the White Horse as the Antichrist, the personification of false prophecies, based on the differences between the horseman of the sixth chapter of Revelation and Jesus on the white horse of the nineteenth chapter. For example, in Revelation 19, Jesus has many crowns, while the horseman of Revelation 6 has only one.

Righteousness

Irenaeus of Lyons, an influential Christian theologian of the second century, was one of the first to name the rider as Jesus Christ himself, and interpreted the white horse as the success of the spread of the Gospel. Many theologians subsequently supported this view, citing the subsequent appearance of Christ on a white horse as the Word of God in Revelation 19. Additionally, earlier in the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark states that the spread of the Gospel may indeed precede and foreshadow the approach of the apocalypse. The color white also represents righteousness in the Bible, and Jesus is described as a conqueror in a number of appearances. However, opponents of this point of view say that most likely the first horseman from chapter 6 is not the same one that appears in chapter 19, because they are described very differently. Moreover, Christ, being the Lamb who opens the seven seals, is unlikely to simultaneously be one of the powers created by the seal.
The horseman may also represent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to the apostles on Trinity Day after the departure of Christ. The appearance of the Lamb in chapter 5 of Revelation personifies the triumphant appearance of Jesus in heaven, and the White Horseman, in this case, may be the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus and the spread of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
By the opening of the first seal we can mean the host of apostles who, like a bow, directed the Gospel sermon against the demons, brought to Christ those wounded by saving arrows and were crowned with the crown of incorruption, for they defeated the prince of darkness with the truth and suffered violent death for confessing the Master’s name for the sake of the second victory.

Vasnetsov. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

"And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second animal say, Come and see. And there came out another horse, a red one; and to him that sat on it power was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him." (Rev.6:3-4)

The second horseman is usually called War (“War”), and he administers judgment in the name of God himself. Often he personifies war. His horse is red, in some translations - “fiery” red or red. This color, as well as the large sword in the hands of the horseman, signify the blood shed on the battlefield. The second horseman can also represent civil war, as if in contrast to the conquest that the first horseman can personify.
According to Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea, here of course is the apostolic teaching preached by the martyrs and teachers. By this teaching, upon the spread of the sermon, nature was divided against itself, the peace of the world was disrupted, for Christ said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” By confessing this teaching, the victims of the martyrs were raised to the highest altar. The red horse means either shed blood, or the heartfelt zeal of the martyrs for the name of Christ. The words “to him who sits on him it is given to take peace from the earth” indicate the wise will of God, which sends trials for the faithful in adversity.

“And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. I looked, and behold, a black horse, and his rider had a measure in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, hinix wheat for a denarius, and three quinixes of barley for a denarius; but you shall not damage oil or wine." (Rev.6:5-6)

The third horseman rides a black horse and is generally believed to represent hunger. The black color of the horse can be considered the color of death. The horseman carries a measure or scales in his hand, signifying the way of dividing bread in times of famine.
Of all four horsemen, the black one is the only one whose appearance is accompanied by a spoken phrase. John hears a voice coming from one of the four animals, which speaks about the prices of barley and wheat, while talking about the integrity of the oil and wine. It is implied that due to the famine rushing by the black horseman, grain prices will rise sharply, but the price of wine and oil will not change. This can be explained naturally by the fact that cereals tolerate drought worse than olive trees and vine bushes, which take deep roots. This statement can also mean an abundance of luxuries with an almost complete depletion of essential goods, such as bread. On the other hand, the preservation of wine and oil can symbolize the preservation of Christian believers who use wine and oil for communion.
A black horse can also mean crying for those who have fallen from faith in Christ due to the severity of torment. Libra is a comparison of those who have fallen from the faith either by inclination and fickleness of mind, or by vanity, or by weakness of the body. The measure of wheat for a dinar perhaps signifies sensual hunger. In a figurative sense, the measure of wheat, valued by a denarius, means all those who labored legally and preserved the image of God given to them. Three measures of barley can be those who, due to lack of courage, submitted to the persecutors out of fear, but then brought repentance.

The fourth and final horseman is called Death. Among all the horsemen, this is the only one whose name appears directly in the text. However, it is also called differently: “Plague”, “Pestilence”, based on various translations of the Bible (for example, the Jerusalem Bible). Also, unlike the other riders, it is not described whether the last rider is carrying any object in his hand. But hell follows him. However, in illustrations he is often depicted carrying a scythe or sword.
The color of the last rider's horse is described as khlôros (χλωρóς) in Koine, which translates as "pale", but other possible translations include "ash", "pale green" and "yellow green". This color represents the pallor of a corpse. Other real suits, such as nightingale and isabella, may also be suitable for this color.
In some translations it does not mean power was given to him, but power was given to them, which can be interpreted in two ways: either given to them - this is Death and Hell, or this can sum up the purpose of all horsemen; Scientists disagree here.

Preterist view

Many modern scholars and theologians view the Revelation of John the Evangelist from a preterist point of view, arguing that his prophecies and visions relate only to the first century in Christian history. In these judgments, the Conqueror, a rider on a white horse, is sometimes seen as a symbol of the Parthian troops: The Horseman carries a bow, and the Parthian Empire at that time was famous for its horse archers. The Parthians, in turn, were often associated with white horsemen. Some scholars even point specifically to Vologeses I, the Shah of Parthia, who clashed with the Roman Empire, and even won one significant battle in 62 AD.
The historical context may also have influenced the image of Hunger, the black horseman. In 92 AD, the Roman Emperor Domitian tried to curb the overly active spread of the vineyard, while stimulating the spread of grain, which was followed by a violent reaction of protest from the population, and therefore he abandoned his plan. The goal of the Famine to deplete the supply of barley and millet, leaving wine and oil untouched, may well be an illustration of the above-described event. The red horseman, called to take peace from the earth, could personify the internal strife that raged at the time of the writing of Revelation. Internecine conflicts raged in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD and for a short time before it.

According to the theory of the Church of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), each of the seven seals revealed in Revelation symbolizes a specific thousand-year period of time. The appearance of the first horseman, the Conqueror, appearing after the breaking of the first seal is associated with the period 4000-3000 BC. He represents the prophecy of Enoch, who, according to Mormons, founded the righteous city of Zion around that time period. In this interpretation, however, the white horseman is good, and his "conquest" is seen as a moral victory rather than a military victory. The second horseman represents the time of Noah himself (3000-2000 BC). The third horseman is the era of Abraham (2000-1000 BC). The fourth horseman - from 1000 BC until the birth of Jesus Christ. As in many other interpretations, the last three horsemen represent War, Famine and Death, respectively. Mormon theologians argue that the corresponding catastrophes raged during the periods of history attributed to the horsemen.
There is another interpretation that compares the horsemen with specific historical events and dates. So, in the first centuries of Christianity, interpreters recognized the first horseman sitting on a white horse as the Parthian king Vologeses, who in 62 AD forced the Roman army to capitulate. The second horseman was associated with the British rebellion of 61, in which up to 150,000 people died, or with the wars of the same time in Germany, or with the troubles in Palestine. The third horseman corresponded to the famine of 62 in Armenia and Palestine; the fourth - the epidemic of 61 in Asia and Ephesus; fifth seal - Nero's persecution of Christians.
In every century, Christian theologians see new interpretations of both the horsemen and Revelation as a whole. Those who believe that Revelation describes modern times interpret the horsemen by their colors used in modern history. Red, for example, is often attributed to Communism, black is a symbol of Capitalism, and green is attributed to the emergence of Islam. Shepherd Irwin Baxter Jr., founder of End Times Ministries, supports this interpretation.
Some equate the four horsemen with the angels of the four winds. (See Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, these archangels are often associated with the four cardinal directions)
Another interpretation of the white horse says that he is the Holy Spirit sent to our world after the death of Christ. The fiery red horse is the blood shed by Christian martyrs. The black horse represents the disunity of the Jewish people during the Roman Empire in the 70s. AD The pale horse represents the Islamic peoples (with a direct connection with Death and Hell left behind by them)
General vision of St. Andrew gives the following interpretation to the horsemen: the opening of the first seal is the embassy of St. The apostles, who, like a bow, directed the Gospel sermon against the demons, brought the wounded to Christ with saving arrows and received a crown for defeating the ruler of darkness with the truth - this is what is symbolized by the “white horse” and “who sits on it” with a bow in his hands. The opening of the second seal and the appearance of a red horse, sitting on which “it was given to take peace from the earth,” signifies the incitement of the infidels against the believers, when the peace was broken by the Gospel preaching in fulfillment of the words of Christ: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10 :34), and when the blood of confessors and martyrs for Christ abundantly filled the earth. “Red horse” is a sign of either the shedding of blood, or the heartfelt jealousy of those who suffered for Christ. The opening of the third seal and the subsequent appearance of a black horse with a rider who had “a measure in his hand” signifies the falling away from Christ of those who do not have firm faith in Him. The black color of the horse symbolizes “crying for those who have fallen from faith in Christ due to the severity of torment.” “A measure of wheat for a dinar” means those who labored legally and carefully preserved the Divine image given to them; “three measures of barley” are those who, like cattle, due to lack of courage, submitted to the persecutors out of fear, but then repented and washed the desecrated image with tears; “Do not harm oil or wine” means that one should not, out of fear, reject Christ’s healing, leave without it the wounded and those who have “fallen” into thieves, but bring them “wine of consolation” and “oil of compassion.” The opening of the fourth seal and the appearance of the pale horse with its rider, whose name is death, means the manifestation of the wrath of God in vengeance for sinners - these are various disasters of the last times predicted by Christ the Savior (Matthew 24:6-7).
According to Jehovah's Witnesses, the vision of the four apocalyptic horsemen is fulfilled from 1914 until the destruction of this system of things. This is consistent with Rev. 1:1,10, which states that the events described in the book of Revelation take place in the “day of the Lord.” The first horseman is Jesus Christ, who was given a crown symbolizing that he had begun to reign in heaven as King (Daniel 7:13,14). The remaining three horsemen symbolize war (red or red), hunger (crow), disease, epidemics and other causes of premature death (pale). In support of this, Jehovah's Witnesses provide a parallel between the vision of the four horsemen and the signs of the presence of Christ and the last days, which are spoken of in the Gospels of Luke (chapter 21) and Matthew (chapter 24).

Pestilence, War, Famine and Death

In this interpretation, the image of the first horseman changes from the Conqueror to Pestilence (plague/disease), which in turn is separated from Death. So, the first of the horsemen to appear is Mor, riding on a white horse. The Pestilence is followed by War on a bloody horse and with a huge sword. With War, due to massive destruction and pestilence, comes Famine. Hunger is fat, but rides on a decrepit black horse, personifying gluttony and hunger, respectively. And with hunger comes Death. Her horse is pale. Hell follows, consuming all remaining souls.
The images of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in popular culture are most often based on this interpretation.

Other mentions

Zechariah also saw four horses (Zechariah 1:8-17, 6:1-8). Red came into his vision first, then Black, White and Pale. He calls them “the four spirits of heaven who once stood before the very Lord of all the earth.” The difference between the horses of Zechariah and those of Revelation is that their colors do not seem to signify or symbolize anything; in addition, horses in Zechariah play the role of sentries rather than forces of destruction and the Last Judgment.
Zechariah's visions were most likely inspired by John and his description of the four horsemen. In addition, flying divine horsemen in mythologies, both Jewish and pagan.

The names of the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse are not simple, sometimes ambiguous, and frightening for mere mortals, but before we begin to analyze them, let's turn to the “Apocalypse” itself.

What is the Apocalypse?

Today, the word “apocalypse” is often used in everyday life in the general sense of some kind of global catastrophe or the end of the world, but etymologically (translated from the Greek - revelation) goes back to the “Revelation of Jesus Christ, or” - the closing New Testament and containing prophetic visions of the end of the world. This ancient monument of early Christian literature was written at the end of the 1st century on the island of Patmos by John the Evangelist (Theologian).

The author of the Apocalypse uses symbols and allegories, which is why Revelation is the most difficult book of Holy Scripture to interpret. Symbols reflect general concepts, not specific ones, allegorical images are timeless and have a universal character. Therefore, "Revelation", created in the 1st century, is relevant for present and future generations.

The horsemen appear in the 6th chapter of the “Apocalypse” sequentially, one after another, after the Lamb opens the first 4 of the seven seals of the book of Divine Revelation and are accompanied by exclamations of tetramorphic creatures: “Come and see.” The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are a kind of “patrol”, guardsmen of heaven, called by God and endowed by him with the power to administer justice over careless humanity, bringing devastation, torment and suffering to Earth.

In fact, in the "Revelation" itself the name of only one of the horsemen is clearly stated - the 4th: "his name is Death", while the others are presented only with a short description and mention of their mission on Earth or, as in the case of the 3rd horseman, voice commentary from one of the tetramorphic creatures. Variants of the names of these horsemen, according to their characteristics, were given by subsequent interpreters of the Apocalypse. In their interpretations, the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse most often bear the following names:

So, the first to appear in “Apocalypse” is a rider on a white horse with a victorious crown on his head and a bow in his hands. His mission is to win. Interpreters radically disagree about this image. According to one version, it symbolizes the evil and false prophecies of the Antichrist, according to the second - on the contrary, the light and Jesus Christ. Accordingly, the color of his horse - white - personifies pseudo-righteousness or righteousness. This difference in the views of interpreters arose due to the fact that Christ also appeared on a white horse in the 19th chapter, but most researchers cite a number of counterarguments not in favor of this version and are inclined to conclude that the name that best suits this rider is Conqueror. In their opinion, the bow is a symbol of militaristic power, in particular, a symbol of the conquest of the Roman Empire by the Parthians, who were associated with riders on white horses.

If the 1st horseman of the Apocalypse personified the image of a conqueror from the outside, then the mission of the 2nd, with a huge sword in his hands (a reference to the words of the Savior: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”), is “to take away peace on earth so that one killed another,” that is, to turn the destructive instincts of people against each other in fraternal war, which manifests itself in human history in the form of various uprisings, revolutions and civil unrest. Most interpreters agree that the name of this horseman is Discord. Some historians associate this image with the rebellion and numerous casualties in Britain or the riots in Palestine and the German wars in those historical times. The color of this rider's horse is red or fiery red - a symbol of fire and shed blood.

The Horseman of the Apocalypse, the third to appear in Chapter 6, is credited with the name Famine, appearing on a black raven horse and holding scales. Tellingly, “Revelation” does not directly talk about his mission, but the appearance of the horseman is accompanied by the following words of one of the tetramorphic creatures: “A measure of wheat for a denarius and three measures of barley for a denarius, do not harm olives and wine.” In these words and his attribute - scales - interpreters saw an omen about the need to share bread in times of famine, when grain prices are too high, it will become worth its weight in gold. But even then, Christians will not have to touch the oil and wine used in the rite of communion, as symbols of faith. Some scientists, in connection with the 3rd horseman, draw analogies with the years of famine in Palestine and Armenia.

The name of the 4th horseman of the Apocalypse is mentioned in “Revelation” itself - riding a pale horse. Scripture directly states that hell followed her. The mission of this messenger of God is also clearly defined: “This horseman has been given power over the fourth part of the earth - to kill with the sword, with famine and pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth.” The pale color of a horse, also known as ash or yellowish-green (found in different translations), is associated with the pallor of a dead body, a corpse. Some supporters of the historical interpretation of the Bible associate the image of the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse with the epidemics that broke out at that time in Ephesus and Asia.

The 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse received their names in other synonymous variants, such as War, Battle, Plague, Pestilence, which is primarily explained by translation difficulties.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse became known to the world thanks to Revelation, the authorship of which is attributed to John the Theologian, one of the 12 holy apostles. This book became the final part of the New Testament. It describes scenes of the last day, during which God will show his wrath and both kings and slaves will fall before him (Revelation 6:16-17).

The Apocalypse is portrayed as a monstrous global catastrophe preceding the Second Coming of the Son of God. One of the most terrible and deeply symbolic scenes is the performance of certain Four Horsemen. Theologians and scientists are still arguing about what exactly the author of Revelation depicted with the help of these images.

White Rider

The first person to appear after the Lamb breaks one of the 7 seals is the rider sitting on a white horse (Rev. 6:2). Information about this character is quite scarce. John only points out that he has a crown on his head and a bow in his hands. The “white” horseman is described as “victorious,” that is, coming to be sure of victory.

Due to the paucity of information about this hero, his significance and role in the Apocalyptic events are interpreted very controversially. The Roman theologian, bishop of Lyon and church father Irenaeus of Lyons (≈130-202 AD) believed that this mythical character symbolizes Jesus Christ himself. For this reason he appears wearing a crown and is called the winner. The white color of a horse is a sign of righteousness and purity.

Irenaeus interpreted the appearance of Jesus at the head of the “procession” as a sign of the victory of Christianity. The more common point of view of his opponents, many of whom insist that all the horsemen of the Apocalypse personify evil and have nothing to do with Jesus.

The well-known leader of the Baptist church, Pastor William Graham, calls the first horseman the Antichrist, the king of lies and discord. That's why there's a white stallion underneath. It is a symbol of deception and false righteousness. John could depict the Antichrist with a bow in his hands because of the realities of the time in which he himself lived. At the beginning of the 1st millennium, the Roman Empire was often attacked by Parthian armies. In their vanguard there were always exceptionally skilled horse archers. They brought discord and death with them.

Red Rider

The second in line in Revelation is a horseman with a huge sword, prancing on a red horse. John describes it more specifically. The second horseman is called to destroy the world on earth (Rev. 6:4). Obviously, this character symbolizes War.

The Archbishop of Caesarea, St. Andrew (VI-VII) believed that this horseman also symbolizes the sacrifices of Christian martyrs who laid down their heads for the faith. The name of the red color of the horse in some translations of the Gospel sounds like “red” or “fiery”. It denotes the blood shed by the first Christians. This color is also associated with the crimson vestments of the Roman emperors, the bloody tyrants of the “depraved Roman harlot.”

Black horseman

John says about the third horseman that he holds a “measure” in his hand and sits on a black horse (Rev. 6:5). Next, a certain voice sounds, setting a price for wheat and barley, but not allowing the wine and oil to be touched (Rev. 6:6). In John's time, this "measure" was used to weigh bulk products. Traders used it.

The fact that such a measure is held in the hands of the third horseman is a symbol of Hunger, both literally and figuratively. Simple food - wheat, barley - in last days on Earth will become much more expensive or will be in short supply due to droughts. Wine and oil, which are used during Christian services, will remain untouched. This is an allusion to the salvation of people who survive on spiritual food.

The black color of the horse is easily explained from the point of view of the historical context. It symbolizes the color of grapes, which were actively cultivated during the reign of Domitian (81-96). The Romans made a lot of wine from it, indulging drunkenness ruling class. At the same time, the land where grain crops were cultivated became less and less, and this threatened the population with famine.

Pale Rider

The author of Revelation calls the last rider, galloping on a pale horse, by name. This is Death itself. She destroys people with everything possible ways. Hell follows this character. Interestingly, the “pale” color of a horse in some translations from ancient Greek sounds like a pale green, reminiscent of the color of the rotting skin of a corpse.

Modern pastors of different churches interpret the pictures depicted in Revelation adjusted to the events of today. In their opinion, a pale green horse symbolizes Islam, a red horse symbolizes communism, and a black horse symbolizes capitalism. The crowned rider on the white stallion is the Christian faith, which must ultimately win. This point of view is shared, for example, by the pastor of the Church of the End of Times, Irwin Baxter.

Mormons interpret the successive appearance of the horsemen of the Apocalypse as 4 consecutive periods. The white horse is a symbol of the era of goodness and righteousness (4-3 millennium BC). Red - times of sin, wars and the wrath of God, which appeared on earth in the form of the Flood (3-2 millennium BC).

Voronoi - the era of Abraham, as well as persecution, famine and wanderings of the Jewish people (2-1 millennium BC). The pale horse symbolizes the last era, which continues to this day and will end with the end of the world (“hell” for all the lost).

As is known, churchmen reject astrology, considering it superstition, pseudoscience, or, recognizing that it reflects Divine laws, consider it to be under the power of demonic forces, which allegedly slip to man the stolen (from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) Divine knowledge that the Creator hid from a person.
Meanwhile, in the most amazing and bewitching work of the New Testament - the Revelation of John the Theologian, or the Apocalypse, not only astrological symbolism is used, but even before the gaze of the prophet ... a horoscope appears, indicating the time of occurrence of a certain event. Which one? – we will see from the analysis of the places of Revelation that interest us.

The revelation is not so much of John the Theologian as of Jesus Christ Himself, for the last book of the New Testament begins with the words:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his servants what must soon take place” (1:1).

John describes the beginning of the revelation he received as follows: “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on Sunday and heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet, which said: I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last; write what you see in a book and send it to the churches…” (1, 9-11).
We will not touch upon the appeal to the seven Asian churches and will immediately open the 4th chapter.
“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice, which I heard like the sound of a trumpet, speaking to me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And immediately I was in spirit; and behold, a throne stood in heaven, and on the throne was one who sat; ... And around the throne there are twenty-four thrones; and I saw twenty-four elders sitting on the thrones, who were dressed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads. And from the throne came lightning and thunder and voices, and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne was a sea of ​​glass, like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle” (4: 1-2, 4-7).

This is the cosmic picture that appeared before the eyes of John. It is interesting to note that the constellation Cassiopeia has the ancient name Throne (depicted as a throne, and later as a woman on a throne). “The throne is the throne in this context” (A. Men). The seven lamps are, it seems, the seven bright stars of the Great or Ursa Minor. But that's true, by the way. As for the 24 elders, astronomers still divide the celestial sphere into 24 hours (the time of the Earth’s daily rotation around its axis). And according to numerology, 24 is the number of physical and spiritual completeness.

“The glass sea” is a common image in the Bible of the sky, the firmament, and theologians interpret it this way.

The four animals, as is obvious to the astrologer, correspond to the four zodiacal constellations (and signs) of the so-called fixed cross, or cross of existence - Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio. Some, for example N. Morozov, who interpreted the Apocalypse as an astronomer, understand the constellation Eagle as an eagle. But this constellation, firstly, is located somewhat to the side and does not form a cross. And secondly, the eagle is a symbol of the highest manifestations of the archetype of the sign Scorpio, the three levels of which in astrology are figuratively called “black spider”, “gray lizard” and “eagle”. Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio are the four “pillars” of the sky, and in theological language, the four cherubs, and it is no coincidence that they are listed in the order of the sacred development of the zodiac circle (reverse to the direction of movement of the planets).

Let's skip the fifth chapter, where He who sits on the throne hands over the book with seven seals to the Lamb - Jesus Christ (“for you were slain, and with your blood you redeemed us to God”), the only one who is worthy to open the seals from the book. And let's move on to the extremely interesting 6th chapter of Revelation for us.

“And I saw that the Lamb opened the first seal of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come and see. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and a rider on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he came out victorious, and to conquer” (6, 1-2).

“The horse is white and has a rider.” As is obvious to an astrologer, the symbolism is quite transparent: the horse is a planet, the rider is the zodiac constellation in which this planet is located. We are talking specifically about the constellation, and not about astrological sign(30-degree segment of the ecliptic), which we will later verify, for the future being proclaimed has a cosmic, universal, metaphysical meaning, and not a purely earthly one.
Since ancient times, it has been customary to depict planets in the form of horses, apparently because of their apparent spasmodic and loop-like motion against the background of stars, because the speed of the planet first increases, then decreases, the planet seems to stop and then moves back, and then the cycle repeats.

The white horse is the planet Jupiter. As we will see later, the text of Revelation uses colors that correspond to the physical nature (or conditions) of visibility of the planets. “The Horseman with the Bow” is, of course, the constellation Sagittarius. Further text confirms the presence of Jupiter in Sagittarius: “and a crown was given to him; and he went out victorious, and to conquer.” Jupiter is in “its” constellation (Sagittarius), where it is considered especially strong.

Archpriest Alexander Men in his comments considers the image of a rider on a white horse to be a symbol of the empire. One can hardly agree with this. Jupiter in Sagittarius, according to astrological symbolism, is related not only to success and victory, but also to faith, religion, spirituality, and God, finally. And this symbol means the call of all the faithful under the banners of the Divine Army for the battle with the army of Satan. Indeed, the rider on a white horse came out not just “as if victorious, but to win” (my italics - A.P.). And he does win, as Revelation proclaims. And in confirmation of our understanding - the fact that in the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse the Son of God Himself is on a white horse: “And I saw the heavens opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who righteously judges and makes war... He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: “The Word of God.” (19, 12-13).

Let's continue reading chapter 6: “And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. And higher is another horse, a red one; and to him that sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him” (6, 3-4).
We also use the key found here: the horse is the planet, the rider is the constellation, the accompanying text further reveals the meaning of the planet and the constellation in their interaction.
Red horse - Mars. A horseman with a sword is the constellation of Aries, for Aries, like Mars, are symbols of war and aggression. It is “given to him to take peace from the earth” - Aries is in opposition (confrontation) to Libra, “responsible” for the world. Mars in Aries is an indication of powerful force and aggression, into a bloody, brutal war. And also for the corresponding reason - the aggressiveness of humanity.

“And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. I looked, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a measure in his hand. And I heard a voice among the four living creatures, saying: A quinix of wheat for a denarius; But do not damage the oil or wine” (6:5-6).

Which planet is represented by the black (or, literally, dark) horse? This is Mercury, which, due to its proximity to the Sun, is often invisible, and if visible, it is as a faint star. This assumption is also confirmed by the indication of what can be bought for a denarius, for Mercury is “responsible” for trade. The rider holds a measure in his hand, namely scales. The Greek text uses the word;;;;;, which means both “scales” and the name of the constellation of the same name. In the Ukrainian translation of Revelation: “mav vagu in your rutsi.”

The meager measure of cereal grains for a denarius - the then daily wage for a worker - is an indication of both unfair trade and hunger (a quinix of wheat per day is more than a meager ration). As for the instructions not to spoil or waste oil and wine, this is how Fr. A. Men: “Meanwhile, the vineyards were producing a huge harvest, the storerooms were full of vessels with wine, widespread drunkenness was rampant in countries where hunger tormented people... The most important thing - bread, barley and wheat - is missing, but there is wine and oil.”

But there is another meaning. Wheat symbolizes material food, and oil and wine symbolize spiritual food. Consequently, the coming cataclysms and the Last Judgment will not bring harm to people who thirst first of all for spiritual food. This understanding follows from the books of the Old Testament prophets.

Let us add that Mercury in Libra also points to human vanity, to people’s excessive preoccupation with communicating with each other, and not with God.

We read further: “And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature, saying: Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider, whose name was “death,” and hell followed him. And power was given to him over the fourth part of the earth - to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth” (6, 7-8).

The horse is pale, translation options: roan, dun, yellowish, - this is the planet Saturn, which has a pale yellowish luminosity. And the “horseman whose name is “death” is, without a doubt, the constellation Scorpio, which, according to astrology, is related to death and the underworld. And Saturn himself is related to death. In medieval engravings he was depicted as a skeleton with a scythe.

Further in the 6th chapter, after the fifth and subsequent seals are removed, the horse-planets no longer appear. And although there are astrological symbols and astrological information there, we will postpone analyzing them for now. Let us now turn to chapter 12, where there is another important instruction:

“And a great sign appeared in heaven—a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet is the moon, and on her head is a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and screaming from the pain and pangs of birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns; His tail carried away a third of the stars from the sky and threw them to the ground. This dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he would devour her baby” (12: 1-4).

“The woman clothed with the sun; the moon is under her feet,” but this is the constellation Virgo, with the Sun and Moon in the background! (Note that in astrology Virgo is not fertile on the earthly plane, unlike the spiritual plane). And there's a dragon nearby. This means that what is shown here is not just a new moon, but an eclipse, and next to the Sun and Moon is the Dragon’s Head, i.e. ascending draconic node of the lunar orbit.

So, in the text of the Revelation of John the Theologian the following astronomical instructions are found:
The Sun and Moon are in the constellation Virgo, next to the Head of the Dragon;
Mercury is in the constellation Libra;
Mars is in the constellation Aries;
Jupiter is in the constellation Sagittarius;
Saturn is in the constellation Scorpio.

When did this configuration arise? Astronomy gives a precise answer to this: it happened on September 30, 395 AD. And this year is not an ordinary year in history, it is the year of the collapse of the Roman Empire - into Eastern and Western. And the beginning of the general collapse of the latter. Moreover, it was from 395 that “in the western half of the empire, the power of the emperors became weaker, they were entirely dependent on the German troops and their commanders, who actually managed all the affairs of the state” (History of Europe. Vol. 1. - M., 1981. - p. 646 ). And in subsequent years, Rome fell several times to the blows of the “barbarians.”

Note that we use the more strict term cosmogram, and not horoscope, since we do not link the moment of time of the eclipse to any point on the earth's surface (i.e. we do not delineate the so-called houses). But if we project this cosmogram onto geographical coordinates Rome, then the resulting horoscope has an expressively catastrophic character, because the planets will occupy the angular (1st - 7th) and crisis 6th, 8th and 12th houses.

Note also that on the cosmogram the Sun and Moon are in the astrological sign of Libra (ecliptic longitude: 8° Libra), but against the background of the zodiac constellation Virgo. The ecliptic longitude of the main star of the constellation – Spica (“spike”), located in the lowered hand of the imaginary figure of Virgo: 2° Libra, and the longitude of the border of the constellation Virgo – about 18° Libra. Thus, the Sun and Moon at the time of the eclipse are “at the feet” of Virgo.
You may ask, is it really true that in two thousand years none of the people familiar with astrology saw all this bright astrological symbolism in Revelation and built a corresponding cosmogram? I think that there were such people, they could not help but exist. Maybe they kept their guesses to themselves, or maybe someone even ended up at the stake for such “insolence.” In any case, there is no written evidence left, or the author of these lines does not know about them.
Except for one thing. This is the work of the already mentioned astronomer Nikolai Morozov, “Apocalypse from astronomical and historical points of view,” published at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was N. Morozov who revealed to the author of these lines the astrological meaning of the prophecy, although not all of his arguments can be agreed with.

N. Morozov, being a prisoner of the Peter and Paul Fortress for his social democratic activities, was forced (except for the Bible, no other books were given to prisoners) to read the Apocalypse, saw these astronomical and astrological signs and found the above date (30.9.395). He searched for her, however, for quite a long time, because he did not understand that the Dragon was pointing to an eclipse.

But what conclusions did the astronomer make? As a Bolshevik and an atheist, he came to the conclusion that the Apocalypse was written... after 395, attributing its authorship to John Chrysostom. And all his work, unfortunately, served to debunk the New Testament in particular and Christianity in general.
Yes, the Bolshevik Morozov could not believe (or stubbornly did not want) either in Divine Providence or in the very possibility of prophecy. And he was unaware of the information that the Apocalypse was mentioned and discussed back in the 1st – 3rd centuries. AD (let us name here the names of Justin the Martyr, Tertullian, Irenaeus of Lyons, Hippolytus of Rome, Presbyter Gaius, Dionysius of Alexandria).

It makes no sense for astrologers to argue with vulgar materialists, let alone with clergy. Although you can find it here mutual language not easy. This article will hopefully make it easier.

But let us return to the text of the Revelation of John. Of the septenary planets, Venus does not seem to be mentioned. But it is still present... When the first four seals were removed, the horse-planets came out. What's behind the fifth seal?

“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the word of God and for the testimony that they had. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, Holy and True, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to each of them, and they were told that they should rest still for a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers who would be killed would complete the number” (6:9-11).
Venus, which we see on the cosmogram in the constellation and sign of Scorpio, is located precisely under the constellation of the Altar, located in the sky under the constellation Scorpio (i.e. to the south of the celestial sphere). Venus is in the sign of death, and in conjunction with the ominous star Antares, but Venus is the planet of Love, and therefore personifies “the souls of those killed for the word of God.” They are dressed in white and seek revenge (Venus glows bright white, and Scorpio is a sign of revenge, retribution).

However, Venus personifies not only those who love God, but also - in her lower guises - the Great Whore. She and her disastrous fate are described in chapters 17 and 18.
Also interesting are the words of Christ: “Whoever overcomes and keeps My works to the end... I will give him the morning star” (2, 26-28), “I am the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star” (22, 16). Venus has always been called the morning star (Greek Eosphorus). Of course, one cannot in any way identify the Son of God and the planet Venus, but some parallelism is definitely present and, obviously, not accidental. Venus in astrology is a beneficent planet.
The entire Revelation as a whole essentially reveals the cosmogram, with the entire set of indicators and taking into account the trans-Saturn planets.

“And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became dark as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood” (6:12).

The planet Uranus (the main “responsible” for earthquakes) in Sagittarius in conjunction with Jupiter (the enormity of the cataclysm); and the Sun and Moon are in opposition to Mars and Neptune (“blood” and “dark hair shirt”, respectively). Mars in Aries also symbolizes the “wrath of the Lamb.” By the way, Mars is in conjunction with the main star of the constellation Aries - Hamal, which in astrology is considered quite ominous.

When the seventh seal is opened, the entire “orchestra” of planets plays with the solo part of Pluto - the planet of transformation, catastrophe, sacrifice, execution of a judicial sentence, transformation.

By the way, let's return to the quoted verse (6, 8) of Revelation. Some Bible translations spell hell with capital letters(Hell) and further “power was given to them.” A. Men comments on this place: “In the Canaanite pantheon there were two terrible deities, whose names in Russian mean Underworld and Death. Subsequently, in Old Testament terminology, this is what the demons of death were called, and here the apostle again returns us to these images: a rider on a pale horse, pale, like a dead person. His name was Mot, in Greek death, and hell followed him; Siobhan followed him, and they came to receive power over the fourth part of the earth.”
Look at the cosmogram: Pluto is in exact opposition to Saturn, i.e. they are paired, Pluto seems to follow Saturn. But according to astrological symbolism, Saturn is death, Mot, and Pluto is hell, the Underworld, Siobhan. It should be noted that the last opposition of these planets was quite recently - in 2001, when the World Trade Center towers collapsed and the United States began a “crusade” against terrorism.

In the projection onto the zodiac, Mercury, being in the constellation Libra, fell into the sign of Scorpio. This position symbolizes humanity’s commitment to (other people’s) material wealth, the orientation of minds towards this (Scorpio is the sign of total resources), as well as the rancor, suspicion, and cunning of humanity, which leads to destruction, and its, humanity’s, disastrous rationalism; and in a good sense, it speaks expressively about the judgment of earthly humanity. The aspect of the sextile (an angle of about 60°) between Mercury and Jupiter speaks of the need to know the Divine, and also illustrates the protection of the people of God (“do not damage the oil and wine”).

The numerical values ​​mentioned in the Apocalypse are interesting.

Locusts torment for 5 months (9, 3-10). And from Venus to Saturn - 5 degrees (both planets are in Scorpio, and it is said that “locusts came out to the earth, and they were given the power that earthly scorpions have”). The 11th and 12th chapters speak of a period of 42 months or 1260 days (which is the same 42 months) - this is the period of trampling of the holy city by the pagans, the period of prophecy of the two witnesses of the Lord, the period of the Woman’s stay in the wilderness. It is interesting that in the cosmogram the numbers 42, as distances in degrees to exact aspects (arcs divisible by 30;), are repeated many times:

From Venus to Jupiter (conjunction);
from the Sun to Uranus (sextile);
from Jupiter to Pluto (square);
from Uranus to the Lunar Nodes (square).

Here, obviously, it should be clarified that according to astrological laws, the angular relationships between planets (the so-called symbolic directions) show the timing of the onset or duration of certain events, while the measure of 1 degree of arc correlates with any unit of time (depending on the context , circumstances and nature of the event - minute, hour, day, month, year).

What does a time cosmogram mean? solar eclipse September 30, 395? In our opinion, this is the beginning of Armageddon and Last Judgment. And this universal battle continues to this day, and will continue to continue. For the period of 42 months, like the 1000 years of the kingdom of the Lord, is not an earthly period. And how to tie it to earthly terms - this secret still needs to be revealed.
This is what Fr. A. Men writes, and one can completely agree with these words of his: “here is a completely clear indication that a moment in history will come that can be designated by a year and, perhaps, even a month, and, perhaps, a date , when evil begins to collapse,” but with the following assumption, of course, let me disagree: “I think that this will not happen soon, maybe in tens, hundreds of years.”

The “Battle of Armageddon” has already begun, it began - in the projection of earthly history - with the split of the Roman Empire. And this battle goes on and on. Babylon - ancient Rome - was destroyed, but new Babylons arose in history, some of which fell (for example, Berlin in 1945, and recently historical Babylon itself - Baghdad), some have not yet. After all, Babylon is an image of a soulless city, mired in the sin of civilization. Nowadays, New York and Washington, and Moscow, and today’s Kyiv, each in their own way, are Babylons. And the current dilemma: either eliminate their “Babylonism” through the spiritual efforts of the townspeople themselves, or it will be catastrophically destroyed.

Shouldn't everyone carefully re-read the Revelation of John the Theologian? And reveal many other meanings of this prophecy (and it is widely believed that this book is “dark”!), which, of course, is not impossible. For the angel said to John: “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.”