Chapter 5 talked about a sealed book, the same sealed book of Daniel 12, which had seven seals that only Jesus Christ could loose.  Here in this chapter the seals on the sealed book are finally begun to be broken, and certain events are described as each seal is broken on the book.  Now, understand that because these things are recorded and presented to us in written form from ancient times, it is natural that the opening of the seals are presented to us in serial order.  That is, one following the other, but nevertheless, some of the events described are happening simultaneously.  When are the seals broken?  We may not know the exact moment that each seal is broken but remember from chapter one that John was in the spirit on the day of the Lord.  That is the focal point of the book, and John is still in the spirit on the day of the Lord in this chapter.  He is seeing things that culminate at the time of the end even though they may have begun at an earlier time.  That statement is true for the entire book.

The famous four horsemen of the Apocalypse are found here in this chapter.  They are not portrayed like this anywhere else in the scriptures, but things pertaining to them are mentioned elsewhere.  Such as in the great eschatological discourses of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.  These so-called Olivet Prophecies are important because in them Jesus revealed to His disciples events that would happen and conditions that would exist during the time of the end, the very time upon which Revelation focuses.

Let's start there.

Matt: 24:3    And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Mark 13:33  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Mark 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

Mark 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Mark 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Matt. 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

Matt. 21:18  Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

Matt. 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

Matt. 21:20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Matt. 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Matt. 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The withered fig tree represented the death of that Jewish nation, and that mountain was eventually cast into the sea.  The Jewish nation that lived in Palestine in His day was removed and scattered abroad throughout the Earth within a hundred years after Jesus had cursed the fig tree.  He cursed it only after the people had rejected Him and His message and were plotting to put Him to death.  As a consequence of their attitude and behavior, it was mostly uprooted in 70 A.D. by the Roman army under Titus, and what was left of it after that was utterly destroyed in 135 A.D. when the city was sacked and burned again.  The Jews that survived were made to leave Jerusalem and its environs and they were sternly warned never to return.

But that was not to be the final end of that fig tree nation.  A replanting occurred in May of 1948 when the tiny nation of Israel was set up in Palestine and a Jewish state existed there once again.  In 1967 during the six day war the Jews took and occupied Jerusalem again, which was yet another important milestone for us to see as we watch like Jesus said to do.  That was less than forty years ago, so today, we can figuratively say that the branch of the fig tree is tender and it is putting on leaves.

Matt. 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Okay, now let's begin to see what unfolds as each of the seals on the sealed book are broken by the Lamb of God.

Rev. 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

Now, at this juncture we are about to be introduced to the infamous four horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Like the dreaded beast of Revelation 13 and it's mysterious number 666, these four horsemen have received a lot of attention throughout the centuries since Revelation was written.  They have been the subject of books, movies, and even paintings, but they are always presented to us in the light of what they were thought to be like from the dark ages past.  Something heinous, grotesque, and shocking in a macabre sort of way, but they are not like that at all.  Let's uncover what they are really like.

Rev. 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Right now you might be thinking that those statements are conflicting, a dichotomy as it were.  And you would be right grammatically, but the statements are true nevertheless.  Let's continue.

There are two basic methods used to conquer and bring people into submission.  Physically by using force, and mentally by using propaganda and certain other methods of persuasion, or both.*  This horseman is evidently quite capable and willing to use force when deemed necessary, but he can also appear to be so good and righteous in his intent that we tend to overlook the strong-arm tactics.  Whether he uses force or he uses charm he is determined to conquer, but somehow he is able to settle the record so that the history books do not record his actions in a detrimental way.  Conquering through physical warfare is something that we are all familiar with because we see it on the television everyday, but what about conquering the minds of people?  It takes longer than physical warfare but over the long haul it can also be the most permanent.

[*Late note added 06/07:   Actually, there  are other methods of controlling people and nations that could be mentioned, but when you think about them, they could all fall under the two main categories mentioned above.  Such as financial coercion.  These may be award, or reward, incentives such as foreign aid, contracts, bribes, payoffs, and so forth.  Or, they may be punitive in nature such as embargoes, sanctions, heavy tariffs, reduction or removal of foreign aid, treaty suspensions or withdrawals, ignoring or removing trade agreements, and so forth.  Another method is subversion with the intent to overthrow and replace a regime or institution which governs the people.  This method may include the widespread use of propaganda, assassination, extraordinary rendition, kidnapping, torture, and so forth.

Usually there is a basic pattern that is followed by this white horse and rider to conquer.  First, there is financial coercion in all its forms mentioned above.  Secondly, if that method fails, then there is subversion and assassination of the ruling powers, or institutions, with the intent to overthrow and replace them.  Thirdly, if the first and second method fails, then there is direct military intervention which results in military occupation, or complete destruction of the infrastructure, or both.]

Let's lay aside the subject of physical warfare for the moment and continue with mental, or spiritual conquering first.  Perhaps by now you have read over the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, and I hope you noticed from those prophecies that the very first thing Jesus strongly warned His disciples about was deception by other men.

Matt. 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Matt. 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

He said many would come in His name and deceive many, and this first horseman riding a white horse can be related to those deceivers.  Jesus didn't take deceivers lightly and neither should you.  It is of paramount importance that you consider this well, and understand that He said many deceivers would come in His name and deceive many (i.e., the majority).  Religious deception, or political deception, or deception of any kind, is nothing new.  It has been around from time immemorial, and it is stronger today than ever before.  Jesus considered deception to be the most important thing that He could warn His disciples about because it was the first thing out of His mouth when He began to respond to their request for information about the end of this present world age and His second appearance.  Remember how His discourses in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 all started?  His disciples asked what it would be like just before and during His second appearance.  Friends, that is our time now, and what He said is for us today.  I hope that you can see that.

Deception is everywhere.  Whether it is political propaganda, sanitization of the news by the media, false and misleading advertising, or religious nonsense, it is still deception, and in the case of misleading souls with false information and doctrines it is blasphemy before God.  Zeroing in now on deception among Christianity, ask yourself this question.  How can this happen?  How can the majority of those who worship Jesus Christ stand in jeopardy of being deceived by con artists pretending to represent Him?  There are a couple of good reasons.

First,  most people are biblically and spiritually ignorant.  They simply won't get into God's word and study things out for themselves.  Hence, they don't know that they should be wary and watching, and they don't know that deceivers preaching a sweet Jesus will come in great numbers and seduce most of the people.  They also don't know, or simply won't admit, that governments use religion to pacify the people.  They aren't conscious of the fact that religion and politics go hand in hand, each modifying and affecting the other profoundly.

Secondly, we trust too many men (or women) without proving them.

Bad, bad, bad!  Trust God, not man!

Paul understood these thing and he was concerned about the lack of true knowledge among Christians, and among Israel as a whole.

Rom. 10:1  Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Rom. 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Today, people are so biblically ignorant that they think that a few million people called Jews are all that remains of Israel, but Jews, if they truly are of Judah, are only one tribe out of the twelve tribes that Jacob fathered.  Jacob had twelve sons which grew into twelve separate tribes or nations.  Actually, later on there were thirteen tribes or nations because the two sons of Joseph were considered whole tribes due to the fact that they grew so large and prosperous.  Anyway, those same twelve tribes, (thirteen if you prefer to think of them that way) were united briefly under Solomon but became divided into two factions after he died.  Ten tribes out of the twelve rebelled against the repression of Solomon's son Rehoboam.  They split away from him and followed the leadership of a man called Jereboam, and went and dwelt in Samaria and Galilee.  After the split, the two factions were referred to in the Bible by two different names.  The ten tribes that dwelt in Samaria and Galilee were called Israel, while the three tribes that remained in Judea and the environs of Jerusalem were called Judah.  Those who comprised the group called Judah were later on referred to as the Jews.

The ten tribes called Israel were soon invaded, defeated, and taken into captivity by an Assyrian commander named Shalmanezer.  He uprooted most of them from Samaria and Galilee and carried them away to the environs of Babylon.  He then populated Samaria and Galilee with people from other nations.  While some of those captured by Shalmanezer returned eventually to Samaria and Galilee, most of them crossed the Euphrates and migrated northward across the Caucasus mountains into the Caucasus in what we know today as Russia.  Driven by weather and need they eventually migrated on into the European continent.  They lost their identity as Israel in their migrations and were called by many other names over time, but one with which we are familiar today is Caucasian.  That's right, that name is still around but today it is misapplied by meaning anyone who has a white skin.  Not everyone who has a white skin is a true Caucasian.  Israel lost their true identity, and many scholars today don't know who, what, or where they are, so they are sometimes referred to as the lost ten tribes of Israel.   They number in the hundreds of millions today and are the richest nations upon the face of the Earth.  Thus we find them collectively depicted as a white horse and rider in Revelation and as a beast in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

The second clause of this verse is troubling.  It says that this beast's wings were eventually plucked.  How the wings get plucked, and who does the plucking is not clear, but regardless of who does the plucking the creature will not be able to soar.  That could be bad news for Israel, but there is some good news here through it all. The final statement here indicates that Israel will finally see the light and repent.

This first horseman is riding a white horse, and we tend to associate white with light and goodness, but anyone can wear white and pretend to be righteous.  Don't be surprised that in this case it is Israel.  They were the apple of God's eye once, but they have never obeyed and worshipped Him like they should have on a continuing basis.  When they did it was only sporadically and for short periods of time, and only in times of crisis.  So, they are not so righteous even if the horse they are riding is white.

Right about now you may be thinking that I am anti-Semitic.  Not really, because I too am an Israelite springing from both Abraham and Shem, so if I were anti-Semitic I would be against myself.  On behalf of the children of Israel let me say that most of them are basically good folk.  They are not out to deceive anybody or to make war on anyone.  But much of their leadership and other ambitious ones among them are power hungry, they are evil, and we allow it.  So we all receive the same condemnation because we allow them to lead us down the primrose lane.  Do most Israelites love God?  Of course they do.  As Paul said, they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge, and consequently some of them have unwittingly supported and spread a gospel that is off point and essentially worthless.  That is not good but there are much worse things going on.  There are within our ranks today many evil, ambitious, greedy, Balaam-like men who constantly spread a false gospel while knowing better.  Most of them peddle prosperity preaching.  Know what that is?  They are false shepherds promising you physical wealth and prosperity in return for you sending them your money.  What blasphemy!

So, Israel today is corrupted and corporate churchianity in western civilization is filled with deceivers.  They are among the principal players that have set up the beast system that prepares the way for Antichrist.  They fill the air waves today via the media with their puffery and showmanship and they are con artists of the first order whose main purpose is to get into your wallet.  They are men (and women) who would be kings (and queens), and they attempt to live like royalty while robbing poor widows and the like through their unbiblical practice of tithing.  The New Testament says absolutely nothing about Christians following the Old Testament rule which paid tithes to the Levites and the Aaronic priesthood.  That priesthood was done away and with them so also the commandment to pay tithes.  But these modern liars proclaim themselves to have replaced that priesthood and therefore they should receive your tithes.  Blasphemy!  They live in big comfortable houses and drive about in expensive luxury cars while the laity struggles trying to make ends meet.  Something is dreadfully wrong with that.  Wake up!

This rider on the white horse carries a bow, a weapon of war or a hunting device.  In Revelation 6:2 the word bow is the Greek word toxon (Strong's No. 5115) and means an archer's bow, but actually points to what the bow delivers.  An arrow, specifically a poisoned arrow.  The words toxin (poison) and toxic (poisonous) come from it, and arrow poison in Greek is toxikon.  Related to it is the old Persian word taxsa, which means an arrow.  Be careful!  These deceivers have hidden poison on their arrows!

While we are talking about bows and arrows here I want to add something.  In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for bow is qesheth (Strong's number 7198) and within it there is a root that implies a snare, or trap.  Be very careful then.  These end time deceivers lay very subtle traps and snares for you.

Notice that the rider on the white horse is given a crown. The word translated crown in this verse is the Greek word stephanos (Strong's # 4735) and means a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games, or a symbol of honor.  According to Dr. Strong, it is an even more elaborate crown than the diadema (Strong's No. 1238) which the ten kings mentioned in Revelation 13 are said to be wearing.  The rider of this white horse obviously has authority and power, and he uses them to conquer.

This rider on the white horse should be construed as one who conquers.  He takes what he wants by force, or persuasion, and then justifies it by feigning righteousness and goodness.  He is synonymous with the first beast of Daniel 7     the descendants of Jacob who are called Israel.
 
 

Rev. 6:3  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

Rev. 6:4  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.

Matt. 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matt. 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

This rider of the red horse can be associated with the second beast mentioned in Daniel 7.

Daniel 7:5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

Actually, in the past we applied the term red to anyone or any nation that espoused Communism, but Communism, as we know it, began in Russia and spread to other nations during much of the 20th century.  It spread and grew more often than not through rebellion, revolution and warfare against governments and rich colonial powers which were ruled by the descendants of Israel.  Some teach that even the last Russian Czar and his family were actually Israelites who were murdered by the Russian people, the descendants of Esau.  Historically from a biblical perspective Esau was always at variance with Jacob even though they were brothers.  They were fraternal twins who lived in their mother's womb together and even then they struggled with one another for superiority.

Now, in all fairness, some other things must be said about war and the children of Esau.  Does all this mean that Russia and her allies are responsible for more wars than the children of Israel?  Sorry.  Not by a long shot.  Think about it.  Jacob and Esau, with their modern doctrines of Capitalism and Communism respectively have both attacked other nations in recent times haven't they?

As I stated before, Jacob and Esau never really got along well with each other.  You probably already know their story but here it is in a nutshell.  It is found in Genesis chapters 28-33.  Jacob and Esau were fraternal twins (not identical twins) born to Rebecca and Isaac, who was the son of righteous Abraham.  Esau was the firstborn which means he was to receive the main portion of the inheritance left by Isaac.  Isaac favored Esau in many ways and Rebecca likewise favored Jacob.  Rebecca did not want Esau to receive the inheritance probably because he was unrighteous and did not love God as did Jacob.  Jacob and his mother Rebecca cooked up a plan to deceive Isaac when the time of his blessing on the boys was come.  Isaac unwittingly blessed Jacob as a result, and refused to change it.  The main inheritance was to go to Jacob then.  After that, Esau hated Jacob for his treachery and looked for an opportunity to kill him.  As a result, Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother into Mesopotamia and he stayed there for 14 years.  Jacob eventually became wealthy and when he finally returned to his homeland Esau's wrath had subsided probably because he too had become wealthy on his own right.  When he heard that Jacob was returning he went forth to meet his brother and received him peaceably, but that was to change.

That is basically the Bible story but that may not be the end of the story.  Now pay attention!  You need to think about what I am about to say.  You see, there is something troubling about the last clause of Dan. 7:5 above.  It says to the bear, arise and devour much flesh.  When was this fulfilled?  When has the great bear arisen and devoured much flesh?  If it has already happened I don't know when it was.  If he hasn't done it yet then it is to be done sometime in the future if he is going to do it at all.  Who will it be against?  Remember the first beast of Daniel 7?  Israel's wings were to be plucked but it doesn't say by whom.  Could there be a relationship here?  Will Esau finally attack his brother Jacob?  Sadly, it is likely to be so.

The current leader of the children of Israel is the United States and it is the only nation on Earth to have used nuclear weapons of mass destruction.  The total casualty count from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki may never be known, but 250,000 is probably conservative.  Were these nuclear weapons really developed and dropped on Japan to end WW2 in the Pacific sooner?  Information is being made public now that says maybe not.  Some aver that it was likely done to impress Russia with our power, and that it would ensure our dominant position within the new world order of things that would emerge after the Second World War.

Well, it impressed them all right, and it immediately started a cold war and a weapons race that helped to perpetuate the grim specter of a possible World War III.  Biblically speaking, when the U.S. dropped those nuclear bombs on Japan, it in effect literally brought fire down from heaven (see Rev. 13:13) and continues to do so with conventional weapons to this very day around the globe.  The weapons are different but the result is the same.  Death and destruction abound, and it is Israel, not Esau, that is doing it at this time, but there is more warfare to come just ahead and I believe that both the children of Esau and the children of Israel will be involved.

This red horse and rider can be construed to represent war and the awful things that accompany war.  They can also be associated with the second beast of Daniel 7 and the great bear of modern times     Russia and her kindred nations.  They are altogether the children of Esau, who was also called Edom, which means red.

Rev. 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

Rev. 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Tares?  What exactly is a tare and how do the tares of Matt. 13 figure into all this?  Jesus gave us a parable concerning the tares which is set forth in Matt. 13.  Go there now and read it to get the gist of it.  In that parable Jesus talks about some plants that He calls tares which an enemy has sown in amongst the good plants, and which He subsequently identifies as offspring of the Devil.  Botanically, the tare plant is the bearded darnel (Lolium temulentum).  It is a plant resembling wheat in the earlier stages of growth but eventually it produces poisonous black seeds at maturity.  It is almost unnoticeable as it grows with the wheat until it comes into ear and the black seeds reveal its true identity.  As stated in the parable, Jesus was not literally talking about plants here but was using them figuratively to represent the children of the Devil.  For more on these people see my article Who Are The Tares? at ourfathersword.org.

Continuing now in Revelation 6:5 we see that the rider of the black horse is holding a pair of balances in his hand.  Some teach that they are a scale for weighing commodities and foodstuffs which they associate with famine.  The word translated a pair of balances in this verse is the Greek word zugos (Strong's No. 2218) and means a yoke, not necessarily a scale for weighing commodities.  It can also mean a yoke of bondage, or enslavement.

Playing "what if" again, what if the tares have already set up the beast system of Rev. 13, and what if we already are in bondage and don't know it, and what if we already wear the yoke that is the mark of the beast?  Indeed, what if the pair of balances represents that yoke of bondage?

A pair of balances is also sometimes used to exemplify justice.  This rider of the black horse may well hold sway in our institutions of justice.  Many judges and barristers often wear wear black garments as the traditional symbol of the offices which they hold.  I can tell you without equivocation that tares disproportionately occupy positions of authority within the legal system of the U.S.A. where I live.  The courts are literally filled with them as lawyers and judges.  Perhaps that is true in other countries as well.  I can also tell you without a doubt that the same was true in Christ's day, and that they unjustly had Him crucified because He was viewed as a serious threat to them.

Is the set of balances that the horseman holds in his hand for weighing the wheat and the barley?  Well, not really, because the wheat and barley units in verse 6 are said to be measures.  Measure here is translated from the Greek word choinix (Strong's No. 5518) and it is a dry measure not requiring scales.  It is approximately a quart, about what one man would consume in a single day, but notice the price.  It  is outrageous.  Penny here is the word denarion (Strong's No. 1220) and is a full day's wages according to Matthew 20:2.

This verse seems to imply famine as mentioned in Matthew 24:7, and even though it could mean famine in the context of a shortage of real food, it could also be referring to a shortage of spiritual food.  In other words, a famine of the true word of God which is the genuine bread of life.  The prophet Amos speaks of this kind of famine.

Amos 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

The voice that John heard here in Rev. 6:6 emanated from the middle of the throne where God sits and it is emphatic.  See thou hurt not the oil and the wine should be translated hurt thou not the oil and the wine (emphatic).  This is referring to God's elect including the two witnesses.  You will learn about them in chapter 11.  They are called the two anointed ones in Zechariah 4.  They are also referred to there as two olive trees.  Both of these characterizations are references to oil, olive oil.  The wine is referring to those who are covered by Christ's shed blood.  This black horseman is sternly commanded by God not to hurt those who are His, but he will ignore that warning unfortunately.

This third horseman riding the black horse should be construed as being the tares of Matthew 13, and is synonymous with the third beast of Daniel 7, the leopard-like beast*.  They are called Kenites in the Old Testament, the children of that murderer Cain, and they are those who had our Lord murdered.  They are identified in Rev. 3:9.

[*Late note:  I should have indicated a black leopard here.  The black cat is not uncommon within the various leopard-like cat species.]

Rev. 6:7  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

Rev. 6:8  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.

Daniel 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Rev. 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Rev. 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Something here is interesting to note.  Remember how it was said in Daniel 7 that the leopard-like third beast was given dominion but was mentioned as third in order?  Well, that was in Daniel's time about 400 - 500 B.C.  Here you see that leopard mentioned first in order within the beast of Revelation.  It has finally gained that dominion in full measure at the time of the end when the beast of Revelation 13 finally becomes evident.

This fourth horseman should be construed as Antichrist and the beast system which supports him at the time of the end.  We are now living in or near the end time and the spirit of Antichrist is everywhere controlling our churches (the abomination of the desolator), and the beast is also here basically controlling everything else including our political institutions.

Now, a comment or two on the second part of Rev. 6:8.  In the second sentence them is a reference to all four of the horsemen.  Why does it say that they have power over a fourth part of the Earth?  It could be because only a portion of the world, approximately a fourth part of it, is what we know as western civilization.  That is the base of their great power, and it is also where they live, but their power is not limited to western civilization.  At the time of the end when they are all part of the beast of Revelation 13, they have power and the ability to make war anywhere on the Earth that they choose.  Unfortunately, they exercise that power often, mostly on third world nations which cannot defend themselves.  Famine and death are the obvious result of cruel warfare, the destruction of the infrastructure, and the installation of embargoes and sanctions.

So there we have the dreaded and infamous four horsemen.  They are the same old forces, in one form or another, that have been extant on the Earth for millennia as spoken of by the holy prophets in the Bible, and they all come together at the time of the end to do their thing as part of the beast of Revelation 13.

Rev. 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Rev. 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Rev. 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Matt. 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Matt. 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Rev. 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Rev. 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Rev. 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Rev. 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

Rev. 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Rev.6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

God bless with understanding of His word.