book of Revelation 6:1–17 Catholic BIble study lesson 7

The Revelation of Jesus Christ:
The Faithful Witness

Lesson 7 And Behold, a White Horse
the book of Revelation 6:1–17

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the book of Revelation
cross references in the book of Revelation
chapter-by-chapter review page
next lesson: Salvation Belongs to Our God

This material coordinates with Lesson 7 on pages 42–47 in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

“Great and wonderful are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord? For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship you, for your judgments have been revealed.”
—the book of Revelation 15:3–4

welcome to our in-depth study of the book of Revelation
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson and video from this 23-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free lesson videos, a glossary, cross references in the biblical text, and a chapter-by-chapter review page—and they also include illustrations, maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness has been granted an imprimatur. The study may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the book of Revelation 5:1–14
In Lesson 6 Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll? the one John sees seated on the throne in heaven is holding a scroll with seven seals. No one in heaven, on earth, under the earth, or in the sea is worthy to open that scroll. Then John learns that the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered and so is worthy. Instead of a Lion, however, a weird Lamb appears, and all in heaven begin worshiping him. Most unusual is that the Lamb is standing as though slain and has seven eyes and seven horns.

not everything is adding up yet
In Lesson 7, readers encounter what have come to be known as “the four horsemen of the Apocalypse,” an intriguing and often terrifying end-times image about which much has been written. This image suggests a number of questions. The author of the book of Revelation obviously is fascinated with numbers. What might be the significance of the fact that there are four of these horsemen? What might explain why there aren’t seven, one for each seal on the scroll? Death and Hades make their appearance together with the fourth horse to show up in the sixth chapter in the book of Revelation. Consider the relationship between Death and Hades. What motivation might the author of the book of Revelation have had for linking them? Click on the image (above right) to enlarge Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino’s illustration, which is on page 43 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. The map locating the churches that receive letters from Jesus appears on page 45 and elsewhere in the study book; it can be enlarged by clicking on it.

if God is coming, things are going to have to change (59:51)
In the sixth chapter in the book of Revelation, the author describes the world starting to prepare for union with God. For this to happen, turmoil and change are unavoidable. This isn’t an optional part of the Christian life, whether on the individual or the societal level. The scroll consists of an invitation to bring God to earth. In the sixth chapter, we also encounter what have come to be known as the “four horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Although Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps stresses that he isn’t going to dwell on the way they’re portrayed in popular culture, he strongly urges participants to set aside previous ideas about the meaning of these images. The biblical text is describing what happens when the seals are opened—a time that’s uncertain. Equally important—the rider on the first horse is Jesus.

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. You can follow along with the video overview as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 7, “And Behold, A White Horse,” on pages 42–47 in the study book.

shared insight—who is that first horseman?
The identity of the rider on the white horse has prompted a variety of interpretations by both Scripture scholars and lay authors. A participant in one of our Bible study groups reported that she read an article (it was, incidentally, written by a priest) in which the author suggested that the rider on the white horse is unleashing too much destruction to be seen as Jesus Christ. As an alternative, the author prefers to view the first horseman as an anti-Messiah.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the rider on the white horse?
While seeing the rider on the white horse as an anti-Messiah is interesting, especially in light of the strong anti-liturgy theme that we’ll begin to encounter soon in our study of the book of Revelation, that interpretation nevertheless flies in the face of the view of Pope Pius XII, which you can read in “Victory of Christ” on page 44 in the study book. The idea of the rider on the white horse being an anti-Messiah introduces a number of troubling new questions, some of which we might be more comfortable tabling until we’ve gone a bit further into our study. It’s a fine idea to begin thinking about these questions now, however, even if we might not be prepared to make a final decision about who or what we think it is that the rider on the white horse represents.

? Who summons this rider, and from where might he have been summoned?
? Why is his horse white, the color exclusively used throughout Scripture to indicate purity?
? Why is he the first rider out of the chute when the first seal of the scroll is opened?
? Why is he carrying a bow, a weapon associated with God’s Old Testament promise to Noah never again to destroy life on earth by sending torrents of water in a great flood—an idea that can be viewed as a promise not to unmake Creation?
? At what does Scripture suggest that this rider is going to be aiming his bow?
? The rider on the white horse has just been given a crown, a symbol of rule or authority. Who does it seem likely presented the rider with this crown?
? Over what precisely is the first rider going to be ruling?
? What might explain why the rider on the white horse is described as going out “conquering and to conquer,” the same language used to describe desired behavior in the letters to the seven churches?
? Consider what exactly it is that the rider on the first horse needs to conquer.
? What evidence can be seen in the biblical text that supports the idea that this first rider is unleashing destruction?
? What might be the first rider’s relationship to the next three riders?
? What might be the first rider’s relationship to Hades?

shared insight—a different way of looking at it
Another participant in this study comments: “In this passage [the book of Revelation 6:1–2], the rider on the white horse is looking and acting exactly the way people would have expected the Messiah to look and act.” He is, indeed.

Hades—you could look it up in our archives
To learn how Hades, the Greek abode of the dead, differs from Christian death, check out the vocabulary commentaries for “Hades” and “Sheol” on page 47 in the study book and read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

so what’s the purpose of these four riders?
The idea of all of the destruction, plagues, and cataclysmic events in the book of Revelation frequently distresses readers. “The Four Riders” commentary on page 47 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness points out an apparent purpose behind these riders galloping forth from heaven—one that’s considerably different from some of the ideas that have developed in the media.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the recurring numerical pattern?
Lesson 7 introduces the first of seven series of events that all focus on the number seven in a significant way. The opening of six of the seven seals on the scroll brings about a series of cataclysmic events, and as we move forward in the book of Revelation we’ll encounter many elements of these same events again and again. See if it’s possible to observe a recurring pattern in these repetitive themes. Be on the lookout for repeating sets of other numbers as well.

? What might explain why the author of the book of Revelation places such emphasis on the number seven?

Q&A—three related questions about the sixth chapter in the book of Revelation
A participant in this Bible study has asked the following series of questions, which indicates close reading to try to understand the biblical text. This section contains several factors that can contribute to confusion, but the primary problem can be traced to the author witnessing from the vantage point of heaven. This is a novel perspective, and not one familiar to any of us. The thing about heaven—and this will become more important as we move forward—is that it exists outside of time and space. In practical terms, this means that the boundaries between past, present, and future—and the boundaries between heaven, earth, and under the earth—at best are going to appear nebulous and ill-defined.

All three of these questions revolve around our idea of time, which is a gift from God. (Think about the beginning chapter in the book of Genesis that describes the fourth day of Creation in which God places the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens as lights to rule the day and night. Our time zones are determined by where the earth is in location relative to the sun.) Because the author’s vision in the book of Revelation is located in heaven—and therefore outside of time—details aren’t going to fit neatly onto any chronological timeline.

We’ve already seen evidence of this with a lot of emphasis on past, present, and future in the first chapter in the book of Revelation. Jesus himself encompasses the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end converge in Christ.

We don’t usually have trouble talking about the end of time, but we rarely give a lot of thought to what that’s going to look like. The author of the book of Revelation intentionally has set up his narrative to lead readers to wonder what the heck is going on with time. As we move forward in our study, we’ll see that the author’s view of the end of time isn’t a timeline that suddenly stops. It’s easy enough to throw around the idea of an eternal now, but the author of the book of Revelation wants us to wonder what’s happened to events that occurred in the past and to events that were expected to occur in the future. When time ends, where do these things fit in our view of the cosmos?

It usually is easier for us to grasp the idea of spatial boundaries being erased than it is for us to fathom how time can fold in on itself. While the details in the book of Revelation are going to continue to be murky for quite a few lessons, take heart. The fog eventually will lift—although we might have to wait until we get to heaven ourselves to really begin to see clearly.

Q1: At this point, is anyone yet in heaven? I’m wondering about people who have died in the fullness of salvation and have no need of purgatory.

A1: There definitely are some souls in heaven. That’s the reason we pray to the saints—they’ve indicated by miraculous power that they’ve made it to heaven. The riders on the four horses are sent out to the earth, so all of their action must be taking place in that realm. That locates these guys spatially. We also know that the reason the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll is because he’s been slain. Since we know that Jesus is the Lamb of God, we can pinpoint the time that the scroll is being opened as after Jesus’ Incarnation, death, and Resurrection but before the Final Judgment. We’ve already seen evidence of human souls in heaven with the elders on the 24 thrones, so at the very least these souls have made the cut and now are dwelling in eternity. We don’t know from the biblical text exactly how they got there. Nevertheless, we definitively can say that there are some souls in heaven after Jesus’ Resurrection and before Final Judgment. It may be worth mentioning that these are human souls who’ve been able to enter heaven in the body of Christ. The only humans who have experienced bodily resurrection prior to the Final Judgment are Jesus and his Mother, and we’ll learn more about that later in our study.

Q2: We’ve been taught that martyrs die and instantly go to heaven, so the depiction of the martyrs under the altar is confusing. How are we to think about this?

A2: What can we learn from the souls under the altar? We know from the biblical text, which is canonical and determined by the Church, that there are souls under the altar. If we accept that the altar is the earth, then under the earth would represent Hades. Here it’s important to remember that Hades is the abode of the dead, and a soul located there eventually could be headed either to eternal reward or to eternal damnation. All we know for certain is that the souls in Hades have experienced physical death. Their souls haven’t yet reached their ultimate spiritual destination, which could be what’s called “the second death” or could be entry into heaven. Keep in mind that “soul” is the term we use to describe the spiritual or non-physical aspect of a person—all humans are both physical and spiritual. The biblical text tells us that the spiritual souls under the altar died for the word of God. They clearly are martyrs. They also aren’t yet in heaven, but the biblical text is clear that will be their final destination. So we know where they are. What we don’t know is when exactly it is that we’re seeing them under this altar, but if we interpret “word of God” to refer to Jesus we can assume that this is after Jesus’ Incarnation, death, and Resurrection. So this timing is consistent with when the scroll is being opened.

It’s distressing to us to learn that the death of these martyrs is insufficient to land them a spot on the express elevator to heaven. This appears to fly in the face of what we think we know about the death of martyrs, leading to the second question. The book of Revelation is Sacred Scripture, so we know it contains God’s truth. Whenever we encounter something difficult in the Bible, we need to try to figure out why it’s there and what truth God is trying to communicate by describing these martyrs still awaiting entry to heaven. It’s fair to assume that the Second Coming hasn’t yet occurred, because we would expect an event of that magnitude to propel these martyrs into heaven at that time. Once again, it’s important to keep in mind that the author’s use of the word “souls” indicates he’s writing about spiritual entry into heaven in the body of Christ, not bodily resurrection.

? Is there anything about the martyrs that suggests they might not yet be completely ready to enter God’s presence?
? What reason does the text provide for why they have to wait under the altar?
? What can we learn from this passage that can benefit us as we chart our own spiritual destiny?

Q3: Have any of these events described in the sixth chapter in the book of Revelation happened yet, or are we to assume they’re taking place at the Second Coming of Jesus?

A3: It’s a fair guess that the Second Coming hasn’t yet occurred. The third question, about whether any of the events in this section of the book of Revelation already have happened or are occurring at the Second Coming of Jesus, appears to be open to interpretation, although it seems obvious from the biblical text that the Second Coming of Jesus hasn’t yet been described. It does appear to be imminent from the text, but the seventh seal on the scroll hasn’t yet been opened so it’s fair to assume that the Second Coming of Jesus hasn’t yet occurred—at least in terms of the biblical text.

? In the book of Revelation, after the opening of the first four seals, the four horsemen are unleashed on the world. Is there any evidence of these “four horsemen of the Apocalypse” now being present in our world?
? Is there a force for good attempting to conquer souls?
? Have our ideas of worldwide peace and fair economic systems been successful so far in history, or do they need to be improved upon to benefit all peoples?
? Is death currently riding rampant over the face of the earth?
? The effect of the fifth seal is impossible for us to weigh, since we have no way of knowing what’s become of any of those who’ve experienced physical death. The sixth seal unleashes a number of cataclysmic events, some of which bear resemblance to events in our world.

Based on what can be seen in the biblical text so far, it seems that the author of the book of Revelation is relating a vision of what’s going to happen after the Incarnation, death, and Resurrection of Jesus and before the Final Judgment. Although the lines between the time periods are becoming blurred, it does appear that we’re living in times leading to the Final Judgment—and some of these events are occurring on a regular basis. It’s impossible to make any kind of prediction or guess as to when the end times actually will happen, however (and this is consistent with the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels). That hasn’t stopped people from trying, but to date no one has made an accurate guess. This is in keeping with Jesus’ words in the Gospel According to Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

the book of Revelation 6:9–11—paragraph 1138
the book of Revelation 6:10—paragraphs 2642, 2817

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the cross references pertaining to it—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

review previous lessons
As we progress through the book of Revelation, the images become more complex, increasing the potential for confusion. To help participants in our study keep track of what’s happening in the Scripture, we’ve prepared a chapter-by-chapter review of key events and images in the book of Revelation. A link can be found at the top of every online study page that accompanies The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the book of Revelation 6:1–17 (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following short prayer based on this lesson’s text from the book of Revelation.

O God, you rule Creation from your throne in heaven.
Give us the courage to follow your commandments
and to live and love in such a way
that we will have nothing to fear on the great day of your wrath.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
the Lamb who was slain. Amen.

Lesson 8 Salvation Belongs to Our God, the book of Revelation 7:1–17
Lesson 6 Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll? the book of Revelation 5:1–14

you also may like our study of Scripture & the Rosary
Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels, a 26-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, looks at the biblical foundations of the Rosary. The study includes lessons on Pope St. John Paul II’s Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), the Apostles’ Creed, and the Luminous Mysteries as well as the original 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Color photographs of stained glass windows depict key scenes in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Free digital lessons rotate throughout the year on our website.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions and offer support. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online pages of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.