The Pale Horse and the Plagues It Brings

3/21/2020 Christianity 31 Comments

The misfortunes and catastrophes that happen on earth today are but a partial fulfillment of John’s vision about the four horsemen and the four horses in the Book of Revelation.

One of the four horses is the pale horse, and he that rides on it had been given the power to bring plagues on earth. In fact, one-fourth of the earth’s population will experience different kinds of plagues that the pale horse brings.

REVELATION 6:8 (KJV) says,


You will notice that in this particular verse, the English word “death” was used; in the Filipino rendition the word salot, which means plague, was used. We have to understand that, sometimes, translators of the Bible used words interchangeably.

Besides, in reality, plagues indeed result in deaths. But for certain, the occurrence of plagues is really mentioned in the Bible.

In REVELATION 22:18 (KJV) it says,


The corresponding Greek word to the word “plagues” in this verse is plēgē (play-gay), which means, “a stroke; by implication, a wound; figuratively, a calamity: stripe, wound.”


Therefore, a plague is something that causes damage to lives, and it can come in the form of calamities, infestations, pestilences or epidemic diseases. Also, it comes very suddenly and unexpectedly.

This dispensation has witnessed and experienced the emergence of many plagues, like Ebola, SARS, Avian flu, Swine flu, etc., and the most recent is the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.

For us not to suffer from these plagues, we are admonished to do something.

REVELATION 18:4 (KJV) says,


It is apparent that plagues are a result of man’s sinfulness. That is why the Bible tells us to “come out of her,” so that we won’t be partakers of her sins, nor recipients of her plagues. We have to depart from our sinful ways and follow God instead.

Actually, as early as the time of Moses, God had already spoken that mankind would suffer from plagues because of his disobedience to God’s will. So, it is not surprising that plagues happen today because so many people now have become very disobedient to God and they have no inclination to do good deeds anymore.

Their preoccupation has been in doing evil things, like taking advantage of their fellowmen, drug-using and drug-selling, and murdering even the helpless and the innocent. This gross wickedness of men and their deliberate refusal to obey God are two of the reasons why people experience plagues.

If the plagues that are experienced globally are represented by the pale horse, the three other horses represent equally formidable events that mankind is bound to experience.

The red horse is symbolic of wars and bloodshed as the one riding this horse has been given the power to take peace from the earth and to let men kill one another.

REVELATION 6:4 (KJV) says,


The black horse, on the other hand, represents starvation and extreme poverty.

REVELATION 6:5 (KJV) says,


And lastly, the white horse represents deceitful religions, false Christs, and false prophets.

REVELATION 6:2 (KJV) says,


(I am sorry I cannot give you in this particular article an extensive and in-depth discussion on the significance of the four horsemen and the four horses; that would be too lengthy. But God willing, I will be able to do it in our future postings.)

What I am trying to point out is that the Bible really speaks of plagues and pestilences that may befall mankind.

For instance, during the early part of the 20th century, in 1918 to be specific, almost 40 million people died of influenza.


Probably, the corona virus that infects the world today is the mutated version of the influenza virus. Both viruses cause cough and colds, and respiratory tract infection. However, unlike COVID-19, the influenza virus is controllable as health experts have already found antibiotics that can combat it. There are even anti-flu vaccines that are already available today.

But the COVID-19, having undergone mutation, is tougher and more dreadful; it spreads very easily and is highly contagious. See what happened to the passengers in a particular cruise ship? Overnight, more than 60 people got infected. What makes it more alarming is the fact that there is still no antidote yet that could quell the potency of the virus; hence, it is fatal.

What we need to realize is, plagues like the COVID-19 that lead to the death of many are all the doings of one of the four horsemen, the one that sat on the pale horse, and are a consequence of man’s disobedience to God.

Undoubtedly, our best defense against all these is our obedience to the will of God.

MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT US ALL ALWAYS. AMEN.