2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
In the previous post, I committed to explain the meaning of “they that wait upon the Lord,” those who are promised to have their strength renewed until they “mount up on wings as eagles.” This text contains the answer given to me.
The angel equates the 4 chariots as 4 spirits of the heavens that stand before the Lord of all the Earth. In that place, every knee shall bow, but there is no indication these 4 do. In Revelation 1:4, John the apostle states there are 7 spirits before God’s throne. Three times in Revelation (3:1, 4:5, and 5:6), they are called the 7 Spirits of God. If they are aspects of the Holy Spirit, there is no need for them to bow. Why would God bow to Himself? John saw 7 spirits representing 7 missions of the Holy Spirit being undertaken on this Earth, for 5:6 says they are sent forth into all the Earth.
Zechariah’s vision accounts for 4 of them. They appear making their way between two mountains of brass, where there would seem to be no way. Not only are they mountains impossible to move, they are solid metal! Strong’s Concordance points out the metal described was used in ancient times to make fetters for slaves. These mountains symbolized our sins that separated us from God! The 4 spirits have been dispatched from Heaven to bear witness that a way to reach Him has at last been opened, for whoever heeds His call!
Horses serve the charioteer, so these signify people serving the Lord’s purposes. The colors indicate the nature of their service. Red is the color of blood, so the first witness to come forth is of the atoning blood of Jesus shed on the cross. The gospel message is released to the whole world. It is the only one of the 4 without a more specific destination, because the gospel is for the inhabitants of the Earth. They will heed it, or disregard it, as they will. It will not return to the Lord, except in those who take it to heart.
To understand the rest, a key is needed. Scripture provides it in John chapter 16.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Note that Jesus says He is the One sending the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to us. He promised that “He will bear witness of Me.” That’s the gospel message symbolized by Zechariah’s first chariot, remember? The rest of the vision becomes clear with these words from our Lord.
Black horses serve to convict the world of sin. We are all guilty! There can be no absolution until we admit it’s true. With every soul that confesses and repents, the world is convicted anew of its guilt and the need for a Savior. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” Whoever does not bow to the Savior now WILL BOW to the Judge later.
Have you ever wondered why we’re not whisked away to be with Jesus the moment we’re saved? The white horses provide a clue. Living for Him is not easy. Sure, Satan targets us as Christ’s Beloved, but it’s not easy because the Lord doesn’t make it easy! He never promised us that, just that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Most everyone knows someone who lives righteously, despite pain and suffering. They are a challenge to the rest of us, aren’t they? Jesus has gone to His Father. We don’t see Him anymore, but we see His righteousness lived out in our brethren and are convicted when we don’t offer Him our very best.
I realize this exposition of scripture is running long, but I promised in the last post to expound on who Isaiah meant when he said, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” Zechariah’s final chariot holds the answer. TWO kinds of horses are revealed, grisled and bay. The New King James Version differentiates them as spotted horses and strong steeds. “Judgment begins in the house of God,” we are warned in I Peter 4:17.
This is also a function of the Holy Spirit, to divide the faithful from the unfaithful. “Pure religion is… to keep one’s self unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) We are plainly told that Jesus is coming for a Bride without spot or blemish. Those spotted by affection for this world’s ways must be carried away by its attractions. Apostasy must come, by means of a welcome deception. Perhaps it will be simple reasoning that if there are certain compromises with sin, God won’t mind. Whatever it is, it sends them south. Funny that in our modern speech, we describe things gone wrong as having “gone south.” This nearly 3,000 year old vision depicts exactly that!
All that remain are big bay horses, “strong steeds.” They are eager to go walk to and fro throughout the Earth, but they wait for the word to be given. They are work horses desiring to earn their keep, too disciplined to throw off restraint. These are they who wait upon the Lord, as described in Isaiah 40:31. These have waited a LIFETIME for the commandment to go. Waiting is exhausting after awhile, folks! Eager hearts will receive a renewal of the strength needed when the commandment comes, in order to be obedient.
When the disobedient turn away from the Word of God, He will empower faithful servants to come forth and bear witness to the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. They’ll likely be people no one has heard of before, but their witness will be IRREFUTABLE! Look for the Lord to endorse them with signs, wonders and miracles like He did in His earthly ministry. This is no simple revival. At the height of it, Jesus will call His Bride home! There can be no falling away (apostasy) without there also being the miracle of His Church being caught up to Him (rapture or harpazo)!