THE RED HORSE - WAR AMONG NATIONS (Revelation 6:3-4).
To the red horse, the colour of blood, it was given to take peace from the earth, and he ‘is given' a great sword. This great sword is in contrast to the sword which came from the mouth of the Son of Man (Revelation 1:16). That one was the powerful word which aimed to bring peace and true judgment, the intent of this one is to make war and take peace from the earth. Thus he makes war and causes nation to rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:6-7 and parallels). But once again, in the end it is God Who gave him the sword.
The sword is often seen as a symbol of judgment. In Ezekiel 38:21-22 God says ‘and I will call for a sword against him --- every man's sword shall be against his brother'. This is linked in Ezekiel 38 with pestilence and blood, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone thus to some extent paralleling Revelation (Ezekiel 38:22 compare Revelation 7:7). Indeed the sword is seen as one of God's sore judgments. ‘How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and famine, and the noisome beast and pestilence' (Ezekiel 14:21). These four sore judgments are clearly in John's mind. False prophets preceded them, the sword is here, the famine comes next, followed by sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts with the pale horse. It is surely significant for the significance of the white horse that these judgments are preceded by ‘deceitful prophets' (Ezekiel 14:9-10). But the evidence from Jesus' apocalyptic discourse is final.