Zechariah 6:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Behold, there came four chariots— These denote the four great empires which subdued the then known parts of the world. They are represented as coming from between two mountains, because mountains are the natural barriers which divide kingdoms; and which, though strong as brass, and here supposed to be broken through by those who invade and conquer their neighbours. This may expressly denote the narrow passage in Cilicia, through which the Babylonians and Persians, Alexander and his generals, passed into Syria, Judaea, and Egypt. These four chariots are said to be driven by four angels, Zechariah 6:5 or four princes, executors of the vengeance of the Lord. The colour of their horses is not without its mystery: the red horses denote the empire of the Chaldeans, bloody and cruel, particularly toward the Jews: the second chariot represents the Persian monarchy; and the black horses denote the sad state of the Jews under the successors of Cyrus in the Persian empire, when their enemies forged calumnies against them, and thereby put a stop to the building of the temple, and the whole nation was on the point of being destroyed by the interest of Haman in the Persian court. The third chariot, with white horses, denotes Alexander and his victories, who established the third great monarchy, and shewed much kindness to the Jews in confirming their religion, laws, and liberties. It was usual for conquerors to ride on white horses in the days of triumph. The fourth chariot, with grisled and bay horses, denotes the Roman empire; and the various colours of the horses, the various forms of the Roman government. The reader will observe, that the angel who explains the vision to Zechariah, says nothing of the first chariot, because the empire denoted by it no longer subsisted. See Zechariah 6:6 and Lowth and Calmet.