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4 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 36

date, till finally twenty-eight were
involved. With good reason the vision to
John showed that to the rider on the
fiery-colored horse a ‘great SWORD’ (a
symbol of war) was given. Indeed, the
quantity and size of carnal weapons
employed in that first world war were the
largest up till that time in all human
history, airplanes and armored tanks now
coming into use in warfare.
“With such a ‘great sword’ a
great slaughter could be made of
humankind, making the earth run red
with blood....so that to that symbolic
rider of the fiery-colored horse it was in
real fact ‘granted to take peace away
from the earth’” (Watchtower Bible and
Tract Society, 1969, pp. 50-51). World War I infantry in reserve awaiting orders, 1916.
Not to be outdone, author Battle of Morval. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe WWI to be
Marshall W. Best has this to say -- the Red Horse of Revelation 6:4.
“The second rider emerges after
the opening of the second seal (Rev. 6:3, 4). The Ritter, projects the Red Horse way ahead into the
second is similar to the first rider, but actually a future:
consequence of the first. War erupting (the first “John was not speaking [in Rev. 6:4]
rider) results in extensive and PROLONGED about the fall of Jerusalem. That war was already
COMBAT (the second rider). The first rider some twenty years behind him. John was
initiates the war, while the second EXPANDS referring to FUTURE EVENTS that would bring
IT.... 6000 years of human history crashing to a
“Germany’s seemingly limited invasion cataclysmic close.
of Poland in 1939 instigated a huge war that “The context of the book of Revelation
resulted in untold millions of casualties all over alone demonstrates this....
Europe, Africa, and Asia. The rider of the first “So John is referring to A TIME YET
seal is as Germany invading little ol’ Poland. AHEAD OF US when ‘peaceful coexistence’
The second rider will be the FUTURE WAR as will be a thing of the past” (1975, p. 48).
the expansion into Russia, Japan, North Africa, Fred Miller, to further confuse the issue,
China, and America was in World War II. This hones in on the period of 180-270 A.D. --
war will start out in one region, but will flare up “2. Red: is a symbol of blood, war, fire,
rapidly into a MASSIVE WAR with prolonged, not of ‘good.’ ‘Take peace from the earth’
devastating consequences. indicates INTERNAL WAR, not killing the
“491. The second seal illustrates that the enemy, it is a figure of CIVIL WAR. ‘A great
war will expand into a much larger, REGIONAL sword’ indicates a LOT OF DYING IN BAT-
CONFLICT” (Through the Prophet’s Eye. TLE. So the second period of time should be
WinePress Publishing, Enumclaw, WA 2000, p. characterized historically by breakdown of
404). society, a great deal of armed conflict with many
A Worldwide Church of God publica- killed in CIVIL DISORDERS and not because
tion, entitled The Red Horse: War by George of invasion of outdoors. This must follow a

The Red Horse of Revelation 6:4