“And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him.” (Revelation 6:7-8, NASB)

Christians do not need to fear death. Here is a lesson that we can take away from today’s reading. At the beginning of the Great Tribulation, Jesus, the Lamb of God, receives the book with seven seals from God and begins to open them. According to John’s vision, the breaking of the seals initiates God’s judgments. With the breaking of the first four seals of the Sealed Book, there will come what is popularly known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. First, the rider of the white horse will be the false messiah or the Antichrist, who comes conquering and to conquer. Second, the rider of the red horse will take peace from earth, and cause men to slay one another. Third, the rider of the black horse will bring famine and hunger, causing a shortage of all things, especially food and water. Today’s passage describes the fourth horseman who will come riding on an ashen or a pale horse, whose name is Death, and his partner Hades following after him. It says,

“And when He broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

The word “Hades” is a Greek term translated into English as “Hell.” It speaks of the temporary prison where unbelieving souls are kept after death. In other words, death causes people’s souls to be separated from their bodies, and Hades is the place where their souls are kept. At the last judgment, however, Death and Hades will release these departed souls to stand before God to be judged. Then after these souls are judged, they will all be thrown into a permanent place of punishment called the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:11-15). Although death would be the outcome of all three horsemen’s activities, this fourth rider is specifically known as Death and Hades because of the magnitude of people suffering death on earth. It says that this horrific duo will bring a great death toll on earth so that the “fourth of the earth” will be killed with “swords,” “famine,” “pestilence,” and “wild beasts” of the earth. Furthermore, since it says that God will grant them authority to do this, there will be no escape for those who cross their path.

Now, this sounds horrific indeed, but the Lord encourages us not to fear them. And here are the reasons why. First, the Bible says that Jesus’ purpose for coming was so that “through death he might render powerless of him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb.2:14). Therefore, death has absolutely no authority or power over anyone who has been redeemed by Christ.

Second, the Bible says that at the final judgment, even Death and Hades will be thrown into the Lake of Fire along with Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and those who rejected the gospel of Christ. Although Death and Hades may have their day for now, it won’t be long until they will be forever put away. On that day, we will rejoice like Apostle Paul, “Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.15:54-57). According to Apostle Paul, “The last enemy that will be abolished is death” (1 Cor.15:26).

Third, Christians do not even experience death when they die, but rather they fall asleep later to be awakened by the coming of the Lord. The Bible says, “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (1 Thess.4:14). Therefore, the Lord encourages us that we do not need to fear death but to live boldly on earth as His witnesses.

• What do you think the fourth rider, known as “Death” and “Hades,” represents?
• Why do people fear death, and how can the gospel of Christ give them hope?