Revelation 6:3-4 3And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” 4And out came another horse, fiery red, and the one sitting upon it was given to him to take peace from the earth, so that people might violently kill one another, and a great sword was given to him.=
As the Lamb breaks each seal, one of the four living creatures grabs John’s attention with a loud Come! by pointing to the rider of a different colored horse. The second rider came trotting or perhaps charging on the scene on a bright red horse. Red is the color of blood and could symbolize here the loss of life that will take place as this rider takes away peace with the result of war. Each rider builds on what a previous rider did. The rider of the white horse came with the intent to rule. The second rider came with the power to wage war.
The second stage of God’s plan is the loss of peace on earth. This conqueror, whether a spiritual being or an actual human, brings destruction with his sword. Because of the sinful nature of humanity, God only needs to withdraw his presence, peace, and protection, and humanity begins to self-destruct. Paul wrote to the church in Rome in Romans 1:28-32 with a strong warning and description of what humanity becomes like when God is not worshiped. Ever since Cain killed Abel in Genesis 4, people have ended up fighting and even killing one another. The Old Testament is full of stories of people killing one another, sometimes for petty things. The fuel for such discord is always present and only takes a spark to ignite. The early Christians who read Revelation could think once again of the many wars fought by Roman armies, the destruction and slavery they left behind, and the struggle these believers faced as minorities of a new religion in hostile situations. As wars, riots, and persecution increase in our day, like these believers, we can be assured of God’s final redemption.