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The Vision of the Four Chariots
v. 1. And I turned and lifted up mine eyes, or, "And again I lifted up my eyes,". and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains, the location of the vision being somewhere in the mountainous country near Jerusalem, very likely between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives; and the mountains were mountains of brass, firm and immovable.
v. 2. In the first chariot, harnessed to it, were red horses, signifying war and bloodshed; and in the second chariot black horses, the color of misfortune, of mourning, and of death;
v. 3. and in the third chariot white horses, implying joy and victory; and in the fourth chariot grizzled and bay horses Cf Rev_6:8.
v. 4. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, the one who had acted as interpreter in all the visions, What are these, my lord?
v. 5. And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, the four winds as the instruments of the Lord's will, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. Cf Psa_104:4; Psa_148:8. The agency of the winds in the work of destructive judgment is mentioned also elsewhere in the Bible Cf Rev_7:1.
v. 6. The black horses which are therein, that is, the chariot drawn by these horses, go forth into the North country, where the great world-powers, Assyria and Babylon, were situated; and the white go forth after them, victory following death and destruction; and the grizzled go forth toward the South country, where Idumea and Egypt were situated.
v. 7. And the bay went forth and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth, visiting all the countries of the world with a terrible, universal judgment, with war and bloodshed, with death and destruction; and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth, carrying out the Lord's command upon the various nations.
v. 8. Then cried he, the angel, upon me and spake unto me, in great excitement, saying, in the name of the Lord, Behold, these that go toward the North country have quieted My Spirit in the North country, have caused the Spirit of Jehovah to rest there, to be satisfied with the extent of the punishment inflicted upon the world-powers. It is clear that the angel is speaking of a last great Judgment, by which all the enemies of the Lord would be overthrown, in order that His Church may be safely established.