ChristStory Bestiary

HORSE

War

In Biblical times, the horse was primarily a vehicle of war (Jer 6:23; 50:42; 51:27). The sudden appearance of one or more horses was an omen of war or deadly misfortune. Before the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the Land of Promise, Moses instructed them, "He (Israel's king) shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses..." (Deu 17:16). Moses told the Israelites, the Lord was to be their confidence in war rather than armies with their horses and chariots (Deu 20:1-4). The psalmists considered the horse "a vain hope for safety" and encouraged Israel to place their trust in a God who was pleased by faith rather than by strength (Psa 20:7; 33:17-19; 147:10-11; see also Prov 21:31).

In Israel, the horse became symbolic of God's people turning away from Him, assuming pagan customs, and placing their hope in their own strength or that of their allies. Time and again, the Lord reminded them that He could not be outrun (Is 2:6-7; 30:15-17; Amos 2:15).

The strength and speed of the Word of the Lord were symbolized by the horse. In Hosea, the Lord says, "Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by...horses or horsemen" (Hosea 1:7). Later, He speaks of the day when Jesus would enter Jerusalem with a salvation not accompanied by the terrors of war. The Christ would come, not on a warhorse but riding a donkey as a symbol of His humility and peace (Zec 9:9). The peace of Christ is said to "cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem" because the power of war and death would be broken by his Word (Zec 9:10).

In the final conflict, when all the nations gather to war against Jerusalem, the Lord will strike the horses of the nations with panic and blindness so that the weapons of the nations will be recognized as useless (Zec 12:3-5). The Lord of hosts will make Judah His royal warhorse and "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" will be engraved on the bells of the horses (Zec 14:20).

Absalom's pride and Solomon's wealth were symbolized by their tremendous acquisitions of horses (2 Sam 15:1; 1 Ki 4:26). Horses were occasionally ridden by royalty but most Israelites used mules for transportation. Lest we judge a person's character by appearances or earthly honors, the writer of Ecclesiastes remarks, "I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants" (Eccl 10:7).

The color of a horse is very important in determining its symbolism. White horses symbolize the sun, the moon, the sea, the heavens, justice, and holiness. Most sacred horses are white. During the Middle Ages, virgin heroes, saints, and Christ were depicted riding upon white horses. At the end of the age, Christ and His heavenly armies arrive, mounted on white horses (Rev 19:11-15). However, to dream of a white horse is considered an omen of death.

A black horse indicates impending death, destruction, Satan, and evil influences. Traitors, magicians, and the devil disguised as a knight ride black horses.

A white horse teamed with a black horse symbolizes life and death. The Greeks personified the dueling aspects of the soul with a chariot pulled by a team of horses. According to Steiner, one of the horses is patient and sensible while the other horse is impulsive and disobedient. The rebellious horse uses obstacles found along the road to thwart the driver and hinder his teammate on their journey to heaven or perfection.

In Zechariah's vision of the chariots, which are the four spirits of heaven who "walk to and fro throughout the earth," the red horses represent war and carnage. The black horses stand for famine, pestilence, judgment, and sorrow. The white horses symbolize joy and victory, especially that resulting from miraculous deliverances. And the dappled horses represent a mixture of good and bad events (Zec 6:1-7).

Closely following the symbolism of Zechariah's vision are the four horses of the Apocalypse (Rev 6:2-8). The white horse represents pestilence, or that spirit of conquest which causes wars simply to dominate, oppress, and take from another. The red horse represents war, bloodshed and revolution. The black horse personifies famine, and the pale horse symbolizes death.

Matthew Henry believed these four horses represented the four stages of the Christian era. He wrote that the white horse personified the coming of Christianity; the red horse represented the persecutions of the early Church; the black horse stood for the introduction of superstition, legalism, and other corruptions of the Gospel into the Church; and the pale horse warned of the final destruction of the wicked.

The chariot of Israel, pulled by horses of fire carried the prophet Elijah into heaven (2 Ki 2:11-12). Elisha, his prodigy, was rescued from the Syrians by a heavenly army of fiery horses and chariots (2 Ki 6:15-18).

During the siege of Samaria, the Lord sent the sound of invisible horses and chariots to frighten the army of the Syrians away from the gates of the starving city (2 Ki 7:6-7).

A mounted horse represents Christ Incarnate. The horse symbolizes Christ's humanity and the rider represents His deity. However, a rearing horse called Intractability (usually black) is often portrayed throwing off its rider, Presumption.

In Medieval art, the avenging Christ is frequently pictured riding a russet, bright red, or sorrel horse. The red colors represent His blood and His right as redeemer and sacrificial victim to judge and punish the enemies of His Church. He may also wear a red robe to represent both His blood and the blood of His enemies.

Zechariah had a vision of Christ riding a red horse among the myrtle trees indicating that God would zealously punish Babylon who had held Judah in captivity for seventy years (Zec 1:8-11). Myrtle is a symbol of the Jewish nation. With Christ in the myrtle grove were "horses: red, sorrel and white" which were spirits similar to those of the Apocalypse and Zechariah's vision of the chariots which God sets to walk "to and fro throughout the earth." Except for the spiritually sensitive, the world rests in its corruption, unaware of the cosmic influences signified by the horses.

The image of the horse is used to represent various imperfections. The sin of lust was associated with horses when God complained that the people of Israel "were like well-fed lusty stallions; every one neighed after his neighbor's wife" (Jer 5:8). The horse is the symbol of pride, disorderly, wild, or rebellious living, impurity, strong desires, and instincts. The Bible uses the frightened horse's frenzied behavior to symbolize mankind's bolting from the God who would tame and care for it (Psa 32:9; Jer 8:6).

In spite of these associations, the horse is considered an intelligent creature. It often represents courage, nobility, generosity, speed, and grace. Horses have been used in myths and legends to guide souls to the underworld. A horse shown with a palm tree is a symbol of resurrection in many early cultures.

Unless otherwise noted all scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible.