Color White in Scripture - Meanings and Associations

Animals, Colors, Metals, Numbers and Signs in Scripture.

Righteousness	Light and Righteousness	White Garments
The High Priests Garments		White Manna
The Righteousness of the Saints	Robes of Righteousness	Fields are White to Harvest
Ride the White Horse	White Stone	White Cloud

White – Righteousness

This, perhaps, is the easiest association for people to make. The color white is found many times in the scriptures and is often associated with white garments, white manna, white fields, white horses, white stones, white cloud, and white robes. However, even though the association is easy to conclude, yet the color white is clearly defined in Rev. 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

In subsequent essays, we will show the significance of who wore the white garments and how that our garments as children of God were made white. Also, we will examine the significance of the white garments, white manna, white fields, white horses, white stones, white cloud, and white robes.
Furthermore, light and righteousness are also associated and many verses of scripture show this association.

Light and Righteousness

In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth, he made a distinction between light and darkness: Gen. 1:3-5 "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Next, we read of a prophecy of the Lord where he is compared to the light of the morning: 2 Sam. 23:4 "And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain."

In addition, the Lord is compared to our light (righteousness) and our salvation: Psa. 27:1 "A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Moreover, the next several verses of scripture show forth the relationship between light and righteousness:
1. Ps. 37:6 "And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."
2. Ps. 97:11 "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."
3. Ps. 112:4 "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous."
4. Prov. 4:18 "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
5. Prov. 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:"
6. Prov. 13:9 "The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out."
7. Is. 42:6 "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;"
8. Is. 51:4 "Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people."
9. Is. 58:8 "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward."
10. Hosea 6:5 "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth."

In Matthew 17:2 the righteousness of Christ is associated with both white and light: "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

In John, Christ is described as the light (righteousness) of men and the lighter (giver of righteousness) of men: John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

Moreover, in Romans we are told to cast off the works of sin and put on the armour of righteousness: Rom. 13:12 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

Light and darkness or righteousness and unrighteousness cannot have fellowship with one another: 2 Cor. 6:14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

Satan is a counterfeiter and he attempts to counterfeit the righteousness of God in religious circles: 2 Cor. 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Finally, we read that Christ is the Sun of Righteousness: Mal. 4:2 "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."

White – The High Priests Garments

We know by the scriptures that the Old Testament High Priests were a figure of our High Priest, Jesus Christ: Heb. 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." Christ is a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec (Heb. 5:10 "Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec) and not a High Priest after the order of Aaron. However, the High Priesthood after the order of Aaron gives types and shadows of the High Priesthood of Christ.

Righteousness will not admit to any flaw. One sin negates all the righteous acts of an individual to make him righteous. The High Priest had to be perfect to be a righteous High Priest. This requirement of perfection is set forth in Lev. 21:17-23 "Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them."

That the High Priest after the order of Aaron were not perfect is evident by the fact that an offering had to be made for them before an offering could be made for the people. Christ being the only perfect sinless person, offered himself as a substitutionary atonement for the elect but he had to make no offering for himself because he was without sin. Christ is the righteous one: 1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

The garments of the Old Testament high priests point to the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1. Ex. 28:39 "And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework."

2. Ex. 28:42 "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach."

In addition, to the Old Testament garments of the High Priest being made of white linen, there were several prophecies in the Old Testament of one to come as the High Priest of the people to remove their sins:

1. Song 5:10 "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand."

2. Dan. 7:9 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire."

3. Dan 10:5 "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:"

4. Dan 12:6 "And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

5. Dan 12:7 "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

Furthermore, we get word picture glimpses of the complete righteousness of Jesus Christ in the New Testament as well:

1. Matt. 17:1 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

2. Matt. 27:58 "He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."

3. Mark 9:2 "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4. Rev. 1:14 "His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire."

Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, he was born without sin, he kept the law to a jot and tittle, and at the appropriate time he presented himself as a sacrifice without spot or blemish that he might redeem his people from their sins. Rom. 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Truly, Jesus is that Righteous One and all of his works are righteous works. He wore the perfect garments of righteousness.

White – The Righteousness of the Saints

Righteousness by its very definition implies perfection. It will not admit to a single sin. It only takes one sin to make someone unrighteous before God. The question before us is how can anyone other than Christ be righteous, if one sin makes us unrighteous? The answer is imputed righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own, but we are clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ.

That God's elect people are considered righteous before God is set forth for us in the following scriptures:

1. Mat. 13:17 "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
2. Mat. 13:43 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
3. Mat. 23:29 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,"
4. Mat. 23:35 "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar."
5. Mat. 25:37 "Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?"
6. Mat. 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
7. Luke 1:6 "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
8. Heb. 11:4 "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh."
9. James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
10. 1 Pet. 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
11. 2 Pet. 2:8 "(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)"

This imputed righteousness of the elect is associated with the color white in the following verses:

1. Rev. 4:4 "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold."
2. Rev. 6:11 "And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

3. Rev. 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

4. Rev. 7:13 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"
5. Rev. 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
6. Rev 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
7. Rev 19:14 "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."

That the elect do nothing to make themselves righteous is proven by the following verses:

1. Is. 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
2. Rom. 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
3. Gal. 2:21 "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
4. Gal. 3:21 "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."
5. Phil. 3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"
6. Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

Next, we see several verses that teach us that the elect are made righteous by the atoning work and blood of Christ:

1. (Rom. 3:21 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"
2. Rom. 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
3. 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
4. Gal. 2:21 "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
5. Eph. 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
6. Phil. 3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"
7. Heb. 1:3 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"
8. Heb. 10:14 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Thus, we are made righteous through the atoning sacrifice of Christ and we stand before a just and holy God with the imputed righteousness of Christ. This is in perfect harmony with the question in Rom. 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

White Garments

God created man upright. After God had created Adam and formed Eve from the rib of Adam and before the fall in the garden it was stated: Gen. 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." Before the fall, Adam and Eve had no covering and needed no covering for their nakedness. They were without sin and had no reason to have shame.

Once Adam and Eve transgressed in the garden they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons in an attempt to cover their nakedness. Nakedness in the scriptures is a symbol of the shame of sin:

1. Is. 47:3 "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."
2. Nahum 3:5 "Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame."
3. Rev. 3:18 "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
4. Ex. 32:25 "And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)"
5. Is. 20:4 "So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt."
6. Micah 1:11 "Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing."
7. Rev. 16:15 "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

In an effort to cover the shame of their sin, Adam and Eve had sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. This act was like the actions of people today, who through their works and efforts try to cover the shame of their sins by their perceived good works. The problem is that it just is not sufficient in the eyes of a just and holy God. God is the judge of all the earth and his judgment is just. Every sin and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward. Our works and labors will never satisfy God's wrath for sin. It takes somewhat far better for the shame of our sin to be covered.

In the case of Adam and Eve God made coats of skin: Gen. 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." The only suitable covering for sin is the atoning blood of the Lamb of God. Anything else is insufficient to satisfy the wrathful judgment of God.

The blood of the Lamb covers our sin. The garments of the High Priest and of his sons were made of fine linen. This white linen is symbolic of the imputed righteousness that we receive by the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. Ex. 39:27 "And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses."

These garments covered the nakedness both of Aaron and of his sons. As such, they are typical of the righteous covering of the imputed righteousness of Christ who has covered the shame of our sin: 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

In Mark 14:51, 52 we read of a young man who had come to the trial of Jesus before the high priest: "And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked." In a word picture, this young man typified what was soon to happen to Jesus. Jesus was altogether righteous, yet on the cross of Calvary, he became sin for us (represented by the naked body of the young man). Jesus knew no sin and thus had no shame, yet he bore the shame of our sins for us on the tree of the cross that we be made the righteousness of God in him.

Consequently, the shame of our sin has been eternally removed from the eyes of a just and holy God: Rom. 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Because of the covenant atoning work of Christ there is no sin or charge of sin that can be brought against the elect of God. Christ has justified us and no one can condemn us before God. We stand before God clothed with the garments of Christ's righteousness.

White Manna

            When the children of Israel murmured against God in the wilderness because they had nothing to eat or to drink, the Lord gave them bread that they called "manna." This manna is described to us in Ex. 16:31 "And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." Each morning for the first six days of each week, the children of Israel gathered manna for their daily food. On the sixth day, they gathered enough for two days so they gathered not on the Sabbath day.

          In many ways, this manna was spiritually comparable to the scriptures: Deu. 8:3 "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." Moreover, the scriptures are according to the words of the Lord a testimony of Jesus: John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Like the scriptures, the manna in the wilderness was a testimony of Jesus.

          The Lord compared the manna in the wilderness to himself in John 6:31-35: "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

          As Jesus is the bread of life to his children, the white color of the manna testifies of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In typical fashion, the children of Israel were eating of that bread of life that is altogether righteous. He is the Righteous One and through his righteousness we are made righteous.

Fields are White to Harvest

Matt. 9:35 "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

John 4:35 "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

Jesus had compassion on the multitude. He compared them to sheep that have no shepherd and to fields white to harvest. In the scriptures, sheep are a symbol of God's elect people. Likewise, white fields give us an indication that the fruit of the fields is ready to be harvested. Harvest time is not a time of planting and establishing the plants, but a time of harvesting the crops and gathering them into the barn.

That the multitude were compared to fields white unto harvest shows us that they are identified by the state of their fruit production. The fields have already born fruits. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. The multitude the Lord had compassion on are already born of the Spirit of God. They are already righteous (white) by the atoning blood of Christ. What is now needed for them is to be gathered into God's church kingdom here on earth. The church is the proper place for God's people here on earth.

The Lord told the disciples to pray the Lord of the harvest that he send forth laborers into the harvest. The Lord of the harvest owns the fields and the fruit of the fields belongs to him. The duty of the disciples is to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into his harvest. Only the Lord of the harvest can send forth laborers into his harvest. No one else has the authority to send forth laborers into his harvest. The church does not have the authority to send forth missionaries. The Lord, however, does send forth evangelists who go at his command and rely upon him to provide for their support.

The gathering into the church kingdom does not make the fields white or righteous. They are already white or righteous. The work of the laborers is to gather those that are already righteous through the atoning blood of Christ into the Lord's church on earth that they no longer be as "sheep having no shepherd" and that they no longer be scattered abroad by the false teachings and false teachers of this world.
The laborer is not to strike out on his own, but he is to labor where the Lord of the harvest directs him and wait upon the Lord of the harvest to open to him doors of utterance. Only the Lord can open doors of utterance so that those who are scattered abroad are prepared to hear the gospel message of the laborers.

Ride the White Horse

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."

In the 5th chapter of Revelation we read of a book sealed with seven seals that only the Lamb could open. In the 6th chapter we see the Lamb as he opens the first four seals and we see four horses and a rider or riders on the four horses. In Zechariah chapter 6 we see a somewhat similar set of four horses and the meaning of the horses is given to us in verse 5: "And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth."

Therefore we can conclude that the four horses in Revelation as well as the four horses in Zechariah represent the “four spirits of the heavens.” Also we will note that bible colors are also associated with specific bible subjects.

The color white is associated with righteousness:

1. Judg 5:10 "Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way."
2. Song 5:10 "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand."
3. Is. 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
4. Dan 7:9 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire."
5. Dan. 11:35 "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."
6. Dan. 12:10 "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."
7. Matt. 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."
8. Rev. 17:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"
9. Rev. 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

The color red is associated with war:

1. Nahum 2:3 "The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken."
2. 2 Kings 3:22 "And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: 23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil."
3. Josh. 24:6 "And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea. 7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season."

The color black is associated with sin:

1. Job 30:30 "My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat."
2. Song 1:5 "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept."
3. Jere 8:21 "For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me."
The “pale” horse in verse 8 we are told is associated with Death and Hell. Based on the above we are brought to understand that the four spirits that the four horses in Revelation represent are the spirits of righteousness (white), warfare (red), sin (black), and death and hell (pale).

While I am not an experienced horseman (I have spent less that 5 min. on the back of a horse in my lifetime), it seems to me that there are at least two very important things that you want to do when you ride a horse. You want to stay on the horse without falling off and you want to complete your task(s). Staying on your horse and completing your task would seem to make for a successful ride on a horse.

We will now look at possible riders of the horses. It is easy to see where Adam rode all four horses, however, he didn’t ride them successfully. Adam began by riding the horse of righteousness, for God made man upright in the beginning. Adam, in a sense, went forth conquering and to conquer as he was given dominion of the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and the beast of the field. He gave names to all the creatures that God had made. He was doing okay in riding this horse for a short time, until the serpent engaged him in warfare, first, indirectly (thru the woman) and then directly. When Adam ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he fell off the horse of righteousness. He went immediately to the black horse of sin. He, however, could not complete the task of the rider of this horse as he could not balance the scale of justice or keep from hurting the healing ointments. Thus Adam failed to stay on the horse of righteousness and he failed to perform the assigned tasks. Subsequently, none of Adam multiplied can successfully ride the horses as Rom. 3:10 tells us, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Since we all fell under the law of sin and death, we cannot, in our natural state, ride the horse of righteousness.

There remains only one who can and did ride all four horses successfully. That one is the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the scriptures, Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He was born of a virgin and thus was born without sin, being conceived of the Holy Ghost. He kept the law to a jot and a tittle. He fulfilled all that was written of him. He rode the white horse of righteousness successfully. He also rode the red horse of warfare as he was engaged in the greatest of all wars. He fought successfully against sin, Satan, death, hell, and the grave. He successfully withstood the assault of the devil and his angels in all the temptations and trials hurled at him. He did this by taking the great sword of God’s word and yielding it against all our enemies. He did all this while successfully continuing to ride the white horse of righteousness. Next, he mounted the black horse of sin, not that he ever sinned (he never did), but the scriptures say that he was “made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” On the cross, Jesus took our sins upon himself and became sin for us. He rode this black horse successfully as he maintained the balance of God’s justice (a measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny), satisfying God’s justice on our account. He also “hurt not the oil and the wine,” that is the healing ointments as he healed us from our sins thru his atoning sacrifice. As he mounted the black horse, he also mounted the pale horse and suffered the wrathful judgment of God to atone for our sins. God executed his judgment of our sins on our sin-bearer, Jesus Christ. Thankfully, our Saviour successfully rode all four horses on our behalf and has made us righteous thru his atoning sacrifice.

As a side note, we see that the balances are associated with the balance of justice in the following verses:
1. Job 31:6 "Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity."
2. Ps. 92:9 "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."
3. Pro. 11:1 "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight."
4. Dan. 5:27 "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."
5. Pro. 16:11 "A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work."

Similarly, the "oil and the wine" are used as healing ointments in the following passage: Lk. 10:34 "And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

"And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." This same one who has through his sacrificial atonement on the cross redeemed his people from their sins, now goes forth with judgments, both timely upon the elect and the non-elect and eternal upon the non-elect. God's four sore judgments are set forth in the reference to the sword, hunger, death, and beasts of the earth: Ezek. 14:21 "For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?" The execution of both timely and eternal judgments will be brought out abundantly in the remainder of the book of Revelation.

In summary, when the first seal of the book of salvation was opened we see the Lord as the Lamb of God going forth in the Spirit of righteousness fulfilling the law and the prophets to a jot and a tittle. When the second seal was opened we see the Lord going forth in the Spirit of warfare, defeating our enemies: Satan; sin; death; hell; and the grave. When the third seal was opened we see the Lord being made sin for us on the tree of the cross who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. When the fourth seal was opened we see the Lord suffering death and hell for us in our room and stead on the cross of Calvary and in so doing God's wrathful judgment of sin was satisfied. In addition the Lord having accomplished and satisfied God's eternal judgment on behalf of the elect, we see him going forth with timely judgments upon the elect and the non-elect and with eternal judgments upon the non-elect.

White Stone

Rev. 2:17 "And will give him a white stone." While it is true that God's elect are sometimes represented by stones, such as the twelve stones in the breastplate of judgment of the High Priest and in the lively stones in 1 Pet. 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," yet this verse doesn't say that the Lord would make them stones, but rather that they would be given a "white stone." In olden times when an army was taken captive by its enemy, the enemy would have a bag of stones and the soldiers would draw stones to see if they were to live or to die. If the soldier drew a white stone, he would live, but if he drew a black stone he would die. White is the bible color of righteousness, whereas, black is the bible color for sin. Thus, the giving of the white stone indicates that the one who receives it would live, but the one who received the black stone would die. When the Lord's disciples overcome the obstacles to true discipleship, they live in continued fellowship and true worship with the Lord. Contrariwise, those who do not overcome die to the true fellowship and true worship of the Lord. Now we know that none of the elect will ever lose their eternal life, yet they can die to the fellowship of the Lord:

1. Luke 15:24 "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
2. Luke 15:32 "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
3. 1 Tim. 5:6 "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."
"And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." There are examples in the scriptures of name changes:
1. Gen. 17:5 "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."
2. Gen. 17:15 "And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be."
3. Gen. 32:28 "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
4. Is. 62:4 "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married."
5. Acts 13:9 "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him."
6. John 1:42 "And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."

A name is used in the scriptures to identify and describe the person it is given to. With each of the name changes above, there was also a change in the individual or group to which it was given. When a person overcomes, a change takes place in his life and he is a changed person as a result. Mk. 8:35 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." Saul was a good illustration of this principle. He was a product of Judaism and he prospered in the Jews religion to the extent that he was the greatest persecutor of the Lord's church up until the day he was struck down on the road to Damascus. Afterwards he was a changed man. He lost his former life to live for Christ's sake and the gospel. When a person overcomes and presses into the kingdom of heaven, he likewise has a change of life, losing his former life, and living his new life in the kingdom of God. While we may not undergo a literal name change, yet we are changed and have a new name that only the one who receives it knows.

White Cloud

Rev. 14:14 "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle."

The clouds in the scriptures are often associated with the glory of God:
1. Ex. 16:10 "And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud."
2. Ex. 24:16 "And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud."
3. Ex. 40:34 "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
4. 1 Kings 8:10 "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD."
5. Is. 4:5 "And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence."
6. Ezek. 10:4 "Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory."
7. Matt. 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
White as we have before proven is associated with righteousness.

The Son of man sat upon a white cloud. Thus, he sat upon the throne of his glory in righteousness. That he had on a golden crown shows that he is reigning as a King. That he had a sharp sickle shows that he is preparing for a harvest or for harvests. That the Lord sits as a King reigning in righteousness is set forth by the following verses of scripture:

1. Ps. 72:1 "Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son."
2. Is. 32:1 "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment."
3. Heb. 7:1 "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace."

Jesus is the Melchisedec of the Old Testament whose name means King of righteousness. He reigns in righteousness. He reigns over the harvests of God. His righteousness is to the glory of God: Heb. 1:8 "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

He reigns over the righteous (those who are made righteous thru his shed blood) in his righteous kingdom: Matt. 13:43 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

White Robes of Righteousness

High Priests, kings, and those of the kings' household are the primary ones who wore robes in the scriptures. There were robes of different colors and each color has a significance, but this will be covered in a subsequent essay. The High Priest wore a robe of blue. The king's daughters wore coats of many colors. The kings and their princes often wore robes of white. The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus by placing on him a scarlet robe. Kings sometimes wore purple robes.

In this essay, we will deal primarily with the white robes worn by Kings and their sons. 1 Chr. 15:27 "And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen." Christ is sometimes referred to as the son of David because of the promise God made to David prior to David's death. Christ certainly was righteousness itself. He was altogether righteous and the walk of his life was altogether righteous. He is referred to as the righteous one. Since, he is King of kings, he is arrayed with righteousness as the scriptures call him by the name Melchisedec that is interpreted King of righteousness. He is the one whom the scriptures prophesied: Is. 32:1 "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment."

The king's sons also wore white robes. These sons according to the scriptures are also kings: Rev. 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Jesus is the prince (representative) of the kings of the earth. As such he represented his people on the cross and he has made them kings as they are born of royal blood (new birth).

We read of these kings and their white robes in the book of Revelation:

1. Rev. 6:11 "And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
2. Rev. 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"
3. Rev. 7:1 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"
4. Rev 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Jesus has clothed his people with white robes and they are of royal blood and thus they are kings unto God. They are clothes with the white robes of righteousness.

There is a sense in which they put on the white robes of righteousness in a practical manner. We read of Job: Job 29:14 "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem." Likewise, we as the spirit-born children of God are to put on righteousness as a manner of living. This principle of putting on righteousness is taught in the following verses:

1. Rom. 13:12 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

2. Eph' 4:22 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

3. Col. 3:10 "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."