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The "pale" horse of Rev 6:8 - Printable Version

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The "pale" horse of Rev 6:8 - Daniel814 - 05-28-2011

This is a study of the word describing the "pale" horse in Rev 6:8, as well as my conclusion about what that prophecy means.

Background:
The word is (Strong's/Thayer G5515) Greek chlor-os or khlo-ros' from which the English choleric is derived. Most translations interpret the word "pale" but I found in Lamsa it was translated as "green"; some other translations render it "pale green." When I received the Magiera Interlinear, I checked the word Aramaic IORQA, yuraqa (1086) in her Lexicon. Though her translations use the traditional "pale," her Lexicon definition is "green, vegetable, herb, pale (thing).

Quest:
Within the context of that prophecy, I wanted to clarify why that term was used. A friend is fluent in Biblical languages. Without stating why I wanted his opinion, I asked him for his comments; this is his reply:

"In one of your messages you asked me to do a study of Revelation 6:8. I assume that this is in reference to the "pale horse" that you have discussed before? OK. Let's look at "Pale" vs "Green." Could "green" be a better translation than "pale" in reference to the "pale horse" of Revelation 6:8? Yes. It could be. The Greek text even agrees. The word used in Greek is chloros which can mean either "green" or "pale yellow". The word chlorophyll is derived from the Greek word chloros. Chlorophyll is what makes plants green. So I do not dispute at all that green could be a better word in this verse. As far as colors are concerned, however, you might want to know that what we perceive as a particular color might not be perceived by another culture in the same way. For example, in English we have the word "blue". The range of this color encompasses two Polish words: "niebieski" and "granatowy". I distinctly remember a conversation when I was in Poland and I mentioned that something was "niebieski" and they looked at me like I was out of my mind, and responded "No, it's not niebieski, it's granatowy!" I still don't really know the difference between the two. So who am I to impose my understanding of "green" or "pale" into a text when I never saw John's vision? Besides, I'm not sure what difference "pale" vs "green" would make theologically. But it is an interesting word study."

My reply:
"The description of the events of the "sickly" green horse fit the current events on earth. I.e., since the four horses are representations of the progression of events that were/are to happen on earth, I see the fourth horse as a prophecy of "Go Green" environmental politic; the rider of each horse is a representation of the politic of the era."

He responded:
"Sickly green == current environmentalist movement!!!! How perfect. The fact that they use as their symbol a green leaf full of chlorophyll is priceless."

My Conclusion:
The "pale green" horse of Revelation 6:8 is a prophecy revealing the time in which we live, that is, the dying earth and what will transpire under the Environmental Body Politic. The "pale green" logos used by "environmental movement" entities is our "notice" of the age in which we live.


Re: The "pale" horse of Rev 6:8 - distazo - 05-29-2011

In Revelation 9:4 the same word for 'Green' is used. It is undeniable it is about (green) plants as far as I know, plants are not pale
<!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> maybe there are pale or orange plants but they are viewed as green.

The possiblity that the green is a quarter of the world, who have a certain religion is possible. but I know that this subject is not allowed on this forum.


Re: The "pale" horse of Rev 6:8 - g_a_kowalski - 05-30-2011

Truly, diffrent cultures "see" colors differently - my "sea blue" can be your "green".

Quote:The range of this color encompasses two Polish words: "niebieski" and "granatowy". I distinctly remember a conversation when I was in Poland and I mentioned that something was "niebieski" and they looked at me like I was out of my mind, and responded "No, it's not niebieski, it's granatowy!" I still don't really know the difference between the two.

I'm Pole and honestly there is no real diffrence between "niebieski" and "granatowy". "Niebieski" = blue, "granatowy" = navy. BUT, I'd like to show in example something very interesing: how Poles probably percieved color "blue" hundred years ago and how they percieve it now.

In Polish language colours are often adjectives derivated from nouns. And color BLUE can be in MODERN Polish can be descibed using following words:
- "niebieski", which means "like sky" because "niebo" means "sky"
- "morski", which means "like sea" because "morze" means "sea"
- "lazurowy" which comes French language
- "granatowy", which means "like pomegranate" (fruit) or "like garnet" (mineral)
- "modry"
- "blekit"

Now, look at something very peculiar regarding "granatowy". It means "blue" BUT neither pomegranate nor garnet is blue! Actually, they're kind of dark red or violet! There is also another word in Polish with similar peculiarity - "modry". It also means blue. You can say "modre oczy" which menas "blue eyes". BUT there is "modra kapusta" which is specially prepared red cabbage which changes color to dark red or dark purple. Which is why in many countries it is called both "red cabbage" and "blue cabbage"!

What I am trying to say is that nowadays we have very well defined colors while some hundred years ago this might not be so. Therefore, if Revelation was written in Polish and word in question was not "chloros" but "granatowy" and you would try linguistically to guess what color it describes then you would have never guessed correctly.

And about that "pale" and "green". It is perfectly understood for me that in some language those "colors" can be named with one word. The most basic color classification which is also found in all primitive cultures is that:
- "green" as colour of immature fruits and vegetables (so this could also be pale, yellow)
- "red" as colour of mature fruit and of blood (life!)
- "all other" as all other colours :-)

This is preserved in modern languages in some constructs: you can say "face suddenly became pale" or you can sey "his face turned gray" or "turned green". This is all effect of how people percieve colors. And this is why some English bibles translate "cholors" as "gray".


Re: The "pale" horse of Rev 6:8 - distazo - 05-30-2011

I speak and read and write Russian (my 3th language) so I understand your explanation very well <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

So, the 'pale' might have been a contextual translation.

But I think that those horses had pure colors, not mixed colors.

Still, it's a guess.