I first began to wonder about the meaning of horses in scripture, through reading Zechariah. Clearly, these horses tie in with Revelation's horses. There are also many mentions of horses which merely represent horses - a symbol of human strength or kingly greatness - but even these indicate a spiritual power, and whether it is aligned with God.
It seems we need to know which kind of horse we are riding, who we are following, and whether the battle to which we are enjoined, is the same battle as the Lord has won and is winning.
Ephesians 3: '... that I should preach ... the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Here are a few of scripture's references to horses. These themes repeat again and again, through the prophets.
Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spoke, saying,
I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.
21 And Miriam answered them,
Sing ye to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.
Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God gives thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord has said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Joshua 11:6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
Judges 5 from v 20. The whole chapter is the song of Deborah.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings,
the pransings of their mighty ones.
The chapter ends -
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord:
but let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. (Psalm 19:4c, 5, 6.)
And the land had rest forty years.
2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 23:11 And he [Josiah] took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
There is an interesting allusion to 'horse' behaviour in the following verses. Note also the allusion to 'wisdom' and 'understanding', and the attitude which follows upon the lack of them.
Job 39:13 Gavest thou the goodly wings to the peacocks?
or wings and feathers to the ostrich?
14 Which leaves her eggs in the earth,
and warms them in dust,
15 And forgets that the foot may crush them,
or that the wild beast may break them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers:
her labour is in vain without fear;
17 Because God has deprived her of wisdom,
neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she lifts up herself on high,
she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horse strength?
hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength:
he goes on to meet the armed men.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted;
neither turns he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
the glittering spear and the shield.
24 He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage:
neither believes he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 He says among the trumpets, Ha, ha;
and he smells the battle afar off,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help;
and stay on horses,
and trust in chariots, because they are many;
and in horsemen, because they are very strong;
but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel,
neither seek the Lord!
Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle.
Horses have power!
Jeremiah 8:16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Jeremiah 51:21 And with thee [Zion] will I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
It seems we need to know which kind of horse we are riding, who we are following, and whether the battle to which we are enjoined, is the same battle as the Lord has won and is winning.
Ephesians 3: '... that I should preach ... the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Here are a few of scripture's references to horses. These themes repeat again and again, through the prophets.
Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spoke, saying,
I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.
21 And Miriam answered them,
Sing ye to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.
Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God gives thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord has said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Joshua 11:6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
Judges 5 from v 20. The whole chapter is the song of Deborah.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings,
the pransings of their mighty ones.
The chapter ends -
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord:
but let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. (Psalm 19:4c, 5, 6.)
And the land had rest forty years.
2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 23:11 And he [Josiah] took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
There is an interesting allusion to 'horse' behaviour in the following verses. Note also the allusion to 'wisdom' and 'understanding', and the attitude which follows upon the lack of them.
Job 39:13 Gavest thou the goodly wings to the peacocks?
or wings and feathers to the ostrich?
14 Which leaves her eggs in the earth,
and warms them in dust,
15 And forgets that the foot may crush them,
or that the wild beast may break them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers:
her labour is in vain without fear;
17 Because God has deprived her of wisdom,
neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she lifts up herself on high,
she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horse strength?
hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength:
he goes on to meet the armed men.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted;
neither turns he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
the glittering spear and the shield.
24 He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage:
neither believes he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 He says among the trumpets, Ha, ha;
and he smells the battle afar off,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help;
and stay on horses,
and trust in chariots, because they are many;
and in horsemen, because they are very strong;
but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel,
neither seek the Lord!
Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle.
Horses have power!
Jeremiah 8:16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Jeremiah 51:21 And with thee [Zion] will I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
