When the Lamb opened the Third Seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and bear witness!” I looked, and behold I saw a black horse! The rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard a voice that seemed to come from among the four living creatures, declaring, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
—REVELATION 6:5–6
Supernatural portrays the Black Horseman as the agent of a spiritual famine, causing people to become consumed by their desire for their vices. For example, in “My Bloody Valentine” (5-14), a man who had his stomach surgically reduced in order to lose weight eats so many Twinkies that he busts the staples and ruptures his stomach. A coroner who is a recovering alcoholic goes home and drinks himself to death. Even the angel Castiel, or at least his human vessel, is overcome by his desire for red meat and starts downing White Castle burgers by the mouthful. When asked by Dean how many burgers Castiel has eaten, the angel replies, “Lost count. It’s in the low hundreds.”
More commonly accepted interpretations of the Famine Horseman in Revelation, however, are usually more literal in nature. One interesting thing about the Famine/Black Horseman is that he doesn’t exactly represent so much a shortage of food as an increase in its cost. You might say that this Horseman is a manifestation of financial hardship or global inflation. This interpretation is supported by the final line of the vision, where one of the four creatures declares, “A quart of wheat . . . and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
In the time the text was written, a “day’s wages” usually referred to a Roman silver coin, a denarius (plural form: denarii), which was considered a ridiculous price for only a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley. A single denarius commonly bought eight times as much of either. To put it into perspective, a quart of wheat was only enough for about one good meal and three quarts of barley enough to make three somewhat meager meals. As for the mention of “oil and wine,” these were considered luxury items that were usually bought with whatever funds were left over after one’s food had been purchased. However, if food cost all of one’s wages, there would be nothing left to buy the luxury items such as the oil used to flavor and soften the bread, and wine to drink.
Just like the previous two Horsemen, there are some religious scholars who believe that the Black Horseman has already arrived. Proponents of this idea support their claims by pointing to recent events such as the collapse of the real estate and credit markets, the U.S. financial recession, and various global economic crises.
THE PALE HORSEMAN: DEATH
As with the Red Horseman, there is little debate as to the meaning of the fourth and final Pale Horseman—Death. Saint John described his vision of the Pale Horseman as follows:
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature say, “Come and bear witness.” And behold I saw a pale horse! The rider was named Death, and Hell followed with him. Both horse and rider were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
—REVELATION 6:7–8
One of the most common misunderstandings related to the Pale Horseman is that pale refers to a shade of white. There have even been mistranslations of the Bible that made it seem as if the first and last Horsemen were both white. The word pale actually refers to the color of death and decay or the pallid skin of someone who is sick or dying. As it is used in Revelation, therefore, the word would be more accurately interpreted to mean a “pale green” or “yellowish green” color.
THE SEVEN “BAD NEWS” TRUMPETS
The Seven Seals and the Four Horsemen are only the beginning of the bad news when it comes to the Apocalypse. On the heels of the Seven Seals come the blasts of the Seven Trumpets that will announce some of the most terrible horrors that humankind could ever experience. The trumpets are blown by “the seven angels,” which are believed to be the same seven who surround the throne of God, often ascribed as the seven archangels (see chapter 4). Each trumpet blast announces a more horrible event than the one before.
The First Trumpet: Destruction of Plant Life
The First Trumpet of the Apocalypse will devastate the vegetation of the planet. It is recorded by Saint John as follows:
And the seven angels prepared to sound the seven trumpets. The first angel sounded, and there was cast upon the Earth hail and fire mingled with blood: and one-third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
—REVELATION 8:6–7
The Second Trumpet: Destruction of the Marine Environment
The Second Trumpet of the Apocalypse will destroy the world’s oceanic ecosystem and marine life. The event is recorded by Saint John as follows:
And the second angel sounded, and a great mountain of burning fire was cast into the sea: and one-third of the seas were turned to blood; And one-third of the living creatures in the seas died; and one-third of the ships in the seas were destroyed.
—REVELATION 8:8–9
The Third Trumpet: Wormwood
The Third Trumpet of the Apocalypse will bring an event that affects the fresh waters of the planet, resulting from the collision of a huge comet called Wormwood. The event is recorded by Saint John as follows:
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from Heaven, burning like a lamp, and it fell upon one-third of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of this star is called Wormwood: and one-third of these waters were poisoned by Wormwood; and many people died from these waters, because they were poisoned.
—REVELATION 8:10–11
You might wish to note that the usage of the word poisoned in the above citation is also alternatively translated as “made bitter” in a number of traditional versions of the Christian Bible. However, bitterness in taste was often related to the presence of poisonous substances.
The Fourth Trumpet: Darkening of the Skies
The Fourth Trumpet will affect the celestial bodies, especially the light given off by the sun and reflected by the moon. This trumpet also announces that the worst is yet to come. Saint John records his vision as follows:
And the fourth angel sounded, and one-third of the sun was affected, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars; so as one-third of them all was darkened, and the days were darkened by one-third, as were the nights. And behold I heard an angel flying through the midst of Heaven, crying out “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the Earth because of the trumpets of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
—REVELATION 8:12–13
The Fifth Trumpet: Locusts from the Pit
The Fifth Trumpet announces the first apocalyptic event that humans will not be able to dismiss as having natural causes, as one can understand by reading John’s following description of it:
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from Heaven to Earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the pit; and out of the pit arose smoke . . . and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke . . . And out of the smoke came locusts that spread upon the Earth: and unto them was given power . . . And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass or trees or any green thing; but only those who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill . . . but instead inflict torment upon them for five months: and their torment was like that of a scorpion’s sting. And in those days many will seek death and not find it; many shall desire death, and death shall flee from them. And the locusts’ shapes were like horses prepared for battle; and their heads were gold crowns, and their faces were like those of men. And they had hair like that of women, and teeth like lions. And they had breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as horses and chariots running into battle. And they had tails like scorpions . . . : and their power was to hurt men for five months. And they had a king over them,
the angel of the bottomless pit, whose Hebrew name is Abaddon, but in Greek is called Apollyon.
—REVELATION 9:1–11
Some have interpreted the above passage to mean that no one on Earth will be able to die. This idea may have inspired Supernatural’s season 4, episode 15, “Death Takes a Holiday,” in which humans are unable to die for a short period owing to the absence of Reapers. However, the passage specifically says that only those who are stung by these locustlike creatures will be unable to die for five months. Basically, anyone who has not yet repented will find themselves the targets of these creatures. Once stung, people will be plunged into a five-month-long period in which the only sensation they will feel is terrible pain, a pain from which there is no relief, not even death.
The king of these creatures is referred to as Abaddon (Hebrew) or Apollyon (Greek). In either language, the meaning remains fairly the same—Destroyer. This figure is often thought to be the angel of death. Though some have associated this figure with the Fourth Horseman, this interpretation is not widely accepted since all of the Four Horsemen are mentioned in the verses that follow for the Sixth Trumpet.
The Sixth Trumpet: Slayers of Humankind
When the Sixth Trumpet blows, many people may welcome it. This trumpet will set loose upon the Earth four terrible angels who will leave mountains of corpses in their wakes. John explains the event as follows:
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice . . . saying to the sixth angel, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for that exact hour, day, month, and year, to slay one-third of humankind.
—REVELATION 9:13–15
The “four angels” are in fact the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This may seem odd, since the Horsemen have already been discussed. However, remember that chronological order often gets muddled in prophetic works unless it is specifically stated.
In the next passage of Saint John’s Revelation, the Four Horsemen come together to lead a massive army the likes of which the world has never seen (and, more important, will be powerless to stop). This army will mean the end of millions of human lives. Saint John portrays this fearsome legion as follows:
And the armies of the horsemen numbered two-hundred-thousand-thousand [200 million] . . . And then I saw the horses and those riding upon them, who had breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of their horses were as the heads of lions; and from their mouths spewed fire and smoke and brimstone. By these was one-third of humankind killed, by the fire, by the smoke, and by the brimstone that came from their mouths. Their tails were like serpents, and had the heads of serpents, and with them inflicted pain. And those not yet killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils or idols . . . : which cannot see or hear or walk: they also did not repent of their murders, sorceries, fornications, or thefts.
—REVELATION 9:16–21
Needless to say, any who see this army coming would do well to run away, as fast as their feet can carry them.
SUPERNATURAL FACTS
In the portrayals of the Four Horsemen in Supernatural, the element of Revelation in which they collectively lead their divine army is left out of the story line. Of course, this inconsistency could be easily explained by the fact that Sam and Dean Winchester took down all four of the Horsemen before they could complete their tasks.
The Seventh Trumpet: An End to the Horror
The Seventh Trumpet announces the end of the terrors brought by the preceding trumpets and marks the start of a new reign of Heaven on Earth for the righteous (to be discussed further on in this chapter). Saint John describes this as follows:
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.” And the four and twenty elders sitting before God fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, “We give you thanks, Oh Lord God Almighty, who is, and was, and is yet to come; because only you have the power to reign. And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you would give reward unto the prophets and saints, and those who fear thy name, both small and great; and that you should destroy those who destroy the Earth.” And the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and therein was seen the Ark of his testament: and there was lightning, and voices, and thundering, and an earthquake, and great hail.
—REVELATION 11:15–19
THE RISING OF THE WITNESSES
The so-called Rising of the Witnesses is portrayed on the Supernatural series in “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester” (4-2). In this episode, those who have died as a result of someone else’s actions (or inactions) come back as angry spirits to take vengeance upon the living who caused their deaths. This event may have been inspired by a passage from Saint John’s Revelation. An event similar to what happens on the show (though, admittedly, with a number of differences) is described by Saint John as follows:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
—REVELATION 20:11–15
WHAT ABOUT CROATOAN?
SAM: Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America. Late 1500s?
DEAN: Yeah, yeah, I do remember that. The only thing they left behind was a single word carved in a tree. Croatoan.
SAM: Yeah. And I mean there are theories—Indian raid, disease—but nobody knows what really happened. They were all just gone. I mean, wiped out overnight.
—DEAN AND SAM WINCHESTER, “CROATOAN” (2-9)
SUPERNATURAL FACTS
Rivergrove, Oregon, is a very real town located in Clackamas and Washington counties. The name of the town was created by combining “Tualatin River,” a river that marks the town’s southern border, with “Lake Grove,” the name of a larger community on the other side of Lake Oswego to the northeast. The small town in Supernatural is a pretty accurate portrayal of the real location. As of 2009, the town of Rivergrove had a population of only 348 people.
In Supernatural, the apocalyptic “end game” of the demonic legions is the spread of a “Croatoan” virus that infects humans with homicidal rage. This plan is first discovered by the Winchesters in “Croatoan” (2-9), when Sam’s vision of Dean killing a young man leads them to the town of Rivergrove, Oregon. They arrive to find the town in the midst of mass demonic possessions. After they find the word CROATOAN carved into a telephone pole, Sam refers to the fact that a similar word was found carved on an abandoned outpost in Roanoke, Virginia, where the colonists disappeared. Believe it or not, the so-called Lost Colony of Roanoke is no myth. This was a real event in American history.
In the year 1585, well before the pilgrims set foot on the New World with their landing at Plymouth Rock, the very first English settlement had already been established in Roanoke (in what is now Virginia). Sir Walter Raleigh initially supervised the endeavor, once he was finally able to receive a permission patent from the queen of England to create the first New World settlement. Unfortunately, neither Raleigh nor those who followed him had any idea what awaited them.
Raleigh did not depart with the first groups of colonists that left England in 1584 but instead remained in England and left the transportation of the colonists in the hands of fellow nobl
eman Sir Richard Grenville. The initial group consisted purely of men and did an excellent job of making enemies of the native tribes—they executed a native chief by burning him alive. This proved to have been a bad decision, because by the spring of 1585 they were running dangerously low on supplies. Sir Grenville volunteered to set sail and return with a relief and resupply fleet (more than likely, however, he just wanted out of there).
Grenville passed his authority over the Roanoke colony to Ralph Lane, promising to return immediately with supplies (which, by the way, Grenville never did). Unfortunately, it would seem that Ralph Lane was lacking in leadership ability, and the colonists had few skills when it came to living off the land. Not long after Grenville bailed on Roanoke, the colonists became almost totally dependent on the local Native American tribes in order to obtain enough food to survive. Then the colonists managed to once again royally piss off the natives by treating them rudely. Finding themselves out of favor with the local tribes, the stranded colonists were soon in the midst of a full-blown famine.
The Mythology of Supernatural Page 20
