If, as we believe, the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:1 is a literal entity and not just a symbol, then who is he? Texts found at Tell Mardikh in northern Syria, the ancient city of Ebla, tell us of a god called Resheph, a plague-god and gatekeeper of the netherworld. Resheph was equated to the underworld god of Akkad and Babylon, Nergal. We think this entity is a good fit for the first rider. Resheph makes a number of appearances in the Bible. The Hebrew prophets knew this character very well.

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