The Four Horses of the Apocalypse The Four Horses of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, the Book of Revelation by John of Patmos. The four horses are symbolic descriptions of different events which will take place in the end times. The first horse is white and symbolizes conquest and the second horse is red and symbolizes war. The third horse is black and symbolizes famine and the fourth horse is pale and symbolizes death and pestilence. The four horses are seen as harbingers of the end of the world.