Fab Four:

“Richard Land,
president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, identified what he
called the ‘four modern horses of the apocalypse’ and challenged messengers to
make personal commitments to bring revival to America.
… He identified the four modern horsemen of the apocalypse as denial of the
sanctity of human life, the rise and deluge of hardcore Internet pornography,
the radical homosexual agenda and its attempt to undermine marriage, and
radical Islamic jihadism.”

Advertisement

Apparently Mr.
Land referred to “horses,” and a reporter at the Southern Baptist Convention
made it “horsemen,” but that’s a minor point. Both horsemen and the horses they
rode in on are mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The Whore of Babylon is in
there too, but apparently afoot.

I don’t go into Revelation without an interpreter
— the Random House Unabridged, in this case. The dictionary says that the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse are “four riders on white, red, black and pale
horses symbolizing pestilence, war, famine and death, respectively.” Not
somebody you’d want to hang out with, for sure.

Advertisement

Mr. Land is not
the first to attempt to modernize the horsemen. In 1924, a famously florid
sportswriter named Grantland Rice wrote a memorable account of a football game
between Army and Notre Dame:

“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the
Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence,
destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are
Stuhldreher, Miller,
Crowley
and Layden. They formed the crest of the
South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team
was swept over the precipice … ”

Advertisement

A publicist took
pictures of Stuhldreher et al on horseback, and for a time, the Four Horsemen
of Notre Dame were almost as famous as the originals.

I remember a movie in the early ‘60s — a remake
of an older, silent movie — in which the four horsemen were shown galloping
across the sky. (The apocalyptic four, not the Notre Dame backfield.) A ‘60s
audience wouldn’t buy it. Maybe Mr. Land will have more luck with his version.

Advertisement

Invest in the future of great journalism in Arkansas

Join the ranks of the 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts who know that the Arkansas Times is the go-to source for tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been on the front lines of the fight for truth, and with your support, we can do even more. By subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers and expand our coverage. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make a difference with your subscription or donation to the Arkansas Times today.

Previous article Thursday thread Next article New planet