The 1st seal is the first part of a prophecy of the 7 seals found in Revelation 6,8. I believe the 1st Seal is predicting a period of time when power will be given to a movement, a group of end time remnant people of God who have been anointed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They will go out as mighty men towards apostate Babylon and their message, which is from the word of God, will conquer. They will be called by Jesus himself and will fully reflect His image and his character.
When we let the bible interpret itself the symbols used in prophecy unlock the mystery of the interpretation and allow us to determine the fulfillment events. The meaning of the symbols is in the bible itself, lets examine:
1st Seal
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals: and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
It is important to note that the bible refers to the 1st seal as ONE OF the seals only. The heading, which is not in the original text and was added later, refers to the seal verses as "The 1st Seal".
This is important because it means that the seal is not necessarily the first in order of occurrence. It is described first in the bible because it is the most important in content and fulfilment. You will see why as you read the rest of the interpretation bellow.
To understand when the 1st seal occurs chronologically with respect to the other seals we must look to the parallel prophecy of the seals found in Zechariah 6:
Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses (2nd Seal), with the second chariot black horses (3rd Seal), with the third chariot white horses (1st Seal), and with the fourth chariot dappled horses (4th Seal) - strong steeds. ... The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country. ... And he called to me and spoke to me saying, "See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.
When we link these two prophecies the order of events and the narrative becomes very clear. The events prophesied by the black horses (See 3rd Seal) are towards to north country. This is also a reference to the King of the North in Daniel and refers to spiritual Babylon in the end times. The events prophesied by the white horse follow after and are in direct response to the black horse. In other words they follow towards the King of the North and spiritual Babylon of end times. During this time the events of the dappled (or pale) horse (See 4th Seal) are towards the South country. This is a reference to the King of the South in Daniel and refers to spiritual Egypt.
The horse and riders are personifications to help portray the surrounding symbols. The word white can simply mean literal or spiritual whiteness, light, innocence, and purity. The word white in the bible also represents:
Therefore white is the color of heaven and those who are righteous and have victory over sin are clothed in white.
The parallel seals prophecy of Zechariah also helps us to understand the white horse as representing a state that Jesus will achieve in his people at the time of the end during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit latter rain:
Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain... For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah (spiritual remnant), and will make them as His royal horse (Christ's white horse Rev 19:11) in the battle.... They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
The white horse therefore represents a special group of people who resemble Jesus Christ in likeness and action. They are the remnant end time people who have righteous acts like Jesus and have victory over sin. They go mightily into battle and the other horses are put to shame by their reproof.
The bow is literally a weapon and portrays the white horse as going to battle. The bow in the bible can represent the word of God (Habakkuk 3:9) The bow in the bible also represents Judah. God raised up Jesus the messiah, who is himself the word of God personified (in the flesh), FROM the tribe of Judah (See Matthew 1:1–6):
For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O, Zion (end time remnant of God), against your sons, O Greece (Pagan Rome+Papal Rome was birthed from ancient greece), and made you like the sword of a mighty man.
The mighty men here is a symbol of spiritual Judah which are those who receive the latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit (See also 3rd Seal). They are raised up and equipped with the central message of salvation through Jesus (arrows), and they go forth and conquer. The battle described is a spiritual one because the white represents righteousness and is not a color of literal war. If this was not clear enough Zechariah continues and makes it abundantly clear that the white horse with the bow represents spiritual Judah (Gods remnant) during the time of latter rain:
Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain... For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
From this parallel prophecy it is clear that during the time of the latter rain (3rd Seal) the Lord himself will visit the remnant of His people (house of Judah) and will make them his Royal horse, a white horse, the one described in the 1st Seal. Like the Lords royal horse which is Christ on a white horse called faithful and true described in Revelatio 19:11. The remnant group of people whom Christ himself calls and equips with His word (bow) shall become the mighty men anointed with oil of Holy Spirit (like prophets and kings of old) and roaring His word as full of wine. They become such a powerful movement that they will put the other horses (red, black and pale) to shame.
The sequence of the seals implied here is consistent with black horse followed by white horse.
A crown represents a symbol of authority for a period of time. The group of people represented by the white horse are given a special period of authority to go out conquering. This is reminiscent of the prophecy of the ministry of the two witnesses who are also given special power and period of time to witness:
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackloth.
Given the 3rd Seal is already strongly linked to the prophesy of the two witnesses it is likely that the white horse and rider with a crown is also a parallel representation of their ministry.
The group of people represented by the white horse are given a special period of authority to go out conquering and to conquer. In line with a spiritual understanding of the other symbols the conquering and battle here is also a spiritual one like the one described in 2 Corinthians:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons (bow) of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
The conquering here represents restoring the true knowledge of God in the world, and warning the world of an apostate Christianity that has a form of godliness but denies the power. The true power is found only in following the words and acts of Jesus Christ.
The conquering also represents the enlargement of kingdom and territory. This group of people is winning souls for the kingdom of God by saving them from their sin and association with the apostate system, on which terrible judgements are soon to follow. It is important to note that they went OUT to conquer. This tells us that their ministry was not among themselves but outward to the greater world.
The 1st Seal represents a period of time when power will be given to a movement, a group of end time remnant people of God who have been anointed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They will go out as mighty men towards apostate Babylon (north) and their message, which is from the word of God, will conquer. They will be called by Jesus himself and will fully reflect His image and his character.