The 4th seal is the fourth part of a prophecy of the 7 seals found in Revelation 6,8. I haven't yet formed a conclusive interpretation of the exact events predicted by the 4th Seal as a whole but I believe it relates to Satan and his demons being released from abyss and moving upon humans to create hell on earth. However we can still interpret the symbols in isolation until more light is shed on how exactly they come together.
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 are in the bible itself, lets examine:
4th Seal
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
The horse and riders are personifications to help portray the surrounding symbols. The word pale is used in the bible to describe shame, fright and error in spirit (Isaiah 29:22-24). Someone whose face goes pale is very afraid and worried about future outcome. The word pale in greek is chlōros which elsewhere in the bible is translated to as green (Rev 8:7) and is also the root of our word chlorophyll which is the green pigment of plants. Therefore the color of this horse is pale green. In a more literal sense a pale green color can also be taken to portray a sickly horse.
In the parallel vision of the horses and chariots in Zechariah 6 on the other hand, the color of the 4th horse is described as "dappled" or "grisled and bay". Dappled and grisled means "marked with spots or round patches".
The most likely interpretation of the pale horse is that it represents a state of fright and worry and anxiousness about future. The people who are afraid and worried may also be in a sickly spiritual state.
Some have suggested that the green horse represents Islam because the color of islam flag is green. This also fits well if we consider the same spotted horse in Zechariah because the spots presumable of a black color could also represent the black flag of Radical Islam. Therefore the horse would represent a time in history we are now experiencing where we have Islam as a significant world power and parts of islam are radical extremist with terrorist tendency which could be symbolised well by black spots.
However one criticsm that I have with this interpretation is that none of the other colors of horses represent flags of political or religious powers but are more descriptive of state of people and events in time. It would be strange if the author used color differently just for this horse rather then consistently as a symbol of state.
Putting both interpretation together may also works. As a result of some spotted "black flag" extreme islamic state activities like violence and terrorism, the rest of islam as a whole (green flag) is afraid (pale) and worried that some of their own have "errored in spirit" and the rest of the world will react against them as a whole. This fear among western islam of backlash and hate is already starting to manifest around the world.
In the parallel prophecy of the horses and chariots in Zechariah 6 we get a bit of extra information on the movements of the pale horse.
The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled (spotted/pale) are going toward the south country.
Similarly to our interpretation of the 1st Seal we can assume that south here refers to King of South from Daniel. I believe this indicates that the events of the pale horse are either perpetrated ON the nation of the King of South or by the nation of the King of South.
Normally death and hades are used in the bible to mean death and the grave. However given we are dealing with very specific and important prophetic events we need to find deeper associations to understand this prophecy in fullness.
Therefore it is important to note that the NAME of him who sits on the horse is Death. And hades is a different symbol and is said to follow. This is eerily reminiscent of the star fallen from heaven in the 5th Trumpet who is also explicitly named (like death) and unlocks the bottomless pit or abyss (like hades):
Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit (abyss = hades). And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit
...
And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit (abyss/hades), whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (means destruction), but in Greek he has the name Apollyon (means destroyer).
Since the name Abaddon and Apollyon mean destruction and destroyer, this forms a very strong parallel to the 4th seal because: "the destroyer" is said to unlock the "abyss" and with it causes great fear and torment on the inhabitants of the world such that they "seek death and rest but cannot find it". This is just another way of saying that a rider called "death" (like destruction) who is follewd by "hades" (opening of abyss) and together they reap carnege causing a state of "paleness".
The word Abaddon translate as destruction is used together with the word hades elsewhere in the bible further making the link relevant (Prov 15:11).
We can interpret death as Satan, because from the parallel link with the 5th seal we know he is the star fallen from heaven who is the angel of the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit is the abyss or hell and its the place where Satan's fallen angels or demons, are locked up and reserved for judgment:
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;...
Ultimately Jesus holds the key to the bottomless pit (Revelation 1:18) however we can see that there will be a time in the future right before Gods judgement that Satan (as death) will be granted power to release all the fallen angels (hades), and they will once again follow him in war one last time before the consumation of all things. At this time God will destroy both death and hades and "cast them into lake of fire" (Rev 20:14).
Another word for hades is hell, and hell in the bible is also defined as wicked men unrestrained by the Holy Spirit.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
The psalmists prophesies of a time when Spirit of God will be withdrawn from earth and wicked men, led by Satan, will turn the world into hellish state. These seem like the very events of the 4th Seal and the 5th and 6th Trumpet. Furthermore in Samuel a similar time is described, and one that concludes with the wrath of God:
When the waves of death compassed me (4th Seal: death rider), the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about (4th Seal: hades followed); the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple (5th Seal: Cry of Martyrs), and my cry did enter into his ears (5th Seal: Cry of Martyrs). Then the earth shook and trembled (6th Seal); the foundations of heaven moved and shook , because he was wroth (Bowls of wrath, Gods judgement).
It is absolutely amazing how the Bible is completely coherent and inspired such that the Psalmist is predicting the order of future events that are consistent with that of Revelation written thousands of years later.
First it is important to note that it doesn't necessarily say he has power to KILL a fourth of the earth, but he has power over them, that is, he's deathly satanic desire is manifested on a fourth of the earth.
Power over a fourth of the earth could mean that satan and his fallen angels released from abyss could take control of and have power and influence over a quarter of the earth. It is interesting that if we group together the population of postmodern secular western society, namely: Americas, Europe & Oceania they represent roughly a quarter of the earth population.
If we tie this in with the associated 5th and 6th Trumpet we can find a similarly large but not exact number:
So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
This could mean that a quarter of the people of earth under direct control and influence by satan and his demons will unite to kill a third of the rest of mankind. Given the wars in recent history instigated by the west this is entirely plausible.
We identified some links above between the spotted green horse and Islam and the fact is that Islam constitutes roughly a quarter of the world population as well. Therefore power over a quarter of earth could also mean that the deathly desire of the pale horse of 4th Seal is perpetrated primarily on the Islamic population. This too would make a lot of sense given recent statements by the Pope about world war 3 having already started between terrorist (Islamic extremists) and the rest of the world. Given the right pre-emptive attack situation did occur it is plausible that a global coalition of the western nations could attack the entire Islamic population.
Very simply this means he will kill with force and war which is the sword. And he will also kill with hunger, which means he will enforce sanctions and control the food supply. This is very consistent and well explained by the interpretation that Satan also kills by his puppets the beasts (see bellow), which are the sea beast and earth beast of Revelation 13. He kills by hunger because:
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Therefore he enforces a strict regime with sanctions on anyone who refuses to be part of that regime and worship the sea beast. Without ability to buy and sell billions in our world today will no longer know or have any means to provide food for themselves. Some of those who still refuse to worship the sea beast will hence die by hunger.
When you kill someone, they are dead, but how do you kill someone with death? There are two interpretations that I propose:
First, based on the link with the 5th Trumpet to kill with death could mean to kill with the help of those from the realm of the dead. Given hades "follows death" this further explains that hades here is the realm of the dead which we know is the abyss or the place where fallen angels are locked away to be released before judgement (See above). Therefore to "kill with death" means that Satan (as death) will kill inhabitants of the world with the help of his fallen angels (demons) whom he is granted to release from the realm of the dead just before judgement.
Secondly, and more literally to kill with death might mean to kill through weaponised death. In other words through some kind of germ warfare, disease or pestilence, possibly caused by unburied dead bodies. This is supported by a some references in scripture:
"They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like dung lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals."
The beasts of the earth could literally mean animals, however given the timing of the seal and in light of a prophetic context it is more likely a symbol. The majority of prophetic scripture use beasts as symbols of specific world powers, or kingdoms and their leaders:
And it was given unto him (Sea Beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Even more specifically the beast that arises out of the EARTH is the military force and power by whom the sea beast makes war and establishes his authority:
And he (Earth Beast) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And remember that it is Satan himself who gives power to the Sea Beast and hence the Earth Beast:
And the beast (sea beast) which I saw was like ... and the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Therefore all the links are consistent and given the timing of this seal, "killing by the beasts" refers to the earth beast going to great war with those who refuse to worship the sea beast and receive the mark of the beast.
It seems that the 4th Seal represents a time when satan will receive power to release his fallen angels to lead wicked men to create hell on earth. There are several fitting interpretations and more light is needed to conclusively understand the exact events to take place.