Behold A Pale Horse - Angels & Airwaves

-----

-----

As far as what is he trying to say with this song? You'll have to ask him. I think he's appealing to mystery which allows his audience to take it however they wish. This video wasn't an attempt to 'christianize' the song. It was simply an attempt to represent the song which contains Christian elements (though these are the elements most are familiar with).

This song is based on a few things. The title was certainly meant to parallel the book with the same name. However, clearly the book of Revelation was the main influence as so many of the lyrics are drawn from it. "Revelation" in Greek (which I took 2 years of New Testament Greek) is apocalupsis (to unveil or reveal). Some of the lyrics are based out of the 1st chapter (I see the 7 stars the 7 stands), but the title is from Revelation 6:8. The pale horse (which can be translated "green" horse) implies a sickly horse. The horse is one of the popularly known "4 horseman of the apocalypse." It is the last of the 4 and is said to bring death and hell with it. These 4 horses are literary symbols of judgement on the earth. They are part of 7 seals of judgment (the first 4 seals are the 4 horseman).

Let me back up to give some context. The book of Revelation was written by "a" John. You'll hear different depending upon what type of scholar you ask/read. Conservative scholars say it was the author of the Gospel of John. The book isn't about Emperor Nero. (Nero was dead by the time of writing it.) He isn't the one referred to by 666 but instead a future "anti-Christ" is. The book is what it says it is which is a vision John was given of the future. He wrote down what he saw as best he could describe considering it was the 1st century. He describes very strange things...but generally he describes the end of the age (not really the end of the world). This is where the judgement of God takes place upon the earth for those who rejected the Gospel. The end of life as we know it, essentially but not the end of life itself, even on earth. After the judgment God will set up a new heaven and a new earth. Now that's the conservative view of the book. Generally liberals = it wasn't written by this John nor in the 1st century. It's material is a veiled response to Nero's Rome...a Rome that was currently persecuting Christians. (Which means writings against Rome would need to be coded in order to be permitted). Message of the book = God will bring victory over evil in the form of Rome but most everything in the book is purely symbolic.

"Seven stars" and "seven stands" is actually referenced in chapter 1 (not 6). These are metaphors for judgment to be poured out on the earth (and seven can symbolize "completeness"). This is just another example of the problem with interpreting the book. Does 7, here, mean actually 7 major events or does it just symbolize many events and the final event (aka 7th event) shows the completion? The "horsemen" are the carriers of these judgments. It's like a poetic way of visualizing the events. It is the 'lamb' who reads these judgments (sends out the horsemen). Well, this 'lamb' is Jesus (lamb symbolizes that which the Jews used in sacrifice to God for pardon of their sins, so Jesus took the place of those lambs that could only 'cover' sin and not 'forgive' it). This is why he is sometimes called lamb, but he is also sometimes called lion (as in "Lion of Judah" [Judah being a tribe of the Jews]). The world tends to like/talk about this "lamb" Jesus but not like/talk about the Lion Jesus, but he is both simultaneously. Yes he was a philosopher and taught about love, but he also went out and made a whip to drive out the thieves at the temple. He also said: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34) (albeit, he didn't mean that literally as you can tell by his reaction to Peter drawing a sword on his behalf). C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is based on this concept of Jesus as lion. Jesus gave commands that he intended people to follow rather than ignore. At the future time described in the book, freedom to come into the Kingdom of God is done away with and those outside are to be judged. If one's picture of Jesus is a lamb, then you don't understand how he could send death. If you understand the theology of the Old Testament and Jesus' role in fulfilling the law, then this isn't so strange. "Strange Celebration" could come from the difference in the results of this event. For the Christians (who would already be in heaven according to the conservative viewpoint, wikipedia 'rapture') this is a thing to celebrate. For the unbeliever, this is the worst event in history. Hence, strange celebration.

---
SOURCES:
1. http://vimeo.com/13724774
2. http://vimeo.com/30484462
3. http://vimeo.com/18512534
4. http://vimeo.com/28314073
5. http://vimeo.com/18569505

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Angels & Airwaves
• Behold A Pale Horse
• behold
• pale
• horse
• love
• part
• hd
• music
• video
• ava
• fan
• made
• Horse
• strange
• celebration

[JustJonjon1]

Please do one for Ghost on The Dance Floor. PLEASE :)

[Ana9410]

Please do "Surrender" by Angels and Airwaves :3

Awesome, as always <3

[thravagnolli]

Very Fuck Good...

[xVizardK13]

Good job!;)

[Sofietta1991]

Please do every angels and airwaves' songs! xD

[galenkia]

@Sofietta1991

This guy has some serious talent at matching images to music.

[Sofietta1991]

@galenkia uao.. it's really amazing.. it gives so much hope!

[galenkia]

@Sofietta1991

Check out this guy's video for 'Epic Holiday'.

It's amazing.

[LeFreakNina]

Is AVA trying to send a message...?

[RockBeatsPop1]

@Sofietta1991 nah, this guy "slideshowart" uploads loads of unnofficial videos for blink and AVA

[Sofietta1991]

Is this the official vid?

[Lockedaboss69]

EPICNES PUUR  genius!!!!!