And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.The interpretation of the various modes of killing must be made with the idea in mind that killing as used in this context is symbolic. The idea behind the use of the term "kill" is that of transformation - a process which involves "doing away with" that which is outmoded and outgrown. Thus, in the consciousness which characterizes most of earh life, a transformation that brings about a more spiritiually inclined consciousness is a "death," and any agency that helps to bring this transformation about may be said to have "killed" the lower, ego-driven consciousness.
Revelation does not simply assume poetic license in its use of the term "kill" as the meaning of the word is applicable to pain that we may experience as an agency of transformation is working within our consciousness. Consequently, with the Horsemen, the means of killing are the ways or modes within which the mind must function to bring about growth.
Keeping in mind that the Horsemen represent the four Mutable astrological signs, each mode of killing also relates to the psychological expression of the energy of these signs.
To Kill with the Sword. This should be interpreted as "to transform the consciousness by using the faculty of the rational mind." The mind as a faculty of discrimination sours the sweet taste of experiencing by converting sensations into critical observations. To this extent, one is "killed" or becomes dead to the lower or unconscious self.
To Kill with Hunger. This should mean "to bring about transformation through a loss of satisfaction with one's present, mundane reality." The hunger implied here is the hunger for meaning, without which the search for something lasting may not be initiated. The hunger that transforms first creates "a hole inside" and one is forced to find ways of filling it, thereby facilitating transformation.
To Kill with Death. This should be interpreted as "to be transformed through loss of self-importance." This death that transforms first asserts itself as a loss of effectiveness over the elements of one's life. It is awareness of this impotence that may lead an individual to strive for a more effective means of dealing with life, prompting a process of surrendering to a Larger Power. The individual thus becomes more conscious of his or her functioning within a greater whole and realizes a larger measure of effectiveness as a result.
To Kill with the Beasts of the Earth. This should mean "to be transformed through the feelings of shame which may follow an acquaintance with the lower, or 'beastly' aspects to one's nature." Awareness of our beasts motivates us to try to shake them off. Since these beast may remain rather close to us, the only defense may be the erection of laws and codes of conduct and the attempt to abide by them.