And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying: “Come!” And another horse, fiery-red, came forth, and the one sitting upon it was given to take peace from the earth in order that they might slay one another, and a great sword was given to him. Revelation 6: 3, 4
It stands to reason that this red horse and its rider would be on the earth at the same time as the white horse and its rider of the first seal. Red is the color of oppression and bloodshed, both associated with the devil, the great red dragon (Rev. 12: 3, 9). The first seal showed the introduction and victorious expansion of the gospel message throughout the world. But of course, all are not accepting of the gospel message. For those who reject the gospel, persecution and division follows.
This second seal definitely represents opposition to the gospel. Consequently, there is a lack of peace for the wicked (Isaiah 57: 20, 21). They embrace hatred and resistance; so much so, that they war against each other and become persecutors of those who do accept the gospel.
The rider of the red horse is Satan. The “they” that persecute and kill each other is represented by the red horse. And there is a parallel to the red horse/rider later on in Rev. 2: 9; 3: 9 that says, “the synagogue of Satan” those who “say they are Jews and are not but do lie.” In the synagogue, the Jews who Jesus said were not Jews thought of themselves as religious people of God. In today’s time, these same kind of people are professed Christians, but in name only. “They” also are those of all other non-Christian religions. These are the “they” (red horse people) that Satan is riding,
As for the sword, Jesus once told Peter to “put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Here, Jesus is not talking about a spiritual sword, but a literal one and the damage caused by it. Therefore, the sword that Satan is wielding is a literal sword (any weapon) in the hand of man; a sword that represents represents force, fear, and intimidation
In the hand of Satan, the sword is also a counterfeit of God’s sword– the Word of truth.