The first horseman represents conquest. Not necessarily violence, but expansion of power. The bow without arrows might suggest bloodless conquest, or it might be a quiver we don't see. The figure is crowned and goes out conquering.
Conquest itself becomes part of the pattern leading to judgment. Expansion of empire, growth of power, the drive to dominate. These are part of the cycle that leads to violence and famine and death.
The order matters: conquest leads to war. One power's expansion creates opposition from others. Conflict spirals. The first seal's rider sets in motion what unfolds in the seals that follow.
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