Soon!

Here is a link to last week’s series in Revelation, Soon!

“…to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.”

Acts 26:18 (NLT)

Last week we talked about the seven seals that conceal the scroll of judgements that will fall on earth during the tribulation.

You recall, John wept because he believed no one could break the seals and release the judgments. He wept not out of a desire to see people suffer, but because without judgment on those who rejected Christ, sin and suffering would continue forever.

Now, in John’s vision, the seals are being broken by Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He was the One who was worthy to open the scroll.

In the first four scrolls, we learn about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Each horse and rider symbolizes the total destruction that is about to come to humanity.

According to most reliable sources, the first Horseman is probably the Antichrist. In Revelation 6:1 Jesus opens the first of the seven seals. Though he will rise to great power and will present himself as a conquering hero, he will only bring destruction and devastation.

Let’s take a look at the first Horseman.

• He is riding on a white horse*¹
• He held a bow but no arrow. He claims to have come to bring peace, but we know that he has come to take captives. He is determined to bring war and destruction.
• He is given a crown which represents great authority.
• His intention was to conquer but conquers nothing.

“Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.” Revelation 6:1 & 2 (NLT)

Then the Lamb opens the second seal.

• The horse is fiery red, symbolizing great bloodshed and the ravages of warfare.
• He is given a great sword.
• Wars break out like never before in the history of mankind.
• People slaughter one another.

“When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.?” Revelation 6:3 & 4

The third seal follows with the Black Horse representing a time of near starvation for all but the very wealthy.

• The scales in the hand of the rider of the black horse symbolizes famine.
• This is the time when people will accept or reject the mark of the Beast.
• People will have to work long hours just to earn enough money for food.
• “…but do not harm the oil or the wine” possibly means that Arabia will still have power and their wealth will keep them from starving. They will be one of the only nations left with power, though that will end soon with the strength of the Antichrist.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.  Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, but do not harm the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6: 5 & 6

The Fourth Horseman represents death.

• The name of the rider of the pale horse is Death.
• The verse assures us that Hades is following Death.
• The Pale horse had authority to unleash death by means of famine, war, plague and by the wild animals that roamed the earth.

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”  And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth. Revelation 6:7 & 8

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

John 14:1 (NLT)

1. Don’t confuse the rider of the white horse in chapter six with Jesus, the Rider of the white horse in Revelation 19:11 &12 ↩︎

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.