Revelation 6:1-8
Please read your Bible text: Rev 6:1-8
The breaking of the seals in succession, beginning in Rev. 6, unfolds what is going to happen on the earth before the soon return of the Lord Jesus to rule the earth. It is interesting to note:
The 7 Seals judgment in Chapter 6
The 7 Trumpets judgment in chapter 8-9
The 7 Bowls judgment in Chapter 10
These series of seven judgments (in succession) will come in increasing severity and intensity on the earth, beginning with the seal judgment on the early church and continuing to these present days of our modern world and then the trumpet and bowl judgment, culminating to the Last Days and finally to the Second Coming of Christ to rule the earth. The Last Days would be the days of the Great Tribulation—a period of the most difficult, painful, and unbearable times on earth ever.
Rev. 6 begins with the four horsemen – these typify:
1) the 1st horseman on a white horse—False Peace
2) the 2nd horseman on a red horse—War
3) the 3rd horseman on a black horse—Famine and
4) the fourth horseman on a grey horse—Pestilence.
This seal judgment would take place on earth since the days John wrote to the 7 churches in Asia and would continue in ever-increasing intensity in the days ahead right out to our present modern world.
The 1st Horseman – A White Horse – vv.1-2
The breaking of the first Seal brings in a white horse with its rider carrying a bow and a crown and is seen conquering. Contrary to what some who believe that this signifies the victorious progress of the gospel, the rider on the first horse is a type of the antichrists conquering by deception and delusion. Notice he carries a bow, but without arrows, meaning that there is no open warfare, but he wore a crown to show he is conquering.
Since the days of the early church, deceptions were conquering over the truth of the Gospel. Many false teachings had crept into and corrupted the teaching of the original apostles. The result is the early church dwindled and sunk into the dark ages or church historians dubbed as the Middle Age of the Medieval Church. Roman Catholicism remains today as a glaring result of this deception with so many man-added rituals and practices and political hierarchy. So also, the rise of religions all over the globe. Religion is the Devil’s tool to deceive and delude people from the true Gospel.
The white horseman is still riding in ever-increasing intensity over the last 2,000 years, conquering by deception and falsehood. The liberal church, embracing universalism and compromising with idolatries is such a church. Even today there are so many false teachings among the church of Jesus Christ. There are churches of Satan – a counterfeit of the church of Jesus Christ.
The Antichrist will come as a man of seemingly peace in such a time when the world is in turmoil and chaos. He comes, promising peace but he is a tyrant full of evil. He is conquering (or winning peoples’ hearts) by deception and the world will be deluded and will lure into worshipping him in the last days.
Today our world is not getting any better. Instead, everything in this world, be it the economic vitality of many nations, political tension between countries, or even the environmental health of the earth is worsening to such a stage ready for the Antichrist to come on with his seeming peace and solution to a chaotic world. Today, delusion is also permeating the churches – with some embracing a different gospel other than the Gospel preached by the Apostle Paul. Jesus said that in the last days many, even among the elects will be deceived. “For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:5)
The 2nd Horseman – A Red Horse – vv.3-4
The breaking of the 2nd Seal brings in a red horse with its rider given an enormous sword, and he is given the power to instigate killing among men – signifying wars and bloodshed. Everything about the 2nd Seal judgment indicates bloodshed. The horse is fiery red; the rider on it will take away peace from the earth and people shall kill each other. This is death by war!
Since the days of the early church, the 2nd Horseman has been riding with increasing intensity right on to the last days. It seems that the reign of peace by the antichrist in the last days is short-lived. The world will initially hail him as the man of peace but when he is given the power to rule – he will show his true color. The antichrist demanding absolute power and dictatorship, the world will rebel, and war will break out on a large scale such as never seen before. I believe it is during this period Russia and her allies will invade Israel (Eze. 38-39). In fact, the war rages by the antichrist will intensify till the point Jesus (the Messiah) will step in to save Israel from extinction.
Our world had already experienced two world wars. The third may soon come, with the ever-escalating tension in the Middle East and Israel, Russia, and China. Big guns like Russia and China are rising. And what about the nuclear superpowers conflict in the East. Jesus said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars… For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6-7). The Red Horse is still riding in now in our world today, at an ever-alarming pace.
The 3rd Horse – A Black Horse – vv.5-6
The breaking of the 3rd Seal brings in a black horse with its rider holding a pair of scales signifying famine and economic or financial meltdown. What the voice is saying is that what could be purchased by a day’s wage before would be significantly reduced. This indicates that in the last days, there will be severe shortages of food and basic life’s necessities.
The world today has experienced inflations and economic downturns. We have heard of a bank collapsed not too long ago. Wall Street went into meltdown, and the world economy plunged into recession. Nations will run into debts, and there will be chaos, fighting for food and life’s necessities. Scientists have said that the world will be increasingly difficult to live in. I believe so before the Great Tribulation kicks in. Jesus said, “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pangs.” (Matthew 24:7-8)
The 4th Horse – A Pale (Grey) Horse – vv.7-8
The breaking of the 4th Seal brings in a pale horse with its rider named ‘Death’. It seems an escalating of what the previous 2nd and 3rd horsemen had brought – wars and famine, and to top it all, pestilence. All three: wars, famine, and pestilence bring death. Before the coming Great Tribulation, disease such have never known before in medical science will break out on the earth. Burning boils caused by unknown bacteria or virus will attack every human skin. Many will die for the rider on this pale horse is named ‘DEATH’.
We have heard of the pestilence named, the Black Death that killed millions in Europe in the 17th century. Pestilence is a disease spread by some viruses of an epidemic or pandemic proportion – like in today’s world – the SARs, HIV, EBOLA, ZIKA, and of late the COVID19 viruses. We have a fair share of pestilence today, but we have not seen yet the kind of endemic brought about by many more new strains of germs coming at an increasing rate before the coming Great Tribulation. Pestilence can wipe out an entire nation if left unmanaged. The Pale Horse brings about all forms of unnatural death that will continually affect one-fourth of the world’s population. Jesus had said that in the last days, there will be pestilence (Luke 21:11).
A Devotional thought on the Apocalypse Horsemen
I believe these four apocalypse horsemen had been riding throughout since the day John, the beloved apostle sent out this letter (Revelation) to the 7 churches in Asia. They are indicators that we are living in the last days. The New Testament writers and the early church always referred to themselves as in the last days. Jesus said that these are but the beginning of birth pang. This means the awful Great Tribulation is about to be birth in which the world had never ever experience. The apocalypse horsemen are birth pangs, and the pain will intensify and continued till the Great Tribulation. The seals’ judgment, the trumpets judgment, and the bowls judgment will all end at the same time on the final day of the Great Tribulation. But they all start at different times, with the seal judgment to be the first to go, then follow by the trumpet judgment, and then finally the bowl judgment.
Is this not something exciting? The Lord Jesus is the only One worthy to put an end to this corrupted human history and the world. What the Lord had warned us in the Bible is what we are seeing happening in our world today. Does this not excite your faith in Him? And Jesus had told us to remain faithful even unto death. He warns us of martyrdom. He has said that in this world you will have troubles, but do not be afraid for He has conquered the world. That gives me hope to stand firm for Jesus when I must face martyrdom. Even in death, we are more than conquerors in Christ!
Deceptions, Wars, Famine, Pestilence – these 4 apocalypses horsemen will continue to ravage the earth. This world is not going to get better. It will get worse before it can get better, Before God can put up the new, He must put off the old. Before Jesus can establish the Kingdom of God on earth, He must abolish the Kingdom of the world. The thrust of Revelation is precisely this – the Lord Jesus is bringing this evil world (of course, Satan and his cohorts) to an end and then establishing the new earth – a kingdom of God on earth! Have not you got that sense of Kingdom mentality? We are to be a kingdom and priest unto our God.
Think: The Apocalypse Horses are Indicative of the Last Days.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world today is staging up for the Great Tribulation and that means your promise to return to establish your Kingdom on earth is soon–I look forward dear Lord to the trumpet sound of your coming to earth again. In the meanwhile, keep me faithful unto you even while I must go through the big trouble.
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