The Work of the Four Horsemen
This is a sequence to the Post on the Four Horsemen of the Book of Revelation. The first of the four is the White Horse.
“And I looked and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6: 2).
It seems strange that he who conquers the world has a bow, but no arrows. He had no formidable weapons of war, yet he conquered the entire world. By what means? One word, words. His conquest is achieved with words of peace. Who is not for peace?
Greg Tinker, a retired 8th grade teacher in Alabama, wrote an absorbing article with the captivating title, “The Death of Virtue — A Telltale Sign of Civilizational Collapse.” Therein he included two relevant quotes.
“The path of the virtuous leads away from evil: whoever follows that path is safe” (Proverbs 16: 17). Few seem aware of this gem making clear the advantage of virtue.
The second quote is from Saint Augustine, “When, therefore, man lives according to man, not according to God, he is like the devil.” Augustine was an astute observer of society and reached a poignant conclusion.
Again quoting Tinker, “He lived in an era of unthinkable absurdity. Up down. Black is white. Evil is good. Light is dark. Truth is a lie. Right is wrong. Virtue is vice. Gender is fluid. And we have thousands of ‘friends’ (on social media).”
It is easy to see how out of this arsenal of words the rider of the white horse found much ammunition for his war of words.
According to the order of the four horsemen the red follows the white, meaning acts of war follow words of peace. One has to look no further back than the words of peace that preceded the Ukrainian War.
Again quoting the Revelation. “…a red horse went out, and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the whole earth, and that men should slay one another, and a great sword was given to him.” This means he had many sophisticated weapons of war.
Follow the succession, first the rider of the white horse conquers with words. Then the rider of the red horse employs weapons of war to conquer, This sets the stage for the rider of the black horse who brings famine. Then comes the rider of, “an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name of Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of earth, to kill with the sword and famine and with pestilence and by the wild beast of the earth.”
Seldom does a Post of this nature appear on this site. This Post is written to forewarn of these events that will come after the rapture, meaning today’s Christians will no longer be here to experience them. That is motivation to get right with the Lord and be ready for His coming.
“The path of the virtuous leads away from evil: whoever follows that path is safe.”
The Four Horsemen of the Revelation
With conditions in the world as they are, people are asking more than ever about the end times, especially for people of faith. There is no unanimity regarding the meaning of the symbols in the Bible Book of the Revelation regarding the end time. Having read volumes on the book, I know there is great diversity of meaning regarding the symbols.
The Revelation employs allegory, metaphors, illustrations, and symbols to reveal life in the end times. Four horsemen appear with the opening of the first of four of the seven seals. They bring forth the cataclysm of the apocalypse. These four figures in the Revelation symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world.
Without much notice there has been a lot of stirring in the Apocalypse stable lately. These four horsemen are mentioned in the Bible book of the Revelation chapter 6. It is a colorful stable. This first listing following is my figurative way of indicating the readiness of these events to transpire.
The first horseman is preparing to mount the white horse.
The second horseman is putting a saddle on a red horse.
The third horseman has a bridle in his hand well-fitted for the black horse.
The fourth horseman named Death will be riding an ashen color horse.
Now the Bible’s symbolic meaning of the four.
The first horseman wears a crown and carries a sword. He represents conquest by consolidation resulting from war. He deceptively mimics Jesus’ actions. In reality he is the Anti Christ. After three and one half years in power, he wages war against the saints.
The second horseman riding the red horse represents war. Violence and bloodshed are symbolized by the sword. What if all the world’s hot spots currently threatening peace all broke out at once. Korea, Russia, China, and Iraq are examples.
The third horseman, the black horse, carries a balancing scale representing famine. The head of the World Food Program announced at the UN we are “…on the brink of a hunger pandemic that may result in 270 million people facing a crisis level of hunger or worse.”
In the event of a serious crop failure, no part of the world is more than one year away from critical starvation and the rich U.S. is only two years away.
The fourth horseman riding an ashen horse is named Death. He represents plague, a pandemic like no other. “One-fourth of the people on earth die.” Currently, that’s about 2 billion people. This is an incredible amount of death. It’s estimated that only 100 million have died in all of the wars on earth to date!
Now the good news. After all that some good news is welcomed.
Christians are raptured, taken up, prior to the horsemen riding rampart. However, current world conditions are more ideal than ever as a prelude to this.
Just before the four horsemen appear in Revelation 6, Jesus is depicted as holding the title deed to earth in Revelation chapter 5. Jesus said that Satan is now the god of our world. Revelation is the story of how Jesus comes back to get the title deed to His world back.
You Can Be a Winner
Philippians 3: 12 – 14
Most conscientious Christians will admit:
(1) Past failure, that is, they have not reached the goal God has set for them.
(2) Dissatisfaction to remain at their present spiritual level.
(3) Those who feel they have arrived – cease growing.
In this text Paul made an honest admission. (Verses 12, 13) Paul had achieved much, traveled extensively, had significant accomplishments, but he was on no ego trip. He had not attained. This was an explosive disclaimer. There is always room for growth and improvement.
Paul was satisfied with Christ (vs. 10), but not himself. He did not compare himself with others, but with Christ.
He made a hearty attempt. (Verse 12)
Though imperfect, Paul was enthusiastically in pursuit saying “I press on.”
The finish line is perfection. This is not a sprint, a quick burst of brisk energy. It is a marathon. “Run with patience” (Hebrews 12:1).
The author of a book entitled “Finishing Strong” offers this studied conclusion. Of those who start out strong in the Christian experience only one out of ten finishes strong at the age of retirement. Commit yourself to being that one.
“That I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended.” There was purpose in this pursuit. He wanted to live out his purpose. We use the word apprehended to speak of law enforcement officials catching a person. Christ literally arrests us in salvation. Jesus knows your I.D. and in love He wants to apprehend you for your good.
Christ wants to “lay hold on” you not just to forgive you, but to give you a new character, a new nature.
Paul wanted to “lay hold on” that for which he was “laid hold of.” What was it? He had just noted it in verse 10. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” (Philippians 3:10)
He had a holy aspiration. (Verses 13, 14) One thing possessed Paul. He avoided all diversion. Undivided and undiverted attention to the task at hand is essential for victory.
“One thing” is the inspiring unspoken theme running through every achieving life.
Do you have a sense of personal discontent? That is, are you satisfied with your state of spiritual maturity or are you ambitious to grow spiritually?
Hope in God
The Psalmist was having a bad day, actually a string of bad days. He then sat down and had a talk with himself and asked himself a question we all need to ask on occasion. His nation was divided, the temple destroyed, and the promise of a coming Messiah unfulfilled. The people were destitute and the situation desperate. His faith reasons with his fear, and his hope argues with his sorrow. To sit down and search out answers to these deep questions is expedient. A clear view of life can make monsters shrink into mice. The Psalmist analytically asked,
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him.” (Psalm 42: 5) Ask yourself that.
Hope in God is a good anchor. The self-interrogator implies there is no logical reason for his depression. In it all his hope in the Lord prevailed. He concluded:
“Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
That describes the condition of many in our society. Fear grips their emotions like a wolf the throat of a lamb. They are in the process of giving up. This state of being is a summary of a depressed person.
Not to excuse depression, but in order to encourage the depressed, consider some Bible characters who were depressed.
MOSES = “I am not able to bear all these people…kill me….” (Numbers 11: 14, 15)
ELIJAH = “O Lord…take away my life.” (I Kings 19:4)
JEREMIAH = “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes fountains of tears, that I might weep day and night….” (Jeremiah 9:1)
ISAIAH = called depression “the spirit of heaviness.” (61:3)
JONAH = “O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life….” (Jonah 4:3)
PAUL = “…despaired even of life….” (II Cor. 1:8)
To be most effective this hope must be Christo-centric. Timothy expresses this in four all-inclusive words: “Christ Jesus our hope….” (I Timothy 1: 1).
Dr. Harold Esecover of the Columbia Psychoanalytic School noted: “I doubt that there is a person around who hasn’t been touched by depression.”
It is so common it is often called “the common cold of emotional problems.”
“Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Some forms of deep depression need clinical help. Don’t have any reluctance to seek it.
Some are caused by being overloaded. Evaluate your activities and sort them into three categories. Then – – – ELIMINATE some, DELEGATE some, and DEDICATE the rest.
“Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
A Way Out of Temptation
Jesus was tempted three times by Satan personally. The threefold appeal dramatically struck at basic needs we all have. Jesus was in all points tempted like us. He resisted and was victorious. Believe it or not, many modern Christians are both tempted like you and victorious.
Temptation can be the body of another person. Expressions such as, “What a hunk,” “Look at that body,” “What a stud,” reveal such an attitude.
Temptation is a pressure situation, when everybody kids you and urges you to do something you really don’t want to.
Temptation is a challenge to prove what you are or can do by being other than what you ought to be.
Temptation is anything which, if we follow it, causes us to do something contrary to God’s will.
James 1: 14, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desires.”
I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to beat it.”
Every passion, desire, and appetite of everyone of us has a tempter lying in wait for it which desires to misuse it. Even vices often wear the robes of virtue.
Every decision has a consequence. That’s the bottom line. You have to be accountable for your actions, no matter who you are.
The Bible instructs us to “Flee temptation.” When you do, be sure you don’t leave a forwarding address.
The term “flee” means to get away so fast you kick up dust. If you have an improper friendship, here is sage advice. That is, a relationship you know the Lord does not approve of. Break it off permanently immediately.
When you encounter temptation, always turn to the right. If you are not going on the flight stay off the plane. Don’t flirt with temptation.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13).
Whatever you know about yourself, know this, you are dreadfully like everyone else.
Corinth was a sea port. The term translated “way of escape” was a nautical expression. It referred to a ship in peril in a storm. The only way it can survive and ride out the storm is to lighten its load. Therefore, some of the cargo has to be thrown overboard. To avoid being overcome by certain temptations we might well have to throw overboard certain things in our life. Get certain things out of your life and your life out of certain things.
Christ taught us in the Model Prayer to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” From this we learn we should pray daily, “Lord, keep me from the assaults of Satan. Keep me from being blind sided.”