The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse

Last Days Series

This is part 2 of our series on the Last days.

In its most general sense, the time from Jesus ascension until His return

More specifically, the time immediately before His return, leading to and including the tribulation times.

It is important that Christians know about this. Or at least Jesus thought so.

Today’s message: The Four horseman of the Apocalypse

We have probably all heard this reference at one time or another.

If not in church, in movies, or pop cultrue

Before getting into the text, lets talk about the word “Apocalypse”

Apocalypse

Google: the complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation.

Yourdictionary.com: The definition of an apocalypse is an event that causes a tremendous amount of damage, perhaps even so much damage that the world ends.

Armageddon is an example of an apocalypse.

Cambridge.org: 1. a very serious event resulting in great destruction and change:

2. in the Bible, the total destruction and end of the world

Webster: 1a: one of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 b.c. to a.d. 150 marked by pseudonymity, symbolic imagery, and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom

Greek: Apokalypsis = revelation; uncovering.

Revelation 1:1 NKJV

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

So, the book of revelation, although it describes the events of the end of the world, is actually meant to reveal Jesus Christ.

His own unveiling of His plan for us, the future of what will shortly take place.

Whenever you hear the term “post apocalyptic world”, in media, movies, science fiction etc., it is an acknowledgment of the bible. Of the revelation of Jesus Christ. That’s what apocalypse means.

But that is about all they generally get right.

I have never seen a movie which accurately depicts a post apocalyptic world.

We will discuss this more in this series, but for now, let me say:

There is not going to be any world in which a desolate earth is left to recover after nuclear winter, while underground humans and mutants struggle to survive

No world in which the machines and artificial intelligence have taken over and humans fight with robots and computers to survive

The only post apocalyptic world will be the one in which Jesus Christ returns and reigns on earth for a thousand years!

No zombies, no aliens, no nuclear winter, no underground society, no killer robots.

Lions eating grass with cows

Wolfs lying down with lambs

peace throughout all the earth.

The Revelation describes the events leading up to that

the description begins in chapter 4 and 5 with John’s vision of heaven and the throne of God

the 24 elders, and their many crowns of gold

the thunderings and lightnings

Living creatures and angels worshipping God

A vision of a book, or scroll, sealed with seven seals

God’s final plan, the title deed for possession of earth

Strong angel, who is able to open the scroll

The lion of the tribe of Judah, the lamb comes forward who is worthy

The angels and the elders, and all heaven celebrate

Revelation 5:11–13 NKJV

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

As the events are about to unfold on the earth, there is great praise, worship and celebration in heaven

All creation has been groaning and yearning for this time

The Jesus begins to open the seals - the events of this taking of possession and finishing the work of the earth begin to unfold

Revelation 6:1–17 NKJV

1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

AS the first seal is opened, John saw a white horse, the one on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him

He went forth conquering and to conquer

There is a great deal of uncertainty around this first horse

some theologians believe it is Jesus, beginning His conquest, as in Rev. 19:11

Others see it as an angel going forth to execute God’s judgement, and to conquer

Yet others actually think this is the anti-christ

Although these four horsemen are executing judgement and bringing about great destruction, is would be wrong to attribute their work to the devil, or see them as demons.

They are released in direct response to the Lamb’s opening of the seals, and are going about to bring His will.

This can be seen further int he view we are given after the fifth seal in which the martyrs are crying “how long”. The would hardly be celebrating or longing for the work of devils.

This is clearly the judgement of God.. This is the beginning of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.

Those who have characterized God as a weak, benevolent old man, too kind and gentle to hurt a flea, have sadly mis-characterized Him

And He certainly is not an old lady baking cookies

He is Almighty God!

The bible says that this crown “was given to Him”, so it is most likely not Jesus Himself on this white horse, but rather a great Angel leading His charge.

The Second Seal: A Red Horse

It was granted him to take peace from the earth

again, He does what he is allowed to do

That people will kill one another

He was given a great sword

So, this time of events preceding the coming of Jesus will be marked by violence and wars.

Many wars have been fought in the last several decades, although we have been mostly insulated from them

there will be many more events of violence and war, preceding and during the tribulation period

Many events are lining up right now that could lead us into unfathomable wars.

These wars will begin and be widespread

finally culminating in the battle of Armageddon

before the end, it will become so bad that unless Jesus comes back, there would be no flesh saved.

The Third Seal: The Black horse

This horse represents economic collapse

A quart of wheat for a denarius (A days wage)

As the world economies fall into shambles, the value of currencies will fail, causing hyper-inflation

this will be widespread, perhaps worldwide.

Our central banks have done an amazing job in preventing this type of thing for a long time

through the almost limitless printing of fiat currency, government debt, and quantitative easing

this is likely only taking things higher before the crash

The Fourth Seal: The Pale horse

The pale horse represents death

this is a culmination of all the previous horsemen

He was given power over the fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, pestilences, and natural disasters, beasts of ht earth.

Many people see this as indicating that as many as one fourth of the world’s population will die during these events

Some see these horseman as being sequential, and as literal agents

They actually should be seen as symbolic of the angels and powers that are being unleashed through God’s divine order, as the seals are opened

they continue to occur simultaneously preceding and during the tribulation period

These events are accompanied by natural disasters, earthquakes, probably even meteors and volcanoes

a time of destruction greater than ever before

and yet men do not repent

even when they do realize that it is wrath, they cry out to the mountains and rocks

saying fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb and form the face of Him that sits on the throne.

For the great day of His wrath has come

There will be a good many Christians on the earth during this time

a good many will share in the destruction, as they have had pleasure in the wickedness of these present times

some will be sealed and kept from this

Some will be strong and do exploits

and a good many will be martyred and join those who return with Him

A Time to Celebrate

So many people see this as a time of terror, a time to be dreaded

It certainly is not going to be a time of pleasure

but we should let our focus be on what it represents

We are likely to be the generation which sees the bodily return of Jesus Christ tot he earth.

He will establish His kingdom, and we will rule and reign with Him

Although these things may seem to be so terrible, they are really not that much different than what every man has faced

Every person so far has had to face lif,e and then death

You can only die one, and you will

So, regardless of how that death comes, a death by beheading in the tribulation is not that much different than Tyndale’s burning at the stake

and in the grand scheme of things, it may not be as bad or painful as what a great many sick people have suffered of cancer and other illnesses.

Dead, is dead. And Jesus said not to fear those who could bring only death but then no more...

we must set our hearts on those things which are above, no below.

These are temporal, but those are eternal.