The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
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1 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!”
4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!”
8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
INTRODUCTION:
A- Jesus promised to come back for his children.
(John 14:1-3)
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
1- This is a promise of great joy for the believer.
B- The Apostle Paul described the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
1- The word “rapture” is an Anglo-Saxon word which expresses the meaning of the Greek word that is translated, “caught-up.”
a. The word literally means, “to be snatched away with a violent force.
C- The Revelation 6-19 describes a woeful time that will take place on the Earth following the Rapture of the church.
1- It serves as a column warning to those who are unsaved.
2- It provides an overview to the judgments that will occur during part of the Great Tribulation.
I- THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE (Revelation 6:1-2)
I- THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE (Revelation 6:1-2)
1 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
A- The warning of the judgment to come: (Revelation 6:1)
A- The warning of the judgment to come: (Revelation 6:1)
1 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
1- The Lamb of God opens the first seal of the scroll.
a. There are two purposes for the Great Tribulation:
(1) To turn Israel back to her messiah (Jesus).
(Daniel 9:24-27)
24 “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.
26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
(2) To judge a Christ-rejecting world.
2- The announcement of judgment:
a. The angel spoke with “a voice like thunder.”
(1) Thunder is used in scripture as a symbol of judgment.
b. The angel gives the order for the judgement of God to proceed.
(1) “Erkou” (Gk) means “come, go, proceed.
(2) Once the order is given, no escape is possible.
B- The fury of the judgement to come (Revelation 6:2).
B- The fury of the judgement to come (Revelation 6:2).
2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
1- The horse: a symbol to the Orientals of strength and veracity in battle (see Job 39:19-25).
2- The prophecy of fierce judgment:
(Matthew 24:21-22)
21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.
22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
C- The instrument of judgment to come (Revelation 6:2)
C- The instrument of judgment to come (Revelation 6:2)
2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
1- The rider on the White horse: who is he?
a. He is not Christ.
(1) Jesus does not appear to the world until after the tribulation is over. (Revelation 19:11-16)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.
12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.
13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.
15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
(a) He is in heaven with the Saints.
(Revelation 4-5)
(2) There are definite differences between this writer and the appearance of Jesus in revelation chapter 19.
(a) there is a difference in their weapons:
* in Revelation 19 Jesus wields a sword.
* in our text the writer has a bow with
no arrows.
* claims to be a man of peace.
* shoots blanks: has all the answers, but no solutions.
(b) there is a difference in their crowns.
* the writer on this horse is wearing laurel wreath crown (Stefano's) it is the Crown of an earthly athletic victor.
* in Revelation 19, Jesus is wearing the crown of a sovereign, reigning monarch. (Diadem).
b. Conclusion:
(1) The rider on the white horse is the Anti-Christ.
(a) His gameplay is recorded in Daniel 9:27.
27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
D- The world is ready for the appearance of the antichrist.
D- The world is ready for the appearance of the antichrist.
1- quote from the former premier of Belgium:
"The fact is that the method of international committees (you. In.) Has failed. What we need is a man of ability encourage… The devil or be he God we will follow him. But let him calm, and let him come quickly!”
2- The system is all in place.
a. Universal language - English
b. Universal measure - Metric
c. World common market system
d. Universal communication system - Internet.
3- Only need the arrival of the “man of sin.”
4- The only thing holding him back is the rapture event.
II- THE RIDER OF THE RED HORSE. (Revelation 6:3-4)
II- THE RIDER OF THE RED HORSE. (Revelation 6:3-4)
3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!”
4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
A- Red is representative of blood and war.
A- Red is representative of blood and war.
1- The false peace of the Antichrist is followed by the bloodbath of global warfare and conflict.
a. All of the wars of human history cannot hold a candle to the wars of the tribulation.
2- The false peace deception: will really bring war.
a. Two types of swords in scripture:
(1) “romphaia” - the sword of a soldier
(2) “Machaira” - a small dagger that can be concealed under a coat. (This is the word used in verse 4).
III- THE RIDER OF THE BLACK HORSE (REVELATION 6:5-6)
III- THE RIDER OF THE BLACK HORSE (REVELATION 6:5-6)
5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
A- BLACK is representative of famine.
A- BLACK is representative of famine.
1- The results of war: crops and food becomes scarce.
a- Rider holds a pair of scales - measuring to exactness.
B- Starvation result from famine.
B- Starvation result from famine.
1- Bread to eat will cost a day’s wages.
a. A person will work for one day to buy enough for himself to subsist. Not enough for a family.
2- Only the rich will be ok.
a. “Don’t waste the oil and wine” literally means “don’t hurt the oil and wine.” The phrase represents the wealthy.
b. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!
IV- THE RIDER OF THE PALE HORSE (Revelation 6:7-8)
IV- THE RIDER OF THE PALE HORSE (Revelation 6:7-8)
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!”
8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
A- The color: a pale, sickly, ghastly green.
A- The color: a pale, sickly, ghastly green.
1- This pictures the sad condition of men after war and famine.
B- The rider is death.
B- The rider is death.
1- Death by hunger
2- Death by the sword: Men fight and kill for food.
3- Death by wild beasts - animals without normal food sources kill wet, sickly men for food.
4- ¼ of the world population to die during the tribulation and another ⅓ to die at Armageddon. (Revelation 9:18).
18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses.
* At least two billion people!
C- Hell Followed: Lost men enter eternal punishment.
C- Hell Followed: Lost men enter eternal punishment.
CONCLUSION: