In
the book of Revelation there is a sequence of seven seals.
The
first four seals identify major world events that will take place before
the Great Tribulation, the last 3 ½ years of this age. Seals five and
six will take place during the Great Tribulation. The seventh seal marks
the return of Christ and the coming Kingdom of God on earth.
The
first seals also correspond to “the beginning of birth pains”
which Jesus said will begin the signs leading to the birth of the coming
Kingdom of God on earth.
Ethnic group will rise against ethnic group, and government against
government. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains
(Matthew 24:7-8).
The
events described in the first four seals and “the beginning of birth
pains” will sweep the world directly into the Great Tribulation, and
the last three seals.
The
first seals and “the beginning birth pains” are early warning signs to
the end of the age.
Before we consider the first four seals of Revelation, let’s understand
the significance of the horses. The colors correspond to the horses and
their worldly assignments as recorded in Zechariah 6:1-6. Zechariah was
told that, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from
standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.” Below are
their assignments.
White - the West
Red - the East
Black - the North
Pale - the South
Biblical prophecies
are always written from the vantage point of Israel, the map below
depicts where the horses have been assigned by God, as recorded in
Zechariah 6.
With
these assignments in mind, let’s look at the Four Horsemen of
Revelation. After each prophecy an interpretation is presented, for
consideration.
The first seal
- Fulfilled Prophecy
I looked, and there before me was a
white horse! Its rider held a
bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on
conquest (Revelation 6:2).
When
the first seal was opened, (white
horse–west), George W. Bush was
elected President of the U.S.A., he was given a crown. After the Twin
Towers fell on 9/11/01 he declared war on terror, went out as a
conqueror after terrorists. He invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, he rode out
as a conqueror bent on conquest.
The second seal - Future Prophecy
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living
creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.
Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men
slay each other. To him was given a large sword
(Revelation 6:3-4).
When
the second seal is opened, (red
horse–east), possibly Iran,
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China or North Korea will instigate
a conflict which will lead to WW III. This person will be given a large
weapon or possibly a large army. It’s also possible that someone like
Osama bin Laden (believed to be in Pakistan) could set off a bomb in the
US, causing a world war.
The third seal - Future Prophecy
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature
say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse!
Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what
sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart
of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's
wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
(Revelation 6:5-6)
When
the third seal is opened, (black horse–north), Russia will damage
world grain production (US and Canada) to the extent that it will take a
day’s wages to buy a day’s wheat or barley. But areas of the world, that
produce wine and oil, will not be damaged.
The fourth seal - Future Prophecy
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!
Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.
They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword,
famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:7-8).
When
the fourth seal is opened, (pale
horse-south), the continent of
Africa will plunge into catastrophic levels of death from wars, famines,
pandemics and wild animals. Note that after the death toll resulting
from the previous seals, Africa which is currently about 13% of the
world population will then make up a fourth (25%) of the earth’s
population.
If
the first seal is open, we should be keeping watch for the events of
next seals.
