Four Horsemen

Dear Brethren,

The Feast of Trumpets falls on Thursday, September 9, 2010.  The world is intrigued, but confused about the four horsemen in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation.  By comparing the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24 with those in Revelation, the full meaning of the four horsemen can be revealed.  The disciples of Jesus desired to know when He would miraculously return a second time to this earth.  "As [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"  (Matthew 24:3)  When opened, the seven seals reveal the sign of Christ's coming spoken of in Matthew 24.  "I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals."  (Revelation 5:1)

    The First Seal

The first four of the seven seals are about the four horsemen.  The opening of the first seal reveals the rider of the white horse representing the false prophets and false religious teachers that have deceived most men up until the second coming of Christ.  More than that, the false religious systems of the past two-thousand years are only a mere precursor of the final counterfeit Messiah, who mimics Jesus' return by coming on a white horse.  "Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."  (Matthew 24:4-5)  "I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."  (Revelation 6:2)

The rider of the white horse will impose his version of peace on the world.  We will see that it is a forced and short lived peace initiative.  "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

God compares the prophetic seals to labor pains – as time goes on the events and their consequences become closer together and more severe and intense – until the child breaks forth.

    The Second Seal

The opening of the second seal reveals the rider of the red horse representing the many wars that have ravaged the earth up until the second coming of Christ – and the unimaginable end-time destruction that lies just ahead of us.  "You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."  (Matthew 24:6-7)  "There went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."  (Revelation 6:4)

    The Third Seal

The opening of the third seal reveals the rider of the black horse representing famine that increases more and more as that day of the Lord approaches.  "There shall be famines."  (Matthew 24:7)  "When he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand."  (Revelation 6:5-6) 

    The Fourth Seal

When the fourth seal was opened, the rider of a pale horse [sickly green] representing death, pestilence and disease went forth, and the grave followed him.  "There shall be pestilences, and earthquakes [natural disasters, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes], in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:7-8)  "I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."  (Revelation 6:8)

These four horsemen represent the first four of the seven seals that come upon mankind as a direct result of man’s rejection of God and His perfect way.  Mankind has turned totally from God's love and truth.  The unprecedented overwhelming upheaval that is about to befall the entire earth is for the purpose of bringing about mankind's repentance.  On the Feast of Trumpets we will see that God turns up the heat even more!

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Sermon:

"Four Horsemen"