Time of Distress (1) - ►The Four Horsemen
The epochal event that marks the beginning of the Time of Distress is the release of the Four Horseman of Revelation 6:1-8. We are now well through the Times of the Gentiles and beginning the Time of Distress. The Four Horsemen are the birth pangs of this new season. They are not signs of the second coming or the rapture. They are the events that cause the Time of Distress.
The vision begins with the opening of a scroll with seven seals. Jesus is the only one who can open the seals. Although these events are unpleasant, they will only come when he is ready. Satan has no authority to bring them to pass. These events are initiated in heaven, so they will bring blessing to God's people.
As each seal is opened, John sees a horseman ride forth. The horses should not be taken literally; as each horseman represents an actor in human history that causes a decisive event. The events follow on from each other, but also overlap each other.
Zechariah 6:1-8 records a parallel vision of four chariots. Zechariah actually saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains. He does not tell us what each one does, but he gives us the direction in which they operate.
John saw four horsemen riding out into the world. I will look at these in the next four posts.
1 comment:
The vision begins with the opening of a scroll with seven seals. Jesus is the only one who can open the seals. Although these events are unpleasant, they will only come when he is ready. Satan has no authority to bring them to pass. These events are initiated in heaven, so they will bring blessing to God's people.
That's a significant observation that has changed my understanding of end-time events. I have mostly been under the assumption that evil expands its influence so much that it forces God's hand to react and do something about the situation.
-Sam
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