Red Horse in Ukraine

The newsreader last night introduced her story about Ukraine as a “a triumph for people power”. The Neocons are describing the situation as the collapse of socialism. Both are missing the point. The latest events in the Ukraine represent another advance of the Red Horse of Revelation. This horse represents military struggles between ethnic groups that will destroy government and tear apart nations that were established during the age of nationalism in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Ukraine came together in its current form at the end of World War 2.

Eastern Ukraine is the cradle of the Russian Orthodox Church and the place where the Russian empire began. Most of the people speak Russian and have links to the Russian Orthodox Church. They suffered terribly during the German invasion, so they look to Russia for protection from the West.

Crimea in the south of Ukraine has been part of Russia for a long time. It was joined to the Ukraine by Khrushchev in 1954.

Eastern Ukraine was part of the Lithuanian and Polish empires for several centuries. The people speak Ukrainian and are mostly Roman Catholic. They are much more open to the West.

These religious, ethnic and language tensions are now tearing the nation apart. The intensity of the divisions is compounded by serious economic problems. The Ukrainian government is broke. Debts of more than thirteen billion dollars are outstanding and need to be rolled over. Most of these debts are owed to western banks. The European Union is talking sweetly, but all they have to offer Ukraine is austerity.

The Ukrainian economy is controlled by a few powerful oligarchs. The economy is dependent on Russian gas for fuel and needs Russian markets for the sale of its products. While people in Eastern Ukraine would like stronger links with the EU, its businesses could not compete with other European countries.

Ukraine has many groups who are not afraid to use force and violence to gain political and economic power. These conditions are perfect for the Red Horse.

Up until now the Red Horse has mostly worked in the Middle East and Africa, often in Moslem countries (Lebanon, Bosnian Syria, Iraq). Ukraine is the first Christian country to be stuck by the Red Horse. We will see more of this. Zechariah indicated the direction that would be taken by three of the horsemen of Revelation (north south and west). He gives no direction for the Red Horse. John says that the Red Horse is given a large sword to take peace from the world so that people would kill each other (Rev 6:4). This indicates that the Red Horse will show up all over the world, not just in the East.

Events in Europe are a warning of what could happen in the rest of Europe.