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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Reveling in Revelation ~ As Death and Hades Fill Their Quota


When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.[1]

          This seal tells the church that history will experience seasons of death by unnatural means. It is as though the word of God says, “Picture it like this:” We are to picture certain experiences of death as a rider on a pale horse going around the earth with authority to kill a quarter of the population, and send them to their graves. Such things will happen even as God’s plans and purposes are unfolding as promised.

          The fourth living creature is like an eagle in flight”.[2] I can see how there is at least a similarity between the rider and its horse focusing on death, and the fourth living creature looking like an eagle, which is a terrifying adversary for many creatures of the earth.

          The fourth living creature calls someone to “come” out and do something. The four living creatures, as representatives of God, call forth this rider and his horse, authorizing them to carry out their deadly work. Perhaps this is a reminder to the church that the things described are not accidents against the divine will. They are things that fit the work of God.

          What we see when something appears, is a “pale horse” with a rider named “Death,” followed by “Hades”. These three together form an ugly, deadly, terrifying trio. They have one purpose, and they are authorized to carry it out. Everything about them exudes the feeling of death coming to get someone.

          Death and Hades are “given authority” by God. The Christian is to see these things as authorized by God. They are not accidental things. They are not things that corrupt or hinder the work of God. God told Adam that sin would bring forth death. Death comes to us all because all have sinned. Some people will die through the means described in this seal. Christians are not to be surprised by this.

          The authority given to Death and Hades was over “a fourth of the earth”. This does not mean that death would not come to three-quarters of the earth. It means that, this particular seal, and the particular ways that death will come to people as described in this seal, are to be seen as touching a quarter of the earth.

          The distinctive characteristic of this fourth seal is that it will result in people being killed with “sword with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” All these refer to death as the result of something happening from outside the person. These are not things people will experience through disease, or accidents, but by certain things happening in the world.

          “Sword” likely covers any instrument of death. The sword was simply the most common weapon of the day, very well-known through the Roman Empire’s conquering of the Mediterranean world. Long before John wrote the Revelation, his brother, James, had been put to death by the sword.[3]

          Famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, cover the other ways that Death and Hades will do their work. These things will happen, and Christians may go through such experiences, but none of these things are to be considered a hindrance to the fulfillment of God’s promises for his people.

          The continuing theme seems to be that whatever is in these seven seals cannot stop God’s people from experiencing what God has promised for us. Jesus opens the seals, showing things that will take place all around the work and will of God, while revealing that everything God has written will be fulfilled.

          Because God’s encouragement is often directed at our fears, I think it is fair to say that, while God shows us the kinds of things that will happen in the world as revealed in the seals, his real focus is the scroll. We are not to live by our fears of what is happening, or what may happen around us. We are to live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God,”[4] including whatever is written on the scroll.

          In the end, we will see that the one who endures to the end will be saved.”[5] Everyone who has called upon the name of the Lord will be saved.[6] We are not to be disheartened just because bad things happen in the world, even when bad things happen to believers. God’s will is going to be done, so persevere until the end, no matter how our end comes.

          From my heart,

          Monte

© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)


[1] Revelation 6:7-8
[2] Revelation 4:7
[3] Acts 12:2
[4] Matthew 4:4
[5] Matthew 24:13
[6] Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13

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