Hello Blessed Ones:

 

Before we begin this second seal, I want to remind all of you that if you have comments or questions, please go to the bottom of the last page of this session and write whatever is on your mind concerning the session and we will be glad to answer all your questions and concerns from a Biblical perspective. We welcome your input into the lessons; and thank you in advance. We will try to get to your questions as quickly as possible

 

 

Now let’s get that second seal open, shall we?                   THE SECOND SEAL

 

                                                                                               

                                                                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                      Revelation 6:3-4

 

3. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

4. 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.

 

          Remember, the first horse was white, and the rider had a bow and a crown was given to him, meaning that he did not earn the crown. And we noticed that the bow was of no use because he had no arrows. We concluded that the rider of the white horse was the antichrist.

 

          Now we see the second horse is red and the rider takes peace from the earth. War follows antichrist! Not much of the peacemaker that he claims to be, is he? We see that power is given once again – by whom? God, of course. The Red horse represents not only nations rising against nations, but man against individual man. It will be a time of murder, assassination, bloodshed, and revolution.                    Remember the massacre of students in Tiennaman Square in Beijing, China back in 1989? That is just a tiny taste of what will take place when the Red horse rides out. This rider carries a great sword, a machetti. Wars are increaseing aren’t they? At least it seems so to me, although we are living in relative quiet today except for places like Afghanistan where lives are still being lost in battles. But the rumors and threats of war are the subjects of news stories almost daily.

 

          When the second seal is opened, the message is the same as that of Jesus’ in Matthew 24:6, 12, 22 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed—For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive.”

How will those days be cut short? Who will survive? Keep reading. (you will find your answer in the 4th seal.)

 

                                                                                                       THE THIRD SEAL

                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                     Revelation 6:5-6

 

5. 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.

6. 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!”

 

          Horse #3, The Black horse of famine. Have you ever been hungry” I mean really hungry? Have you ever had that aching, clawing sensation in the pit of your stomach” The Black horse of famine rides behind the red horse of war, bringing world-wide starvation. How do we know the black horse represents famine? He holds a pair of balances in his hand. The next verse tells why. A measure of wheat is the least amount of food one person could eat to survive. It will take a day’s pay to provide enough food for one person for one day. What about the children and elderly who cannot work? How will a worker be able to sustain his family? With the spirit of the Lord removed, starving people will kill to eat. Notice gourmet food will still be available. No one can afford it. Oil and wine are luxuries. We have already begun to see in the grocery stores, that steak is too costly so I buy chicken or pork instead. It will get worse before it is over.  Now, why is the horse colored black? Black is the color of mourning, but also of famine. Lamentations 4:8,9 But now they are blacker than soot; they are hot recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick. Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field. This is worldwide famine. Always after a war there is a shortage of food. Remember the pictures of the soup kitchens right here in America after World War I?

 

 

                                                                                                     THE FOURTH SEAL

                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                      Revelation 6:7-8

 

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

8. 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.

 

The fourth horse is the Pale horse of death. Now John sees two persons instead of one – Death us riding a pale horse and Hades is following close behind him. Look at the power these two have – 1/4th of the earth’s population will die because of them. How will the people die? By sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. ‘

          (Turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel 14:3 and see a comparison. “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague – to kill its men and their animals!)

 

          Now, why does Hades follow death? This is death of the unsaved, the unbelievers. (Remember the two questions at the end of the second seal? Here is your answer) The pale horse represents plague and pestilence that will engulf the earth. It also carries with it the possibility of germ warfare. It also signifies that the Believers are no longer on the earth. The Rapture must have already occurred.

 

All of this follows a logical pattern. Look at it. First there is world=wide war. All the able-bodied men join in the war. Crops and farms are left unattended. Food supply becomes scares. Soon malnutrition sets in, followed by disease. Ultimately, wild beast’s prey upon the weakened people, the beasts don’t have enough food either.

 

         Did you know that more people died of the epidemics of flu and typhoid fever after WWI than died in the war itself. History confirms this. But modern science has all but done away with epidemics, right?????? Well, we have just seen in our own country as well as worldwide, what an epidemic looks like, haven’t we? And not too many years ago AIDS came along and, being transmitted by humans, also tainted the blood supplies.

         Now this is just the beginning of the suffering of the tribulation. Matthew 24:5-8 Says “All these are the beginning of sorrows”. Lets look at Matthew 24:5-6

5. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many

6. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end in still to come.

7. Nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

 

         We have just seen the beginning of the great tribulation.

 

 

          There is more to come……..NEXT WEEK.

                            See you then, precious friends,

                                                              God’s love to you,

                                                                              Maggie