Who are the 4 Horsemen? What do they represent and when do they appear? Are they fictional?
So, I'm sure you've heard about the riders of the apocalypse. Or the 4 horsemen as they're often referred to. And if you don't know who they are, a quick Google search will clear that up for you. If you want to read where they're found in the Bible; they're in the Book of Revelation chapter 6. If I were to name them, I would name the first one Global Conquest. I would name the second one War. The third one I would name Famine, and the 4th one Death and Hell.
Now, even though we read about the four horsemen in revelation chapter 6, the story doesn't start there. The story actually starts in chapter 5. I recommend you go read it for yourself but to summarize it for you, the apostle John was in Heaven, and he saw God the Father sitting on his throne with a scroll in his hand with seven seals on it. An angel asked who's worthy to open those seven seals. It says no one was found in Heaven or on earth or under the earth who was worthy to open the seals. John began to cry because nobody was worthy to open the seals. But then an angel told John not to cry because the Lion of Judah, the Root of David has triumphed, and he is worthy to open the seals. If we jump down to chapter 5 verses 9 and 10, we see why Jesus is worthy to open the seals. It says that he's worthy because he was slain. He allowed himself to be killed. It says with his blood he purchased people for His Father. He purchased people from every tribe and language and nation to be a Kingdom of priests to serve God and to reign with Jesus on the earth. That is the future for everyone who receives salvation and eternal life from Jesus Christ. We will rule and reign with Jesus for ever!
The reason it's important for us to emphasize the content of chapter 5 is so that we understand who is really behind what's going on in chapter 6. In the first eight verses of chapter six we see the four riders of the apocalypse released. And the way the riders get released is by the first four seals on the scroll, that had been in the hand of God the Father, being opened by Jesus, the Lamb who was slain.
It's crucial that you don't miss this point. Because God the Father had been holding the scroll. And Jesus the Son of God is the one who took the scroll and intentionally opened the seals. What that means is that these four riders of the apocalypse are not fully operating without oversight. And they were not set loose by the devil. They're actually operating inside the parameters and under the permission of God! This means that in the time of the apocalypse; In the time of the last days; in the time of these four riders, everything that happens will be happening under the permission and watchful eye of God!
Now, these four riders are spiritual entities. They are something that John saw in Heaven. So, you're not going to actually see a rider on a horse in the physical realm. You're going to see the effects of these riders on horses and what they are doing in the spiritual realm.
Think about the first rider. He is a spiritual entity who desires to conquer the world. And I don't know about you but right now I see that spirit at work in the world. We live in a day and age when there are a handful of individuals who are wealthier when most countries. And these individuals who have amassed hundreds of billions of dollars have insatiable appetite for more. So, what do you do if you have all the money in the world? What do you go after next? The world itself, right? So, as I look at the agenda of the wealthiest people in the world. It seems to me that they are being influenced and controlled by rider #1.
Rider #2 takes peace from the earth and makes people kill each other. And we don't have to say too much about this. Because it sure seems like death and violence and war are on the increase right now. To me, it almost seems like certain world leaders are trying 2 promote and initiate war.
Rider #3 is famine. And if you have not been hearing about the current global food crisis then I wonder if you've been paying attention. I read a headline today stating that there is currently not enough food in production globally to feed the population of the world for another year. There are many factors converging to create this global food crisis. So many entities are involved that, to me, it seems like it must be being directed from the spirit realm.
And rider #4 is curious to me because it almost seems like there are 2 riders. We see a pale horse being ridden by someone named death. So, picture the grim Reaper riding a pale horse. Then it says that hell (or hades) followed close behind him. In Greek mythology hades is a person but Biblically, Hades (Hell) is a place. So, if hades is a place how can hades follow anyone? How can a place move? But remember this is what John is seeing in the spirit realm.
Think about this, if a person who doesn't follow Jesus dies in China at the same moment that a person who doesn't follow Jesus dies in the US, they both go to hell at the same time. Right? So, then hell is a place that can open its doors and allow souls to enter from anywhere at any time.
And this grim Reaper, this spirit of death, he's going to kill ¼ of the earth using four primary methods. It says he'll kill with the sword. (Which is the second rider.) It also says he'll kill with famine. And that is the third rider. Then it adds two more. It says he will kill with plague and with the wild beasts of the earth.
Think about those last two for a minute. I've been hearing of wild animal attacks on the increase around the world. And let's not rule out human beings acting like wild beasts and killing one another. And then there's the topic of plague. What if we replace the word plague with pandemic. Just think about how much of your own mental energy has gone into surviving the latest wave of the latest plague just in the last two years.
The worry over sickness and death has increased among most people all over the world. Some people worry that they'll catch a virus and die. Some worry that go get sick from the bacteria inside there overused mask and they'll die. Some worry that they will receive and experimental treatment that may kill them. I've read reports of places in the world where the cure for the current plague has actually caused more harm than the plague itself.
Now, the Bible clearly states that this 4th rider will kill 1/4 of the population of the earth. And that has clearly not happened yet. But if over the next few years, (or whenever it happens) we see the world population decrease by 1/4 due to war, famine, plague, and wild beasts, then we will clearly know that seal #4 has also been opened by Jesus.
So, on a final note, never forget that God is on his throne. He is not concerned or caught off guard. He is not only allowing these riders to gallop, but Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, is the one who is choosing to open the seals so that these final events can unfold. These riders being unleashed and the rest of the final events must take place in order for this age to draw to a close so that the next age, the age of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as ruler of the world can begin.
If God isn’t worrying, should you? Remind yourself daily that He's got this, and He's got you! So, as long as you've got him and don’t deny Him, you've got nothing to fear!
