BEHOLD A PALE HORSE
Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
The world is going to have an encounter with the personification of Death, and Hell is following hard on his heels. Death is given POWER (authority, jurisdiction) over a fourth part of the earth. There is some debate whether this means a quarter of the world’s population or a quarter of the world’s area, but regardless it portends a die off never before witnessed in human history. It means that potentially, in a very short amount of time, upwards of over 175,000,000 people will die.
A die off of this magnitude would have been nearly impossible to imagine a hundred years ago, but with the invention of nuclear weapons and the deadly genetically engineered “super viruses and bacteria” concocted in secret government labs all over the world, it is plainly not only possible, but also very probable in the future.
It is interesting to me that “Death” uses the BEASTS of the earth.
BEASTS: G2342, thērion, thay-ree'-on
Diminutive from the same as G2339; a dangerous animal: - (venomous, wild) beast.
This is the exact same word used to describe the “beast”, or the antichrist, in the Book of Revelation.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the BEAST (therion): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Therefore, I believe that these “beasts” that Death uses to help kill off a quarter of the world’s population could very well be wicked people who act like wild, dangerous animals. I lean towards this interpretation because the verse right after mentions the vast number of God’s saints who have been killed.
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
I believe that those people who choose to follow and worship the “beast” will transform into his image, just like those people who choose to follow and worship Jesus Christ are transformed into HIS image.
Therefore, the population of the world will be divided into two camps…the sons of perdition (BEASTS) versus the sons of God (SAINTS), or the children of darkness versus the children of light.
Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
All through the Bible we see a stark contrast between these two different camps and I believe the same scenario will play itself out in these last days. The whole Bible is filled with stories of God separating His people from the people of the world. God does not necessarily take His people out of judgment but He always protects His children through the judgment. There is a separation between wheat and tares, sheep and goats, the righteous and the wicked.
Exo 8:22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
Exo 8:23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
The Prophet Isaiah also mentions the stark contrast of how God will treat His people in comparison with how the people of the world are treated.
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
Isa 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
We notice that God tells HIS people to hide themselves until the “indignation” (FURY) has passed over them.
H2195, za‛am, zah'-am
From H2194; strictly froth at the mouth, that is, (figuratively) fury (especially of God’s displeasure with sin): - angry, indignation, rage.
God does not tell His people that He is going to take them out of the trouble but He councils them to HIDE THEMSELVES!
The context of God’s council to HIS PEOPLE in the 26th verse of the Book of Isaiah is very similar to God’s council to the children of Israel just before the angel of death passed over Egypt. Hide yourself… with the BLOOD!
Exo 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the BLOOD upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the DESTROYER to come in unto your houses to smite you.
DESTROYER: H7843, shâchath, shaw-khath'
A primitive root; to decay, that is, (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively): - batter, cast off, corrupt (-er, thing), destroy (-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, X utterly, waste (-r).
The angel of death, the destroyer was required to PASS OVER the BLOOD on the doorposts. How appropriate a symbol is the CROSS and what it represents to the Church of our LORD Jesus Christ. To the world the cross represents shame and defeat, but to the children of God it can represent only one thing…LOVE!
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
No matter how desperate our circumstances, or how hopeless our situation, we know that the creator of heaven and earth loves us, and the peace of God which passes all understanding keeps our hearts with steadfast confidence in His grace. If God be for us, who can be against us?
Isa 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
There is no doubt that the enemy has come in like a flood during these last days, but we simply need to lift up the cross of Jesus Christ and have total confidence in HIS LOVE for us and HIS BLOOD which washes white as snow. The power of the enemy is completely dissolved and the sting of death is extinguished forever. The enemy has zero power over the sons of God.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Don’t you LOVE how confident the Apostle Paul is in the LOVE of Christ? God’s LOVE will keep us, sustain us, and SEPARATE US from the coming judgment. When we see the fury of God unleashed upon this current Babylonian system, we can be assured that He is NOT angry with us. The kingdoms of this current age are NOT our kingdoms, and the rulers of this Babylonian system are NOT our rulers. Our kingdom is NOT of this world because we serve a righteous and holy KING.
We should not be surprised if we do not receive recognition or approval from this Babylonian system because it completely opposes our LORD.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
We know that now is NOT our time. A false messiah is going to appear in the near future and claim to be the world’s savior, but we will easily discern that he is NOT our messiah. There is a sharp contrast between this false messiah and our true messiah.
Our savior is the WORD OF GOD, and the armies of heaven follow him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Our savior is the PRINCE OF PEACE, there will be no more war when he reigns from Jerusalem. Our savior is the MANNA SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN, there will be no more hunger or famine when we serve Him during the millenium. Our savior is the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, and death will never have power over us again after we hear the shout of the archangel and the sound of the last trump.
Therefore, we simply need to hide ourselves until the indignation be overpast.