THESE DISASTERS FIT INTO A LOGICAL ORDER
First, the world faces hate-filled deceptive propaganda from the rider on the first white horse –– deception. This facilitates control of vast populations that can be whipped up into a war fueled by a frenzy of hate. This leads easily into the second rider on a red horse –– war. The aftermath of war is food shortages. Which lead to the third rider on a black horse –– famine. A rider upon a jet black horse rides threateningly across the globe.
Starvation was a big factor in WWI, the first worldwide total war and it will be even worse in the future for this planet.
Revelation 6:4-5, “And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.”
The balance represent food being very precious and in short supply. The rider on the red horse personifies the blood soaked battle fields. Modern infantry tactics emphasize devising killing traps to massacre the enemy. While the rider on the black horse personifies starvation –– famine is one of the blackest and most wretched results of war and the bigger the war the more widespread the famine. These horsemen threats parallel Mathew 24.
CHRIST ALSO WARNS ABOUT THESE TWO RIDERS –– WAR & FAMINE
The disciples asked what are the signs of the end of this age and the return of Christ? He gave them signs which line up with the horsemen of the apocalypse. The parallel is striking.
Matthew 24:3-6, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?… ‘Take heed that no one deceives you…’”
Jesus advises us believers to not become over anxious like the world, regarding the wars and rumors of wars. This will include the restarting of old feuds and wars. Media chieftains will speculate on former peace deals, unfairness and the restarting of wars, alarming many.
Verse 6, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Note that wars will come and go and rumors of more wars, yet the end is not quite on us. Famine is also coming next but it is still not quite yet the end of the age.
Matthew 24:7-8, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Large, vast kingdoms warring with one another mean more widespread famine during the early parts of the Tribulation. Possibly a few years prior to the beast proclaiming himself God and king of the world. If we have had food shortages in between wars, it will make the declaration of the Mark of the Beast even more compelling and powerful. You either wear or have SOME MARK that shows your fidelity to the beastly dictator or buying anything like food is forbidden. However, God will make a way for those He is protecting.
DO CYCLES OF WAR AND FALSE PEACE PREPARE THE WORLD FOR DECEPTION ?
Jesus warned of the sudden surprise of the end of the age. A false peace or two could explain such surprises.
Matthew 24:36-39, “But of that day and hour no one knows…but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Futurewars highlighting high tech weapons, can be unleashed speedily and suddenly on unsuspecting populations. This will include the final battle, the battle of Armageddon. The final dictator will convince many that all is well and peaceful and then ––war. Any peace in this age is a false peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”
However, we true believers will not be caught off guard even though we also do not know the exact time of Christ's second coming.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”
When believers stay alert to events and with informed caution watch events and yet never cry “wolf wolf” we are ready and blessed.
FAMINE IS OMINOUS, DARK, BLEAK, AND SCARY
War usually drains the economies of both sides. Sometimes the winners are almost as economically destroyed as the losers. Further, blockades are commonly used in war to cut off food supply to the enemy.
Ezekiel 4:16-17, “Moreover He said to me, ‘Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity.’”
Famine is dark and frightening to besieged populations. This is the reality of the rider on the black horse.
Lamentations 5:10, “Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.”
Wars lead to shortages of food and oil and other vital elements for the general public and famine follows naturally. Stay close to God and watch events and be thereby blessed.
