Where have we been on our journey within Revelation? I wonder where those horses have gone? Who are riding those horses now?
Those four horses are riding amongst us, and we are in the saddle. It isn’t that Jesus has released them, but we have taken control of them, harnessed them for our apparent gain.
We started on the island of Patmos, off what we now call Turkey. Someone who called themselves John was writing down a set of visions he had received. The church at that time had been through some persecution, possibly from the Roman Emperor Nero – him of the 666 symbology – but currently Emperor Domitian. John was trying to encourage seven churches, in particular, who were going through some very different circumstances. Some were doing well, most were coming up short.
John then spoke of the lion of Judah now seen as a sacrificial lamb opening up the 7 seals on the scroll (thanks to Twible for this illustration). This unleashed such carnage upon the world. Seven terrors including the four horses of the apocalypse: fire, death, famine and pestilence. The beast from within was to reign upon earth.
There were some possibly good signs, in that two witnesses were to remain: smiting those who did not follow God’s command but also unleashing the end times.
Is this it?
So, we come to the final finale, the end of what has come and the start of what is be. All may end well it would seem. Until we recall that John was writing this to the 7 churches in Turkey. The threat to them was the persecution from the Roman Empire. When John was referring to Satan, he was reflecting the place where the Roman Empire had its origin, Rome. All prior places of persecution would also be regarded as Satanic, so today we will hear of Babylon.
So where to begin?
Revelation begins following the predicted fall of Babylon, and the emergence of a white horse – what is with all these horses? (Unlike the pig and the dog, which are not only forbidden as food but are widely scorned throughout the Torah, the horse in Jewish religious writing, also forbidden as a food, often symbolised great strength and courage, as well as spectacular beauty) Named Faithful and True.
Revelation 19:17-18 reads that “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great”. Revelation 20:1-13 speaks of Satan deceiving the Church, for people had to choose whether they worshipped Caesar or God, it was as clear as that. Those who were not marked with the beast came back to life, to reign with Christ for 1000 years. This is the first resurrection…first? It continues with the sea giving up its dead, and the destruction of whose names are not in the Book of Life. And so we come to Chapter 21.
John sees a new heaven and a new earth, for the old one was no more. The new Jerusalem was seen, with that emotive verse: Revelation 21:4
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
This new city was made of precious stone: Jasper, set upon 12 precious stones within its foundations. It had 12 gates. The city was only for those whose names were in the Book of Life – mainly because everyone else had been killed.
The river of life flowed down the centre of the Main Street, where upon the Tree of Life would grow. Sounds a bit like the Garden of Eden.
You might wonder whether he saw the Garden of Eden flowing to the Garden of Gethsemane to the
New Jerusalem as one entwining thread throughout life.
John concludes that “Look, I am coming soon. Blessed are those that obey the words of prophecy written in this book”.
What do we make of that?
Context: John has had a vision for the 7 churches of Turkey due to persecution from the Romans. He has seen a vision that Jesus, the lamb, has unleashed the four horses signifying war, fire, famine and pestilence upon the world. Who are riding those horses now? Further carnage will occur with vast proportions of humanity facing death including those who are of faith. We hear of the first resurrection, but may I emphasise, no rapture. That was something developed in the 1830s by a Brethren community misreading Hebrew Scripture and giving real meaning to symbolic numbers. John describes Heaven is terms of grandeur, richness, replete of precious stones and exclusive to those who do not follow the faith – mainly because they have perished a chapter earlier.
Scholars would very strongly suggest that this book was written to encourage a 1st/2nd C array of churches who were facing persecution by the Romans. That this warrior army would be defeated, that its deception of the masses who sought to follow God would be stopped in its tracks. That after that final war, the Roman Empire would be no more but would be replaced by something which replicated the trappings of the Roman Emperor’s palace: full of grandeur, jewels, opulence, and exclusive only to those who follow that way of life.
Jesus in the Gospels
Reflect what Jesus taught us as he opened up the scroll in Luke 4 : 17-19
”He has sent me to proclaim good news to the poor, that captives will be released,
the blind will see, the oppressed set free”
Reflect upon what Jesus spoke of heaven on earth. ……Matt 4 and 6
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” &
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Reflect upon what Jesus spoke about welcoming the stranger – albeit that was from Leviticus, the Hebrew Scriptures.
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Our thoughts may have been heavily influenced by the fundamental movement of the 1910s, of the pressure brought by the church to ensure that people would sacrificially give of themselves because of the threat of hell and damnation, of missing out of the rapture. Do you recall this? When Jesus did not to speak of this.
Those horses…
When we hear of the issues of this day we may well see that war, with its tragic loss of life, the suffering of those families where loved ones are no more, and of the mental health of those who are the ones who pull the trigger – as it were. We may well see famine in lands such as Africa, India, after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria – oh how fast that news fell from the highlights. We may note the damage that fire can cause as forests are destroyed, buildings razed the floor, lives lost due to poor building controls, mismanagement or arson. And we may reflect upon the impact that pollution causes across our world, as we export plastic to other countries …because we can. Perhaps, in between the symbolic images within Revelation, we can see them today. Who are riding those horses now?
Those four horses are riding amongst us, and we are in the saddle. It isn’t that Jesus has released them, but we have taken control of them, harnessed them for our apparent gain.
John was speaking to a small number of members, ones he loved. He wanted to convey a message of encouragement. His message was to indicate that the time of persecution was to end soon – albeit for the Roman Empire it was a further 4 centuries. It isn’t for us. It isn’t a timeline for our end times. Jesus said it would come like a thief in the night.
Our message is to live one day at a time, with Jesus, talking, listening, being. And watch out for when we seek to take control of those horses again…