My last three blogs of the first three horsemen touched on religious deception, war and famine. The fourth seal that was opened reveals a pale horse (Revelation 6:8). This signifies PESTILENCES which are already circulating the globe and are prophesied to get worse as the church age draws to a close. The word 'pale' symbolises sickness and disease, which is translated from the Greek word 'chloros' from which we get our English word chlorophyll - a symbol of health and wellness. A pale horseman signifies the pestilences travelling around the world as is currently happening with the H1N1 virus!
The cumulative effects of diseases, war and famine will wipe out up to one-fourth of mankind (Rev 6:8) during the coming Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord! This is all because of man's continuous rebellion against his Creator God. The Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear the certainty of these happenings in Matthew 24:7 that unless He intervenes, 'no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened' (Matthew 24:22).
Of all the past plagues in history, The Black Death - also known as the bubonic plague - of the 1340s to 1360 was probably the worst. The pandemic plague, caused by flea bites and rats, killed tens of millions in Europe between 1347 to 1350 ! Eventually, the plague died out because more and more people developed immunity against the disease. Similarly, terror struck in 1664-65 from the Great Plague of London and the outbreak in Canton and Hong Kong in 1894 resulted in more than ten million deaths worldwide. During the First World War, a sudden mutation of the influenza virus caused a worldwide epidemic in 1918 that reportedly killed 25 to 40 million people worldwide. Some historians feel that that was a major factor which hastened the end of World War I.
God warned us in Deuteronomy 28:21-22 that pestilences will strike if His people refused to obey Him. Such warnings are repeated in Leviticus 26:15-17. For years, I was deceived to think that all these were behind us as 'Jesus had nailed these curses to the cross'. I discovered that I was sincerely wrong! Yes, the Lord Jesus had taken away all our sins and wrongdoings up to the time of our conversion. Subsequent to that, blessings will flow only on conditions that we abide in Him and obey His laws and commandments. It is worthy to note that most of the pandemic diseases are caused by animals, and that rings home the verse in Revelation 6:8c, 'and by the beasts of the earth'.
The list of diseases is long and growing that even modern medical science found baffling. God's promises in Deuteronomy 7:15 is assuring for those who will repent and obey Him, 'And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.' Medical science can find cures but these will treat only the effects and not eradicate the root cause, which is due to man's continuous rebellion by turning away from his Maker. Only by obeying God's commandments can one be protected from worse epidemics to come.
When the four horsemen of the apocalyse take their ride, it will be after repeated warnings and patience on the part of the loving Heavenly Father. After these, the 'fifth horseman' in Revelation 19:11-16 - the Lord Jesus Christ - will return to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10a) in the first resurrection. The King of kings and the Lord of lords will usher in the blessed hope of the new world order when God will intervene in the affairs of man. That is the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD - the 'Good News' and promise that kept the faith of the patriarchs and prophets of old and the early apostles of the New Testaments through trials and tribulations so that they can overcome Satan, the temptations of society and the pull of self-centredness through faith in God on all His promises!
God wants to turn our human nature into the 'spiritual nature of God' (partakers of the divine nature - 2 Peter 1:4) as given in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and also in Christ's Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 so that we can be born again in the resurrection into the God Family to rule and reign in the Kingdom of God. In this life, we are only 'begotten of the Father', meaning 'not yet born', like foetus in the mother's womb. What the Holy Spirit deposited in us is God's promise that we belong to Him (heir of God - Romans 8:17). The church is the 'mother' commissioned to feed and grow the 'foetus' so that he/she can become mature unto the likeness of Christ. Currently, 'the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God' (Romans 8:19) to become the 'new creation' (2 Cor 5:17 ) to ultimately become RULERS OF THE UNIVERSE that even angels will become subjected to them ( 1 Corinthians 6:2-3)! What a vision to behold!
For those who will say 'yes' to God and obey Him in order to receive His Holy Spirit as promised in Acts 5:32, the fear of the Lord will be upon us to keep us from the fear that will come upon this world that has Satan on the throne. In Psalm 91:5-10, the Word of God promises thus, 'You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the PESTILENCE that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any PLAGUE come near your dwelling.' Only the sure word of prophesy can be fully trusted to protect you in times of calamities. Trust no man for your eternal destiny, check out the sure Word of prophecy for yourself, and that surely includes me!
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