The Rider on the Black Horse, the Third Horseman Revelation 6:5-6

Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV) When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

When God established the nation of Israel, He told them of the curses that would fall on them if they ignored His laws. One thing God made clear is He is the provider. He sends the rain and gives the harvest. 

No matter how clever we are, if God does not provide, we will starve. 

The rider on the red horse will bring widespread warfare. This will cause a complete economic collapse. The rider on the black horse is carrying a pair of scales. Since the scale is a “pair,” we know it is a balance, the simplest means of economic trade. 

In verse 6, the voice says, “A quart of  wheat for a denarius.” To have a clear idea of what we are talking about, let’s look at the definition of a denarius from the Blue Letter Bible.

Denarius = "containing ten" 

A Roman silver coin in NT time. It took its name from it being equal to ten "asses," a number after 217 B.C. increased to sixteen (about 3.898 grams or.1375 oz.). It was the principal silver coin of the Roman Empire. From the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, it would seem that a denarius was then the ordinary pay for a day's wages. (Mt. 20:2-13)

Of course, the “quart” was not the measure used. So, let’s look at what the measure was at the time. The entry from the lexicon in the Blue Letter Bible follows.

a choenix, a dry measure, containing four cotylae or two setarii (less than our quart, one litre) (or as much as would support a man of moderate appetite for a day)

A day’s wages for a “quart” of wheat means that if a man worked all day, he could feed himself, and if he had a family, he would not have enough to provide for all of them.  John heard the voice declaring the cost of goods in the “new” economy. 

People will starve. Necessities will be hard to get and very expensive. As the supply of food dwindles, the price will go up accordingly. War destroys infrastructure. With so much of the world’s population destroyed, economic activity as we know it will cease. Not only is this a consequence of war, but it is also a consequence of not thanking God for His constant provision.

Jesus said that if these days were not cut short, no flesh would be saved.

Matthew 24:22 (NKJV) “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

 From the time of the rider on the white horse to the return of Jesus, the Bible tells us that only seven years will transpire. Such complete and utter devastation signals the end of the world. If Jesus did not return, humanity would be extinct. 

These events are not far off but will be a reality in a few short years. This is not setting times for Jesus’s return. We can see the season. Jesus said,

Matthew 24:32-33 (NKJV) “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer [is] near. “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!

In the case before us, the fig tree represents Israel. Earlier in Matthew’s account, Jesus had cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit, and it withered and died. This is what happened to Israel. The nation did not recognize the day of its visitation and was destroyed. The Messiah came and was not recognized but rejected. This was all foretold in the prophets. But the fig tree will once again show life. Jesus is telling us that this will be the sign of His coming. The time is “even at the door.”

Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948. Since that time, we have seen the continual fulfillment of many prophecies concerning the Nation and its people. We have witnessed the events of Ezekiel 37 occurring before our eyes.

 Ezekiel 37:21 (NKJV) “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

For close to 2,000 years, almost no one believed that Israel would ever be a nation again. And yet, God said it would, and it has. The leaves on the fig tree are showing green, and summer is near.

What are you pursuing? 

What are you living for?

That thing you are saving for - you may never see it. 

Things may go as we plan. We may die in a car crash. Or the world economy may collapse. Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God. He also warned us that where our treasure is, our hearts will also be. Therefore, we should store up treasures in heaven. Saving for retirement is wise. But be wise about it. What is our highest priority? How much we need for retirement needs to be balanced with what we can invest in the kingdom of God. God is our provider. He gives us all that we have. We need to remind ourselves that all that we have is His. We are stewards and caretakers. 

Seeing that the time is so short, what kind of people ought we to be?

2 Peter 3:11 (NKJV) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

The Rider on the Red Horse, the Second Horseman Revelation 6:3-4

Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV) When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that [people] should kill one another, and there was given to him a great sword.

In Revelation 6:1, when the first seal was opened, one of the living creatures said, “Come and see.” Now, as the second seal is opened, the second living creature says, “Come and see.” 

With the first four seals, each is announced by one of the four living creatures. The fifth, sixth, and seventh seal are not announced. What has been translated as “living creatures” means “living ones.” These “living ones” are mighty servants of God who dwell in His presence and perform His bidding. In this part of Scripture, they are serving as messengers of God. 

The “Beast,” or Antichrist of the first seal, is a false savior and a representative of humankind. He is the epitome of humanity’s determination to rule itself. In humanity’s attempt to govern itself, it has subjugated itself to the rule of the Evil One, and as a result, the antichrist, the rider on the white horse, is a messenger and a servant of Satan. So also are the riders of all four horses. The “Come and see” command of the four living creatures represents a “passivity” on the part of heaven. God is always involved and sustains all things. Without His sustaining hand, all things would cease to exist. So, Heaven’s “passivity” means that God is allowing the natural consequences of man’s self-rule.

While the rider of the first horse is a great victor, winning a bloodless conquest of the earth, his peace is short-lived. Without much delay, the second messenger of Satan is loosed on the earth. 

Red is the color of blood, and the red horse brings the carnage of war. The rider on the red horse is given a great sword. The rider on the white horse had a bow, which is a “stand-off” weapon, meaning that battle is engaged at a distance. Since there are no arrows, the conquest of the first rider is “bloodless.” The second rider has a great sword. A sword is up close and personal, and it is very bloody. As we look at the rider on the red horse, the first thing stated about him is that “it was granted to him to take peace from the earth.” And then the Scriptures say, “And that people should kill one another.”

Humanity talks about peace. The League of Nations and the United Nations were created to bring peace on Earth. A bronze sculpture of a man beating a sword into a plowshare stands at the United Nations. A gift from the Soviet Union in 1959, the statue depicts Isaiah 2:4, which says: 

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah is speaking of the kingdom that the Messiah will usher in, but humanity in its pride, has tried to usher in the Messiah’s age of peace without the Messiah. As a result, humanity ends up with a false messiah and uncontrolled, all-out war. 

Despite all the talk about peace, humanity has been in wars throughout history. 

God’s law says we should love our neighbor as ourselves, but who demonstrates this kind of love? We instinctively know we should not kill another person or take what is not ours. But we do these things anyway. One may comfort himself with the thought that he has never murdered anyone or stolen anything, but he only deceives himself. Jesus taught that if we hate another person in our hearts, we commit murder, if only in our hearts. And the same is true of theft. God clearly says we should not covet what our neighbor has.

The roots of war reside in the hearts of everyone. No one is exempt. God says as much when He says:

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

God gave His law through Moses, and humanity rejected His rule. No one other than Jesus Christ has ever kept God’s law. God sent His Son to fulfill His law and make a way for us to have peace, starting with peace with God. But humanity has rejected God’s Son, the Prince of Peace.

As the White Horse represents God’s judgment on the world’s rejection of His Son, the Messiah, the Red Horse represents God’s judgment on the world’s rejection of His Son, the Prince of Peace.

In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks about the signs of the age, and in verse 6, He says we will hear “wars and rumors of war,” but wars do not signal the end. Wars are not the sign of the end because there have always been wars which will continue until the end.

However, as humanity follows the rider on the White Horse (the Antichrist), there will be a time of unprecedented peace. But this peace will not last because very quickly, the rider on the Red Horse will enter the scene.

God’s lovingkindness and mercy are great, and He has continually held back the full horrors of war. The world has seen some devasting wars, but the devastation has not been what it could be. 

God’s judgment often comes in the form of giving us what we want. 

When Israel wanted a king, God punished them by giving them a king. Romans 1 tells us that when we replace God with idols and things we desire, God disciplines us by giving us our desires. The world has set out to accomplish what only the Messiah can, and when God permits the natural consequences, the world will see war like it has never seen. 

When God pulls back His restraining influence, war will have its full reign. The Bible speaks of a war that will kill one-quarter of the earth’s population. Today, that would be two billion people. It has not yet been “granted” to kill people on this scale, but it will be “granted” to the rider on the red horse.

God is not going to do this to be cruel. He gave His only begotten Son so that we can be saved. All who believe in Jesus will be saved from this outpouring of wrath. And the whole purpose of giving humankind its own way is to bring those who are willing to repentance and life. And it will work. Many will believe in Jesus and be saved during those horrible days. But why wait? Why go through it when God has provided a way of escape? At the time of Noah, God provided a boat, but only eight people got on the boat. In our day, God is offering a way out just by calling on the name of Jesus. Will you take His hand and be saved, or will you wait and see what humanity can do for itself?

Please call on the Lord Jesus to be saved!

The Four Living Creatures, Revelation 6

Revelation 6

Revelation 4:6 says:

Revelation 4:6 (NKJV) Before the throne [there] [was] a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, [were] four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

When we reach Revelation 6:1, one of the four living creatures says with a voice like thunder, “Come and See.”

Who are these four living creatures? 

We meet them in Ezekiel 1 and 10.

In Ezekiel 1, the Hebrew word used for “living creature” is “ḥay.” The emphasis of this word is life or “living one.” It is used of God as THE Living One. So, the “creature” is not a reference to a beast but could also be translated as a “living being.” In Ezekiel 10, these beings are called “cherubim.” The “im” of cherubim is the Hebrew plural. In English, we add an “s” to the end of the word to indicate a plural. In Hebrew, they add “in.” So, a cherub is a single angelic being.

Looking at Ezekiel Chapter 1, it is clear that a “cherub” is not the cute baby with wings pictured in our culture. The cherubim around the throne of God are majestic and awesome to the point of being terrifying to our human sensibilities.

Ezekiel 28:14-15 says:

Ezekiel 28:14-15 (NKJV) “You [were] the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You [were] perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

This is speaking of Satan. He was once one of these glorious beings before iniquity was found in him.

We see these servants of God in Isaiah 6, where it says:

Isaiah 6:2-3 (NKJV) Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy [is] the LORD of hosts; The whole earth [is] full of His glory!”

In Revelation, these beings are also seen worshiping God and proclaiming His holiness. God’s throne is surrounded by these four representatives of the heavenly hosts and the 24 elders representing the people of all ages who worship God. God is sufficient in Himself. He has no “need” that can be filled by any of His creatures. And yet, wherever God is, there is an abundance of life. Cherubim live and move in His presence, and as we see in Revelation 6, they work as messengers of His calling on John to “Come and see.” 

In Luke, the angel Gabriel came to Mary with the announcement of Jesus’s birth, and in Matthew, an angel told Joseph in a dream not to be afraid to take Mary to. be his wife.

We see angels at various places throughout Scripture, always in the service of God and doing His bidding.

The reason God has created all things and that all life exists is for God’s pleasure. Revelation 4 says:

Revelation 4:11 (KJV) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

As we consider God’s word, we realize that our happiness and fulfillment will only be found in pleasing God and not ourselves. Jesus said:

John 15:10-11 (NKJV) “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and [that] your joy may be full.

Jesus tells us that our joy will be full as we keep His commands and abide in His love. 

The joy and fulfillment of the cherubim are contrasted with the consequences of rebellion against God as the seals are opened. The four horsemen of the first four seals are contrasted with the four “living creatures.” The four horsemen are messengers of doom for the earth, whereas the four living creatures are proclaimers of the glory of God for the redeemed before the throne.

Are you living for your pleasure, or are you living to please God? 

If you would enjoy eternal life and joy, make it your purpose to live for God. God gave His only begotten Son so that you can enter into the joy of His presence. Please accept Jesus, and invite Him into your life today while there is still time.

Concerning the Word of Life 1 John 1:1

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

"Concerning the Word of Life" tells us what John is writing about. "Concerning" means "related to or about," according to Google Dictionary. John has seen, watched, and touched something that was from the beginning related to the "Word of life."

What is he talking about?

What is the "Word of life?"

John assumes his readers are familiar with the gospel he wrote. The opening paragraph of John's gospel is incredible.

John 1:1-5 (NKJV) ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

This passage shows that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From verse two, we see that the Word is a person. "He was in the beginning with God." The Word has gender along with personality. In John's gospel, as in his letter, John starts with "the beginning." In addition, in the gospel account, John includes, "All things were made through (or by) Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The "Word" is not necessarily the spoken or written word. John was writing in Greek, and Greek has a specific word for the spoken or written word. Instead, John uses a word that means "the concept or idea carried by the spoken word." John uses the word "λόγος" (logos). Logos carries the notion of reason or logic. The idea is that there is a meaning behind any spoken word, and logos is the expression of that meaning.

As the Logos (Word), Jesus is the expression of God. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us:

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV) ¹God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²hasin these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews reiterates the fact that the Father made all things through the Son. Notice especially the beginning of verse three. "Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person." This expression or revealing of God is the "Logos."

The revealing of God through Jesus Christ is also part of the truth expressed in John 1:4. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John is not trying to confuse us by using terms only a few understand. Instead, he is trying to communicate saving truths concerning the nature of the relationship between Father and Son.

John refers to Jesus as the "Word." We understand that calling Jesus "the Word" points to His revelation of God to us. Without Jesus, we could not know the character and nature of God since it is through Jesus that these things are made known. We can see God's mighty power and wisdom in the things He has made, but to know His person, we must know Jesus Christ.

Because of this connection between knowing God and Jesus Christ, John calls Jesus "the Word of life."

Here again, we must understand the word "life."

The Greek word used by John in 1 John 1 is "ζωή" (zōē). A synonym for zōē in Greek is "βίος" (bios). Both are translated as "life," but zōē has more to do with existence, and bios has more to do with duration. A biography records a lifetime. Zoology studies life in its various forms.¹ Another way to state the distinction is that bios refers to the means of existence, and zōē refers to the fact of existence.

When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to our continuing existence even though our "biological" life ends. As far as Scripture is concerned, every human soul will continue its existence forever. God breathed into man the "breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). As a result, man became a "living being." This gift from God will never end. However, the Scripture speaks of those who reject the Son of God as being cast into the Lake of Fire and calls this the "second death." Death is not the cessation of existence. It is a change in the place of existence. This is why John says in John 17:3,

John17:3 (NKJV): "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

True life is knowing God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life, life that will never end, is found in the "Word of Life." To be outside of that life is to perish. Jesus said,

John 14:6 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Until we come to Jesus for life, we are dead, separated from God and His promises. The more we enter into Jesus, the more we enter into life. Jesus taught us to abide in Him, and then our joy will be made full.

We spend our biological lives pursuing things that will not satisfy us. Things will grow old and rust. Our bodies will break down. All the riches we gather on earth and the skills and knowledge we collect will be meaningless if our biological life ends and we don't have the true life given by the "Word of Life."

Gaining this life is as easy as asking. Just call on the name of the Lord and say, "Jesus, I want the life that you offer." Then, set about learning about Jesus through the Bible.

1 Biology is also the study of life, but it is the study of the organisms and systems that function within a living being. In contrast, Zoology classifies different kinds of living beings.