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Week 6 Revelation Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Read out loud

We continue to read the breaking of the seals

From chapter 6 we see glimpses of the beast the representation of evil,

Of what is not good, not pure, not holy

But rather of greed, envy, pride, dishonesty, deceit

We need to remember and hold onto all we have learnt and discovered about God

In chapter 4 and 5

Where He is, Who He is, What He is like

(In chapter 5 we read about the thunder and lightning, and how it would be referred to later on in other chapters such at chapter 8, with the opening of the seventh seal).

We shall see this reoccurring theme again with reference to the:

Seventh seal, seventh trumpet, seventh bowl

Who really is in control??

How do we hold and perceive the reality described in chapters 5 and 6?

Seal is not to prevent it from being read RATHER

A sign of ownership

One authorised by the owner may beak the seal

This chapter highlights three key areas for us:

The importance of Prayer When a seal is broken someone is praying

For the Kingdom of God where God reigns

The Kingdom of God is not always perceived as a good idea Matthew 5

The call to Come refers to the call by the Living Creatures, for God to let His Kingdom come and be established on earth and to release us from this suffering, persecution and opposition.

This call is directed to the Lamb, the Son of God and yet instead we see that the four horsemen respond, they come

This is as a result of opposition the opposition to Gods Kingdom, to His peace

When Jesus brings the kingdom there is resistance and opposition results in misery and terror

But Jesus is coming

In Revelation 1:7, 22:7, 22:12; 22:20 we read that Jesus says:

I am coming and I am coming quickly

There is resistance and opposition as the kingdom is not always a good idea!!

The White Horse

Revelation 6:2

I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer.

Who could this represent?

White, bow and crown? To conquer?

Some say Jesus Revelation 19: 11

The Rider on the White Horse

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God.

But

Perhaps we can look at this differently

Language of conquest and conquering In Revelation refers to evil beasts

Chapter 9, 11, 12, 13,

Particularly in chapters 12 -13

We read: Satan is going Conquer by deception

It will be a Conquest by deception

deceiving by imitating Christs appearance

The one who accuses

The one who deceives

Imitating Christ

2 Cor 11: 13 15 (angel of light)

For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Matt 24: 4 -5 (false prophets)

Jesus answered them, Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah! and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Zechariah 1: 8-15

In the night I saw a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen; and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, What are these, my lord? The angel who talked with me said to me, I will show you what they are. 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, They are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth. 11 Then they spoke to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, We have patrolled the earth, and lo, the whole earth remains at peace. 12 Then the angel of the Lord said, O Lord of hosts, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which you have been angry these seventy years? 13 Then the Lord replied with gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, Proclaim this message: Thus says the Lord of hosts; I am very jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am extremely angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they made the disaster worse.

So then perhaps we can acknowledge that Satan comes

to accuse

to deceive

to misrepresent

So the rider on the first horse, The White Horse,

Comes to imitate with the white horse, the crown etc.

BUT also seeks to conquer

So if we know that Jesus comes and is coming and keeps coming

Then there will be opposition

And evil masquerading as light opposes Him and seeks to conquer human minds and hearts

I knew a minister who used to say:

There is good news and bad news about satan, the devil or the accuser and deceiver.

The good news is he has no power of his own, absolutely no power or strength

He is simply a liar.

The bad news is that he is a very good liar and therefore can mislead our thoughts and hearts to doubt and mistrust.

This is perhaps an opportunity to review our understanding of sin:

When do we sin?

Perhaps when we mistrust God or lack the ability to trust God

To place our trust in other things ourselves, finances, authority leaders etc

We hold onto the invitation of chapter 4 and 5 God is on the throne

And no matter our circumstances to be still and wait the Lamb, the Son of God,

is with us

How do we interpret

Revelation 6:2 A crown was given to him

God remains in complete control

On the throne

Theological reflections as we read through the rest of the chapters

Gods plan remains to bring, establish His Kingdom, The Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

A red horse

Revelation 6:4

And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword.

The red horse, the second horse, follows the first white horse

Red is a symbol for blood

We know where there is strong opposition

When there is a lack of willingness to listen, to dialogue, to be open to another view point then there is Conflict

An example:

Picture or think of young children playing.

What happens when two or even three children want to play with the same toy?

One child usually has it and the other comes along and snatches it

Usually there is some form of violence snatching, grabbing or an unwillingness to let it go

Its mine! Is also heard loudly I had it first.

Now children are learning to share to be open to the possibility of anothers needs

But on a larger scale, in a community, in a country

The desire to have, and not share leads to:

Greed, corruption, dishonesty,

Which leads eventually to violence in the form of Civil strife and generates war:

Physical violence

A black horse

Revelation 6: 5

I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a days pay, and three quarts of barley for a days pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!

A pair of scales is for weighing

Perhaps this image comes to mind because

As the second horse followed the first horse

So the third horse follows the second horse

Cause and effect the impact of one reaction to another

And if violence breaks out on a large scale

We have WAR

During War food will be weighed and rationed

There are costs of war

A quart of wheat for a days pay, and three quarts of barley for a days pay

In some translations its denarius

A denarius one days wage

Wheat which will feed you for a day - will cost a daily wage

The poor will become impoverished

The bare necessities and the basics such as a loaf of bread are at a cost

People will suffer they will starve

People will die of violence or of hunger

But the rich are represented with images of wine and oil

And these must not be not be affected

The rich can continue to enjoy luxuries

The third horse represents therefore:

Greed, and injustice, - leading to hunger and famine

An ashen horse green

I looked and there was a pale green horse! Its riders name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The riders name is: Death

Hades will follow him.

Hades is the Grave

Heres the real stark image:

Death is riding through the earth, and the Grave, now also personified, is gathering up the corpses.

Consequences each horse is a consequence