the four horsemen of the Apocalypse

 

The expression "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", is a fairly well known phrase in popular culture; although, as time goes on, fewer and fewer people know what that phrase means.  I suppose there is still a sense in the minds of most, however, that the meaning of that phrase portends gloom and doom.

It is almost universally taught by contemporary Bible prophecy teachers, that the so-called Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (which represent the first four of the "seven seals" judgments in Revelation chapter six,) do not appear until very early in the Tribulation - AFTER the Rapture of the Church.

But it just ain't so. 

Not only the first four "seals" judgments involving the Four Horsemen (actually, there are five of them -- for, the fourth horse has two riders on it!) have already been loosed upon the world; but, in fact, five of the "seals" judgments are already operative in the earth!  (The ignorance of so very many professing Christians and, especially, of their teachers, regarding a right understanding of Bible prophecy, is appalling and tragic.)

In my last post (titled, "the day of the Lord"), I presented certain evidences to show that what the BIBLE calls "the day of the LORD" is actually the same time period and the same thing as what MEN have called "the Tribulation" (a phrase that Scripture never uses for that purpose).  Which evidences I want to summarize, as follows:

• The day of the LORD is a time of exceedingly great darkness on earth
• It is a time when God, in wrath and fury poured out, will punish and remove the wicked
• It is a brief, transitional (preparatory) period between the close of this present 'Church Age' and the beginning of the 'Millennial Kingdom Age' of Christ
• The onset of "the day of the LORD" shall be signified by a specific set of cosmic phenomena affecting all of the heavenly bodies: the sun, moon, and stars.
• That same set of cosmic phenomena is shown -- in Revelation chapter six -- to occur in connection with the opening of the "sixth seal"
• Thus, the first six (of seven total) seals MUST ALL BE OPENED PRIOR TO the beginning of "the day of the LORD" ('The Tribulation')

Well, that didn't take long to put together.  One would think that, given so many years or even decades of study, most Bible prophecy teachers would be able to see those clear connections in the Word.  But, like I said before, it just ain't so.

N-O-W the question should be asked:  Seeing that the "seals" judgments in Revelation chapter six are NECESSARILY PRE-TRIBULATIONAL: Have any of those "seals" (judgments) already been 'opened' and their associated judgment/s unleashed upon the earth?

Yes, they have.  By rightly understanding and interpreting Scripture; together, then, with a critical examination of world history -- informed by a right understanding of Scripture: we conclude that the first FIVE "seals" have indeed been 'opened' in fairly recent history, that is to say, beginning from about 150 years ago.

In my next post I will (again) elaborate upon why a PROPER understanding of the meaning of the "seals" judgments, in the Revelation, is so very important to the present Reality.