3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
This horse and rider are without a doubt war. They take peace from the earth and have the power “to make people kill each other”. Wow, what an incredible power! Hence, the large sword.
Most scholars interpret this to be the necessary result of the first rider if he indeed is the anti-christ. Inevitably, the anti-christ would lead and desire for people to be in chaos and confusion. Wars with people killing one another is a natural effect from someone who wants the destruction of man as an opposition to God. It is interesting to me that, if this is a good interpretation, that the anti-christ isn’t given the power to take peace form the earth. To me, this would then mean that this rider could be Satan himself. God is using him to perform His judgment.
In the view that these are times of the church, this is the persecuting church. It is the time when the church lost the power of God because of sin in the church and started using the power of the state. It ties to the Roman church period when the papacy ruled.
Another view is that this rider represents the fight over the truth that Jesus brought as the first rider. This rider brings man’s free will. He brings man’s ability to reject the truth. This is a great power. Unfortunately, the rejection of the truth gives the ability to take peace from the earth as it enables the people the will to kill one another.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
The black horse and its rider bring famine. The description is that there are long and difficult days of labor that barely result in enough to eat. Following the interpretation of the anti-christ, then war, it is natural that there is famine. Assuming any kind of world war, there would be a tremendous effort to find enough food for any left alive as the system for growing, reaping and distribution is completely broken down. Then, if the worst of man’s weapons are used, it may be difficult to even produce food or find good drinking water.
This is the historical time of the corrupt church. They merchandise the gospel. They manipulate the words of God to suit their purposes and it is difficult for people to find the bread of life in the church’s message.
This is the same result for the parallel interpretation of man having free will and rejecting the truth. Man, once willing to kill another, will lift himself up and hold those he can rule down. They will work and toil for their daily bread and for his daily bread. There is no shortage of examples in the history of man since the earthly life of Jesus. Whether we look at Rome, the Middle Ages, the Far East, or to today, there is always a position of power that enables itself on the backs of a lower class who works for just enough to eat and survive. Physical food is expensive, but the oil and wine refer that the Spirit and offered sacrifice (blood) of Jesus for sin will always be available.
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