Daily Bread 2010 - Revelation 6
Daily Bread 2010 – Revelation 6
The Seals
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
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.
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!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6 begins with the Lamb (Jesus) opening the seven seals. Each opening of the seals is followed by some events, or series of events. The first four are associated with the four horsemen who are sent to all four corners of the earth. The four horsemen, symbolized by different colors (White, Red, Black and Pale), are aspects of the end of the world. White is usually the symbol for conquest, and often a symbol for conquest associated with a savior. The red horse is the symbol of war. The black horse is the symbol of famine, and the pale horse is symbolic of death. These are usually the four aspects that characterize the prelude to the end times: war, famine, pestilence and death.
The fifth seal represents all the martyrs, who were killed for the sake of the Word of God. And the sixth seal is representative of a cosmic turmoil, where the sun is blackened and the moon turned to blood.
At this point it might be helpful to outline the four major ways (see below) of interpreting the book of Revelation (I’m sure there are more!).
1. Preterist - Preterism is an interpretation of Christian eschatology which holds that most or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the End Times refer to events which have already happened in the 1st century after Christ's birth (All definitions taken from Wikipedia.org)
2. Idealism (also called the spiritual approach, the allegorical approach, the nonliteral approach, and many other names) in Christian eschatology is an interpretation of the Book of Revelation that sees all of the imagery of the book as non-literal symbols.
3. Christian Historicism is a school of interpretation which understands some prophecies of the Bible, especially Daniel and Revelation, as being fulfilled in a continuous line from ancient Jewish history through the End of the Age or the End of the World (depending on one's eschatology) in a single line of interpretation, especially in relation to a claimant's vision of "the true church"
4. Futurism, in general terms, is an interpretation of the Bible in Christian eschatology placing the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Daniel, the Olivet discourse and The Sheep and the Goats generally in the future as literal, physical, apocalyptic and global.
This view is instrumental to “Dispenationalism” (a view which divides all of salvation history into different dispensations), which is held by many evangelical theologians and the basis behind Hal Lindsay’s, The Late Great Planet Earth.)
So what does this mean for us? First, a couple of broad generalizations. We know that pretty much every generation has thought they were in the end times. Even Paul, urged the early Christians in the first century to sell possessions and live every moment assuming that Christ was returning very soon. Second, since we know God is the author of human history, we can assume that God is working behind the scenes to bring His
purposes to fulfillment through all the events of human history in every age and time.
Third, we know a large part of the world does not believe in Jesus presently. Estimates say there are 2.1 billion Christians in a world, of about 6.9 billion people total.
If the Great Commission that Jesus left with His disciples (and by application to us) was to go and make disciples of all nations (people groups), then it appears we have a lot of work to do as believers in Christ. So while it would appear that God would delay the end of the world until more people are reached, I am not God nor is anyone else, so no one knows!
For me reading the book of Revelation at least gets me thinking about the end of the world and there will be a day of judgment separating those who believe from those who have rejected the revelation of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. This gives me a sense of urgency for being about God’s business and doing my part through the local church to fulfill the Great Commission.
As you reflect on your goals and priorities for 2011 will this be part of what you will be about in 2011??
Jesus, we thank you that you came to show us God’s love and reveal God’s purpose for our lives in following you and being used by you to share this Good News with all who would listen. Send Your Spirit into our heart and mind to show us Your heart for the world, so that we might be empowered to do all you have commanded us to do. In Your name, Amen.
The Seals
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
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.
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!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6 begins with the Lamb (Jesus) opening the seven seals. Each opening of the seals is followed by some events, or series of events. The first four are associated with the four horsemen who are sent to all four corners of the earth. The four horsemen, symbolized by different colors (White, Red, Black and Pale), are aspects of the end of the world. White is usually the symbol for conquest, and often a symbol for conquest associated with a savior. The red horse is the symbol of war. The black horse is the symbol of famine, and the pale horse is symbolic of death. These are usually the four aspects that characterize the prelude to the end times: war, famine, pestilence and death.
The fifth seal represents all the martyrs, who were killed for the sake of the Word of God. And the sixth seal is representative of a cosmic turmoil, where the sun is blackened and the moon turned to blood.
At this point it might be helpful to outline the four major ways (see below) of interpreting the book of Revelation (I’m sure there are more!).
1. Preterist - Preterism is an interpretation of Christian eschatology which holds that most or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the End Times refer to events which have already happened in the 1st century after Christ's birth (All definitions taken from Wikipedia.org)
2. Idealism (also called the spiritual approach, the allegorical approach, the nonliteral approach, and many other names) in Christian eschatology is an interpretation of the Book of Revelation that sees all of the imagery of the book as non-literal symbols.
3. Christian Historicism is a school of interpretation which understands some prophecies of the Bible, especially Daniel and Revelation, as being fulfilled in a continuous line from ancient Jewish history through the End of the Age or the End of the World (depending on one's eschatology) in a single line of interpretation, especially in relation to a claimant's vision of "the true church"
4. Futurism, in general terms, is an interpretation of the Bible in Christian eschatology placing the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Daniel, the Olivet discourse and The Sheep and the Goats generally in the future as literal, physical, apocalyptic and global.
This view is instrumental to “Dispenationalism” (a view which divides all of salvation history into different dispensations), which is held by many evangelical theologians and the basis behind Hal Lindsay’s, The Late Great Planet Earth.)
So what does this mean for us? First, a couple of broad generalizations. We know that pretty much every generation has thought they were in the end times. Even Paul, urged the early Christians in the first century to sell possessions and live every moment assuming that Christ was returning very soon. Second, since we know God is the author of human history, we can assume that God is working behind the scenes to bring His
purposes to fulfillment through all the events of human history in every age and time.
Third, we know a large part of the world does not believe in Jesus presently. Estimates say there are 2.1 billion Christians in a world, of about 6.9 billion people total.
If the Great Commission that Jesus left with His disciples (and by application to us) was to go and make disciples of all nations (people groups), then it appears we have a lot of work to do as believers in Christ. So while it would appear that God would delay the end of the world until more people are reached, I am not God nor is anyone else, so no one knows!
For me reading the book of Revelation at least gets me thinking about the end of the world and there will be a day of judgment separating those who believe from those who have rejected the revelation of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. This gives me a sense of urgency for being about God’s business and doing my part through the local church to fulfill the Great Commission.
As you reflect on your goals and priorities for 2011 will this be part of what you will be about in 2011??
Jesus, we thank you that you came to show us God’s love and reveal God’s purpose for our lives in following you and being used by you to share this Good News with all who would listen. Send Your Spirit into our heart and mind to show us Your heart for the world, so that we might be empowered to do all you have commanded us to do. In Your name, Amen.
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