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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 11 October 2024:
Revelation 6:1-8 – Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had 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 denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!” When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
“John’s vision of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse echoes Zechariah’s vision of the four horses [Zechariah 6:1-8], applying the prophet’s understanding to a church under siege.
John describes four colored horses that roughly correspond to the four colored horses that Zechariah saw. Since Revelation 6 specifically speaks of God’s judgment on the earth, we should see the horses in verses 1–8 as a picture of God’s judgment upon His and our enemies. Whether the foes John has in mind are the Romans or the Jewish authorities who rejected Jesus matters little. This is a word to comfort the persecuted church in every generation.
The significance of the number four in John’s vision matches the significance of the number four in Zechariah’s prophecy, namely, that God’s work through the horsemen is complete. But what do the horsemen do? The rider of the white horse conquers (Rev. 6:2). Conquering kings in the ancient world often rode white horses, so the image depicts the enemies of God defeated in battle. The rider of the red horse takes peace from the earth and encourages bloodshed (v. 4). Large-scale death of the Lord’s opponents is in view here, whether by earthly warfare or unmediated divine judgment. Horse number three bears a rider who charges one denarius each for one quart of wheat and three quarts of barley (v. 5). The denarius was the normal daily wage, and the grain allotment was a Roman soldier’s daily food ration. One’s entire wage goes to food in John’s vision, leaving money for nothing else. Moreover, since a daily ration of food normally cost one-eighth of a denarius, the cost for grain in Revelation 6:5–6 represents an inflation rate of eight hundred percent. Economic catastrophe follows in the wake of God’s judgment. Finally, the fourth horseman brings with him famine and disease (vv. 7–8). Divine judgment reveals itself in physical afflictions.
How do these images develop what Zechariah 6:1–8 reveals? Zechariah’s prophecy indicates that all was quiet in the lands of Judah’s enemies in the initial postexilic period. The Jews had the freedom to build the temple because of this. The judgments revealed in Revelation 6 indicate that although enemies will rise up against God’s people, these foes will not finally be victorious. His church will continue to advance His kingdom—to build His temple—in the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:20).
In the words of the classic hymn: ‘Christ shall have dominion over land and sea; earth’s remotest regions shall his empire be.’ Nothing will finally stand in the way of Christ’s kingdom. He will never allow a foe of the church to get so strong as to wipe out His gospel, and church history bears witness to this very fact. We should be confident in every circumstance because the Lord guarantees the success of His mission, which means His people will win in the end.” (Ligonier Ministries)
Revelation 6:9-11 — “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
“Four different horses and riders were released when Jesus opened the first four seals of the heavenly scroll, revealing that war, violence, disease, famine, economic calamity, and death will come and go around the world as we wait for the return of Christ (Rev. 6:1–8). Our Lord’s opening the fifth seal allows us to see not what is happening on earth during this era but rather what is happening in heaven. As we will see, however, the situation in heaven is not entirely disassociated from earthly events.
Christ opens the fifth seal, and John sees ‘under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne’ (v. 9). John views Christians who have died for their faithfulness to Jesus, the company of martyrs who have paid the ultimate price for their gospel testimony. Their earthly lives having ended, they live on in heaven waiting for the resurrection of their bodies. That they are under the heavenly altar and able to converse with the Lord indicates that the close, ongoing relationship between Christ and His people does not end at death.
Scripture and first-century Jewish tradition both speak of the messianic woes, a period of intense suffering for the people of God that precedes the consummation of the Messiah’s reign (Dan. 7:21–22; Mark 13:19–20; Col. 1:24). God’s Word also talks about His truth going forth from Israel to the nations and the conversion of gentiles to faith in the God of Israel (e.g., Isa. 19:19–25; 43:10–12; Mic. 4:1–2; Zech. 2:11). Commentators note that John’s vision in Revelation 6:9–11 brings all these things together, making it plain that the conversion of the nations involves the suffering of God’s people as witnesses to the truth. As horrible as the death of the martyrs may be, it serves a purpose in the Lord’s eternal plan of salvation.
This does not mean that God will not hold to account the people who inflict such suffering. The martyrs in heaven cry out for vindication, and Jesus promises that it is coming, but not quite yet. First, the full number of those appointed for martyrdom must die (vv. 10–11). The Lord has not forgotten those who suffer for their faith. He takes note of every injustice visited on His children and will repay it in full. Matthew Henry writes, “When this number [of martyrs] is fulfilled, God will take a just and glorious revenge upon their cruel persecutors; he will recompense tribulation to those who trouble them, and to those that are troubled full and uninterrupted rest.
Scripture is filled with the righteous crying out to God and asking Him how long it will be until He vindicates them. When we are suffering for our faithfulness to Christ, it may seem as if the Lord is slow to set things right. However, everything is proceeding according to His plan, and our suffering for His sake plays an important part in His eternal purposes. He will certainly not overlook it.
Revelation 6:15-17 – Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
On the Day of Judgment, no one escapes the wrath of God except those who have been covered over by the Blood of Jesus and His righteousness, through faith in Him and salvation.
The below from the late R.C. Sproul:
What do you suppose would happen to you, if when you came to the judgment seat of God, God gave you a piece of chalk and asked you to write a circle on a heavenly blackboard? And with that chalk He gave you, He would say, “Now, I want you to fill in every time you’ve ever sinned. Every time you’ve sinned in thought, word, or deed. Anytime you’ve fallen short of my commandments, I want you to put a mark in your circle.” How much chalk would you need? I don’t think there’s enough chalk in heaven that would enable me to give a perfect account of my imperfection.
And all I would be doing would be writing down the demerits of R.C. Sproul. And no wonder that the New Testament uses the metaphor of the last days of Christ coming in judgment for those who are not ready, those who have not had their sins covered, that they will cry out for the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them, because what we need more than anything else when we stand before God is a coverup. We need a covering. We need something that will blot out our transgressions. And that’s something that the gospel promises to all who believe is the covering of the righteousness of Christ.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 11 October 2024: Trust the Lord with your sufferings and persecutions with boldness that comes in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in Christ. Share the Gospel with boldness today; you have nothing to lose but all to gain, and a heart of love must share the truth with those who face judgment without the covering of Christ.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 