1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,600 what it means when they come. 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,960 And to start off, I thought it was good 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,040 to just try to get at this idea of, 4 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:10,720 let's see how I could put this. 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,800 When couples come to me for premarital counseling, 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,400 which I enjoy doing, 7 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,400 one of the first things that we always discuss 8 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,880 is expectations. 9 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,080 Specifically, unvoiced expectations 10 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:28,040 or ungrounded expectations. 11 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:29,560 Because if you are in a relationship, 12 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,000 you know that expectations have the potential 13 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,160 to cause disruption in the relationship. 14 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:39,040 When you expect your spouse to do something, 15 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,800 but you didn't tell them that you expected them 16 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:41,640 to do that thing, 17 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:42,680 and then they didn't do the thing 18 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,440 that you didn't tell them you expected them to do, 19 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:46,120 and then you get angry at them for that, 20 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:47,920 that's a problem, is it not? 21 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,760 Now I know that... 22 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,200 Yeah, yeah, that's right. 23 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,640 So there was one time, 24 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:55,920 and I think I've told you all this before, 25 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,720 but before we had kids, 26 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,160 and I was still working at Lowe's, 27 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,440 I had a Saturday off, which was rare, 28 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,640 and so I spent the entire day outside, 29 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,960 the entire day outside in summer doing yard work, 30 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:10,880 because Anna had been talking about 31 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,480 how our grass looked terrible, 32 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:13,720 the garden was terrible, 33 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,160 the book, everything was terrible. 34 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,280 And I was like, you know what, I'm a good husband. 35 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,160 I've got the day off, here's what I'm gonna do. 36 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,560 I'm just gonna go and work outside all day in the hot sun, 37 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,480 and she's gonna greet me with this warm, 38 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,880 well, I love you so much, you're the best, 39 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,360 I'm gonna buy you some hot wings, 40 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,680 you know, all the good stuff, right? 41 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,920 So I walk in the door at the end of the day, 42 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,520 here comes my hero's welcome, we're in a fight apparently. 43 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,960 I didn't know this, but walk in the door 44 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:41,080 and realize immediately, uh-oh, 45 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,080 Anna's upset with me, don't know what I did. 46 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,840 So I asked her, well, I expected she would be happy 47 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,520 that I had just taken care of all the things 48 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,680 that she wanted me to take care of. 49 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,520 She expected that if I had the day off work, 50 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:55,440 I would spend the entire day with her. 51 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,600 Neither one of us voiced those expectations, 52 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,120 and so both of us were disappointed 53 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,560 and the whole evening was ruined 54 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:03,880 because we both were disappointed with each other. 55 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:05,080 I thought she'd be happy, 56 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:06,800 she thought I'd spend the day with her. 57 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,320 Unvoiced, unrealistic, ungrounded expectations 58 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,200 can do that kind of thing, right? 59 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,600 And here's what I know about us as Christians. 60 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,840 Every Christian has certain expectations 61 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,000 about what they think is gonna happen in the end times, right? 62 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,320 We all expect certain things to happen. 63 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,680 We all have assumptions about what may or may not happen, 64 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,720 but the problem is if those expectations aren't grounded 65 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:36,000 in what Scripture actually says is going to happen, 66 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,960 then we're gonna be confused. 67 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,040 And we could be disappointed, some of us, 68 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,640 and we could be frustrated. 69 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:44,360 And so what we need to do is we need to look 70 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,200 at what the Bible actually says we can expect 71 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,000 when the end comes so that there is no confusion, 72 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,720 there is no frustration, and there is no disappointment. 73 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,200 And that's what leads us to Revelation 6 74 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,960 and these seven seals where we begin 75 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,800 with the four horsemen and they tell us what to expect. 76 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,840 And the four horsemen, although they do bring disaster, 77 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,640 the comfort for us as God's people 78 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:12,840 is that God is sovereign over all the events of history 79 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,240 that take place, past, present, and future. 80 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:17,080 And so here's what we're gonna do. 81 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:17,920 We're gonna dive in. 82 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,560 If you have your Bibles there, Revelation 6 83 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,680 verses one through two, this is what the Bible says. 84 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,680 Now I watched when the lamb opened one of the seven seals 85 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,880 and I heard one of the four living creatures say 86 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,160 with a voice like thunder, come. 87 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:39,080 And I looked and behold, a white horse 88 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,840 and its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him 89 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,880 and he came out conquering and to conquer. 90 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,400 Now, before we dive into all the specifics here, 91 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,720 we should just make a little bullet point. 92 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,960 For almost everything in the book of Revelation, 93 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,240 there is an Old Testament background, right? 94 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,800 This book references the Old Testament 95 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,000 more than any other New Testament book. 96 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,120 It's full of references and allusions 97 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,040 and all sorts of callbacks to the Old Testament. 98 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,880 And this too has an Old Testament reference, 99 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:14,840 an Old Testament background. 100 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,640 So you'll find this in the book of Zechariah, 101 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,760 chapter one verses eight through 10. 102 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:22,880 This is what the Bible says there. 103 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,240 I saw in the night and behold, 104 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,320 a man riding on a red horse. 105 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,160 He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen 106 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,520 and behind him were red, sorrel and white horses. 107 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,480 Then I said, what are these, my Lord? 108 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,040 The angel talked with me and said to me, 109 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:42,560 I will show you what they are. 110 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,040 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, 111 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,880 these are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth. 112 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:51,720 And then just a little bit later 113 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,440 in Zechariah, chapter six verses one through seven, 114 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,520 this is what we read again. 115 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,000 Again, I lifted my eyes and soul 116 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,760 and behold, four chariots came out 117 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,080 from between two mountains. 118 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:06,840 And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 119 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:10,480 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 120 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,080 the third white horses 121 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,400 and the fourth chariot dappled horses, all of them strong. 122 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,640 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked to me, 123 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,280 what are these, my Lord? 124 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:21,720 And the angel answered and said to me, 125 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,560 these are going out to the four winds of heaven 126 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,360 after presenting themselves before the Lord 127 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:27,520 of all the earth. 128 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,400 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, 129 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,280 the white ones go after them 130 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:35,080 and the dappled ones go toward the south country. 131 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:36,560 When the strong horses came out, 132 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,320 they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. 133 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,760 And he said, go patrol the earth, so they patrol the earth. 134 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,400 What are they doing? 135 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:45,360 Patrolling the earth, right? 136 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,960 Yeah, so there is an Old Testament background 137 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,800 to these four horses that we read about 138 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,520 in the book of Revelation here. 139 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,000 And it's important to notice that 140 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,960 who is the one opening the scrolls here in Revelation? 141 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,840 Jesus, who is pictured as the what? 142 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:03,040 The lamb, okay? 143 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:04,800 So the lamb's opening the scrolls 144 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,160 and each time he opens one of the seals, 145 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,400 one of the four living creatures is going to say, 146 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,120 come, he's gonna summon one of the riders 147 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:18,280 and he calls to this first one in the first horseman. 148 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:20,680 What color horse is he riding? 149 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,560 A white horse. 150 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,920 And what is the purpose of this horseman? 151 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:28,840 To conquer. 152 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:30,960 He comes out conquering 153 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:34,960 and ready to conquer. 154 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:36,640 I don't know if I spelled that correctly, 155 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:37,920 but yeah, it's right. 156 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:39,440 So yeah, that's his mission. 157 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,160 He's here to conquer and he comes out conquering. 158 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,720 He's on a conquest, he has a white horse 159 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,840 which was the symbol of victory. 160 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,560 It was a symbol of your winning something, right? 161 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:54,560 And there's a lot of debate about who this rider is. 162 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:55,840 Okay? 163 00:06:55,840 --> 00:06:56,680 I know you don't believe me 164 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:58,080 because everything in the book of Revelation 165 00:06:58,080 --> 00:06:59,640 everybody agrees on, right? 166 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:00,680 Everybody loves this book 167 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:01,880 and we all agree on it all the time. 168 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,720 No, there's a bunch of debate 169 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,920 about who the first horseman is. 170 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,240 Now some people have suggested that the first rider 171 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,760 is a metaphor for the proclamation of the gospel. 172 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,240 That the proclamation of the gospel goes forward 173 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:18,680 to out all the earth 174 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,080 and the gospel will be victorious. 175 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,960 It will overcome and conquer the unbelieving hearts 176 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,120 of people who have previously rejected Jesus. 177 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,120 And so the gospel goes forward 178 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,600 and is victorious, white horse, victory. 179 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:32,920 That's one option. 180 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:34,720 Another option people have suggested 181 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,400 that the rider is Jesus himself. 182 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,440 A lot of people believe this, that the rider is Jesus. 183 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:40,480 Why would they think that? 184 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:41,320 Anybody know? 185 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:43,520 There are a couple reasons. 186 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,880 Okay, a crown was given on to him. 187 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:49,720 Yeah, that's one reason. 188 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,160 So Jesus in Revelation chapter 19 189 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,160 is pictured riding a what? 190 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,520 A white horse and he's wearing what? 191 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:01,560 A crown. 192 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:02,720 And so people have said, 193 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,040 well, this is a reference to Jesus. 194 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:06,640 Jesus is the first horseman 195 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,440 and he goes forward into all the earth 196 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,400 conquering the unbelieving hearts of people 197 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,440 and he wins the victory, bringing many to salvation. 198 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,880 And then one other popular suggestion. 199 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,200 So there are three primary ones. 200 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,120 Some have suggested that the rider is the Antichrist 201 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,160 or some sort of satanic figure. 202 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,720 Because it makes sense if you think about 203 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:30,920 what the Antichrist does. 204 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:32,760 I mean, think about Revelation chapter 13 205 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,000 when it talks about the beast and the Antichrist. 206 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:40,000 One of his main purposes is to copy Jesus, right? 207 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,080 He tries to convince people that he actually is Jesus. 208 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,600 By the way, he acts and talks and the miracles that he does 209 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,040 even though he is a cheap counterfeit and we all know it. 210 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,240 And so the beast comes out, they say, 211 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,000 to conquer humans into following him, 212 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,640 to deceive people into thinking that he actually is 213 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,280 the real true Christ and conquer them 214 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:05,400 and leading them astray. 215 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,320 Okay, so we see that all of these, they have merit, 216 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:10,440 there's reasons for believing. 217 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:11,960 That's again, but I always tell you, 218 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,040 everybody has a reason for believing 219 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:15,640 the things they believe. 220 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,680 We need to acknowledge that and just interact with it. 221 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:21,880 So my question to you, who's the rider? 222 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,720 Which one do you think is correct? 223 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,720 That's a good point, yeah. 224 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,200 What do you need to carry a sword? 225 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,000 All right, Bobby, look, that's what I like. 226 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,560 Bobby says, I'll tell you what I think 227 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:52,360 and I don't care if anybody disagrees. 228 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,520 Bobby says it's the Antichrist, there you go, Bobby. 229 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,760 Anybody else? 230 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,600 Anybody else? 231 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,600 Somebody said the Antichrist. 232 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,240 It's a good point, it's a good point. 233 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:16,240 Gene, you have something? 234 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,240 So plain devil's advocate here. 235 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,800 The people who think that this is, 236 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,440 well, you didn't say who you think it is, 237 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,560 but the reference to the bow, 238 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:42,880 there is a Messianic Psalm, I believe it's Psalm eight, 239 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,360 that talks about the Messiah having a bow. 240 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,240 And Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter two, 241 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,640 tells us that Psalm is about Jesus. 242 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,400 And so they would say there is biblical warrant 243 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,320 to believe that Jesus has a bow. 244 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,280 And again, devil's advocate, 245 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,200 they would say that the following three horsemen 246 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,480 are the arrows to this bow, 247 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,000 that they are the metaphorical arrows 248 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:07,880 that are gonna cause the destruction 249 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,160 and bring him the conquest that he's on. 250 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,760 Again, I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree, 251 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:42,720 that's devil's advocate to explain the bow and the arrows. 252 00:11:42,760 --> 00:12:06,680 So we've got two who are saying Antichrist. 253 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:25,080 Anybody wanna agree or disagree? 254 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:30,120 So the thing is we can't be dogmatic here 255 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:34,400 because the Bible doesn't identify as our resident theologian 256 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:35,400 pointed out, just as like, 257 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,480 we have to say who it is at all. 258 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:38,720 All right, you don't. 259 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,840 You focus on the effects of what's gonna happen, 260 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:46,840 but just to kind of pick some of this apart, 261 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,840 I don't think that it makes sense for it to be Jesus. 262 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,760 So one reason Ms. Vicki very wisely pointed out, 263 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:55,280 Jesus is the one opening the seals. 264 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,120 And one of the four living creatures coals 265 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:00,400 and a rider comes out. 266 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:01,800 So Jesus would have had to open 267 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,280 and then go and get on a horse and then come back, 268 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,880 but he's gonna continue opening seals 269 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,960 and the horses and the riders are gonna stay. 270 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,400 So it wouldn't make sense for Jesus to go back and forth. 271 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,600 I mean, that's just a logical thing, but you know, 272 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:14,800 it's worth noting. 273 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,280 The other thing worth noting as Gene pointed out, 274 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,520 is that this rider is holding a bow 275 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,200 and nowhere in scripture besides Psalm eight, 276 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,240 is so nowhere in Revelation. 277 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,080 Does Jesus ever have a bow all throughout Revelation? 278 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,160 He only has one weapon, which is a sword. 279 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:32,960 And you see the beginning of Revelation, 280 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:34,640 you see the end of Revelation. 281 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,200 And another thing worth mentioning, 282 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,960 I know this is just for nerds like me, 283 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,640 but it's really interesting when you look in the Greek, 284 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,400 it says that this rider is wearing a crown, right? 285 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,080 Okay, again, this is for nerds like me. 286 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:50,360 I don't think you care about this, 287 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:51,880 but I'm already gonna do it. 288 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,520 So the word crown used here in this verse, 289 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,160 if you're gonna write this down, verse two, 290 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,280 the Greek word for crown here is Stephanos, okay? 291 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:02,720 Now you're like, why is that important? 292 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:03,960 Why does it matter? 293 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,720 Well, because the other time in Revelation 294 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,320 where Jesus is depicted wearing a crown, 295 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:10,360 it's a different Greek word, 296 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:11,400 one that you already know, 297 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,800 that you didn't know that you knew that is a Greek word. 298 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,840 And it's the word diadem, which actually is a Greek word 299 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:18,840 for crown. 300 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:19,960 Here's the difference. 301 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,960 A Stephanos crown was a crown that you would typically win 302 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,240 if you were the victor of something. 303 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,000 So like if you're participating in games, 304 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,920 Olympic type sports, stuff like that, 305 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,840 if you had conquered another kingdom, 306 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,320 you would take their crown for yourself, 307 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,240 and it would be called a Stephanos because you have won it. 308 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,160 You were the victor in that, and so it is yours now. 309 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,000 A diadem is different. 310 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,200 It was a crown specifically for you 311 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,920 that you had the right to wear 312 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,640 because you are worthy to wear that crown. 313 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,760 And so is there something going on there? 314 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,520 I don't know, but I think it's worth noting 315 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,200 that the word used here for crown is different 316 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,920 than the one used for when Jesus is wearing a crown later 317 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:02,480 in the book of Revelation. 318 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:06,160 So all that to say, I really don't think 319 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,440 that it makes sense for Jesus to be this writer, 320 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:10,280 the first one. 321 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:11,840 I think it makes more sense 322 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,080 if it is some sort of anti-Christ figure 323 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,400 or some sort of satanic figure here. 324 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,360 And I think that it makes sense for that 325 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,280 because he comes out conquering, 326 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:23,720 and he's going to conquest. 327 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,120 He wants to overtake the nations. 328 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,480 And so I think it makes sense to say 329 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,400 that the first writer, the one on the white horse, 330 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:35,080 is some sort of satanic figure, some sort of anti-Christ 331 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,280 who is seeking to deceive the world 332 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,520 into believing that he is Jesus. 333 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:40,480 He's on a white horse. 334 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,160 He's wearing a crown like Jesus. 335 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,080 He's got a bow like the Messiah would have 336 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,240 according to Psalm 8. 337 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,160 All of these things are deceptive techniques 338 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,440 that are going to lead people to him. 339 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,440 And so he can conquer either by force or by manipulation. 340 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,600 I mean, there's a lot of ways to do it, but that's his goal. 341 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,800 And then you see the consequences 342 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,440 of that conquering in the next writer. 343 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,240 So look at verses three through four. 344 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:05,720 The Bible says, 345 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,920 and when he opened the second seal, 346 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,480 I heard the sound, or the second living creature say, 347 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:16,320 come, an out came another horse, bright red. 348 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,280 Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth 349 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,640 so that people would slay one another, 350 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,640 and he was given a great sword. 351 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,320 All right, so we have writer number two. 352 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:27,960 What color is the horse? 353 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,600 Bright red, you all failed miserably. 354 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,200 Bright red, what's the purpose of this writer? 355 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,120 Like, yeah, like Tommy Scher, that's right. 356 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,180 That's right, he comes to take peace. 357 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,120 And specifically, how does he do it? 358 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,240 With a sword, but what does he do? 359 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,720 Did you notice the effects there? Yeah, 360 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,400 he's putting man against man, right? 361 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,160 So, yeah, that's right, man versus man. 362 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,760 You can simplify it and call it war. 363 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,920 That's the purpose of this writer. 364 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,880 And obviously, I mean, you see that even in his horse, right? 365 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:13,280 Why is it bright red? 366 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,840 Bloodshed, yeah, that's the effect. 367 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:19,060 That's what's gonna happen. 368 00:17:19,060 --> 00:17:21,200 The first writer comes out conquering, 369 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,080 and what's the effect that the second writer 370 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:24,960 is gonna take advantage of? 371 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,160 Bloodshed, there's gonna be mass bloodshed all over. 372 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,640 He takes peace from the earth, 373 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:30,960 and he sets man against man. 374 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,240 You have nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. 375 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,920 Everybody is killing each other with deadly weapons. 376 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:41,360 This is what you expect when the horsemen come. 377 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:42,840 And then there's the third one. 378 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:44,480 Look at verses five through six. 379 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,920 When he opened the third seal, 380 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:49,840 I heard the third living creature say, come. 381 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,400 And I looked, and behold, a black horse. 382 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,400 And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 383 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,480 And I heard what seemed to be a voice 384 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,760 in the midst of the four living creatures say, 385 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,600 a quart of wheat for a denarius, 386 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,080 and three quarts of barley for a denarius, 387 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,720 and do not harm the oil and the wine. 388 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:12,440 So this one's super easy, right? 389 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,400 What color is this horse? 390 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:19,900 Black, what's the purpose of this rider? 391 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:24,400 Okay, famine, anything else? 392 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:30,400 Man, Joseph, stop looking at my notes before. 393 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,240 Economic troubles, hardships, economic problems, 394 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,080 whatever you wanna call it. 395 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,320 That's part of what's going on here. 396 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:45,320 I mean, notice what he says, 397 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,720 these are gonna be famine, economic hardships. 398 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,840 So the conquest of the first horsemen 399 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:51,960 and the second horsemen, the bloodshed, 400 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,840 result in widespread economic hardship, 401 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,920 famine, and a scarcity of sustenance for people to eat. 402 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,040 So, I mean, think about it like this, right? 403 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:02,560 People in the first century, 404 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:04,680 we're talking about people in the first century here, 405 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:09,680 they would usually eat about one quart of wheat per day. 406 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:11,560 All right, everybody tracking? 407 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,080 One quart of wheat per day. 408 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,520 And the price of that wheat was one denarius, all right? 409 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,120 So one denarius, that was one day's wage. 410 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:23,640 You work for one day, you get one denarius. 411 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,440 And notice that is the price that is set here. 412 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,200 He says the price of the wheat is gonna be one denarius. 413 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:31,680 So notice what's happening here, 414 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,160 take a step back and think about this. 415 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,360 He's talking about people who are barely making it. 416 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:39,120 This is gonna be the reality of what's happening here. 417 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:41,360 You work one day, you make your day's wage, 418 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,680 and guess what, all the food that you need for that day, 419 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,920 you have to use all the money you made that day 420 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,600 to supply all the food that you need for that day. 421 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,320 But it goes even further, doesn't it? 422 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,720 Because that's how much one person ate. 423 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,120 Who was doing the main working during these times? 424 00:19:57,120 --> 00:19:58,640 Who was going out working a job? 425 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,360 The man, thank you, Brian, and who was staying at home? 426 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,440 The women and children. 427 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,720 So if one man eats one quart of wheat a day, 428 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,760 and he can only afford one quart of wheat, 429 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,760 what's he gonna give his wife and kids? 430 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:20,360 I don't think they had corn back then over there. 431 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:21,720 The barley, yeah. 432 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,120 Oh, a quarter, a quarter, yeah. 433 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:25,280 So you would either have to try to divide up 434 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:29,160 all the quarter that you had into even more divisions 435 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:30,880 so that you're barely eating anything, 436 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,920 or you buy the cheaper grain, which was barley, 437 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,680 which you see he even addresses here. 438 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,720 They could buy barley for a different price, 439 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:40,560 and it would be cheaper. 440 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,240 So it wasn't as useful as wheat, 441 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:43,920 but it was more affordable 442 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,040 so you could actually, everybody could eat, you know, 443 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,280 which is great when everybody can eat. 444 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:49,120 Do what? 445 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,120 He can get three quarts of barley, that's right. 446 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:55,120 It's not as good, it's not as useful, 447 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,120 but at least everybody's eating. 448 00:20:57,120 --> 00:20:58,480 But notice this picture here. 449 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,200 These people are living paycheck to paycheck, 450 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,200 and if they don't wanna use their entire paycheck 451 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,880 just to serve themselves and feed themselves, 452 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,440 they have to go and spend money on lesser goods 453 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,800 that's just barely gonna get anybody by. 454 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,640 And it's times of trouble, it's times of hardship. 455 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,240 It's people who are barely making it, 456 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:16,560 and they're struggling to survive 457 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,040 and provide for their most basic needs. 458 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,200 And so when you have conquest, when you have bloodshed, 459 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,840 when you have famine, when you have economic hardship, 460 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,440 what is all that resulting? 461 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,040 It starts with a D, death. 462 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,120 And that's where you get the last horseman. 463 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:37,400 Notice what it says in verses seven through eight. 464 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,480 And when you open the fourth seal, 465 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,320 I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 466 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,280 come, and I looked, and behold, a pale horse, 467 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:51,480 and its rider's name was death, and Hades followed him. 468 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,720 And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth 469 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,400 to kill with sword and with famine, 470 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,520 and with pestilence and with wild beasts of the earth. 471 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,960 So this is the fourth horseman, put him over here. 472 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,400 What color's the horse? 473 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,720 What color's the horse? 474 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:30,920 He's riding the green horse. 475 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,120 In the Greek, the word that's used here for pale 476 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:38,880 actually refers to a very pale green, 477 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,480 which fun fact was the exact same color they used 478 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,120 to describe a corpse. 479 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,320 That's what they said the color of a corpse was. 480 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:51,360 So it's no surprise that death comes riding in 481 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:53,520 on the color of death. 482 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,520 Yeah, not a ghost horse, a zombie horse, thank you, Nick. 483 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,160 All right, and what's the purpose of this rider? 484 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,440 It's very simple, it goes with his name, death. 485 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,840 To make sure I feel better, I'll put pale above green. 486 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,320 It's a pale green. 487 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,960 It looks like a corpse, right? 488 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,240 Zombie horse, as Nick said. 489 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:18,080 So death comes and death is followed by Hades. 490 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,680 Remember, Hades is not hell. 491 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,960 Hell is the final place of torment. 492 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,560 Hades is the place that the dead go to await 493 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:26,520 the final judgment. 494 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,120 Is there torment going on there? 495 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:30,120 You can ask the rich man in the story of rich man 496 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:32,360 and Lazarus because that's where Hades is mentioned 497 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:34,640 in the gospels, but I digress. 498 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,960 So Hades is basically following death. 499 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:38,880 What is death doing? 500 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,480 Death is going and conquering people, killing people, 501 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,280 and ushering them into the place where they will wait 502 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,920 the final judgment of God and be banished to hell forever. 503 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,320 And notice what's happening here. 504 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,760 You've got conquest, bloodshed, economic hardship, famine, 505 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,480 and death and Hades are given authority over a quarter 506 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:01,760 of the earth. 507 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,440 And I want you to notice the four ways 508 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,720 that this horseman brings death upon the earth. 509 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:06,840 I want you to notice them. 510 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:11,200 There's sword, famine, disease, and wild beasts. 511 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,200 Why is that significant? 512 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,400 If anybody gets this, I'll give you a Bible. 513 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,240 But why are these four things specific? 514 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:30,080 Like, why are they, what's important about these four? 515 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,800 Persecution of the early church, that's a big swing and a miss, 516 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,280 but good try, Joseph. 517 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,440 You're doing good. 518 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:38,680 All right, there's a reference. 519 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,600 Anybody know the reference? 520 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:42,280 Gene, you're about to say something. 521 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:54,960 Is there another prophet you want to reference? 522 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,800 I respect it. 523 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,720 All right, Ezekiel 1421. 524 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:08,840 This is what the Bible says. 525 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:13,120 For thus says the Lord God, how much more when I send upon 526 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:19,640 Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, 527 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:26,480 wild beasts, pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast. 528 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,080 And so notice what this is saying, 529 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,920 that the four acts of judgment that God promised 530 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,160 upon his rebellious, disobedient people 531 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,280 are the same four acts of judgment 532 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:40,720 that the rider on the fourth horse brings when he comes 533 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,080 to the earth. 534 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,760 So here's my question. 535 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:46,320 I don't know how much time we have left. 536 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,800 Not a lot. 537 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,200 I'll watch those three minutes, but we'll see. 538 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,720 Most important question we'll ask tonight, 539 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,640 when did these four horsemen come? 540 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:01,400 When are they coming to the earth? 541 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,080 When does Jesus open the seals? 542 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,840 When does he break open the seals? 543 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:15,320 Because, yeah, you got it right. 544 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,920 When the seals are broken open, when he does that, 545 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,560 these horsemen are coming. 546 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,120 So when does that happen? 547 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:34,640 When are they coming? 548 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,680 All right, before we get there, this 549 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,840 was the same question the disciples asked Jesus 550 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,040 when he was at the Mount of Olives. 551 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,640 In Matthew 24 and verse 3, the disciples 552 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,760 say, tell us when these things will be 553 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:49,560 and what will be the sign of your coming 554 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,360 and of the end of the age. 555 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:55,720 And Jesus said this, and you will hear of wars 556 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,480 and rumors of wars. 557 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,040 See that you're not alarmed for this must take place, 558 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,080 but the end is not yet. 559 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,560 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom 560 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,280 against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes 561 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:09,200 in various places. 562 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:14,680 All of these things are but the beginning of the birth pains. 563 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:15,760 Does it bring any clarity? 564 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,760 What do y'all think about that? 565 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:19,360 Those things that Jesus just listed, 566 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:22,480 they sound an awful lot like the things that 567 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,840 happened when the four horsemen come, right? 568 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,680 Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, 569 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,040 famines, earthquakes. 570 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:32,960 But the end is not yet. 571 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,560 It's the beginning of the birth pains of the end. 572 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,360 So it's the beginning, as you just said. 573 00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:43,840 And Jesus said that these things mark the beginning of the end. 574 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,240 And revelation signifies that the coming of the horsemen 575 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,240 is the beginning of the end, since it's 576 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:50,680 the opening of the seals. 577 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,240 And once all the seals are opened and everything 578 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,840 takes place, that's when the end will come. 579 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:20,840 So with all that in mind, when do the horsemen come? 580 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:29,720 We do, don't we? 581 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:30,560 That's interesting. 582 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:41,760 So Ms. Vicki, if I understand you right, 583 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,440 your saying is, I don't know if it's definitive, 584 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,440 but I'm going to go with it and say it is. 585 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,400 Ms. Vicki is saying when Jesus resurrected and ascended 586 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:55,440 back into heaven, he then went and began to open the seals 587 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,200 and the four horsemen came then and have been active on the earth 588 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,040 ever since Jesus' ascension. 589 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,080 What do we think about that? 590 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,440 Joseph says yes. 591 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:09,960 It's high praise. 592 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:10,840 OK, yep. 593 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,680 Yeah? 594 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:18,720 Yeah, OK. 595 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:23,040 So actually, I believe that's the right answer, Ms. Vicki. 596 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,720 Yeah? 597 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,200 In various degrees, yes. 598 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:33,480 Yes. 599 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,840 Yes, you do see these things throughout ancient history, 600 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:42,320 but there's an intensification after Jesus' ascension, 601 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,160 because a lot of it is coming down on Christians 602 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,680 specifically. 603 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,560 The amount of Christian persecution and martyrdom 604 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:53,480 since his ascension and since the inception of the church, 605 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,840 we have been the recipients of this more so than any other group. 606 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:58,760 The Christians are the most persecuted group 607 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,680 throughout all of history since we've existed. 608 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,120 And so, yeah, Ms. Vicki had it right. 609 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,440 Since Jesus' ascension, these four horsemen 610 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:08,840 have been active on earth. 611 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,520 Because for instance, do we see the effects of these horsemen 612 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:12,800 today? 613 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,000 I mean, for instance, do you see wars and nations seeking 614 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,720 to conquer other nations? 615 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:19,560 All the time. 616 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,720 The latest one was Russia and Ukraine. 617 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,880 Next one will probably be China and Taiwan. 618 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,840 Who knows what North Korea is doing these days? 619 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:26,520 Can't trust them. 620 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:28,040 I mean, you don't know, right? 621 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:29,880 Nations are always conquering other nations. 622 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,960 What about do you see bloodshed in our world today? 623 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,240 Do we have peace in our world? 624 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,520 I mean, didn't the second rider come to take peace from us? 625 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,200 Do we have peace at all? 626 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,920 No, this whole country is going crazy. 627 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:41,320 Is it not? 628 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,760 You look at the riots and the looting and everything else, 629 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:44,640 there's no peace. 630 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:46,240 It's just bloodshed everywhere. 631 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:46,760 How about this? 632 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,160 Do you see economic hardships? 633 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,400 Do you see people working paycheck to paycheck just 634 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,680 to barely provide for themselves and have something to eat? 635 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:56,760 Oh, yeah, all the time. 636 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,920 Do you see death by weaponry, by starvation, by disease, 637 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,640 by people being killed by wild beasts? 638 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:05,440 Yeah, all the time. 639 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,840 I mean, you see these effects clearly. 640 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:09,880 And you don't need to necessarily think about this 641 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:11,680 as something that happens chronologically. 642 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,280 Like first, all of these things will happen. 643 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:17,080 Then all of these are simultaneously happening 644 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,800 at all times throughout human history. 645 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:22,560 So Jesus ascends, opens the seals, 646 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:26,520 the four horsemen are coming, and they are reeking havoc 647 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:27,080 on the earth. 648 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,000 So look, we can say more about this, probably, well, next week. 649 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:31,560 But here's what I want you to understand 650 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:34,080 is we just do a couple takeaways very quickly. 651 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,800 All of that's concerning, right? 652 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,800 It's not fun to come to church and find out 653 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:41,160 that these horsemen are here on earth now, right? 654 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,040 It's not what you wanted to hear. 655 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:44,360 Here's the good news. 656 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:49,680 God is sovereign over all that takes place. 657 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:51,360 That's what we need to understand. 658 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,440 Because did you notice it says to each one was given. 659 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:56,720 They don't just take authority. 660 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:58,120 They don't just have authority. 661 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,160 They were given authority by the one who has ultimate authority. 662 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,120 And when God says it's all done, stop what you're doing, 663 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:06,560 they're going to listen to him. 664 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,560 When one of the living creatures, that's right, 665 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:09,720 every knee will bow. 666 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,160 When the living creatures say, come forward, what do they do? 667 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:13,320 They come forward. 668 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,240 I mean, these are merely servants 669 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,160 who are enacting what they are supposed to do, 670 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,720 which is another concerning thing. 671 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,720 But I want you to understand this. 672 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:27,360 God's judgments often involve allowing sin to run its course. 673 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,160 That's hard for us to hear. 674 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:30,920 But it's true, is it not? 675 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,040 I mean, you read about this in Romans chapter 1. 676 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,240 God says that after so much time where people are just 677 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:37,960 pleading with people and they just keep denying 678 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,160 and they want their sinful ways and their sinful desires, 679 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:40,800 what does God do? 680 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,680 The Bible says God eventually just gives them over 681 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:44,200 to their sinful desires. 682 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:45,720 And they suffer the consequences 683 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,760 of their own sinful choices. 684 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,200 Well, when human hearts affected by sin 685 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,520 choose to live according to the way of the beast 686 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,360 and the antichrist and the kingdom of Satan, 687 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,120 you expect to see all these things in our world, don't you? 688 00:32:58,120 --> 00:32:59,720 That's not saying that God doesn't care. 689 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,160 It's not saying he's not involved. 690 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:05,000 But God often uses sin to allow it to run its course 691 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,000 as an act of his own judgment. 692 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:08,760 Another thing that I want you to understand, 693 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:13,320 another comfort for you is that God's mercy is always present. 694 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,000 Because did you notice the fourth creature, 695 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:20,600 the fourth rider on the horse, he only has authority 696 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,120 over a quarter of the earth, right? 697 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,920 And then even with the famine, God says, all right, 698 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,080 here's the price of wheat, here's the price of barley, 699 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:29,880 but don't touch the oil and the wine. 700 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:30,220 What are those? 701 00:33:30,220 --> 00:33:33,680 Those are acts of God's mercy even in the midst of hardship. 702 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,040 So no matter how bad things get, you can understand and know 703 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:42,640 in your heart that God is still good and he is still merciful. 704 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,120 And the final thing I want you to just take away from this 705 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,040 is that this passage, it shakes our attachment 706 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:49,880 to false sources of security. 707 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,200 Does it not? 708 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:52,480 I mean, just think about it. 709 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:54,440 Right, I mean, look at how people put their trust 710 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:55,200 in things today. 711 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,240 People put their trust in a nation, right? 712 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:58,320 I love my country. 713 00:33:58,320 --> 00:33:59,720 I trust in this nation. 714 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:03,800 No one can ever do anything to us because we're America. 715 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,600 And one day, that's going to bite us, isn't it? 716 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,880 Someone's going to come and overtake this nation just 717 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:12,200 like they have every other nation before us. 718 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,840 There is no hope in trust in this nation. 719 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,600 People put their trust in their jobs all the time, don't they? 720 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:20,440 And their financial status, and their money, 721 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,120 and their material good, and their health. 722 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:24,720 And this passage reminds us that all of those things 723 00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:27,040 are not true securities at all. 724 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,120 You can't trust in them because each and every one 725 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,280 of those things is susceptible to the four horsemen. 726 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:33,360 Is it not? 727 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,240 The horsemen have the authority to take those things away. 728 00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:39,720 So why would you put your trust in something so fleeting? 729 00:34:39,720 --> 00:34:41,720 It's a way that this passage reminds us 730 00:34:41,720 --> 00:34:43,880 that there is only one source of hope. 731 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:45,600 There's only one source of security. 732 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,560 There's only one thing that these horsemen can't touch, 733 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:50,360 and that is Jesus. 734 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,240 He is our one true hope and our only source of security. 735 00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:55,960 And so listen, no matter what happens, 736 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:59,880 we must keep trusting in Jesus because He is good 737 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:01,880 and He will have the victory. 738 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,640 Even though they're scary and their effects are scary, 739 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:07,680 Jesus will have the victory. 740 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,080 And so we can trust in Him. 741 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:31,080 All right, Michael, you give us a word of wisdom.