Friday, June 22, 2012

War and Famine

Reflections on Revelation 6:1-8

The first four seals which the Lamb opens correspond to Matthew 24:6-8. Wars and rumors of wars, nations and kingdoms rising against each other, and famines and earthquakes are, Jesus says, the beginnings of travail.

When the first seal is opened, a rider on a white horse goes out to conquer. The horse is white because the pretext for war is almost always a just or righteous cause which masks the greed or pride of the one making war. The second horse is red. He takes peace from the earth and fills it with blood. War always leads to bloodshed. Next, John sees a black horse, and on it a man carrying pair of scales signifying that shortages and famine follow war. When the fourth seal is opened, a pale horse appears, and its rider is Death. Hades follows claiming all the dead whether they have died by the sword, famine, disease, or wild animals.

War and famine are under the control of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He uses the greed and ambition of the nations to bring the miseries of war upon them and to soften the nations for his conquest and judgment.

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