PART II:  BEGINNING of SORROWS (SEALS 1 – 4)

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Table of Contents
See my note on the Day of the Lord.

Segment 1:  Seal 1

White is the color of peace.  This horse and its rider, with a bow and a crown (Rev. 6:2), picture the Antichrist (false-Christ) feigning the return of the real Christ (or Messiah—see C-3), Who will come on a white horse with many crowns and a sharp sword (Rev. 19:11,12a,15a) and Who first will conquer the forces of evil and then bring real peace.  Now, the bow of the false-Christ has no arrow, implying limited power—unlike Jesus’s sword used to strike down and judge the nations (see “Sagittarius”: C-9, P-IV, S-1).  Also, the Antichrist’s crown is a single stephanos, a perishable wreath-like crown given to an athlete completing a race or other event (1 Cor. 9:25ab); but Christ will wear many crowns or diadems, permanent crowns of gold given to a king (Rev. 19:12b).

The Antichrist will come under the guise of peace but will have world conquest in his heart.  After the (temporary) success of the “peace” pact in the Middle East (and probably triumphs of “peace” elsewhere), I have little doubt that the earth’s people will look to him to bring peace to the entire planet.  It also may be that economic collapse and/or other disasters will befall the earth at that time, causing the people of the world to give their allegiance to this one man, hoping he can “straighten things out.”  This man will be the chief example of a type of person described by John, maybe because he will see himself as the Messiah (Matt. 24:4,5):

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ [Messiah] as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world.  Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist (2 John 7).

A “New Age” mindset now is preparing a world for the arrival of this appealing man.  The “...spirit of the antichrist...” (1 John 4:3b) is powerful today and is soon to make its incarnate appearance.  The Antichrist and his advocate, the False Prophet (another “beast” seen by John—Rev. 13:11-17), initially will epitomize the “New Age” ideal, which sees humankind as being “at one with the spiritual life-force of the universe” and having the capability of molding and shaping his/her own eternal destiny through the development of the mind-spirit and the maximizing of personal potential.  Later, however, the False Prophet will betray the “New Age” church and will be instrumental in its downfall (see “the ‘New Age’ church and its fall”: P-III, S-1).

first seal passages

These are Scriptures which I believe relate to Seal 1:  Matt. 24:4,5; Mark 13:5,6; Luke 21:8,9; Rev. 6:1,2.  (See also “1st Seal/Jesus”: “the first six seals”: C-12, P-I.)

Segment 2:  Seal 2

Red is the color of war and bloodshed.  True peace among people cannot exist unless the Love and Peace of the True God is in their hearts; then peace comes automatically not forcibly, voluntarily not unwillingly.  The Antichrist, expected by billions to make world peace (and maybe to lead the world through a time of economic collapse and other upheavals), will (I suspect) attempt to force peace and maintain stability by military means.  This will result in rebellion and war (probably involving nuclear weapons), which will spread to much of the world (Rev. 6:4bc).  (Another possibility is that this will be the time that Russia and her allies attack Israel—Ezek. 38:1-16, 39:1,2.  I believe, however, that this event will occur much later during the 70th Week; see “Ezekiel’s prophecy” and “interpretations”: P-IV, S-2).  Jesus said that, at this time, there would be wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matt. 24:6a,7a).

Now, “nation” is translated from the Greek ethnos or “ethnic groups” so; people in entire ethnic groups will be allied against those in other ethnic groups, reminiscent of the Los Angeles rioting, mayhem, looting, and havoc of April 29 and 30, 1992 (an example of Prov. 1:11-14).  “Ethnic cleansing,” itself an innocent-sounding phrase, really denotes the attempting to exterminate an entire people—that is, genocide.  It has been rampant in Bosnia and also is advocated by neo-Nazis in various places.  (Although a “peace” treaty involving Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia was signed in Paris on December 14, 1995, it has been demonstrated that there cannot be a lasting peace in this region.)  For centuries, the Jews have been the focus of “ethnic cleansing”; and this will culminate, in its most appalling and deplorable form, during the 70th Week.

It is interesting to note that “red” also is the color of the enormous dragon “...with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns [diadems] on his heads...” (Rev. 12:3), depicting Satan (see “‘beast,’ ‘red dragon,’ and ‘little horn’”: C-11, P-I), who has been the “king” over every world empire and will be the galvanizing force behind the Antichrist.

second seal passages

These are Scriptures which I believe relate to Seal 2:  Matt. 24:6,7a; Mark 13:7,8a; Luke 21:9,10; Rev. 6:3,4.  (See also “2nd Seal/Jesus”: “the first six seals”: C-12, P-I.)

Segment 3:  Seal 3

Black is the color of famine.  Devastating wars (Seal 2) will destroy land and the people needed to cultivate the land, thereby decreasing food production and supply; and great earthquakes (predicted by Jesus for this time—Matt. 24:7b) may cut off the water availability to certain areas, having the same effect.  The result is famine, and the severe famines here will result in the rationing of food and extremely high prices (hyperinflation) for it (Rev. 6:6).  Small amounts of staples (like bread and cereal), scarce as they will be, will cost as much as a day’s earnings.  (It is sobering to think that about 75-80% of the world’s food comes from the USA; this country, seemingly, will not be exempt from the effects of Seals 2 and 3.)

There is an indication that the production of oil and wine will not be affected as much as that of basic food staples.  Some feel this is because olives and grapes do not need as much attention and cultivation as other crops and, as a result, will be more plentiful.  Others think that products of luxury (for instance, cosmetics, fattening foods, and wines) will continue to be demanded by people—even though they may be starving due to the scarcity of nutritional basics.

A look in the “Earthquakes” section of the latest issue of the World Almanac will reveal that the numbers of significant, devastating earthquakes so far this century have increased dramatically every decade and continue to be on the increase.  The incidence of major earthquakes in California alone has been on a marked increase over the past decade or so, beginning with the Whittier Narrows quake (6.0) of October 1, 1987, and the Loma Prieta/Santa Cruz quake (7.1) of October 17, 1989.  I personally have felt three giant earthquakes: the Landers quake (7.5) and the Big Bear quake (6.6) of June 28, 1992, and the Northridge/Reseda quake (6.7) of January 17, 1994.  An enormous (>8.2 magnitude) quake, occurring on June 8, 1994, centered in Bolivia about 400 miles underground, has baffled seismologists.  It is not understood how a quake so far beneath the earth’s surface could occur, nor how it could be felt thousands of miles away, even in Seattle and Toronto.  I personally believe that immense quakes like this one—and even much greater ones—may become commonplace in divers places as the earth’s substructure becomes less and less stable, culminating in the most severe earthquake to ever strike the earth, after the end of the 70th Week, apparently shaking the entire planet (Rev. 16:18-20).

third seal passages

These are Scriptures which I believe relate to Seal 3:  Matt. 24:7b; Mark 13:8b; Luke 21:11 (earthquakes, famines); Rev. 6:5,6.  (See also “3rd Seal/Jesus”: “the first six seals”: C-12, P-I.)

Segment 4:  Seal 4

Pale green (from the Greek chloros) is the color of death.  It will result from the effects of the wars, earthquakes, and famines of Seals 2 and 3, as well as from plagues and pestilences (such as AIDS, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, malaria, Hantavirus, Streptococcus A, Escherichia coli, and no doubt others both familiar and unfamiliar to us at this time) and uncontrolled, unrestrained wild animals (Rev. 6:8bc).  Probably the worst cholera epidemic ever, which spread like wildfire among tens of thousands of Rwandan refugees fleeing into Zaire in the summer of 1994, was only a mild foretaste of dreadful epidemics which will break out worldwide and propagate virtually unchecked during the final years of this age.  Some feel that ¼ of the world’s population will die.  Others believe that the mass death will be limited to ¼ of the world’s area.  Either way, hundreds of millions or even billions will die at this time.

“Hades” will follow “Death” for the unbelieving, unsaved members of the population (Rev. 6:8b).  Included in this group, I feel, will be a great number of wealthy individuals who will have cared nothing about their fellow human beings, having lived in luxury and piled up worldly treasures (and necessities) for themselves with regard for no one else (Matt. 6:19-21; Luke 16:19-23).  Everything will be taken from them in a brief time, including their lives.

War (the “sword”), famine, wasting plagues and pestilences, and wild beasts (animals), even in ancient times, were the primary means of population destruction (Lev. 26:14-26; Ezek. 14:13-21).  During the 70th Week, the magnitude of these means of destruction will be astounding, even beyond imagination.

fourth seal passages

These are Scriptures which I believe relate to Seal 4:  Luke 21:11 (pestilences); Rev. 6:7,8.  (See also “4th Seal/Jesus”: “the first six seals”: C-12, P-I.)

Proceed to Chapter 12, Part III

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Copyright © 1998– by Ted M. Montgomery, O.D.  Most rights reserved.