The Pale Horseman

A relative called me recently and asked me to look at a video of a news broadcast that contained a brief image that appears to fit the description of the “pale horseman” described in the Book of the Revelations.

God has seven “spirits” and according to a prophecy of the coming Messiah by Isaiah in chapter eleven, verse two; six of these are described. “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”. John the Revelator tells us of these spirits of God as well: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” These “spirits” are an interaction of God with mankind, and also include the “spirit” of creation.

These Spirits can be viewed from the point of view of humanity as the characteristics of God. They accomplish the actions and interactions of God with the created universe and humanity. God (elohiym-authority of great creative power) took counsel of His own will and created all that exists by His wisdom:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" (Eph.. 1:4-11)

The Apostles discuss the power and wisdom of God as being manifest in Jesus Christ (I Cor.1:24). John revealed the Word as the will of God from before the foundation of the world and seen by us as the Messiah in John 1:1.

When we look to the signs and wonders that follow the Christians in the book of Acts of the Apostles, we see that they all have a purpose that brings the attention of people to their personal need of God, and to a God that can satisfy that need. Salvation is always the result of, or the goal of, these miracle events. None of the types of miracles manifested includes a “flash and boom” to cause consternation or fear.

Recently, a video broadcast of the civil war in Cairo Egypt included a sudden appearance of a pale horse and rider that miraculously disappeared from the crowd of fighting citizens. Considering the above scriptural point of view, this is not a manifestation of something in the apocalyptic account of Revelations. The horsemen described in that book are revelations of the powers of Nations involved in the environment near the end of the church age of Grace. The scripture does not suggest these are going to be observed as real objects as described in revelations, but rather they are metaphor: the horse symbolizes a warring king of responsibility.
The pale horse represents the ensuing death.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem at the beginning of the festival, his family and friends were disappointed because he did not ride a horse into town. That would have symbolized his role as an authority on Earth as a king. They had hoped he came to relieve them of the Roman government rule over Israel. Instead, he rode the colt of an ass that symbolized peace. This was the objective of his ministry; to bring peace.

This is a similar metaphorical remark as the “mark” of the beast described to be in the forehead and the palm of the hand. It might simply represent an implication of thought and action rather than an actual imprinting on the hand and forehead. The saints were “sealed” in their forehead as well, yet they bore no distinguishing marks on their foreheads that we can determine. So these statements are the result of Hebrew usage of idiom to explain the events to transpire. We may be separated from the bulk of society as a result of our faith and belief; we should be recognizable as very different and excluded from the transaction of society at large possibly because we will not be afforded the civil rights to participate based on the illegal status of our religious belief.

Paul gives us a definite description of this process to the church in Thessaloniki:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thess. 2:1-12)

A lying wonder is a falsehood. What we saw in that video clip is a manipulation of our society, and many will believe it. This will confuse and frighten a world of spiritually deceived people into a form of submission to the “assumed” apocalyptic processes based on an unknowable purpose by an unknown agency.

If I Am in Christ, I am admonished to be “anxious for nothing”. I am to be a symbol of the hope of Jesus Christ to my society, a banner made by God to attract the population that will seek God, rather than reject Him. I need to lift up Jesus before the people around me, not cower in fear of the coming judgment. If I become afraid, I will seek his face for peace in all things.