And we now there is still many things that are future still waiting to happen. The obvious one is His 2nd Coming with the armies of heaven to do battle with those who surround Israel in the battle of Armageddon.
but do not the whole book apply to us today? example, Chapter 6 are not these Judgment running .... NOW?.
the Four Beast/living creatures in particular. In Revelation 4:7, it gives the description , and REASON of theses four beast, and there have been many different interpretation of who and what these beast/living creatures are. we would like to understanding to this mystery. in Revelation 4:7 it gives the description of these four beast/living creatures, "And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle”. as said these beast/living creatures line up with the four horseman riders in chapter 6, which are the four Judgments of God. to clearly see these judgment, and we’ll come back to chapter 4 afterward and finish up. If that’s ok, with those who are following the topic. I would like to clear up any misconception as to who and what these four beast/living are, and how they was before John is now concerning us today.
I will give each Judgment, separately, for the revelation require a good definition of each judgment.
First, Let’s get the background to these four Judgments to verify our discussion of these four beast/living creatures, The book of, Ezekiel (as said, BEFORE JOHN'S DAY), 14:21 "For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?”
we see the same four judgment here in Revelation chapter 6. they are connect to the four beasts who reveal them to us by the Lord Jesus in opening the seals for our understanding. Listen closely and lets line up the Judgments with the beast/living creatures, and the four horseman.
In Ezekiel 14:21 God give 4 judgments,
1. the sword, Revelation chapter 6, the Red horse rider. The beast/living creature, the Calf/Oxen, chapter 4
2. the famine, Revelation chapter 6, the Black horse rider. The beast/living creature, the Man, Chapter 4
3. the noisome beast, Revelation chapter 5, the White horse rider. The beast/living creature, the lion, chapter 4
4. the pestilence, Revelation chapter 6, the Pale horse rider. The beast/living creature, the flying eagle, chapter 4
Now we can see all four beast/living creatures in relation to each of the four Judgment.
In Revelation, John wrote of 4 horsemen, which clearly identifies with Ezekiel 14:21 Judgments. Let’s look at theses four Judgments/horsemen in much more detail to grasp the understanding of their "works". These first four judgments are directed at Jerusalem, so can these four Judgment in the book of revelation be directed at the some of the seven churches in chapter 2 & 3? I’m not saying either way, but what the word reveals let it reveal it. Now lets go back to the book of Ezekiel and get a good look at these four Judgments.
Ezekiel 14:21 "For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
Ezekiel 14:22 "Yet, behold, therein
shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
Ezekiel 14:23 "And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
yes, God use evil, to accomplish his cause in respond to certain conditions.
THE FAMINE: the third horseman, revealed by the third beast, the “face of the man”, the black horse rider.
Ezekiel 14:12-14 "The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, verse 13 "Son of man,
when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: verse 14 "
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver
but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. (one might want to read that again).
THE NOISOM BEAST: the first horseman, revealed by the first beast, the “face of the Lion”, the white horse rider.
Ezekiel 14:15 & 16 "If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: verse 16 "Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
THE SWORD: the second horseman, revealed by the second beast, the “face of Calf/Oxen, the red horse rider.
Ezekiel 14:17 & 18 "Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: verse 18 "Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
THE PESTILENCE: the fourth horseman, revealed by the fourth beast, the “Face of a flying Eagle, the pale horse rider.
Ezekiel 14:19 & 20 "Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: verse 20 "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
so, we see all of the horse riders here in Revelation chapter 6 as we see them in the "FOUR JUDGMENT" of God in Ezekiel 14, now the question are these 4 beast, or horseman running today? what did God say? let's read it again, Ezekiel 14:12-14 "The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, verse 13 "Son of man,
when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.
the term "
grievously" means, to a very severe or serious degree. is this not the condition of the world today? SINNING GRIEVOUSLY against God ..... TODAY?
so, as said, these Judgment was before John's day and is now running .... TODAY, same Judgment, just described as Four Horseman.
and each Horse describe in Revelation 6 correspond to each beast in Ezekiel 14..... meaning the JUDGMEN THEN, (before John's Day, is now for us ..... TODAY).
Just as the two Witness, the Lord Jesus, and John's Baptism, (in John's Day, is now for us .... TODAY), meaning the preaching of the Gospel, and water Baptism. THIS IS FOR US .... TODAY. is not their ..... "WITNESS" .... TODAY? the Gospel and Water Baptism?
so, the book is for us ..... TODAY. if we can understand the PAST, we by God Holy Word can understand our FUTURE.
101G.