The Antichrist And The Coming Calamities

 Dear Saints:

Last week, when hurricane Ida was pounding the east coast and the wildfires were ravaging the west coast, the news and experts were saying this may be signs of the end for the USA and the rest of the world. The pundits were blaming global warming. I am for good stewardship of the earth. It’s surprising that when examined, many who will do everything to save the environment may care less for the God who created the environment. We are at the point where the worship of created things is more important than the worship of God the Creator. This is idolatry.

Whatever we are experiencing now in terms of the weather and climate changes is nothing compared to what is coming in the form of the Great Tribulation and its natural calamities/disasters.

As we continue our study in Revelation chapter 6, the seals of the scroll will be opened, the Antichrist will emerge and the Great Tribulation will begin. Remember from chapter 5, only Jesus Christ is found worthy to open the scroll that has seven seals. He will now show the world that He is in charge of judging the earth and its inhabitants. Jesus talked about the coming events in Mathew 24 while He was here.

As we study chapter 6 and the next chapters (7-18), keep in mind that we who are alive now and believe in Christ are already raptured and in heaven with Christ; and later to return to earth with Christ to rule and reign. We shall not experience these things (see Revelation 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 4-5, Daniel 9:24-27) that will happen within seven years, so let’s read them:

Revelation 6:1-8:

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ² And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

³ When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” ⁴ Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

⁵ When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

⁷ When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” ⁸ So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth”.

So what do we see? The first seal is opened and here comes the one on a white horse. This is not Jesus Christ because Jesus is the one with the scroll and he is opening the seals. The one on a white horse is the imitation of Christ, the Antichrist. He will start by promising peace but will gain his power and rule by war and conquering. He will emerge as the world leader. More is said about the Antichrist as the deceiver and exploiter (Revelation 13). He will mesmerize the world but note that he was granted the “crown” by God for a season and for God’s purposes.

The second and third seals reveal the conditions that will prevail during the reign of the Antichrist. There will be no peace;  hunger and famine will ravage the people. Peace will be sucked out of this earth as people kill one another. Talk about the crimes of today. Those to come have no equal and in mass proportions. I believe the same Antichrist is the one riding on the four horses with various manifestations of his evil.

The fourth seal is the beginning of deaths like never before and caused by both humans and beasts or people who act like beasts. There will be no human feelings and regard for life. One-fourth of the earth’s people, about 1.6 billion will be killed.  I believe the world will then reap what it has sowed from ages past to the present in the form of millions of babies being butchered in the womb by abortion and other atrocities. Their blood cry out for vengeance. That’s my take. You can disagree.

You would not wish your worst enemy to be alive in those times because more calamities are coming as Jesus opens more seals that have greater calamities.

So what do we do now? How are we to live in the present? We live now knowing for sure that Jesus wins at the end. Sin will be punished. We can live today assuring ourselves of our salvation in Christ.

"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" -1 Thessalonians 5:8-10

Do you know for sure you will escape the judgment/wrath of God? If not, please put your faith in Christ now. I wouldn’t wait till the seals are opened. Yes, there will be some who may trust in Christ during the tribulation period as we will see in later verses and chapters of Revelation but they will be killed.

Today is the day of salvation and never to be delayed. Put your trust in God today and forever. Christ could come today for His church to take us away with Him. Are you in Christ and His own?

Will you be an “ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21.  

Today, on behalf of God plead to people to put their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation. 

May God’s grace abound for us now and forever as we do his will.  Thank you, Jesus for dying for us even while we were still sinners. Amen