Plagues of locusts, volcanoes, deadly hornets, and the Rona. Current events headlines read like the Book of Revelation, and some are exclaiming, This is it, the Apocalypse! (to quote Imagine Dragons). But is it in actuality? Are we living in the days when we can expect to see the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Four characters associated with the Book of Revelation are colloquially called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They appear in Revelation chapter 6 as Jesus opens the first four Seals of a scroll many scholars believe to be the title deed to the earth. The Horsemen represent conquest, war, famine and death. But are they riding now? Are we living in apocalyptic times?
By Biblical definition, we’ve been living in the last days since Jesus’ first advent.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (i.e. the ages)…
~Hebrews 1:1-2 (italics added for emphasis)
In his famous Olivet Discourse, Jesus gave His Apostles signs to look for as His Second Coming drew closer. Interestingly, the signs He gave line up with the Four Horsemen.(1) The false Christs Jesus predicted (v. 5) coincide with the white horse rider – he mimics Jesus, Who when He returns will be riding a white horse (see Rev. 19:11-13). Jesus prophesied of wars and rumors of wars, and the rider on the red horse takes peace from the earth. In Matthew 24:7 Jesus mentions famines, and the third seal depicts famine conditions where a man will work all day and only be able to buy enough food to feed himself. All of these result in Death, the rider on the pale green horse.
“All these are the beginning of sorrows,” Jesus says (Matt. 24:8). The word “sorrows” means birth pangs, the pain a woman endures before and during childbirth. What Jesus is saying is that these events will happen until His Second Coming, and as the time for His return gets closer, they will increase in both frequency and intensity, just like a woman’s contractions before she gives birth.
So are the happenings listed in the beginning signs of Jesus’ soon return? Yes and no. They are, because Jesus said they would happen until He returns. But we should also expect them to get worse. As Jesus continued in His discourse, He described a time so bad that it would be like no time before, and there will never be another like it (v. 21). So cataclysmic would that time period be, that if Jesus Himself had not cut them short, no one would be left alive (v. 22).
How should we respond? That depends on who you are. If you are a Christian reading this, then your duty is two-fold. First, we are to continue to preach the Gospel to the lost. Jesus said the end would not come until the “gospel of the kingdom [would] be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations” (Matt. 24:14). Second, we are to live Godly lives as we await Christ’s Coming. Peter writes in his second epistle,
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
~2 Peter 3:10-14
Since we know that this world is temporary and is going to end, we should live for that which is permanent: the Kingdom of God in the new heavens and the new earth where the righteous will dwell forever.
But if you are not a Christian and reading this, how should you respond? In regards to the new heaven and earth, the Apostle John writes, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth…But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1, 8) I guarantee you fall somewhere on this list. You may not have murdered someone – although, 1 John 3:15 says that if you hate someone you’re guilty of murder – but I guarantee you’ve told a lie. If you’re not a Christian, then you’re an idolater, worshipping a false god, whether it be yourself, or any other object of worship that isn’t the Biblical God. And since you’re guilty, you’re deserving of eternal punishment. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Death and hell are what each of us deserves due to our sin, but God is merciful and provided a Savior, His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life never sinning, so when He died on the Cross, it was a substitutionary death on behalf of everyone who would ever believe in Him. Jesus, as a willing sacrifice, received the just penalty for our sin, and then He rose from the dead forever defeating sin, death, hell and Satan. What’s required of us is to repent of our sins, and place our trust in Him. If we do that, not only do our sins get imputed to Christ, but His righteousness is imputed to us. This means that God can now allow us into His heaven because He now sees us as if we lived Christ’s sinless life. So repent of your sins and trust Christ alone to be your Savior.
“God…commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
~Acts 17:30-31
Footnotes
1 As we would expect since the central Character is the same in both passages: Jesus is the One speaking in Matt. 24 and He’s opening the Seals in Revelation; and since all of Scripture ultimately has one Author, the Holy Spirit.
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