Title Third Seal: The Black Horse of Famine
Contents
2006' Lecture on Revelation from the pulpit of Kyunghyang (27)
"The Third Seal: The Black Horse of Famine"
Revelation 6:5-6
1. Introduction
1) It begins with the third living organism society.
In Revelation 6:5, it says, "As he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come... ' he said.
The “third” living creature had a human face (Revelation 4:7). The progress of the revelation event is always by the initiative work of God Himself.
2) It was revealed to John the Evangelist.
Revelation 6:5 also says, “… I hear... ' he said. He also saw a black horse rider and heard the creature's call. He also heard a voice that seemed to come from among the four living creatures (Revelation 6:6).
2. Appearance of the Black Horse Rider
In Revelation 6:5, “… I see a black horse... ' he said.
The ‘black’ light represents sadness (woe). Lamentations 5:10 says, “Our skin is black as a furnace because of the heat of hunger.” Judging from the contents of the next verse, the sadness is due to the ‘famine’.
Anytime war is followed by famine. Famine brings hunger. It is sad and painful.
If so, this revelation means the poor human condition in which the heavens and the earth are cursed, the fields fail to fulfill their role, and people become malnourished as a result.
3. Ministry of the Black Horse Rider
I have a scale in my hand.
Revelation 6:5 says, “He who sat on it had scales in his hand.” It is natural for a soldier to have a weapon in his hand. However, the scales are held in the hands of the soldier riding this black horse. Leviticus 26:26 says, "When I cut off the food you depend on, ten women will bake your bread in one oven and weigh it on the scales, and you will eat and you will not be full." Weighing food on the scales indicates an extreme famine.
Ezekiel 4:16-17 "And he said to me, "Son of man, I will cut off the food I trust in Jerusalem, and in the midst of trepidation the people will eat sweet bread and drink water from the folklore. I will perish in iniquity.” Revelation 6:6 says, “I heard a voice that seemed to fly among the four living creatures, saying, “A denarius is a measure of wheat, and a denarius is a stone of barley.”
These words are high prices that cannot even be imagined as wages. Then this black horse rider is a symbol of famine and hunger.
Why is there a famine?
Sometimes it is the result of war. As a result of the war, people and the land lose their productive capacity, leading to famine.
Sometimes it's the result of no rain. This is the case in which the heavens have turned to bronze because of God's wrath. There was such a disaster in the days of King Ahab. In this case, the servants of the truth will experience miracles in their suffering. Elijah, the remaining 7,000 prophets, and the women of Zarephath.
Sometimes the results are not good. This was because the water quality of Suwon was not good in the case of the Jericho plain. Also, there are cases where the people are lazy and do not get any produce, or it may be because of lavish and debauched consumer waste. But one of the most important reasons was one of the signs of Jesus' return. Matthew 24:7 says, “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
Why would God use this?
① It is to guard against betrayal and arrogance of people.
This is because people have an evil habit of turning away from God when they eat a lot.
Proverbs 30:9 says, “If I am full and do not know God, I shall say, ‘Who is the LORD? ' he said.
In fact, it was the rich man who yielded abundantly in the field, or the wealthy Nabal who sheared sheep.
② To guard against suicidal behavior.
1 Timothy 6:10 says, “The love of money is the root of all evil, and those who long for it have been deceived, and have erred from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
③ It is to teach the foundation of a sure hope.
Life is unpredictable, and there is a weakness to put all hope on wealth. 1 Timothy 5:6 says, “He who loves pleasure lives, but he is dead.” 1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Do not put your hope in wealth that is uncertain… ' he said.
④ It is to teach the true future.
People believe in the wealth of the world and deny or ignore the existence of the afterlife. That's why they said, "Let's eat and drink, for we will die tomorrow" (Isaiah 22:13).
They do not know that they are of the world, which appears for a moment and then disappears (James 4:14).
They believe in the ship as a god (Philippians 3:19) and think only of earthly things. That is why He educates and provides for life through famine.
⑤ It is a tool to punish the wicked.
The famine in Elijah's day was God's instrument to punish the vicious Ahab and Jezebel.
4. However, the saints have abundant grace even during famine.
In Revelation 6:6, “… Do not harm olive oil and wine.”
‘Olive oil’ and ‘wine’ are symbols of the religion of abundant life.
According to James 5:14, it is used for medicinal purposes for the sick. In Luke 10:34, oil and wine were poured and used to bind up the wounds of the robbers. Isaiah 55:1 says, “Come, he who has no money, come and buy and eat; and come ye, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” This indicates that God's children have the satisfaction of life in overcoming famine even in the midst of the afflictions of extreme famine.
Obadiah, for example, was able to provide bread and water while hiding 100 prophets in a cave during extreme tribulation.
The widow and her son in the land of Zarephath had the miraculous bread and oil that they could eat together with Elijah, the servant of truth. Olive oil was used to light the fires as oil in the temple. Wine is food, and it is also a symbol of the blood of life.
If so, it could also mean that the truth of the Holy Spirit and the cross will always exist in the midst of famine. Even if the whole world suffers from famine, those who enjoy the grace of salvation through the cross in the light of the Holy Spirit will not die.
Isn't it a blessing for the saints to experience mercy in the midst of wrath?
Then, the hope is that the church can have olive oil and wine to bind up and anoint the wounded even in the midst of the plagues of wrath.
Psalm 33:18-19 says, “The Lord searches those who fear him, those who hope for his mercy, and rescues their souls from death, and brings them to life in times of famine.” Psalm 37:19 says, “They will not be ashamed in tribulation; they will have abundance in the day of famine.”
Even among the black horses of famine, the saints have olive oil and wine!
Hallelujah!
According to UN statistics, as of 2006, out of 6 billion people, a quarter suffered from hunger. About 1.6 billion people go to bed every night with a hungry stomach because they have nothing to eat. In addition, it is said that more than 40,000 children die from malnutrition every day, and more than 15 million people die of starvation each year. These famines are on the rise despite the development of civilization and culture.
By 2015, the world's population is expected to exceed 7 billion. The United Nations has a goal of halving the number of people living in poverty worldwide by 2015, but it seems difficult to achieve.
But in the midst of this, the true church (saints) has the grace that God has secretly stored up. It is olive oil and wine.
According to Revelation 13, those who do not receive the mark of the beast will be deprived of their right to live and face their threats. As a result, danger is expected for the children of God. But what must be assured is that all guarantees of safety are promised to those who are sealed on their foreheads.
How strong is olive oil and wine?
How was it used?
Could it not have been that God had laid up in a secret tabernacle for His elect?