The First Message, 4th Seal, 4th Trumpet and 4th Plagu

The First Message, 4th Seal, 4th Trumpet and 4th Plague

The Fourth Seal
“And I looked and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them (or to him) over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Rev. 6:8.
These four-fold calamities were promised to ancient Jerusalem. “The elders of Israel had set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face.” “So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; I will bring a sword upon thee.” See Eze. 5:5-17 and 14:1-23.
The pale horse comes with four curses. This is a very grim picture. To begin, the word “pale” is from CHLORIS and means greenish. The same as “green” grass is in the first trumpet. The rider is bringing malediction to those who are verdant, inexperienced, naive, people who make no effort to understand anything. The word CHLORIS is derived from CHOLE, a female Christian name. So the seal is clearly directed at the churches of our dispensation. A female name is used as woman is symbolic in scripture of the life-giver. Such a symbol is taken from actuality. The pale horse is used to bring punishment to those who have blindly and without question or effort accepted maxims. His rider’s name is “Death and Hell followed
with him.”
The writers of the seals proceed to relate the four torments. Sword, hunger, death and beasts. Why four? Four illustrates the four points of the compass, meaning global, e.g. “the four winds of the earth.” This seal reveals a world-wide judgment
within ecclesiasticism.
Sword. This sword is a counterfeit. It is not the word of the Spirit of God, the God of true wise determinations. Coming from the word RHOMPHAIA meaning sabre/cutlass, it is a very malicious ravaging weapon, spitefully triumphing over torpidity or those who have ignored the Spirit of progress.
Hunger. From LIMOS is a scarcity of sustenance for the soul. The previously mentioned famine (3rd seal) has intensified. There is a longing for the food of mercy. Is it genuine? Isaiah vividly assigns the following. “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for a time to come forever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits.” Is this the food the “green” grass will accept? “…Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in the high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” Isa. 30:8-13.
Death. Literal death means permanent cessation. Intellectual death is loss of spiritual life. John is writing in the spiritual sense. It is interesting to consider Old Testament quotes regarding life and death in the flesh. The ancient writers are exemplifying and imperishable life. They uplift the food of the Spirit that the faithful hand to others. As they ingest their gift and develop, they in turn offer honourable sustenance. This is everlasting life. But death – how is death presented in O.T.? Many quotes could be given, but a few shall suffice.
“In death there is no rememberance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” Ps. 6:5. “Consider and hear me. O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I should sleep the sleep of death.” Ps. 13:3. See Ps. 115:17, Eccl. 9:5,6,10.
Ezekiel has much to say concerning death. This Book mainly uses the word “pestilence”, in a vision of the four-fold punishment brought upon Jerusalem. Ponder the reason why this calamnity befell Jerusalem for this is our exampler. Today those professing godliness are the corresponding part of ancient Jerusalem, being the entire conformity in essence.
Cogitate in more detail Ezekiel’s words of warning, for they are important. About “the elders of Israel, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and have put a stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?...Every man of the house of Israel that setteth his idols in his heart, and putteth before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.”
“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? 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. And they shall comfort you, when you shall see their ways and there doings, and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.”
Beasts The beasts of the earth are the beasts of Rev. 13. A typical vision of these beasts was taken from Old Testament Bible-history and from prophetically written Dan. 7-9 as well as other foretellingly written books. The prophetic books thrust the temple-history forward to show the Bible’s continual correlation of moral purity versus resultant iniquity.
Both beasts of Rev. 13 show powers that arose quite unpretentiously, but declined into treacherous corruption and tyranny. The symbolic beasts in Dan. 7 meet antitype in the Gospels and archetype in Revelation.
Reiteration. With careful O.T. study it can be shown that the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (pre-captivity) and the Kingdom of the Jews (post captivity) are replayed in the New Testament, bolstering the principle of type and antitype leading to archetype.
John writes, these two beasts worship the dragon which gave power unto the first beast. The second beast with two horns, said, they should make an image to the first beast.
Egypt was the dragon in O.T. according to Eze. 29:3. As the story goes, the Hebrews left repressive Egypt (probably in little groups) and journeyed to Canaan where they settled as a boisterous, rebellious, brutalized mob.
Early Christendom, a Jewish-Gentile mix, in an immature state emerged from rigid Judaism to establish small communal groups.
Israel of old was unrefined even to the time of king Saul. Then the kingdom of Israel was given to David and progress began. Israel divided into two kingdoms, ten tribes to the north and Judah two tribes to the south.
In modern time, societal fragmentation has encompassed the Christian church.
Israel apostasised and was assimulated into Assyria never to rise again. Judah followed the Davidian line with many ups and downs. Some continually backsliding into idolatry and repenting, only to be forgiven and restored. Others passed off the spectrum and into oblivion. Will the imprint of moral history on the modern-day exposé indelibly glaze the foot-prints of time?
Thus the two pre-exilic kingdoms:
1. Israel - destroyed
2. Judah - two captivities to Babyon - in Jehoiachim’s reign 606 B.C. and secondly in Zedekiah’s reign 588 B.C.
There is more - the second beast of Rev. 13. The example of this beast with the two horns is the Kingdom of the Jews. Post-captivity saw the kingdom rise to power, prepared to start anew. All was quiet for some time. Gradually Jews took an interest in idolatrous Hellenism – see 1 Macc. 1:11-15. Their own culture began to wane. The renegrade Jews hardened their hearts, and blinded with literalism joined Antiochus Epiphanes (the Greek-Syrian leader) to plunder the temple and exterminate faithful souls. Daniel termed the idolworshipping Jews as, “an host that was given him (Antiohcus Epiphanes) against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced and prospered.” Dan. 8:12. Daniel confirms this conspiracy in Dan. 8.24.
Here in Greek days the first era of the Jewish Kingdom originating in all sincerity, but because of the rebellion, ended in turmoil and hostility.
The second era commenced with victory over Antiochus Epiphanes. The temple repaired and re-dedicated 2 Macc. 10:1-8. So peaceful a nation Zechariah records, “There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man and his staff in his hand for every age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.” Zech. 8:4,5.
The Hasmonean Kingdom of the Jews in time introduced the Pharisees and Sadducees. Pharisees claiming keepers of the oracles of God, and unwaivering retainers of Levitical law. The Sadducees held the civic power. Both tyrannical and oppressive. Both responsible for silencing the Messianic Body. The two-horned beast of gospel-days “spake as a dragon.” Judaism came to a permanent end then as there was not one valid stone upon another, of her teachings, left standing.
The Kingdom of the Jews had two eras. Both commenced in all innocence but owing to rebellion, unfaithfulness and idolatry failed hopelessly. John was shown a fitting example of the two-horned beast which persecuted its own people as a retributive punishment for willful ignorance and intolerance. Enough said about the beasts of the earth.
Fourth Trumpet
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” Rev. 8:12.
Total darkness, total blindness, total ignorance, what better way to set forth the meaning of a terrible plight. Death and Hell, hail and darkness.
Was this moral blindness a configuration borrowed from the Old Testament model, to show us similarity of circumstances in a by-gone age? Turn to the Book of Joel.
Joel, a nom-de-plume, uses an invasion of locusts to relate aggressive Greek/Syrian forces who attacked Judah. (The locusts will be dwelt with in the fifth trumpet.) Implemented by Antiochus Epiphanes this assault upon Judah was seen as a punishment to God’s people for transgressing the law of love, the law of liberty.
Judah had become a kingdom of drunkards. Joel 1:5. Not literal drunkards. The scriptural world is a world of symbolic writing. “Drunkards” from SHIKKOR is derived from SHAKAR meaning influence. Simple people were conditioned, or trained to a certain response. “Influenced” was a requirement convincingly imposed on others by “authority.” Drunkeness defied the understanding that all are intrinsically a free spirit.
Conditioning is also an affront to concept, the great achievement of our God. Conceptual thought, this amazing advance, must forever be reverenced. This is when our God rested. As we faithfully apply this wonderful gift to betterment we also rest. Will we, through the Spirit of love, contribute to creativity and partake of spiritual tranquility?
As with antitypes and archetypes more than one type embraces a predicament or elevation. Certainly the plagues of Egypt, e.g hail and darkness played a big part in understanding the fourth trumpet. This paper will concentrate on Joel’s report as to why “the sun and moon shall be dark and the stars” withdraw their shining. The writers, in retrospect, observed Judah, a very small kingdom surrounded by the Grecian army and turbulent races. This is a picture of gloom and darkness, if ever there were. All the one-time lights of heaven now devoid of moral dignity departed to the depths of despondency. Not an atom of equity or rightful discernment left amongst the “supposedly avowed.” This no doubt explains darkness, total darkness.

The time of drunkenness, reported by Joel, is the time when apostate Jews joined with Antiochus Epiphanes to plunder the temple, and exterminate loyal Jews. Drunkeness had influenced Jews and they were depicted as “an host”…that by reason of transgression …cast down the truth to the ground;” and together with Antiochus Epiphanes “practiced and prospered.” Dan. 8:12, and confirmed in 1 Macc. 1:11-15.
The book of Daniel, prophetically noting powers that ruled in the days of post-exilic Judah tells of the rough goat; king of Grecia (Dan. 8:21). Then the kingdom divided and later a king of fierce countenance stood up – Dan. 8:2,3. This was Antiochus Epiphanes. 1 Macc. 1:7-10.
Daniel emphasizes, Antiochus Ephiphane’s exploits triumphed only with the help of drunken Jews. “And his power shall be mighty but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.” Dan. 8:24.
Is this the portrait the Revelator recalled in the fourth trumpet. Maybe the following statements also coloured his vision.
“In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow. So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen.” See a Macc. 1:11-15. There is a repetition of Bible texts (re Daniel and 1 Maccabees) in the 4th seal section “beasts of the earth” and drunkenness (Joel) or darkness (Rev. 7 in the 4th trumpet). These were sourced from the same type showing the similarity of thought in the two visions.
Enough said about the typical darkness that came to Judah of old. The parallel with Revelation appears to be clearly drawn.
4th Plague
“And the fourth angel poured out his vail upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.'
The sun did not scorch men with fire, as many have taught. The trumpet rhythmically sounded – “the sun was smitten, and was darkened, and the dayshone not.” No scorching power here. It was the fourth angel with the vial, “and the power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.” The angel was/is a servant of our God, “Our God is a consuming fire.” Men scorched with great heat, blasphemed the name of God.” The name of God from ONOMA meaning, they reviled the name of God. Reviled his authority, his character and they repented not to give him glory. Repented not? Is this darkness? Oh! Thyatira, what have you done?