Third and Fourth Horseman

Revelation 6:5-8

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.  And I heard what seemed to be 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 wine!” When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”  And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

We see the remaining two horsemen revealed in John’s vision through Revelation 6:5-8.  The creature near God’s throne announces to John the third horseman, riding upon a black horse, with scales in his hand.  This horseman brings famine and economic collapse upon the world.

For context, a denarius was a day’s wage in those times, equivalent to approximately $200 by today’s standards.  A quart of wheat is about the size of a loaf of bread, and the estimated requirement to sustain one person for one day.  The implication here is that a person can earn only enough in one day to sustain their life.  No extras, no savings, nothing outside of the bare necessities.  

We can see their society is being split into the haves (oil and wine) and have-nots (wheat and barley) as represented by the third horseman’s instructions.  By limiting the wheat and barley supply, he creates hardships for the lower class, leading to famine and death, while the upper class is unhindered and still able to enjoy finer things like olive oil and wine, at least for this time.

The fact that our economy today is so unbelievably fragile is another example of the nearness to the end times.  Since COVID in 2020 & 2021, we have seen a continual escalation of the price of necessities – bread, milk, gas, water, meat, eggs, and other goods.  On average, the cost of living has increased by 24.3% in the last 4 years.  Unheard of in modern-day history.  At the same time, the average income has increased only 6% - 10%, while unemployment has surged as a result of company restructuring during the pandemic, and they have never been called back.  The economy is so fragile that many farmers and factories have closed permanently, forcing families into bankruptcy and foreclosures.  We are seeing the fingerprints of Revelation 6:6 in our world today if you pay attention.

The fourth horseman is then let loose upon a Pale horse.  The fourth horseman is called Death, and is followed closely by Hades (Hell).  He carries a sickle in his hand and is instructed to bring death upon the earth.  A quarter of the earth’s population will be slain by one of four means: Sword, Hunger, Death (pestilence, plagues), and Beasts.  This represents over 2 billion people (by today’s numbers).  The sword would be wars, violence, murder, and conflict.  Hunger by famine and starvation.  Death will come upon them in plagues (think Black Death, Smallpox, and Bubonic Plague) and pestilence or deadly disease.  (I do not include COVID, because frankly, more people die of influenza each year than COVID in 2020 & 2021) Finally, the beasts of the earth (wild animals) will turn on mankind as well.

Following the economic collapse brought on by the third horseman, this horseman will bring death for those impacted above.  We have seen wars over and over in the 20th and 21st centuries, taking millions of lives.  We have seen bubonic plague take 100’s of millions of lives in Europe, and smallpox take millions as well.  This only scratches the surface of what ¼ of the earth’s population would represent, though.  Think about the scale of 2.2 billion people dying at once.  One in every 4 people you know would be gone.  It’s going to happen to those who are here when God’s plan is put into action.  Will we still be here?  Who knows.  Many say believers will not be here during that time.  Others say we will go through these trials and tribulations only to be raptured afterwards.  God’s wrath, as seen in John’s vision, will come to be.  It may be soon, or it may be 100 years away.  The reality is to have faith and trust in Jesus Christ and realize that the hardships in this life will result in eternal joy in God’s presence.  Do not fear these last days, but prepare accordingly by being in the Word and in prayer every day.