Skating the Infosphere

“Think You’re Radical, Think Again”

Is it radical to raise your hands in worship to God? Is it radical to pray out loud during congregational praise? Is it too radical to talk about your love for Jesus when others talk about their worries and fears? What does it mean to be a radical Christian? If you asked that question to any number of believers today, probably you would receive any number of comments. Why? It’s because radicalism’s meaning has changed many times over the centuries. For example, in the 12th century if you demanded that the Bible be written in a common language for the common man, you were radical and probably would be burned at the stake. In the 16th century you were radical if you protested the worldly lifestyle of the pope. This also could cost you your life. Today many define radical Christianity as “holy rollers”—those who sing too loud, and want to talk about Jesus constantly. If that’s radicalism today, it won’t be tomorrow. One day every believer will sing loudly and shout to Jesus. When we get to heaven, the shouts of praise and rejoicing will never cease. Then the praises will come from everyone’s lips, even from the soft-spoken believer. Trust the Bible on this one. I’d like to take you back to a time in history when radicalism was no different than today’s most reserved and traditional Protestant.

The Rising Stars of Reformation were Radical

He was despised so by the Council of Constance that it charged him with over 200 crimes and ordered his writings burned. Then they dug up his corpse and burnt it. He had been dead for only 44 years. Now that’s pretty severe punishment for someone whose only crime was translating the Bible from Latin into primitive English for the common man. But his actions were too radical for the Catholic Church during the rising Reformation. And although his body was destroyed, John Wycliffe’s (c.329-1384) legacy continued. There were other radicals like Wycliffe. They started appearing in history when the Church became weak, immoral, corrupt and scholasticism became the focus of the Catholic Church. Scholasticism was an attempt to combine Greek philosophy with Christianity, but it backfired. Instead of training the best minds of the day to think, critique the classics, and support the Catholic Church, it educated a number of scholars that could now dispute Catholic doctrines, and do it intelligently.

The Challengers

Marsilius (c.1275-1343) was a man who could have had a successful career as a church official, but he blew it. That happens when people get radical. They disrupt their comfort zones. Marsilius, an Italian, believed that all beliefs should be measured against God’s word. If that wasn’t radical enough, he believed in the priesthood of believers. The priesthood of believers means that each man may go to God in prayer and each individual is responsible to God for his spiritual condition. When he attacked the pope, it didn’t set well with the powers that be, and he was excommunicated. If he had not received protection from a German prince, not only would he have been excommunicated but executed as well. Pretty radical stuff isn’t it?
By the way, the German prince that protected Marsilius also protected William of Ockham (c.1290-1349) from the pope. William of Ockham developed into perhaps the greatest logician that ever lived. He pointed out that ‘the Christian faith…is superior to any pope…’ This landed him in hot water too. William was tried for his beliefs, imprisoned for a while, and then excommunicated by the pope. These guys were just too radical for their times.

Moreover, radicalism spread to Bohemia. Bohemia is where the Czech Republic is located. The writings of Wycliffe made their way to the hands of John Huss. This is pretty amazing considering that there were no printing presses during Wycliffe’s day, and his few translations available were copied by hand. Huss was a scholar also. He had studied philosophy and theology at the University of Prague. This university went on to become one of the most famous institutions of higher learning in Europe. Huss came to share most of Wycliffe’s views about scripture. Huss finally drew the wrath of the Catholic Church and under guise of safe passage to the Council of Constance, he was arrested and burned at the stake. His last words were, ‘Lord, into Thy hand I commend my spirit.’ I might add that the burning of John Huss did not accomplish its objectives. His followers, called Hussites, increased more and more. One of the Hussite groups was the Moravians. They were famous for their missionary activities and influence on John and Charles Wesley. In 1501 the Hussites printed the first non-Catholic hymnbook. I think it’s rather ironic that after Huss was executed they cast his ashes into the Rhine River, flowing northward into Germany. A soon-to-be-famous German by the name of Martin Luther would one-day write, ‘If John Huss was a heretic, then there is not a single Christian under the sun.’

I could go on naming many more radicals of that time. There were men like Ulrich von Hutten (c.1488-1523) who took the liberty of attacking the papacy as it had never been attacked in Germany. Also there was John Reuchlin (c.1455-1522) who wrote a book that was friendly toward the Jews, and the pope condemned it. And then at the apex of the radical movement was, of course, Martin Luther. This former Catholic monk turned the world upside down with his “revelation” of Paul’s writing to the Romans—the just shall live by faith. That’s right. Martin Luther revealed the teaching about salvation by faith alone to the world at no small cost. Salvation by faith alone was a radical concept for the 16th century.

And there you have it. Many of the basic doctrines of Protestant Christianity were once radical ideas and didn’t set well with the powerful Catholic Church. Today we wouldn’t call these men radicals. We’d call them reformers, visionaries, or forefathers of faith, but we certainly wouldn’t consider their beliefs radical. In like manner, one day when Jesus rules from the Holy City of Jerusalem, we who were once considered “holy rollers” will be considered sedate compared to the saints before the throne. Brother and sister I think it’s time to get RADICAL.

Pastor Terry Dashner—Faith Fellowship Church—PO Box 1586, B.A. OK
for other articles on church history—tdash0355@netzero.com.

About the Author

Pastors a small church in Broken Arrow, OK

Pain and suffering have become a reality no one escapes, as sad result of living in a fallen world. We all experience it in many forms. It manifests differently for each person. Many try to compare pain and list it hierarchically in terms of worst levels of suffering, but when it comes down to it, pain is pain, mo matter its face, and Jesus died for our sins and suffering, and he doesn’t differentiate between types of pain. He is here to comfort us all.

I was raised in a middle class household. I wasn’t physically abused or sexually molested, but we’re all broken, and my parents weren’t perfect, and I suffered tremendous emotional abuse as a result of their brokenness. I didn’t feel entitled to feel this pain because I hadn’t been badly beaten, etc. But, then I started hearing people say that emotional abuse can be the most damaging. I didn’t quite believe it as I had heard stories of women who had been raped, others whom were victims of incest, and other horror stories. I didn’t feel that I had a right to feel my pain – that it didn’t seem to compare to some others sufferings, so I stuffed my hurts deep inside. Despite all efforts, however, pain comes out in other forms. It’s like a disease – it infects every relationship and action. One wise person told me – pain is pain. The Lord doesn’t differentiate between hurts, and only help those dealing with certain types of pain. We’re all in need of healing from our brokenness, whatever form it takes. Sometimes, I still don’t feel entitled or worthy of healing when I look at the poor and impoverished, the oppressed in third world countries. I keep thinking, I should be able to cope, as I have not suffered those atrocities, but I still have my own pain that must be healed, and masking it only keeps me in the same state of brokenness, and I have lived with the curse of bad relationships stemming from stuffed pain.

We all have our Goliaths in our lives to face. They may be different for each person, the same for some. But no one is immune from the trials of life. We all dream of living in the Garden of Eden. It’s the life we were designed for, but cannot have, until the Lord’s second coming. There is, however, healing available to all of us, and help in those fiery trials. Each victory demonstrates how real Jesus is in our life, and that living in the promise land can happen in each of our lives. The Israelites had to fight to live in the promise land. It wasn’t just handed to them on a silver platter. We all have to bring our problems to the foot of the cross. All healing starts there. We need forgiveness for sins, and to forgive ourselves and our human failings and brokenness, and we need to forgive others for what they’ve done to us. There’s freedom in forgiveness. Prayer and community can help us with this process. When we’re in pain and really suffering, our faith can waiver under all the pressures. Sometimes, we need to have others to have faith for us during these times, to see us through. Sometimes we just need to be carried, til we can walk ourselves.

Like Job, we all need an unwavering perseverance. The only way to deal with the pain and suffering is to go through it, not around it, or away from it. One must remember, however, that we need not go through it alone. Jesus is with us, and we also need to reach out to our church community. We need prayers, assistance and lots of hugs from other prayer warriors, who have likewise, have met their Goliaths. Trials strengthens and stretches all of us. If life was always easy, we’d be weak and superficial. I’m a single mother of two children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, rarely get child support on a regular basis, and suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and Raynaud’s Disease. My pain is as real as the next person’s, and I’m just as deserving of the Lord’s comfort and help, and I now can embrace it for myself, and receive His help. God doesn’t differentiate between types of pain. His love and healing are available to all indiscriminately. All we have to do is call on Him, and He’s there in the pain with us. He understands human suffering because He lived it, and suffered one of the worse deaths imaginable. He truly knows pain and suffering, but by His stripes, we are healed, and we need to embrace that for ourselves, and never give up hoping, even during the times when there seems like there’s no reason for hope. We must persevere, and if we do, the Lord in all His mercy, will transform us, and we will walk into the promise land here on Earth.

No one said the journey was easy, but those who push through, do make it, but we have to have faith and trust in the Lord, and when we don’t have that faith, we need to call on friends to have faith for us. God only requires us to have faith the size of a mustard seed. He grants us wide berth. How lucky we are to have such a loving God that truly knows our suffering, and is more than willing to dry our tears.

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

He who continually goes

Forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again

With rejoicing

Bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:5-6)

About the Author

At age 41, I am trying to reinvent myself and follow my passion to write. For years, I’ve had the responsible job to pay the bills, discounting the possibility that I could make money at something I love. Now I’m hoping for a new life and a new career.

For, as we are increasingly aware, the structures of human life in common are of different kinds, not only economic and political, but also cultural and religious; all of them condition human life, all of them can weaken or destroy it, and all of them are capable of being impregnated by the Gospel and of embodying a greater justice and charity. So it is worth paying unflagging attention to the different aspects of the contexts in which we find ourselves, lest we end up oblivious of the changes developing or out of touch with them.

7. These are some reasons why, after GC34, the social apostolate began a world-wide examen. It was deemed necessary to organise the 1997 Naples Congress in an effort to give new impetus within the Society to the social apostolate as a sign of our full commitment to the social dimension of our mission. Among some promising results of the process, programmed for 1995-2005, the following seem especially significant.

One is the importance of elaborating the characteristics of the social apostolate at the level of the universal Society and of adapting them at the local level. Such characteristics provide the framework for continually discerning, in creative fidelity to the social dimension of our charism, what the Spirit calls us to in the ever different poverties and injustices of the world. Some of the many insights and questions needed in this sense find expression in the working draft Characteristics of the Social Apostolate. Since the current draft is taking much longer to revise than foreseen, everyone is encouraged to send in comments and suggestions towards a definitive edition of these Characteristics, after study and discussion in communities and groups.

While each commitment can and must be very specific, we need to keep in mind the various levels of action and reflection which are involved, as the well-known expression “local/global” suggests. These levels go from the apparently simplest contact with and service to the poor at the grass-roots, through every sort of human development and promotion, to working for far-reaching change in structures nationally and internationally.

As we keep working at different levels, we also want to become aware of and remain up-to-date on how complex and changing are the injustices and the socio-cultural structures in today’s world. This requires bringing a plurality of viewpoints to bear on problems and employing multiple ways of reading society and doing things there.

Finally, experience has taught us to ground our social commitment squarely upon the foundation of our Ignatian spirituality and our Jesuit tradition, both of which ‘place us joyfully with the Son and with those among whom the Son wants to be, the poor and neglected of the earth.’ We recognise that it is not possible to call oneself a companion of Jesus if one does not share His love for those who suffer.

8. These same elements suggest the direction in which to continue going and indicate some concrete measures to support the process currently underway. An endless pluralism of approaches and variety of methods and organisational models constitute, without a doubt, an enormous richness of the social apostolate; but, in order to fulfil this potential and grow as an apostolic body, it very much needs adequate co-ordination. Accordingly, we need to make good use of the forms and structures of co-ordination already available and indeed strengthen them. I would like every Province, Region and inter-provincial body like Conferences of Major Superiors to have a co-ordinator of the social apostolate, supported by an appropriate commission, and with sufficient capacity, resources and time to play their role.

At the same time, a greater flow of useful and up-to-date information is needed in the social apostolate within Provinces and beyond them. Such exchange of information should encourage those involved, propose questions or instruments of reflection, and help networks to grow and function effectively. Much greater benefit can be drawn from the Church’s social teaching and the social apostolate’s experience accumulated since the Instruction of Father Janssens. I count on the Social Justice Secretariat at the Curia to continue its work of co-ordination and to strengthen communications throughout the social apostolate.

Compared with the work of other groups and organisations active in the social field, the social apostolate of the Society is notable for its presence at all the various levels from the grassroots to international bodies, and in all the various approaches from the direct forms of service, through working with groups and movements, to research, reflection and publication. In this typically multiple presence, a great but little realised potential of the universal Society lies hidden, which we owe it to the poor and to the Church to make better use of. Let us actively look for ways of combining competencies in social analysis and theological reflection, with experience of closeness to the poor and work with those who suffer injustices of every sort, and of better exploiting all the possibilities that are given us as a universal and international apostolic body.

Finally, the perseverance and the development of the social apostolate cannot take place without the availability of qualified Jesuits and co-workers. Therefore, I encourage Jesuits involved in the social apostolate and those responsible for formation to co-operate in setting up well-designed programmes, within a Province or inter-Provincially, such as GC34 asks: ‘Young Jesuits should be in contact with the poor, not just occasionally, but in a more sustained manner. These experiences must be accompanied by careful reflection as part of the academic and spiritual formation and should be integrated into training in socio-cultural analysis.’ The normal formation should provide scholastics and brothers with the social studies and apostolic experiences that will help all to grow in social-mindedness, allowing some to encounter in the social apostolate the sector in which they can fulfil their own personal and priestly vocation to the Society.

Our non-Jesuit co-workers, too, should be assured really good access to the Society’s spiritual heritage and apostolic experience, wherefrom they can draw as they integrate their personal background and gifts. Opportunities for learning, reflection, prayer and on-going formation need to be offered our co-workers with, always, the greatest respect for their religious convictions. Some experiences already show the Characteristics to be a useful resource for these purposes.

9. ‘Christ came to unite what was divided, to destroy sin and hatred, and to reawaken in humanity the vocation to unity and brotherhood.’ The crying needs of the poor, the radical demands of the Gospel, the insistent teaching of the Church, and the prophetic calls of our General Congregations, leave us far from complacent with our response. ‘The commitment of the Society to a radical life of faith that finds expression in the promotion of justice’ has been, is and will be a great grace for us all. Much fine work is already being done and much renewal is already underway. With profound gratitude we appreciate the work done in the name of the whole Society by social works great and small, by the Jesuit Refugee Service and many Jesuit Volunteers.

These few pages suggest why and how to strengthen the social apostolate, locally and beyond, so that the social dimension of the Society’s universal mission may find ever more concrete and effective expression in who we are, what we do, how we live. ‘How much the Society will accomplish’ - declared Father Janssens at the end of his Instruction – ‘if only we unite our forces and, in a spirit of oneness, gird ourselves humbly and resolutely for the work before us!’ May the Lord Jesus, with the intercession of Mary our Mother of the Magnificat, enlist us ever more fully and radically as servants of His mission.
Fraternally yours in Christ,” (5)

JIDDHU KRISHNAMURTI: - After all that ‘stuff’ it is hard to write about a man of spirit and perhaps one of the true messiahs. At this juncture in my writing I have placed a great deal of information in front of anyone who would have read the previous dozen and more books. This information seldom states exactly what is going on with the likes of Jefferson or Krishnamurti for a good reason or two. One of those reasons is – I do not know exactly what influenced their lives and to what extent. I do know they both had esoteric teachers connected to the Hermetic and ancient knowledge. The other reason has to do with how much I do know about all this stuff because I have studied it for decades. I know few people could possibly grasp the full potential or meaning of these things and even in the area of politics and their social inputs this is true.

About the Author

None

It’s election year in America. Time to endure that painful
process where politicians, pollsters and pundits all vie for the
national spotlight. Truth is stretched beyond recognition.
Promises made tend to vaporize. We are reminded daily that chaos
will prevail if we do not elect this or that enlightened
candidate to save the nation.

Given our relative success with this “experiment in liberty,” we
Americans may think that elected office is our own invention.
Fact is, this young republic is still on training wheels. The
Catholic Church has trod this path for the better part of two
millennia. Perhaps it is worth revisiting the oldest electoral
process in the world, which gives one billion Catholics their
Supreme Pontiff. The Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici
Gregis, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1996,
provides clear guidance on how the Church is to go about
selecting the next Vicar of Christ.

The passing of a pope is one of those moments that can virtually
define an era. It is among the pivotal events that serve as
milestones in a life span, such as JFK’s fateful visit to
Dallas, Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, or the Dow
passing the 10,000 mark. A vacancy in the See of Peter prompts
an outpouring of love coupled with a whirlwind of speculation.
It closes the door of history and opens the window of
opportunity. First, however, we grieve.

The Apostolic Constitution prescribes a nine day mourning period
in honor of the deceased pope, with burial to occur between the
fourth and sixth days. This duration has both a devotional
aspect and a practical one. Proper mourning protocols must be
observed for this citizen of the world. As the pope is a Head of
State, the Vatican will serve as host to both secular and
religious leaders who attend the funeral rites and pay the
respects of their particular society. With few exceptions, the
business of the Church is essentially stopped during this time
of reflection and prayer. Even any Councils or Synods in
progress are immediately suspended until approved to continue by
the new pope.

This period of time is largely overseen by an individual known
as the Cardinal “Camerlengo” or Chamberlain. His job, as
described in the Apostolic Constitution, is “…safeguarding and
administering the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See.” He
meets with the College of Cardinals to decide issues that
include funeral and internment details, approval of
expenditures, destruction of the Fisherman’s Ring, lodging
assignments for the arriving electors and selection of the
theologians who will prepare the two key meditations. These
meditations are mandated by the Constitution and will ultimately
be delivered to the gathered College of Cardinals. The
meditations focus on the problems facing the Church and the need
for discernment in the coming election. Given that the Cardinal
electors hail from every corner of the globe, these meditations
will help them to understand the “State of the Church.”

The College of Cardinals is restricted by the Constitution to a
total of 120 eligible voters. As long as a Cardinal has not yet
reached his 80th birthday on the day of the pope’s death, he may
cast a vote in the election. Thanks to the vision of Pope John
Paul II, the College enjoys a multi-national composition, which
is sure to translate into a rich harvest of qualified papabile,
or papal candidates. Not all Cardinals are bishops, so it is
possible that the electors could choose a man for the papacy who
does not possess the highest degree of Holy Orders. As the pope
is first and foremost the Bishop of Rome, the Apostolic
Constitution calls for the immediate episcopal consecration of
the new Pontiff, if necessary.

The electoral process must begin no sooner than 15 and no later
than 20 days after the death of the pope. The election takes
place in the Sistine Chapel. During the proceedings the
Cardinals will be required to lodge in the Vatican City State,
primarily in the newly-constructed Domus Sanctae Marthae
residence. This is to ensure a degree of isolation from outside
influences as they undertake their sacred duty. The electors are
restricted from using any method of personal communication or
being exposed to the newspaper, radio, television or Internet.
They may not even be approached for conversation as they proceed
each day from their lodging to the Sistine Chapel.

The papal election process begins with a solemn Mass in St.
Peter’s Basilica. This is followed by a dignified procession of
the Princes of the Church into the Sistine Chapel. Here sacred
oaths are administered to each elector and associated papal
staff to ensure the perpetual secrecy of the proceedings. Once
these tasks are completed, staff members are dismissed and the
chapel doors are locked forthwith. The conclave (from cum clave,
“with a key”) now begins.

Absent any questions on election procedure from the Cardinals,
the balloting begins immediately. Total secrecy is paramount.
Each elector casts a single handwritten vote, carrying it
forward to be placed in a designated vessel for counting. One by
one the votes are checked, re-checked and recorded aloud. The
ballots are then pierced with a needle and gathered together on
one thread to preclude any being misplaced. On the first day of
the conclave, only one ballot is taken. Each subsequent day will
include two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon, as
necessary.

The gathering in the Sistine Chapel is not about speeches,
debates or discussion. It is about discerning the will of the
Holy Spirit and reflecting that will in a ballot. Throughout
this process, the Cardinals assemble for each session and vote
immediately. Should the vote not yield a clear winner, the
second vote is taken with no delay.

A two-thirds majority is necessary for election. Should the
number of electors not be divisible by three, then two-thirds
majority plus one additional vote are required. Should a pope
not be elected in three days, the conclave will enter a day of
prayer and dialogue. The Constitution then allows for another
seven balloting opportunities (three additional days). These are
again followed by another day of prayer should no pope be
chosen. On several occasions in Church history the process of
selecting a pope has gone on for years!

Given the global presence of the papacy, the outside world
anxiously awaits the results of the voting. Television cameras
remain focused on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, awaiting a
simple, yet telling, billow of smoke. If no pope is elected
during a particular session, all the paper ballots are burned
along with some straw, giving off black smoke. Success in
electing a pope is indicated by all the paper ballots being
burned alone, resulting in white smoke. Just prior to that
moment, two important questions had been asked of the man so
chosen: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme
Pontiff?” A positive response is followed by the second query,
“By what name do you wish to be called?” These answered, the
newly-elected pope immediately possesses the full and universal
authority of the office.

Once he is duly empowered, the Cardinals come forward one by one
to offer homage and pledge obedience to the new Vicar of Christ.
Papal tailors are standing by to outfit His Holiness for the
official introduction to the world. In short order, the
announcement goes out from the Apostolic Palace to the crowd in
St. Peter’s Square and to the world, Habemus papem (“We have a
pope”). The new Holy Father steps out onto his balcony and
greets the faithful while offering his blessing, Urbi et Orbi,
“to the City and the World.”

It has been over twenty-five years since the last papal
conclave. Technology has taken quantum leaps. Empires have
imploded. Kings, presidents and prime ministers have come and
gone. Still, Holy Mother Church goes on, protecting and
promulgating the truth and promise of Jesus Christ. She ensures
that the line of leadership succession from St. Peter continues
through the ages by providing the world’s Catholics with visible
authority. For our part, we extend a welcome and offer a prayer
for the newest Vicar of Christ and “Servant of the Servants of
God.”

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Lets read; 2Pe 1:20. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” Interpretating Revelations is as with other Books of the Bible, comes from inspiration. We all have views that must be expressed with the utmost respect to others.
The White Horse.
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (Zec_6:3); Compare Christ in (Rev_19:11) whom the Beast imitates. The Beast of the white horse is the Anti-Christ, we see this because of , 1. The color of the horse imitates the Horse that “The Christ” Rides to Battle at Armageddon. The anti-christ must convince many that he is the Christ, in doing so, he will immatate many of the aspects of Christ but with none of the ultimate authority. His authority is given to Him by God in limited amounts. [Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.] and 2. We see the rider carrying a “BOW”, Christ has never been described as having a bow but always a sword. and 3. We see that a crown was given to him.[by who? God] The horse in scripture represents power. Crowns represent, power and authority. There are separations of each horse by its color. Remember in the original, Hebrew and Greek, the color may vary in representation. The main thing to remember is what the horse represents.
The Red Horse.
Rev 6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. We see that a great sword was given to him meaning that death and bloodshed will be great.[Rev_13:10; Exo_9:16, Exo_9:17; Isa_37:26, Isa_37:27; Eze_29:18-20; Dan_2:37, Dan_2:38, Dan_5:19; Joh_19:11] here we see the color, Red, Blood and death, carnage, & discord. We see the similarity between the rider of the red horse here and the woman of Revelations 17. Death in the interpretation of the Horsemen is of great significance. We are given a look into the future of man. Mans lack of desire to serve God and to repent of His sins. Same as with the woman in Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. In Rev 9:6 , And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. We can see that the events that are taking place with the Horsemen are separate from the dealings with man in Rev 9:6. Now there are differences of opinion on who the people, of the Horsemen, are, who are dieing. Some may say the poor that have rejected Christ and others may say the religious infrastructure, the leadership of the one world religion. I believe that it will be a combination of both, rich and poor, influential and the unknown. This is how the Anti-Christ, of the White Horse gains power over all nations of the earth. remember that John was told to write; {Schofield ref.} 1. Things past, “the things thou hast seen,” (Revelation 1:1-20). 2. Things present, “the things which are,” i.e. things then existing–obviously the churches. The temple had been destroyed, the Jews dispersed: the testimony of God had been committed to the Churches (1Ti_3:15). Accordingly we have seven messages to seven representative churches, (Revelation 2:1 - 3:22). It is noteworthy that the church is not mentioned in chapters 5-18. 3. Things future, “things which shall be hereafter,” lit. “after these,” i.e. after the church period ends, Revelation 4:1 - 22:21.
The Black Horse.
Rev 6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. Rev 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. The color of the horse: “black ” This would denote distress, famine and calamity. Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. As an example I have inserted Eze 4:16, Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: Balances are and have been used to measure many different types of material, here it is food. Signifying that there is coming a time of great dispare for the people on the food supply. We see this today around the world as food becomes a commodity of great value. Wheat has been used as a bartering tool for oil and money. Eze 4:17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity. If you noticed with the White and Red Horse, the series of events take place one right after another. War and confusion, confrontation, death and conquest. Now with what we all know about warfare, we see that with every war there comes refugees with the lack of food and water. The White Horse and His rider went forth conquering, and to conquer, war. Food in scripture is used many times to win battles. The Red Horse and his rider were given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: revolt and revolution, assignations and murder, genocide. So as you can see, the listing of the horses and colors, which are symbols, coincides and lines up perfectly with each other. The Last Color is Pale.
The Pale Horse.
Rev 6:8 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 over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. [Death: Rev_20:13, Rev_20:14; Isa_25:8; Hos_13:14; Hab_2:5; 1Co_15:55] Death is often compared to a pale color or ashen color. There is no crown represented here for death is without any specific symbol. Many causes are associated with it so no symbol is needed. Again we see that Death was given power, by who? God. We see this in perspective when we read; Rev 9:6-11; And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. For any death to accure there must be permission from God, as we have seen. The Pale horse riders, Death and Hell, are the symbols of the people affected by this horse. First there will be death, the taking of life then Hell the destination of the ungodly and unrighteous. The cause for death being given power; Rev 9:20-21; And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. ars

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