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May 2024This is Part 5 is a series of studies in Revelation 6 related to the Four Horses of the Apocalypse. See the Wisconsin Christian News website, under “Bible Study” for Part 4 in this series.
I have not listed all the grievously barbaric behavior of governments around the world related to the COVID nonsense because space does not allow for that. Sudden death syndrome is now impossible to hide, although the corporate media certainly attempts to deflect attention away from it. Adolescents and teens with heart disease is caused by something — and that something is the ingredients that comprise the toxic brew evil people call a “vaccine.”
In case you haven’t noticed, the COVID scamdemic is not over. The media is starting up their fear and intimidation campaign once again. China is locking down tens of millions of their own citizens, and at the recent G20 meeting of world leaders, agreement was reached for a Global Vaccine Passport that would permit international travel only with proof of all necessary vaccines and boosters. This is just a first step toward domestic travel restrictions, first by air, then by other modes of public transportation, and then finally by personal automobile.
This is not secret information. It has been revealed in published articles easily accessible to all Americans. Why is there no outcry, outrage, and calls for our government and the officials involved to be tried for these crimes?
German Pastor Martin Niemoeller lamented his non-action in the face of Nazism in his day. He famously quipped:
“When Hitler attacked the Jews, I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then they attacked me and the Protestant church – and there was nobody left to be concerned.”
One of the primary reasons Americans do nothing is that we have been anesthetized by a false view of our government, of the goodness inherent in our way of life, and even of the narrative of the Bible. We have come to believe that the Christian life is one of quiet reflection, total and complete obedience to our government, and a “theology of niceness.” We simply refuse to be thought of in a negative light by anyone. All of this is encapsulated by a thick and blinding veneer of materialism. These things work together to make us bystanders in the face of evil, the very thing Pastor Niemoeller lamented.
Why am I bringing all this up? What purpose can this serve? How does this fit into the biblical narrative of Revelation 6:3-4? Please note this very important phrase in verse 4 – “that men would slay one another.” Is that speaking only of world wars in distant places, or does it mean more than we think?
Just as important for our understanding of the Red Horse and what will unfold when it is released, is the phrase that precedes “that men would slay one another.” That phrase is, “It was granted to take peace from the earth.”
The peace that Antichrist brings is a false peace. It is a tenuous peace built upon a foundation of wickedness and deception and therefore it cannot stand. Isaiah 57:20-21 tells us the result of those who clamor for peace that masks evil:
“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, for the wicked.”
There is no peace for the wicked. What does that say about the global efforts to bring peace to the Middle East? Is it possible that the so-called “Two State Solution” in which Israel will give away land to her Muslim neighbors, will result in peace? It will not result in peace because those involved in trying to bring this to pass are wicked and evil men and women. Muslims have stated repeatedly that their goal is to completely obliterate Israel, not coexist with her. There is no peace for the wicked.
What about former President Trump’s crown jewel of diplomacy, the Abrahamic Accords? Many Americans were lulled into a false sense of hope and peace by these so-called treaties. Here are their opening remarks...
“We, the undersigned, recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom.
“We encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity.
“We believe that the best way to address challenges is through cooperation and dialogue and that developing friendly relations among States advances the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East and around the world.
“We seek tolerance and respect for every person in order to make this world a place where all can enjoy a life of dignity and hope, no matter their race, faith or ethnicity.”
This is the reality behind the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and every globally oriented organization that proclaims it is working to achieve peace for the entire world. The fact is that as we read here in Revelation 6, all global organizations stating they are working for peace, are working for the Antichrist and the beast system currently in construction.
How can I say that? I can say that because Yahweh and Jesus/Yeshua are nowhere to be found. Any peace founded upon dialogue among men only, is doomed to fail. Unless the God of the Bible is the foundation of the solution, the solution will not sustain peace for long. Our insistence on this truth is what is causing the globalists to systematically isolate Bible-believing Christians as threats to global unity.
When we rightly divide the Word of Yahweh, we see this very message being proclaimed to us in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12:
“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
The one who manages to bring a temporary peace to the Middle East and the world will be lauded as worthy of praise and eventually worship. Former President Trump was lauded for his work there. The Antichrist will receive much more than acclaim for his work in his day.
This second chapter of 2 Thessalonians speaks important truths to us concerning the events of the end of days. Let’s walk through a few of these things and notice the clues to the context, meaning, and application of these verses.
First, we see that it is addressed to the ecclesia. Second, the subject matter is two-fold – the coming of Jesus Christ and our gathering to Him. Third, we see that Paul is writing to bring clarity to the subject because they had been shaken and disturbed by contrary teaching. In fact, Paul says that those who had believed the teaching contrary to what he taught had been deceived (verse 3).
What teaching had Paul previously given on this subject? That previous teaching is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
This is what Paul is referring to in 2 Thessalonians 2:5. Those of you who utilize the KJV will notice a difference in translation between the KJV and the NASB in verse 2. The latter uses the phrase “the day of the Lord.” While the former uses the phrase “the day of Christ.” The Greek word should be translated “Christ” and not “Lord.” This adds unnecessary confusion. The day of Christ is in view. The NASB means the same thing and that is denoted by using Lord instead of LORD. In the many places of Scripture where the second coming of Jesus is mentioned the phrase is always “the day of the LORD” or as in Revelation 16:13-14 the “great day of God, the Almighty”:
“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
What is in view here is the rapture of the ecclesia and the timing of that rapture. Paul wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians in part to address and reaffirm his previous teaching concerning the return of Jesus for the saints.
Now, a final word on this passage from 2 Thessalonians 2. Verse 3 is very important. It has been misinterpreted longer than I’ve been a believer. I will not likely convince anyone who holds a different view than I do about the timing, but I am going to state my view once again.
Verse 3 of 2 Thessalonians 2 says that before Jesus raptures the ecclesia there will be a great falling away. Notice in that same verse that there is a comma and then this statement: “and the man of lawlessness is revealed,” comma, “the son of destruction.” Most readers will say that this verse is saying that before the rapture occurs two things must happen – the great apostasy and the identification of the Antichrist. Is that how we are to read the text? I do not believe it is.
Verse 3 is simply giving us information chronologically. In other words, there is a gap of time between the apostasy which precedes the rapture, and the revealing of the Antichrist, which happens after the rapture. Many people who hold to a rapture view that opposes the pretribulation view use this text to make their argument. This verse simply does not say what opponents of the pretribulation rapture view thinks it says.
There are many other places in Scripture where periods of time are marked by commas or by a conjunction such as “and” Isaiah 61:1-3 is an example.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.”
In verse 2 we find a tremendous gap of time. In fact, it is now approximately 2000 years and counting. In Luke 4:14-21, Jesus demonstrated that gap of time.
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”
There is another gap right here in Revelation 6:8. There we read that the Antichrist will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will destroy. There is at least a gap of 3.5 years, perhaps more depending on your eschatological views.
I’ve labored this point to lay a foundation for you to see the connection between these seal judgments, especially this second seal judgment of the Red Horse and what it brings. I believe we are seeing the precursor to this judgment. We are witnessing a normalization, a conditioning of sorts, to massive evil – school shootings, night club shootings, shootings at concerts, and in malls, and every other place people gather in large numbers. People are being prepared for the arrival of a time of global slaughter so that they will turn to the Antichrist for salvation.
I also want to point out to you before we go further that the Greek word for “slay” used in 6:4 can also and more accurately be interpreted as “butcher” or “slaughter” of an animal in an act of sacrifice (Strong’s #4969). The verse then reads that men would butcher one another in an act of sacrifice. Acts of sacrifice are only done as a part of worship.
Some might say, well that has never happened in America. We have never ritually sacrificed any person. That is simply not true. People are ritually sacrificed by worshipers of Satan ever day in America. There are tens of thousands of survivors of satanic ritual abuse living among us. I spoke with and prayed for one yesterday.
The brutal slaying of now approximately 70 million unborn human beings is a sacrifice in blood to the god of convenience, fear, and self-centeredness. Murdering unborn humans in the womb is satanic ritual sacrifice and the evil ones who worship Satan receive it as such.
TO BE CONTINUED
Signed copies of Mike’s book, “The Four Horses of Revelation 6: A New Prophetic Interpretation” are available from the author by sending your money order or check for $23 which includes shipping cost to:
Dr. Mike Spaulding
Pastor, Calvary Chapel of Lima
www.cclohio.org
www.drmikespaudling.com
