Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - harbingers of the end of the world
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse , the harbingers of the end, are biblical characters from the New Testament. They are first mentioned in the sixth chapter of the Revelation of John the Theologian. According to prophetic texts: when the fall of mankind reaches its apogee, God will personally call the Four Horsemen and give them the power to wreak horror and chaos on the land of mortals. Having arranged, in a way, the threshold of doomsday. The horsemen will not appear into the world all together, but will come one by one, as the seals are removed from the book of life. In order of arrival, we will talk about each rider in more detail.
No one knows the date of the end of the world, according to the Bible.
We have already established that the events of Revelation are not necessarily end-of-the-world events, although this is the most popular interpretation. In light of this conversation, it is worth mentioning what the Bible says about when the world will end.
“But about that day and hour no one knows, not the angels of heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.”
(Mark 13:31–32)
“Therefore you also be ready, for at an hour you do not think the Son of Man is coming.”
(Matt. 24:44)
According to the Bible, God the Father is the only one who knows the date of the end of the world (icon by Vasnetsov). Photo: wm-painting.ru
“There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren, for you yourselves know with certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety,” then destruction will suddenly come upon them, just as the pain of childbirth befalls one who is pregnant, and they will not escape.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:1)
Therefore, the date of the end of the world is a mystery. And it is unlikely that attempts to calculate it using signs from the Book of Revelation make sense. And yet it will be interesting to describe the omens of the end of humanity.
Plague
“I looked, and behold a white horse, and its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out victorious, and to conquer.”
The First Horseman of the Apocalypse will appear in our world on a white horse, bringing with him the most terrible and unprecedented diseases, pestilences and infections. His name is Plague . His coming most likely has the goal of dividing and destroying the cohesion of humanity, bringing discord and decay to the cities. Thus, significantly weakening or completely breaking the spirit of people.
There is also the word “Armageddon” - it also does not mean the end of the world
Another example of incorrect usage is when Armageddon is called the end of the world or the final battle between good and evil. In fact, this is the name of the area that is mentioned in the apocalypse:
“These are demonic spirits performing signs; they go out to the kings of the earth throughout the Universe to gather them for battle on that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come like a thief: blessed is he who watches and keeps his clothes, lest he walk naked, and lest they see his shame. And he gathered them to a place called in Hebrew Armageddon."
(Rev. 16:14–16)
Most likely, we are talking about the foot of the Carmel ridge near the city of Megiddo.
The Valley of Armageddon is the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil. Photo: it-hotel.ru
War
“And another horse came out, a red one, and to him who sat on it power was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and a great sword was given to him.”
Removing the second seal from the book of life frees the next in line Horseman, seated on a red horse, and called War . This horseman is given the power to administer judgment in the name of God himself, and his fiery red horse and large sword in his hands are a symbol of the blood that will be shed on the battlefield.
The omens of the approaching end of the world are set out in the Gospels
It is noteworthy that the signs of the approaching end are described in the Gospels, texts that are clearer than the book of Revelation. The following signs are given:
Sign 1 : Wars:
You will also hear about wars and war rumors. See, do not be horrified, for all this must happen, but this is not the end yet
(Matthew 24:6)
Sign 2 : Famine and disasters:
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in places
(Matthew 24:7)
Multiple disasters, such as a volcanic eruption, are signs of the end of the world (artist William Turner, “The Eruption of Vesuvius”). Photo: hudojnik-impressionist.ru
Sign 3. The activity of false prophets, the emergence of their adherents:
“And many false prophets will arise and deceive many.”
(Matthew 24:11)
Sign 4 : Cooling of love:
“And because iniquity abounds, the love of many will grow cold.”
(Matthew 24:12)
Sign 5: The spread of the gospel everywhere:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come"
(Matthew 24:14)
Sign 6 : Lack of faith:
“I tell you that he will give them protection soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
(Luke 18:8)
In fact, there is not a single historical era where such signs appear. Unless the widespread preaching of the Gospel is a more or less concrete sign. And yet we see that the Bible, reporting something about the end of the world, adheres to the same line - there is no information to predict it.
All these signs can be noted in the modern world, in the ancient world. They probably won't go anywhere in the world of the future.
Hunger
“I looked, and behold a black horse, and its rider had a measure in his hand.”
The third horseman will appear on a black horse. Called Hunger , he carries scales in his hand, personifying the division of bread and other products. Most likely, its appearance will bring drought and destruction of crops. This conclusion can be drawn from the fact that in Revelation, the appearance of the horseman is accompanied by an increase in the prices of wheat and grain, but the prices of wine and olives do not change. The fact is that grapes and olive trees are resistant to heat and drought. So expect times when people will die of hunger, while still having alcohol for future use.
DARKER
Apocalypse... Complete destruction, terrible death and final destruction of the world. And also an ancient text by the Apostle John, written to strengthen believers in their convictions and guide them on the right path. And this sacred scripture describes in detail all the horrors that await humanity ahead when the real end of the world approaches. It is in the Apocalypse that the author and his followers, in metaphorical form, warn people about the upcoming catastrophe, which will be the crown of the secret intentions of the enemies of the church - who represent the quintessence of evil.
Here, for the first time, two beasts are depicted - harbingers of Hell on earth. The first of them emerges from the sea, becoming a symbol of secular power and an opponent of the church. The second appears from the earth, becoming a false prophet from a hostile pseudo-religious government, and acts as a symbol of the corruption of the church. It is these animals - the most terrible messengers of the Apocalypse - that will be discussed in this article.
The Beast That Came Out of the Sea and the Beast That Came Out of the Land
“And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast come up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns: on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were names of blasphemy” (Revelation 13:1).
“And I saw another beast coming out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon" (Revelation 13:1).
So, two beasts of the Apocalypse.
One comes out of the sea, has seven heads, ten horns and wears ten diadems. Its color is crimson, bright red. He is endowed with power and authority for exactly forty-two months. The Whore of Babylon sits on it - a symbol of mankind who has renounced the faith and the Lord. It is important to note here that these images, the harlot and the beast, have common characteristics: nakedness, poverty, loneliness and destruction. However, it is worth remembering that these harbingers will still have time to cause a lot of trouble.
From the moment of his arrival, he, desecrating the Lord, retained power for three and a half years. During this time, he initiates a war, opposes the saints and wins a victory in confrontation with them. When the beast kills the two prophets, everyone begins to pay respect to him, as well as to his “brother” - the second beast.
Another beast - one that emerged from the earth - looks like a horned lamb that speaks like a dragon (which is why it is sometimes depicted as human-like).
Its main task is to teach people to honor the beast that came out of the water. It is for this reason that the beast from the earth is engaged in seducing humanity, creating amazing and pleasing miracles to people, which they perceive as a sign. So, he is capable of throwing fire from the sky and doing other amazing and at the same time frightening things.
Those who refuse honor and respect to the first beast are killed by the second beast. And the rest will have to worship the devil, who will soon come in the form of a dragon.
This beast, like the first, personifies that part of humanity that receives instructions and power directly from Satan the dragon and faithfully serves him.
Two beasts of the Apocalypse: symbolism
Obviously, the images of the Apocalypse should not be taken literally. All of them are inextricably linked with the texts of Holy Scripture, allegorical and at the same time frightening. Texts that tell about an extremely terrible future, warn about the approaching apocalyptic doomsday, which no one can even imagine, much less describe - it is so unpleasant, gloomy and terrifying!
That is why, in the search for meanings attached to a particular image, it is important for the interpreter to remember the boundaries of truth. Also, when working on an image, it is important to rely on your own faith, and if necessary, resort to the help of Holy Scripture and other reliable texts.
Thus, looking for the meanings contained in the images of two animals, we can come to the following conclusion: the beast emerging from the sea is a prototype of the Antichrist, crowning the corresponding, Antichrist, kingdom. He is a totality, a concentrate of blasphemy and pride. Accordingly, the Antichrist himself and his kingdom are an absolutely secular united state, which is based on a coalition of pagan powers. Their depiction in the form of a beast suggests that bestial passions, desires and feelings without reason and spirituality dominate inside them.
The heads and horns of the beast indicate that the kingdom of the Antichrist arose in each of the pagan countries separately. After that, it enters the body of the beast, which unites these countries. Ten horns on seven heads are a sign that the seven cardinal sins, opposing the seven virtues, strike the souls of people to death with the “edges” of ten kinds of sins. Horns here also act as an analogue of the Ten Commandments, and diadems are a prototype of the arrogance with which all this is done.
The fact that the beast comes out of the sea also has a certain meaning. This means that both the kingdom of the Antichrist and its individual pagan countries originate in the vanity of everyday life and the rebellious will of man, which constantly collides with something and resists something.
The beast emerging from the earth is a false prophet, undermining the foundations of the world from within, through the false teachings of the perverted church authorities. The earth from which he emerges symbolizes the rejection of spirituality, the movement towards materialism and sin. This beast is purely outwardly different from its predecessor in that it has two horns, speaks like a dragon - it lies and flatters, but at the same time it looks quite peaceful.
The two beasts of the Apocalypse are one of the most complex images in principle, which, moreover, were explained in their own unique way in each historical period. And yet their essence is unchanged - they are carriers of universal evil who can only pretend to be good. The first beast is a projection of anti-God sentiments within the framework of civil society, located outside the boundaries of the church. The second is the assistant of the first, who acts through false teachings already within the framework of the church. So, both of these animals are jointly trying to take over the minds of both religious and religiously free people. And if one day they succeed, we will see the end of the world with our own eyes and experience unimaginable horrors, we will indulge in such fear, only a small fraction of which can be felt by imagining these two beasts of the Apocalypse.
Death
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and its rider, whose name was Death. And Hell followed him. And power was given to him to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth.”
The last of the four horsemen, riding a pale horse, is called Death . By the way, an interesting fact - it was from him that the popular image of death with a scythe came. After all, it is the scythe that this rider holds in his hand. His purpose is to open the gates of Hell and bring destruction to the human race.
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