Hoofbeats of the Apocalypse / June 2009

Hoofbeats of the Apocalypse

Contents

• Hoofbeats of the Apocalypse
• White Horse
• Red Horse
• Black Horse
• Ashen Horse

There are 21 great judgments in the book of Revelation, beginning with the opening of seven seals that are wrapped around a scroll. Within the first four seal judgments are four horsemen judgments. The horses come in four separate colors: white, red, black, and ashen (or gray). If these were the only judgments given in the book, they would be sufficient to cause alarm. Instead, they are only the beginning of the judgments.

The Great Tribulation has not started yet. We are still awaiting the key events of the Abomination of Desolation, a prophecy given by the prophet Daniel and cited by the Messiah as the key sign and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. That does not mean that we cannot see other developing trends and events which are foretold by other major prophecies and God’s coming judgments. Recently, the theme of those future judgments has become more apparent. The growing trend of events and decisions by leaders and nations is moving us steadily to the end events. In my opinion, the trend has begun to accelerate even more so in the last few months. In particular, the stage is being set for the horsemen judgments. Let’s examine what is currently happening and compare with what the Scriptures say that the last generation will face.

White Horse

And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer.

Revelation 6:2

It is the spring of 2009, the heat of summer will soon be here. The new president has served more than 100 days in office, and we now see his definition of change. Change has definitely come to America and the world. Maybe you didn’t know that our President is having a significant world impact, but he is. At the most recent G-20 meeting in Europe, the president humbly bowed to other world leaders, apologized for America, and signaled his choice of the European model of globalism over the competing UN model. The world was impressed and Europe is rejoicing. This puts Europe in the forefront of enacting numerous other changes with worldwide implications. The European model of globalism lines up nicely with the prophesied governmental platform for the antimessiah to rise from. It is from a revived Roman empire that the antimessiah is to arise from ten leaders who have not yet received a kingdom. The European Union is still developing their constitution and further defining their executive branch of government. They are struggling with how to share power across the member states. According to the prophecy, ten leaders will emerge, each with six months to rule. From this body seven will agree and three will disagree granting 42 months of power to rule. The first leader receiving this authority is to be the antimessiah, the rider of the white horse.

Before I go further, let me assure you that this article is not about politics per se. We are really talking about current events and how they play into the prophetic events of end time Bible prophecy. However, the vision of the four horsemen speaks of governmental processes involving world decisions about power, war, healthcare, energy, and food distribution. This is what globalism is all about today. This is what governments and politics are all about.

Of all that can be said of our new president, I find it striking and very troubling that he is being equated with the Messiah (the Anointed One). Just recently, a portrait of President Obama depicted him opening some curtains in the same pose as the Messiah on the cross. He also has a crown of thorns on his head. It is one of many pictures depicting him as the Messiah. The exuberant adoration of the new president has reached the point where any criticism of his policies ranks as open sin. His adoration is not limited to the United States alone. He is admired across Europe and elsewhere. I am sure that the president is aware of the public support he enjoys and the nature of that support equating him with being “all knowing” and being “the savior.” The president has stated he is a Christian. Why then has he not corrected this particular level of adoration to ensure that no one is elevating him to the level of being God or the Messiah? Elevating someone to be God or like the Messiah fits the Biblical definition of blasphemy. This is most egregious in the faith.

For many years Bible teachers have spoken of a future world leader that would fulfill the first seal judgment of Revelation. The future antimessiah is foretold to be adored and referred to as the “Savior of the World.” For those who thought that type of adoration was over the top and not realistic for today’s world, you need only to look to our new president to see that such things can happen in the world we live. In particular, the media is amplifying this level of affection.

Let me also remove all doubt about my spiritual opinion concerning President Obama. I do not believe that President Obama is the antichrist, or that he is inspired of the devil to do evil to the country. Nor do I believe he is the fulfillment of the rider on the white horse of Revelation. However, I do believe President Obama is a product of his radical education and training. Beyond a pure liberal, I believe he is a progressive and sees himself as a part of destiny to move the evolutionary process forward for the nation and all mankind. He does not believe in the same principles that originate from the Scriptures nor does he believe in the literal words of the Constitution nor the concepts of governance as defined by the Constitution.

Since I have characterized the president in sweeping language, let me elaborate a bit more to give a more complete explanation. Progressives believe that their definition of righteousness and goodness is above the historical definition, whether that be from theological or governmental sources. They see themselves as the products of an evolutionary process and that ancient definitions are out of touch with the real world we live in today. They want to redefine the very nature of what is right and wrong, rendering lip service to the past and moving along to their desired goal. This includes the role of God and His involvement in daily affairs. They flatly do not want God to be the ultimate Judge nor Law-giver. Therefore, they want the Scriptures (the Bible) to be relegated to a religious icon and only as an expression of religious history. They do not want the Bible to be binding in the affairs of men and governments. And finally, they do not want the Constitution of the United States to be the overarching document defining the affairs of government, because to them it is only the initiating document.

The current ruling political party is comprised mainly of liberals/progressives, aka the Democratic Party. They want to follow progressive interpretations, allowing each generation to set the rules. For example, the Constitution says that the government will not establish any religious law nor prohibit the free exercise thereof. Marriage is a religious law. But progressives want to redefine the religious law of marriage and make it a civil matter. The Constitution says that the states retain all rights not specified by the Constitution for the federal government, but the federal government continues to intervene in all states and direct everything from education to the minimum wage, threatening individual states by withholding funds to be used in the states. The United STATES have now become agents of the federal government. The Constitution prohibited these actions and the Tenth Amendment removed all ambiguity of the matter. Each branch of the federal government has done it partly to maintain parity with the other parts. The Congress spends money to pay for political support. Large unions in particular have benefitted from this. The Executive Branch has expanded government and government services to where nothing can be reduced. The Judicial Branch has set aside the constitutional definitions of the government’s power, even making new laws from the bench.

According to the Constitution, the only way to change the Constitution is by the amendment process; however, every change coming now involves no amendment process at all. Instead, the powers of the federal government only need the executive, legislative, and judicial processes to agree. So much for the Constitution. This explains how progressives think they can do whatever they want. The president and Congress (Democrats and many Republicans) think this way.

Lion and Lamb Ministries (and this publication) is a purely religious activity within the ranks of the Messianic Movement. Why, then, am I addressing what are seemly political and governmental matters of our present day? Because we are watching our own country consolidate under the federal system which the president heads so that the nation will fall under the future control of the coming antimessiah. The adoration of our president is the type of power to conquer that the future antimessiah will exercise over the nations.

There is another disturbing feature of our new president that is very alarming. During his campaign we learned of his specific Christian background in the teachings of Reverend Wright. (Mr. Wright’s teachings espouse black African superiority and anti-American themes.) This was so disturbing to the nation that then Senator Obama distanced himself from his reverend and spiritual teacher of twenty years. Everyone thought this was just an embarrassing side show, but it revealed the hate theology he is trained in.

Biblical history lays out a very specific process of how leaders move from benevolence to tyranny against God’s people. Take the example of Egypt in the exodus story. Israel first went to Egypt by invitation. Four generations later things were much different. Egypt and Pharaoh began to turn against the sons of Israel and the Egyptians began to fear Israel. They feared that Israel would oppose the government that in a time a war Israel might join forces against Egypt. This fear led to severe oppression. Pharaoh made laws against Israel. We keep the Passover each year to remember how our ancestors left Egypt by God’s deliverance. We tell our children that they are to memorialize the events to understand how God saved us from tyranny.

Take the example of Germany. When Germany began to turn against its Jewish citizens in the 1930's, it began with fear. The German government blamed the Jews for their troubles during the Great Depression. They used propaganda (the media) to turn the hearts of the German citizens against the Jews. They told the Germans that the Jews were less than human and would do even more harm. They accused the Jews of being thieves because of their successful businesses. It led to oppression and worse. They made laws to literally outlaw the Jews. The Jews were some of the most productive citizens in Europe as business leaders and lawful citizens. Today, we remember the Holocaust, when the entire German government and its citizens joined to slaughter a whole class of people only for the reason of hatred. We pledge ourselves today to never forget.

Is it possible that such things could happen again? Have we already forgotten the past? The answer is yes, the Bible says it will happen again.

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Daniel 12:1

The United States Government led by President Obama and his friends are afraid of citizens who believe in God, who hold to constitutional principles, who disagree with abortion, homosexuality, and want traditional marriage. They call us right wing extremists and say we are dangerous and don’t deserve to live. At the most recent White House Correspondents dinner the guest comedian made reference to national talk show opponent Rush Limbaugh (who wished the president’s policies would fail) wishing that Mr. Limbaugh’s kidneys would fail. Instead of vigorous debates on differences of viewpoints, the most avid supporters of the president have resorted to public ridicule of their opposition, even to the point of their personal death. The government fears that if the citizens are too independent and self-sufficient they will have the freedom to be too disagreeable to them. They also believe that the disagreement will rise up in protest, causing untold harm, at the next national emergency. Making it official, the Secretary of Homeland Security recently detailed the government’s threat assessment listing off religious, conservative citizens joined by the ranks of past military veterans as the most likely domestic terrorists. In effect, she defined the majority of the citizens of the country (Christians) as the most likely enemies of the federal government.

I remember not more than a dozen years ago when the general citizens of our land, even good Christian people, thought that the prophecies of an antichrist government, a one world government with global implications, were so much “doom and gloom” stuff not to be considered seriously by reasonable minded people. Anyone promoting or believing that the United States would shift from “hot dogs, baseball, and Mom’s apple pie” to fear and impending nationalistic changes was just plain nuts. Any talk about Great Tribulation and God’s judgment befalling the world was just grocery store tabloid predictions made by mildly psychotic crazies. But now, the changes to the country are right in front of our eyes. Change has come and more changes are on the way.

The stage is being set for even greater things. And the scary part–the rules of right and wrong are changing so that if you don’t go along with the changes, you will be judged as a right wing extremist. In fact, the new governmental order will define you and me as outlaws.

Today, conservative minded people are considered to be obstacles to progressive ideals. The debate over teaching evolution or creation in the classroom has moved beyond the school house. Our evolutionary leaders want to employ the principles to social justice, and they want to get rid of the historic principles of right and wrong. They want to move forward, but the obstacle of these right wing extremists is a very large one since they constitute a very large majority of the citizens in this republic.

This does not discourage the progressives. They believe the world is over-populated so they see this as solving two problems with one stone. Kill ‘em all and that eliminates the opposition and brings the world’s population down to a sustainable level. They actually called this (I am not making this up) sustainable governance.

The European model of globalism is based on sustainable governance, and sees the world as divided into three groupings. There are developed, developing, and undeveloped nations. The best way to perpetuate the world and keep us on the right evolutionary tract is to abandon the principles of the past and move forward in progressive ways using the world’s resources only for the developed and some of the developing nations. Undeveloped nations will suffer the end result of extinction just as other evolutionary aspects of the past. If this brings about the demise of 4-5 billion people, that is the price that must be paid to make a sustainable world.

President Obama’s recent meeting with the G-20 signaled the United States was willing to endorse and support this global model. He also set the stage for the future antimessiah to fulfill the words of the prophet Zechariah.

Thus says the Lord my God, "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. "Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, 'Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich!' And their own shepherds have no pity on them. "For I shall no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," declares the Lord; "but behold, I shall cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I shall not deliver them from their power." So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor, and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh."

Zechariah 11:4-9

Food will be the weapon of choice used by governments and the future antimessiah to control the citizenry of any nation. This is the advanced level of eugenics (like the Nazis’ blue-eyed blond Aryan race) and social evolution; it is also why the antimessiah will be called the “Son of Perdition.” He will kill more people than any tyrant has ever done in history. The only way one man could do this is to have governments agreeing with and carrying out his policies.

You should watch for the president to become more impatient with his political opponents. Watch for conservative voices to be silenced and shut down in the media. Watch for the “hate crimes” bill to pass making it illegal to publicly speak against homosexuals or other sexual perversions. This will include the reading or distribution of the Bible.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Matthew 24:7

Can you imagine the United States breaking up against itself? Can you imagine individual states asserting their rights against the federal government? There are a number of states governments doing exactly that right now, asserting their Tenth Amendment rights in the Constitution for states to govern themselves where the Constitution does not specifically state what is federal responsibility. The federal government rules over many state legislatures, and governors are telling the federal government to “back off.” The crisis is building. The United States will soon have a conflict with itself just as the Messiah said, but the conflict won’t end there. Natural elements of God’s judgment will be mixed in. When the food supply is hindered and when “earth shaking events” coincide, the warnings of God will be evident.

Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.

Matthew 24:9

There is no question that many of our leaders hate God and are opposed to God. Our country was founded on the principles of freedom as defined by God in the Scriptures. The founders of our nation insisted on the foundations of our republic be based on the Scriptural definitions of equality and justice. Our Constitution states that the government cannot interfere with the rights given to every citizen by the Creator (inalienable rights). Our money is stamped and imprinted with “In God We Trust.” We pledge allegiance to the republic stating that we are a nation “under God.” The Presidential Oath ends with the words, “So help me God.”

Yet, it is considered offensive today if you assert a petition (prayer) to God or recite His blessings in public. Even further, it is now fashionable for leading comedians to ridicule political candidates who are believers and to mock the general citizenry who are Christians. It is however, not politically correct to do the same with Muslims or Jews. Muslims will react violently and Jews will remind you of the Holocaust. Personally, I don’t think that anyone deserves to be ridiculed or mocked. I am just taking note of what is and what is not in our day. I also want you to understand that this mockery and ridicule is what the Apostle Peter warned us about when he spoke of the last generation at the end of the ages.

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,

II Peter 3:3

Ridicule promotes the devaluing of others. In this case, a whole class of people, believers of God, is being devalued to condition the general population to no longer respect them. How low will this go? To the point that the general population will believe we no longer deserve to live.

Before you say, “No, this just isn’t possible,” consider this: The government has already planned in the event of a national emergency to arrest and detain all persons that it fears might rise up against them. It is no joke. They are called “emergency orders” and they suspend the Constitution and common sense in the event of a national emergency.

What would cause a national emergency? A terrorist attack in the United States using a nuclear device? A pandemic sickness that threatens tens of thousands of lives? The list goes on.

Red Horse

And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

Revelation 6:4

The Middle East is a like a powder keg about to blow. When leaders speak of peace they speak of the need to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem. Although it is not true, world leaders and their governments are convinced that if they can get Israel and the Palestinians to get along, then all Muslims will settle down. This includes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and uprisings in places like Great Britain. Like I said, it is not true. Islam has been in a religious war with the western nations. They call it Jihad (Holy War). They teach their children to wage this war for generations to come. They believe that their god will grant them special favors in the afterlife for waging this war. Whoever says that this is not a religious war is willfully ignorant or trying to deceive the masses. The conflict in the Middle East is about whose God is bigger. Until Israel comes to terms with this, they will not be successful.

The prophecy warns that eventually “all nations” will come against Israel. Let me give an illustration that shows the enormity of the situation. A man is holding a bowl full of yellow marbles and one blue marble and is taking one yellow marble at a time out of the bowl and putting it into another bowl. Another man asks him what he was doing. The first man complained, “Someone put all of these yellow marbles in the blue marble bowl.” The second man asked, “Why don’t you just take the one blue marble out and put it into another bowl?”

This describes what is getting ready to happen in the Middle East. Israel is the lone blue marble surrounded by Arab/Muslim nations and peoples. Everyone is trying to separate them from the conflict. I believe that the world is coming to the point where the problem could be solved so much easier if they could just take out the one blue marble. With that said, our new president is now exploring that approach very seriously. In fact, the president is about to announce a new Peace initiative. Actually, it is not new; it is the Arab initiative of 2002.

When we discuss impending wars, we cannot forget Iran. Its campaign is to build nuclear weapons and this is a serious threat. Iranians are also motivated by a religious ideology, believing that a great conflagration will soon occur and bring the Muslim messiah onto the world scene. The President of Iran has stated many times that it is his intent to “wipe Israel off of the map” and that it is his destiny to usher in the Mahdi (the Muslim messiah).

Presently, Israel has elected Benjamin Netanyahu from the Likud party to head the government. The United States government does not like him. He is too conservative and uses too much logic in his judgments. Therefore, they will squeeze him to force him to comply with what the world leaders want. It is time for the one blue marble to move aside.

Watch for the United States to force Israel into decisions that compromise their security. Watch for the Arabs to exploit this and the United States remove its support of Israel. A regional war in the Middle East is inevitable. It will move us even closer to the rider of the Red Horse of Revelation. If you are curious who the riders are, they are the leaders who join the antimessiah.

Black Horse

And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the center 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 the wine."

Revelation 6:5-6

Recession is upon us. The largest American companies are failing. State governments are going broke, unable to pay for basic services. The United States has incurred more debt in the last six months than has been incurred since the beginning of the nation up to and including past President Bush. The United States is a debtor nation.

I once met a person who was in serious debt. It first started with a credit card that was given to her as an offer from her bank. She used it well; her credit score grew. She got more offers and opened new accounts. Then she found a new way to shop, by watching TV and calling in her credit card number. It all came collapsing down one day when past due notices arrived for her more than 18 different credit cards totaling more than $60,000 in debt. All she had to show for it was some extravagant jackets, costume jewelry and porcelain knickknacks. She could no longer make her payments on her waitress wages. She had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. The present debt of the United States far exceeds this example.

Economic experts tell us that we have not seen the worst of our present economic crisis. Because the government has spent even more money, we have no choice but to devalue our money in the future. China holds most of our debt; they are trying to unload the debt before this devaluing happens. It’s called super inflation. Other nations have gone through this before. This is what happens. First, you print and spend too much money. Second, you only have so much value to pay the debt off. So, you devalue your money so you can pay with what value you have causing the value you have to equal a lot more money. This is inflated money. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you have $1 today. After inflation hits that same dollar will be worth pennies and will buy far less.

The Scripture describes super inflation. A quart of wheat (the amount for daily consumption) costs a denarius (the Roman equivalent of a full day’s wage). The same equation is given for the barley. Super inflation would mean that all the money you currently earn in one day is the price you would need to pay for the amount of food you need for one day. Interestingly, the “oil and wine” are not harmed. This indicates that the government will manipulate the economy to ensure that it is fed properly. You know the expression, “In bad times, the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.”

In the last six months, the world has set in motion the economic system described in the Revelation prophecy. It is coming soon; there is no way to stop it. Everyone is complaining that our children and grandchildren will have to pay this debt. They are wrong. The bill is coming due in our time–we are the ones who will go bankrupt. This is not a problem exclusive to the United States; this is a world problem.

Watch for other nations to fail financially with no one to bail them out. Watch for more unemployment and higher taxes to come to the United States. Watch for the large states to follow the path of failed large companies. Watch for theft and corruption to become rampant in our economy.

Ashen Horse

And when He broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Revelation 6:7-8

Generally, when mankind has seen natural disasters that disrupt nations coinciding with decisions by kings and leaders of those very nations, it has been interpreted as a sign of judgment from the Almighty by believers. I am referring to disasters that follow outrageous and very public disrespect toward the same Almighty God. Judgments upon nations follow willful, defiant and repeated offenses toward God Himself. Simply said, God is not mocked and men do not get away with holding God in disdain. However, unbelievers do not believe in God nor that His justice works that way. They actually resent references to Him and those who believe in Him even more.

Moses specifically addressed this point when warning Israel just before entering the Promised Land about their future behavior. He laid out a whole series of judgments that God would pour out upon Israel and the land if they abhorred God, turned away from His commands, and acted with hostility towards God. The principles of judgment are true for any nation that does the same as historic Israel has done.

But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that shall waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you shall sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies shall eat it up.

Leviticus 26:14-16

Israel went beyond this judgment and did not turn back to the Lord, so Moses warned that this would also happen:

And I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent uselessly, for your land shall not yield its produce and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:19-20

Again, Israel did not respond by turning to the Lord, so Moses spoke of additional judgments.

And I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted.

Leviticus 26:22

Still more judgments were called for…

I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied.

Leviticus 26:25-26

Finally, there was a judgment foretold that was historically fulfilled in the siege upon Jerusalem and the temple mount itself.

Yet if in spite of this, you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, then I will act with wrathful hostility against you; and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. Further, you shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you shall eat. I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols; for My soul shall abhor you. I will lay waste your cities as well, and will make your sanctuaries desolate; and I will not smell your soothing aromas. And I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled over it. You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

Leviticus 26:25-33

Josephus, the historian of the Roman/Jewish wars tells us that the siege of Jerusalem was so severe that the defenders of Jerusalem ate their children before the temple was destroyed. The end result was dispersion of the survivors into the nations in captivity.

When Moses wrote these words they were prophecies. We look at them now as history. It is very clear that God does respond to either the obedience or disobedience of His people. Looking back at the history of Israel’s judgment God says it simply.

I also was acting with hostility against them …

Leviticus 26:41

The Revelation judgment of the Ashen Horse is four-fold. It involves famine (the lack of food), wild beasts (the threat of animals), sword (warfare), and plague (diseases). The prophet Ezekiel explained how severe these judgments would be on the Earth should God decide to judge in this manner. Let’s examine what he said about famine first.

“Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 14:13-14

God says that the judgment is so severe that only three righteous men could be delivered from it. Those men are Noah, Daniel, and Job. This is very interesting because these men represent deliverance from differing judgments that have occurred. Noah was delivered from God’s world-wide judgment in the flood. Daniel was delivered from the king’s judgment when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Job was delivered from Satan’s judgment when he lost his family, possession, and health. God goes on to describe another judgment.

“If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.

Ezekiel 14:15-16

A third judgment is announced with the same results.

“Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’ even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.”

Ezekiel 14:17-18

A fourth judgment is announced with the same results.

“Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it, to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

Ezekiel 14:19-20

These aren’t just four different judgments with devastating effects. They magnify one another when they all come together.

For thus says the Lord God, “How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague to cut off man and beast from it!”

Ezekiel 14:21

This is what the Ashen Horse is all about, when all of the judgments from God befall all of mankind. The world will not want to believe that God would do such a thing, but they fail to remember what God did at the flood, what God did with Israel, and what God foretold that He will do at the end of the ages.

Famine is a real problem in the world right now. We don’t like to hear those news reports so we just don’t pay attention to them. Do you remember the complaint from various quarters when we initiated the program to grow corn to make ethanol, thus significantly reducing food stocks used elsewhere in the world? Plagues are starting to come to the public’s awareness. The swine flu pandemic we just heard about is not over yet. In fact, there is even more concern for this recent outbreak when the fall months come. They are expecting a lot more than we saw this spring. Just for the record, the alert level of stage 5 (1=least to 6=worst) has not lowered as of this publication.

Watch for more famine and food shortage reports to appear where you didn’t expect it. Watch for the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic problem this fall. Watch for governments to whip up fear through the media to gain more control.

Let’s conclude for now. I have studied end time prophecy, trying to understand God’s plan for the end of the ages. I used to view all of His judgments to be in a supernatural mind set. For the last 15 years, I have watched the stage being set, but it is not supernatural at all. It is providential. There are reasonable and logical steps for each of the impending events. Had God not spoken from the very Scriptures, I would have not known that God actually planned it. But the last six months have been different. Change was promised by President Obama’s campaign. Change has come. The changes, however, are putting on the finishing prerequisites for the Revelation judgments. We can now hear the hoofbeats of the horses. They are at a full gallop and coming our way.

I don’t want to leave you on a final note of concern. Let me assure you that, as believers, the same God who is bringing these judgments has a wonderful plan of deliverance for us. In fact, our deliverance will be greater than the past examples of Noah, Daniel, and Job. In the Great Tribulation, God (Noah’s deliverance) has spoken of our deliverance. During the Great Tribulation, the antimessiah will be worse than Pharaoh, the Babylonian king, and Hitler. We will be delivered from him just as Daniel was. And finally, we know that HaSatan will be thrown to the Earth with his days numbered. Just as Job was delivered, so will we be. The Prophet Ezekiel spoke of this deliverance when all four judgments fell to the Earth in the Ashen Horse.

“Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in vain whatever I did to it,” declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 14:22-23

Our hope is in the Lord and it is sure; the world is moving toward hopelessness and despair. President Obama and other global leaders are just footmen for the future. Let me encourage you to hold fast in your faith. Tougher times are coming; but we will make it. I’m reminded of Jeremiah’s warning (Jeremiah 12:5) in days like these.

If you weary with footmen, what will you do with horsemen?

YAVOH - He is Coming is a monthly newsletter published as an outreach ministry of Lion and Lamb Ministries.
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Editor - Monte Judah
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