Yesterday on "Dan's Place," I wrote a post about Revelation and how it seems to be coming true before our eyes.

I'd like to expound a bit more here.

First, the scripture:

Revelation 6
The Seals 1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. 5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."

The four horsemen of the apocalypse; they're the stuff of legend, and few if any of us have not heard of them, either from direct study of the scripture or from exposure to popular culture, but how many of us have REALLY thought about their ride?

The first horseman, riding a white horse, is given the power to make war. Uhhhh......a world leader with the power to make war? ANY American president could fit the bill; as an office, THEY were given the power to make war after 911 and, since then, we've made war twice. Does this horse yet gallop? When combined with the others, it very well may! Many scholars believe that the rider of the white horse is the antichrist since he is "given a crown" and rides the white horse of a commander, but who really knows? Could the crown mean that he is simply a world leader, given a crown by divine providence? Since scripture says that all leaders are empowered by God, couldn't this be said of any leader? Frankly, in the context of the rest of the passage and the gospel itself, I'd have to say that the rider IS the antichrist and his ride starts the clock described by Daniel the prophet. Just for a moment, though, examine the possibilities. What if the rider of the white horse IS an American president? How would we know? Well, lovers of the "Left Behind" series know; the "Abomination that causes desolation" will broker a seven year peace deal with Israel and it is that act that starts Daniel's tribulation clock ticking.

Naturally, we'll know for sure if we've seen the white horse ride when we see the red horse emerge. What is the red horse? Violence! Mayhem! People killing each other for no apparent reason. Nations rising against each other and making war with one another for seemingly trivial reasons. Have we seen a rise in violence of this nature? Anyone out there watch "Gangland" on the History Channel? Gangs like MS-13 perpetrate violence "just because." They and other gangs use random acts of violence as initiation rituals and to avenge perceived "slights." Sounds like the red horse riding to me! If nothing else, the existence of such violence tends to desensitize us to it so that, when we see the red horse, it won't seem like much of a change from what we've seen before.

The black horse? Are you kidding me? Shortages of food? High prices for food? Who would be surprised by more of that in the current climate? I mean, even before hurricane season, fuel prices were making food costs exorbitant and now, after gulf rigs have been shut down and restarted several times this year, who's really surprised anymore? Do we even have to talk about the current banking crisis and what its done to credit markets and cashflows for small businesses? Does anyone else see higher prices coming from all of this? What about the ramifications of an Obama presidency? He's ONLY going to tax incomes of above $250,000. Any small business worth its salt out there NOT making that? What's THAT going to do to prices? Is there any question? The small business owners will pass on the additional expense to their customers in higher prices! Inflation, anyone? Today's food prices will seem absolutely bargain-basement in comparison! I'm sorry; I've seen the black horse riding for some time now, but it's going to pick up the pace very soon I fear!

Does anyone see how these things go together? Are well-nourished people apt to get sick as easily as poorly-nourished people? What does the pale horse portend? Is it the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of staph and strep, or the inception of exotic viruses like HIV, Hepatitis, and Ebola, or is it just a combination of contagions from all of the above?

Frankly, I think it's the latter. We know that our use and overuse of antibiotics has given rise to a new generation of resistant strains that have medical science stumped. We also know that the lowering of our moral guard has enabled formerly unheard of viruses to run rampant in the human population and these are able to mutate into new strains that we can't stay ahead of no matter how hard we try! Increased use of drugs of all kinds, illegal and prescription, has led to all sorts of problems that our grandparents could never conceive of! People of vision have been warning of water shortages for decades! T. Boone Pickens, he of the Pickens energy plan, has been buying water rights in mid-America for years, fully expecting to cash in in his own lifetime. But what does that trend predict? We're running out of fresh water, that's what! You want disease and sickness? Make people drink tainted water!

I could go on and on, but you get the point (hopefully). We are at a crossroads and everything I see suggests that we are on the downhill side of the slope, beginning the slide toward the time when the four horsemen start their ride for real. When they saddle up, is it too late? That's the good part! Right NOW, it's NOT too late! Anyone reading here can accept Jesus as Lord and Savior right NOW just by praying a simple prayer like this one:

Lord Jesus, I can't do it on my own; I've tried it my way, but I've been left empty and wandering still. Lord, forgive me my sins, come into my heart and be the Lord of my life! Help me to be more like You each day, Lord, and help me to live in Your will. Thank You, Jesus for You sacrifice for me and thank You for hearing my prayer! In Your holy, precious name I pray, amen!

Hopefully, more and more will come to know Him as the days to the end grow shorter!