The Mystery of the Seven Seals (Pt. 4)

THE FOURTH SEAL:

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come. (Rev 6:7)

The "fourth beast" of Revelation 4 is described as having the appearance of a “flying eagle”. This image points to the gospel of John which emphasizes the deity of Christ as the “Son of God”, the "Most High". Therefore, what's in view here is Christ, the Son of God, calling for the fourth church age to appear as a representation of the fourth stage of the Lord’s Genesis Plan – WITNESS.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse…


This horse, which began in the First Seal as a white horse (purity), became red (persecutions) in the Second Seal, then black (lies) in the Third, has now in the Fourth Seal turned “pale”. The Greek word here translated “pale” is “chloros” and means green as in gangrene the color of death.

…and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him…

The lies of satan planted in the third church age (Pergamos) are now, in the fourth age (Thyatira), producing a witness of dead works, proving that Christ's warnings about the "Jezebel" spirit that would infest this age fell mostly on deaf ears.

And I (Jesus) will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the minds and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Rev 2:23)

This “death” speaks of spiritual death -- being cut off from the only source of life which is God. The Lord is saying here that all who follow the witness of this dead church would be cut off from the very God they were laboring to please. This is the legacy of Catholicism and traditional Orthodoxy which began in the fourth church age.

And authority was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth…


The “fourth part” mentioned here is the “wheat” from the Third Seal. These are the Spirit-led ones, the true Sons of God targeted for destruction by the pale rider.

…to kill with sword, and with famine, with plague, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:8)


The “sword” speaks of divisions; “famine” points to a scarcity of the true word of God; “plague” refers to infectious false teachings; and “beasts of the earth” indicate the man made traditions prevalent in the Thyatiran church age. All of this ultimately represents the desperate attempts of satan to turn the “wheat” into “weeds” and thus deny Christ His long promised bride.