Famous Last Words On Evil Series

HoHum:

The Four Horsemen formed in 1985 with Ric Flair, Ole and Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard with J. J. Dillon as their manager. In his autobiography To Be The Man, Rick Flair claimed that it was during this interview that Arn Anderson commented: "The only time this much havoc had been wreaked by this few a number of people, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!”

WBTU:

Theodicy is a response to the problem of evil in the world that attempts logically, relevantly and consistently to defend God as omnipotent, all loving and just despite the reality of evil.

This books shows us God’s final solution against evil.

The questions surrounding evil demand a response. Apocalypse and Allegiance: The last book of the Bible is not a catalog of predictions about events that would take place 2000 years later…. Rather it serves as a primer on the battle of good and evil in every generation.

Summary of revelation 5 to set background of revelation 6- opening the seals. Revelation 4- Great throne room and worship there. Come to Revelation 5 and find this question in vs. 2-4. One of the elders said to John, vs. 5. See the lamb in vs. 6. Vs. 7 he came…. Vs. 8 When he had taken it, much worship that concludes with an Amen in vs. 14. History tumbles out a mass of data- wars, famines, murders, and tragedies. God’s people want to make meaning out of this chaos. In the Lamb’s life, death, and resurrection history comes into focus. History is His Story.

First 4 seals belong together, 5th seal is independent of first 4, 6th seal is independent of first 5, together these reveal God’s will for his people

First 4 seals are symbolic of the evil that exists in the world of the 1st century; these were brought into focus by imperial Rome. Even so, these things are still in operation today. The question every person of faith must ask is, Do God’s love and redemption work where I live, where evil reigns? Is this redemption only for the future or is it for today?

6:1- 2 White horse- war is the human condition. To be human is to be at war. Must interrupt because some say this white horse is talking about Christ. I can see that but in the context it more applies to imperial Rome than Christ. Rome loved conquest to remove any threats to their way of life. Much of the imagery that goes to Christ in the Bible could be applied to the Emperor of Rome. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess, the Emperor would love this. Rome wanted to take over the world. Other kingdoms at that time but impressive conquest. Be better off with one world government- many in Roman Empire would beg to differ.

3-4 internal corruption, violence, crime, even civil war. James 4:1-2: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” These are the actions of power hungry persons; it is the delusion of insane pride; it is an expression of greed gone crazy.

5-6 economic discrimination- Famine is nature out of balance. The necessities are scarce while the luxuries are in abundance (do not damage the oil and wine). A quart of wheat and three quarts of barley are starvation rations for a family. Yes, with this a man could support himself, but what about his family? How can a man who is earning just one denarius a day provide for his family when prices are so high? What is necessary for daily living is unavailable while the luxuries of life, oil and wine, are abundant but not for the poor. Most of the world lives on a dollar a day. At certain places on this globe, the imbalance and greed conspire so that the famine is obvious to all- the malnutrition and starvation can be photographed.

7-8 Sounds like the situation with the black death in the Middle Ages- more than a fourth died- what people were fearing with the coronavirus. Sickness is the condition in which our bodies are weakened or impaired so that these things are life limiting. Unable to live out our God given mission or purpose. One feature of Christ earthly ministry was healing of the body. Hospitals were started by Christians. In the Roman Empire they had plagues that decimated the population. The doctors fled the cities while the Christians stayed. They took care of their brother and sisters in Christ but branched out to their pagan neighbors. The Christians were often found dead while on their rounds to take care of the sick, they also succumbed to the illness. Basic medical care can help so many- TB can be cured but not enough money or willingness. Death is the destiny of all. The final healing is resurrection.