The Black Horse

 

The Black Horse

Revelation 6:5 “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”

As John continued to watch, the voice like thunder called to him to look at the opening of the third seal. He saw a black horse riding out of the book of seals. Black is normally associated with mourning and woe, dark character and ignorance. The dark rider that sat upon the dark horse had a pair of scales, similar to those held by Lady Justice, in his hand.

It was his call to measure and adjust spiritual deviations in the world. Some worshiping and celebrating Christ had gotten out of balance ie.: Daniel 5:24 “...Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

John, After describing the black horse and its rider, hears "a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a (penny) denarius, and three quarts of barley for a (penny) denarius; but do not harm the oil and the wine'" (Revelation 6:6). Among the Four Horseman, this is an unusual departure; nothing else is said to or about them save in this verse. Being so set apart, the words are undoubtedly significant.

Who speaks these words? John simply says "a voice." It comes from "in the midst of the four living creatures." Revelation 4:6 provides the answer: "And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures..." (see Ezekiel 1:4-28). We must conclude the creatures were situated around the throne, one creature in the middle of each of the four sides. The voice coming from the midst of these creatures must have come from the one sitting on the throne. God Himself utters these words. Matthew 13:30 “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Wheat are those who have the love and charity in their lives.

God also commands, "Do not harm the oil and the wine.” This command seems to be directed to the horseman, as he is the direct cause of the balancing of the proper Spirit of Love and Charity. Thus, the Spirit of life will be so rejected as to need special protecting and care so oil and wine will be fully guarded by the Holy Spirit without which we live in death.

Matthew 4:3 “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (4:4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” God only speaks to His children of Love, mercy and charity.

Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.. ”Wheat (bread) might be the good but smothered Christians growing in the apostate church. Barley in Jesus’ parable of the sower is the evil or apostate leaders. The sower of these seed is the devil. The harvester rides the black horse to weigh out the hearts of those entangled and separate for harvest.

What is God picturing then? The key is to remember that this "famine" is ongoing just as the wars and rumors of wars of the second horseman and the deceptions of the first horseman. Our economy is up and down. Churches are closed and spiritual guiding principles are muted. The experience of history is that most of the time, the ordinary individual is just managing to survive. Just as God predicted in Genesis 3:17-19, he labors and toils to eke out a miserable living only to die, worn out and broken in a few, short years. The third horseman's job is to follow his red brother's devastating wars with oppression, corruption, and scarcity so that men stay weak and poor and many die. Hiding is no great defense as God’s will is always accomplished. (Reference Richard T. Ritenbaugh: “The Four Horsemen (Part Four): The Black Horse”)

But the spirit of love in the true Christian worshipers was not to be molested; “see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”

(Luke 10:33, 34); When the good Samaritan was pouring on oil and wine to the wounded man in the ditch, he was applying works of love and of charity. Oil denotes the good of love. The like was meant by the ancients pouring oil and wine upon a pillar when they sanctified it (Gen. 35:14); (AC 4581, 4582). [8] That wine denotes the good.

Time has allowed attempts to put a yoke of superstitious observances on the Bride. As the stream of Christianity flows further from its pure fountain, it becoming more and more corrupt. During the progress of this black horse, the necessaries of life should be at excessive prices, and the True givers of love and charity shall abound in charitable love. According to prophetic language, the food of religious knowledge, by which the souls of men are sustained unto everlasting life; such we are invited to receive,  Isah 55:1 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

But when the dark clouds of ignorance and superstition, denoted by the black horse, spreads over the Christian world, the knowledge and practice of true Christianity becomes scarce. When a people loathe their spiritual food, God may justly deprive them of their daily bread. The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word is more so.  Know God, know peace. Amen 11-02-2020 BLL