Third Horseman of the Apocalypse - By C. Gray Adams - https://www.raptureready.com/2023/04/11/third-horseman-of-the-apocalypse-by-c-gray-adams/ The way is being prepared for the ride of the four horsemen. The first rider’s approach is clearly on display, especially now that we have an entire month dedicated to the celebration of pride. As noted, I believe this rider will arrive to conquer by way of the “bow – LGBTQ flag.” Preparation for the ride of the second horseman is also underway, as seen by rising global tensions which are manifesting in wars and, worse yet, in slayings in once quiet neighborhoods all across the land as division rooted in rebellion against God abounds. Remember, the second rider’s special ability is to remove peace from the earth, so people may slay one another (Rev 6:4). This brings us to the third Horseman of the Apocalypse, who rides a black horse; his ride depicts great famine which will affect the entire earth wherein only the oil and wine are spared. The Black Horse Like the riders before Him, the third horseman rides a horse of color which depicts the nature of the rider. This horse is black, which is generally associated with lamentation and mourning. Much has happened by the time this horse and rider arrive on the scene. The first horseman has been conquering. The second horseman has brought great division, war, and bloodshed. The stage is truly set for the rider of the black steed, who will accentuate an already very dire “new normal.” Although, nothing about this time will be normal. This horse, like those before it, carries a rider who has a distinct purpose, famine. Many famines have occurred throughout history; however, none have ever been universal. This famine will make all before it pale in comparison. In fact, none will escape this ride, although the rich will seemingly have a better go of it for a time. The Scales of Famine Like the two riders before him, the third rider has a special purpose, as noted by the pair of balances in his hand (scales). He will deliver famine upon the land, a greater famine than has ever occurred, for it will affect the entire planet. This famine will bring excess to a screeching halt as it will take the entirety of one’s daily wage to purchase enough food to eat. Only the oil and wine are not hurt by this famine. Revelation 6:5-6 “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. 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 [Famine]; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (emphasis mine) [author’s comment] Perhaps the best explanation for the exclusion of oil and wine comes by way of examining those who will be able to purchase these two items during this great famine. As noted, the average citizen will be greatly affected by this famine, and they will only be able to scrape enough resources together to provide daily sustenance. Therefore, oil and wine, which are generally seen as luxuries, will only be purchased by the rich. This implies the rich will have little trouble during this famine. Therefore, God is perhaps providing an environment that causes many of the poor to cry out to Him for salvation while further hardening the hearts of those who are rich in this world. Matthew 19:23 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” This does not imply that the rich will not go unscathed, for Scripture shows they will experience judgment in the coming sixth seal (Rev 6:12-17). Notice that during this seal judgment, even the rich cry out from their hiding places for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:15-16). By this point, all of the earthbound will know that God is bringing upon them the long-awaited judgment of the wicked. With this in mind, it is important to note that in Revelation chapter eleven, God makes sure that those who destroy the earth are forewarned that He will destroy them for their destroying the earth: Revelation 11:18 “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (emphasis mine) Destroying the Earth’s Abundant Food Supply to Make Way for the Third Rider As mentioned before, the stage is being set for each rider before they arrive so they will have maximum effect in a very short period of time. After all, the entirety of the Tribulation is just seven short years, and the devil knows this (Rev 12:12). Therefore, he has his demonic minions and human familiars working overtime to prep the battlefield, if you will. In this regard, the preparation for the third rider is clearly underway, as can be seen in the perfectly orchestrated destruction of the greatest food-producing geographical areas on the planet. Ukraine comes to mind, along with California. Each of these areas is considered the breadbasket of their respective regions, and they are both being systematically destroyed by different events – Ukraine by war and California by weather. In fact, northern California has often been referred to as the breadbasket of the world.[8] Unfortunately, these great producers of sustenance will seemingly be unable to maintain even a semblance of their former output. Ironically, at the same time, many food production facilities across the United States have mysteriously exploded or burned to the ground during the last year. Are we beginning to see a pattern here? I will inject a personal story here. My wife and I have planted over thirty fruit-producing trees and/or bushes on our property. We did this with the understanding that we may never see them grow to maturity since we believe the rapture is going to occur very soon. However, we believe our work has not been in vain, as these trees and bushes may be the only food source for someone during the Tribulation. Incredibly, though, these trees and bushes are young; this past year, many of them bloomed out in preparation for pollination. We were so excited because this would have been our first year with a decent amount of fruit. Seemingly, right on cue, a great hail storm came through our area and wiped out every bloom. We ended up with no fruit whatsoever. Coincidence? It is my personal belief that many are engaged in programs and processes that are intended to save the planet, which is something that God never instructed man to do. It is easy to see that they are doing a horrible job of it simply because they are not God. In fact, one could argue that the very measures taken are actually destroying the delicate systems God put in place. Rather than veer off of topic with speculation, suffice it to say that much is being done in the name of ‘saving the planet’ that is counterintuitive, and the results will be truly devastating. Back to the main topic… The results of the first, second, and now third riders will be truly devastating. Many will lose their lives, and nothing will ever be the same again. Think about the third rider for a moment… his ride will bring untold horror as the already struggling masses will be engulfed by THE great famine, which will undoubtedly claim multiplied millions of lives. However, death and mayhem are not the only purposes of these riders. Instead, they have at least two additional functions. First, they are designed to cause men to repent and turn to God. Second, they serve as great checkpoints in the Tribulation. Checkpoints that can cause great joy if understood for what they are. You may be saying, come again? God’s Great Mercy in Judgment God is truly merciful, and it is demonstrated throughout Scripture that God desires that men, even the aforementioned rich, repent and therefore have eternal life with Him. This is seen in one of the often-quoted, great comforting scriptures from the writings of Peter: 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” [God desires that any and all, small and great, repent.] (emphasis mine) [author’s comment] With this in mind, it is clear that God is using the judgments of the Day of the Lord to stir men to repentance. Here are some of the passages that confirm that God is still looking for men to repent all the way up to and during the Tribulation: Revelation 2:21 “Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.” (emphasis mine) Revelation 9:21 “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (emphasis mine) Revelation 16:9 “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” (emphasis mine) Revelation 16:11 “And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (emphasis mine) Revelation 16:21 “And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God [no repentance] because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (emphasis mine) [author’s comment] In His mercy, God often allows discomfort with the intent that said discomfort causes the sufferer to turn to Him for aid like the pig pen did for the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Momentary discomfort brought the wayward son to his senses, and his end was far better than he expected. I believe God wants all who are separated from Him to know that He is longingly watching for them to return to Him, to the place where they belong. Along with the most important purpose of causing one to desire to repent, these horsemen surely serve as checkpoints for those who come to know Christ during the initial days of the Tribulation. Checkpoints that show the new believers exactly where they are in a timeline that is now laid out before them as though it was set in stone; because God, in His infinite wisdom, laid out a perfect roadmap with which to navigate through the Tribulation in the writings of Daniel and John and the other key prophetic voices in the Bible. This roadmap, complete with checkpoints, will bring great comfort to those who miss the rapture. Clearly, God desires that those who see these horsemen making their rides will recognize them for what they are and come to the realization that they are indeed in the Tribulation and that their peculiar friends and families that tried to warn them about the rapture were right. We must not forget that the enemy and his minions will undoubtedly have a great explanation for the disappearance of the millions who suddenly vanish. Alien abduction is a likely solution, especially with the recent spike in UFO sightings. Allow me to say here that I believe these sightings are demonic in nature, and they are all part of the process of setting the stage for the coming antichrist. Indeed, we are in the midst of the greatest stage-setting period ever seen on Earth, and few understand it. This brings me to my last point. Sound the Alarm Those of us who have eyes to see are urgently warning all who will listen of the impending danger of the fast-approaching Tribulation. It is imperative that as you become aware of this danger, you immediately take up the call of the watchman and begin to sound the alarm to those in your own sphere of influence. You may be the only person who can or will warn this specific group. Be not afraid, for the Lord your God is with you. He will give you the boldness to preach the gospel while warning your friends and loved ones. Even though you may be persecuted for it. Yes, we can see that persecution of the faithful is beginning to ramp up as the innocent are being slain by the wicked. Unfortunately, things will only grow worse as more of the populace falls for the false narrative of rebellion. Indeed, our very own children are being indoctrinated by the enemy in the very school systems that once taught children to do what is right and to shun what is wrong. Now they are taught to rebel against what is right and champion what is wrong. Remember, right and wrong can only be determined by the absolute truths contained in God’s Word. I will say one more thing about the school systems. In fact, allow me to shout this last statement: Parents… it is time to remove your children from those schools that have become indoctrination camps. Conclusion Soon, like a freight train, the horsemen of the Apocalypse will ride. They will have no mercy as they do what they were created to do. They will not fail nor falter. They will do exactly what God has purposed them to do. The ‘Third Horseman of the Apocalypse’ will bring unimaginable famine to an Earth that has never been so depleted. Therefore, our best and only hope is, and has always been, Jesus. He is the one who will remove the faithful… before these riders are unleashed, by Jesus, by the way (Rev 5-8). Remember, in His great mercy, God will use the same wrath that brings judgment upon the wicked to awaken and call to repentance all who would be saved during the Tribulation. With this in mind, preach the gospel and allow God to sort out the rest. You never know, someone you speak to before the rapture may come to know Jesus in the Tribulation period because of something you said or left behind for them to read. A good place to end this particular discussion is by stating that we should all prepare something for those who do not make the rapture. Food and clothing, yes. But most importantly, information about Jesus, the only one who can save the lost. You might consider leaving behind a rapture kit, as seen on prophecywatchers.com.
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