The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse sort of launch the judgment of God against the world in preparation for the Kingdom of Christ. But no real time frame is given. We know that the endtimes, in a sense, began after Jesus' died on the cross, and judgment against mankind became sort of "last chance."
But the endtimes is also our day, what we might call "the last of the last days." It is the time immediately preceding the return of Christ. So my question is, and I sincerely ask it, do the 4 horsemen, or even more broadly, the 7 seals, represent something that began in ancient history, in the time of Christ's apostles, or does this actually refer to our day?
I think the backdrop was actually from Dan 7, where the Roman Empire presented the last obstacle to the coming of Christ's Kingdom. But that Kingdom would sort of hold the world in place until it finally breaks up into 10 states, and then is reconsolidated under Antichrist.
The 4 horsemen may have begun to show cracks in the Roman Empire, because after war and varied disasters ripped into that area, the city of Rome fell to barbarians in 476 AD.
But in these last days the old Roman Empire exists in these 10 plus states, although yet to be consolidated under Antichrist. Perhaps these 4 horsemen come to make cracks in this edifice today, which is the European Union? Is war and natural disasters starting to whittle away the unity and continuity of this heir to the old Roman system?
I don't know. But I do think John was given to refrain from mentioning the Roman tradition specifically because it would've been looked on as sedition, or rebellion. In a number of places in NT Scriptures Rome is treated gently, with an eye to preserving social order and a good Christian witness. But Christians also knew how corrupt Rome was, and wanted to be careful to not "become them" in trying to "win them!"
Let me know your opinion on this?
But the endtimes is also our day, what we might call "the last of the last days." It is the time immediately preceding the return of Christ. So my question is, and I sincerely ask it, do the 4 horsemen, or even more broadly, the 7 seals, represent something that began in ancient history, in the time of Christ's apostles, or does this actually refer to our day?
I think the backdrop was actually from Dan 7, where the Roman Empire presented the last obstacle to the coming of Christ's Kingdom. But that Kingdom would sort of hold the world in place until it finally breaks up into 10 states, and then is reconsolidated under Antichrist.
The 4 horsemen may have begun to show cracks in the Roman Empire, because after war and varied disasters ripped into that area, the city of Rome fell to barbarians in 476 AD.
But in these last days the old Roman Empire exists in these 10 plus states, although yet to be consolidated under Antichrist. Perhaps these 4 horsemen come to make cracks in this edifice today, which is the European Union? Is war and natural disasters starting to whittle away the unity and continuity of this heir to the old Roman system?
I don't know. But I do think John was given to refrain from mentioning the Roman tradition specifically because it would've been looked on as sedition, or rebellion. In a number of places in NT Scriptures Rome is treated gently, with an eye to preserving social order and a good Christian witness. But Christians also knew how corrupt Rome was, and wanted to be careful to not "become them" in trying to "win them!"
Let me know your opinion on this?