Turn on the news on your TV and you hear of death, accidental death, death by war, death by terrorism, death because of sickness and disease, death by natural causes. And sometimes that death comes very close to us, sooner or later. Death comes and takes our family members away and our friends, a grandparent, a parent, sometimes a son or a daughter or a grandchild or a close friend. And sooner or later, if the Lord tarries, each of us will face the day of our own death. Death, with all of its pain, with all of its sorrow, is the result of the running of the pale horse, which we consider tonight. Let's quickly review the thrust of this chapter. It deals with the opening of the seals. In the previous chapter, John saw a book written on every page, back and forefront, sealed tight and shut with seven seals. This book represents the eternal counsel of God and the decrees of God that will determine the future of mankind. A search was made. Who is worthy to open the seals of this book? Whoever has the book and the authority to open the seals is the one whom God appoints to execute His counsel as determined from all eternity. And none was found except Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He is given the book. He opens the seals. He has the authority and the power given by God to execute the counsel of God that determines the future and that one day brings to pass the kingdom of God in all its fullness. With the opening of the first four seals of this book, four horses with their riders are released to run through history. We've seen that these four horses represent various powers given to Jesus Christ to shape the history of this world according to the counsel of God and thus to bring about the fullness of God's kingdom. There was the white horse, which we saw represents the cleansing power of the cross, which comes to God's elect through the power of the preaching of the gospel. There is the red horse, which is the power to make war with all of its horrors and all of its agony and devastation. There was and is the black horse, which is the power given to Christ to create difference between the few rich and the many poor, and with that all kinds of conflict. And now, tonight, We notice there's one more horse, a black horse, with a rider representing the power and the authority of Christ to bring death upon the earth. We consider tonight this last pale horse under that theme, the pale horse. We notice its identity. Secondly, it's run through history. And finally, it's purpose. With the opening of the fourth seal, John sees a pale horse. Actually, the color is pale green or yellowish green. Upon this horse there is a rider. This is the only horse whose rider has a name. The other three horses rider are not named, but in this case the name of this rider is Death. And we read that Hell followed after this rider and his horse. The word that's translated Hell is literally the word Hades. which is used often in the New Testament and has different meanings in different contexts. Sometimes it means hell, the place of punishment that God has for the ungodly. But other times it simply refers to death, where the soul and the body of man are separated and man's earthly, physical existence is brought to an end. And along with that, sometimes Hades refers to the grave, the place of the dead. In this particular passage, Hades refers to death and the grave rather than hell. For notice that all those whom this rider and his horse strike down in death are scooped up by that which follows them. Hades. Both the righteous as well as the wicked are brought by this horse and its riders into Hades. That's not hell. That's the state of the dead. And it's the grave. Finally, we read of this rider that he has the authority over a fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with death and with the beast of the field. The King James has the word power. He has the power to kill. But we're going to notice in a bit that the word is really authority, and that's significant. It's quite obvious that this horse and its rider represent the power of physical death given to Jesus Christ, who sits on God's right hand. That's suggested by everything that's said of this rider and its horse. First of all, there is the name of the rider. His name is Death. Secondly, There is the fact that authority has been given to this rider over a fourth part of the earth to kill, to kill with many different means. Thirdly, we are told that death and the grave follow after this horse and its rider, ready to swallow up all that the rider kills, whose name is death. And then there is the the color of this horse. Pale green. Yellowish green. Not a very appealing color. It's the color of death. Not only does this horse and rider represent the power of death given to Christ, it represents physical death in all its various forms. Notice, power is given to the rider to kill with sword, with famine or hunger, with death and with the beasts of the field. He has the power to kill with a sword. That means he has the power to kill by waging war and creating strife and conflict. He has the power to kill with hunger or famine. He has the power to stop the rain, to create crop shortages, starvation and death. He has the power to kill with death, representing most likely natural death. And he has the power to kill with beasts of the field. Speaking of animals attacking and killing mankind. Now, this is not an exhaustive list of the ways that this rider and this pale horse bring death. It's only a sampling. This pale horse, its rider represents death of every kind. Violent death, natural death, accidental death, murder, death by war, death because of plagues and pestilence, death by natural catastrophes, death by any cause. And notice that authority, not just power, but authority has been given to this rider and its horse to bring death in all these forms. You know, power is the ability to do something. Authority is the right to do something. You may have the power to take life and to kill, but that doesn't give you the authority, the right, to do so. To this rider is given the authority to kill by all different kinds of means. It is not the right of everyone to kill, but God has given the right, the authority to Christ. Remember, these horses and their riders represent various powers given to Christ to use so that he may execute throughout history the counsel and purpose of God. Christ has been given the right to take life, to kill by many different means. And Christ exercises that authority to kill in a limited way through the government, the magistrate, whom Christ on behalf of the living God gives the power of the sword. To the government has been given the right and the duty to execute by the sword certain criminals, especially those who simply take the lives of others. They also have the right to protect their citizens from those who would harm them. They even have the right to wage war to protect their citizenship. They have that right from Christ. But for the rest, death is the sole prerogative of Christ, who through the pale horse takes this life and that life in death according to the counsel of God. What a horrible thing when man takes upon himself to kill apart from this authority of Christ. What a monstrosity when for simple selfish reasons A society allows unborn babies to be killed by the millions upon millions. What a monstrosity when a society simply for personal gain makes war to conquer others and kills by the hundreds and thousands upon thousands. Notice finally in that connection the identity of this horse. That authority is given to this horse over a fourth part of the earth to kill. And power was given unto them, the horse and the rider, over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and so on. The idea is that Christ who is given this power, represented by the pale horse, has the authority to bring death, not to all mankind at once, but only at a certain rate, to more than a quarter of the world's population at any one time. Even Christ is limited in how He may use His authority to kill. And that's so that the course of history, as determined by God's counsel, may continue uninterrupted. Now, having identified who and what this pale horse is, let's look at its run through history. Remember, in each instance these horses and their riders went forth. Now, we only read that with connection with the first two horses. We read that of the first horse. And I saw, and behold, said John, a white horse. He went forth, conquering unto conquer, verse 2. And we read the same thing with respect to the red horse. And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth. We don't read of that of the next horse, the black horse that he went forth, nor of this pale horse he went forth, but that certainly is implied here in these passages. And the ride of these horses throughout history represents the work of the exalted Christ to bring about various things that are represented by these horses so that the counsel of God may be executed. And also here with this pale horse. The running of this pale horse represents the work of Jesus Christ to bring death in all of its various forms to mankind so that the counsel of God is executed. And it's not difficult to see The running of this pale horse and its rider through history. This pale horse and its rider has mowed down one generation after another. How many generations have lived since the exaltation of Christ? What is a generation? Twenty years? One after another, after another, after another. This pale horse has come and mowed down generations that we knew of. Younger and younger years. Great grandparents. Some of our grandparents. One day if the Lord doesn't tarry, if the Lord tarries, it's going to mow down this generation. How many generations are here tonight? Three generations? For we're all going to be mowed down by this pale horse. Sometimes this pale horse takes one at a time. A grandparent here, a great-grandparent there, a mother here, a son there. Sometimes this pale horse comes and mows down hundreds and thousands at a time. Does that through war, through starvation, pestilence and disease, catastrophes in nature? Today, let's just look at the past decade and see the work of this pale horse and its rider. There have been staggering numbers that this pale horse has come and mowed down and swept into Hades through catastrophes in nature. How long ago was the earthquake in Haiti? The pale horse was there, swept into Haiti's at least 300,000 in a very short time. Several years ago on Christmas Eve, this pale horse sent an earthquake and a tsunami on the Indian Ocean rim and within 24 hours swept into Haiti's 300,000 or more. Just like that. This pale horse sweeps into Hades through abortion. Just in this country at least a million every year. Through disease, this pale horse brings thousands upon thousands every year into Hades. Think of the plague of AIDS. that has brought many into Hades in this country and in Africa. A staggering percentage of the male population is doomed to early death with this terrible plague. And if these don't overtake man, Then this horse comes with Hades following behind, mowing down one, and here another, and there another, bringing daily sorrow to every part of the world. And this pale horse and its rider will continue to mow down a certain percentage of mankind until the very end of time. Man is desperately trying to overcome death. There are many enemies that man faces, but the worst is death. In fact, most of the dreaded enemies of man are so dreadful because they will bring ultimately death. And death is destruction. So, man sets about to overcome death. He spends billions upon billions of money, of dollars to develop medicine, to cure diseases, to hold off death, and if possible one day to stop death altogether. Great efforts are made for peace negotiations to prevent war and to prevent death. And man is even busy trying to forecast the next catastrophe, the next earthquake, the next tsunami, so that when it comes, man can be safe and out of the way of death. But man will fail in this attempt. The pale horse will ride through history to the very end. gathering men and women and children into Hades, the place of the dead. Yes, it's true, through medicine and technology, man will bring death under control in one area, but the pale horse will continue to ride and bring death in another area. Just in the area of medicine, for example, with great effort, And the use of great resources, many diseases that swept many into the grave a century ago have almost been conquered. Diphtheria, smallpox, they're almost conquered. But the pale house continues to run. And now there's AIDS, which has swept many into the grave. Will man in God's providence be able to overcome AIDS with his medicine and technology? Maybe. The pale horse will find another way to sweep many into the gray. In fact, at the end of the ages, the rate of death brought by this pale horse will increase. We're in chapter 6 of the book of Revelation. If you go ahead to chapters 8 and 9, you will find that the opening of the seventh seal consists of the blowing of seven trumpets. And with the blowing of the seven trumpets, we are jettisoned ahead towards the very end of history. And we read that with the blowing of the first fight trumpets, terrible catastrophes will fall upon a third of mankind. Here we read of the pale horse who has the authority to take a fourth of mankind into the grave. One out of four. Towards the end of the ages, with the blowing of the trumpets, catastrophe will fall upon one out of every three. Significantly higher rate. And with the blowing of the sixth trumpet, we read, a four angels sent to the earth to kill a third, one out of three, of mankind. That symbolizes that at the end of history, the pale horse will kill a significantly higher percentage of mankind through various catastrophes of nature. And as the death rate increases, on the one hand, that will bring about the anti-Christian kingdom, as man rallies behind one great leader to be saved. But ultimately, this higher rate of death will bring destruction to the great anti-Christian kingdom as God executes his counsel through Jesus Christ, bringing death at a staggering rate and sweeping men into Hades. And so, what's the purpose of it all? We must understand the purpose. Why this pale horse? And especially is that question important when we come to grips with the fact that that pale horse comes into our lives. That pale horse is taken from every family here. Members who are loved. Members who are important. And it's brought untold suffering. This pale horse has come into the church and taken away, from our viewpoint, prematurely, people who are very important. And we question, why? Why now? Why them? Men who are leaders in the church, who from our viewpoint have been swept into the grave way too early. Or a mother, or a father with children at home. And the pale horse comes and kills them and sweeps them into the grave. Why? Then one day if the Lord tarries, That pale horse is going to come and take each one of us in God's own time into the grave with the pain of suffering and separation and loss. Why? Why must this be? What's the purpose of it all? The purpose of the running of this pale horse and the death that it brings is ultimately the completion and coming of the great Kingdom of God. That's the focus of this whole, whole beautiful book. The acts of God through Christ to bring about the Kingdom in all its fullness. And again, under that main theme, we distinguish three different ideas. First of all, through the running of the pale horse, The world fills the cup of iniquity and makes itself ripe for final judgment. Remember, we belong to the kingdom by grace. But the vast majority of the world does not. Being still under the power and dominion of Satan, the world, along with the power of the Prince of Darkness, opposes the kingdom. in many different ways would destroy the cause of the kingdom. The kingdom isn't going to come fully and completely until all of its enemies are destroyed. The devil, the fiends of hell that fell with him in the beginning and all the ungodly who are under his terrible control, they must all be destroyed for the kingdom finally to come. And the Lord isn't going to come and destroy them until, as we've seen, they have filled the cup of iniquity. Sin is a terrible thing. It's a monstrous thing. But sin must show itself in all of its horror, in all of its colors, before the Lord will come. So that no one can say, when they are destroyed, I don't deserve this. Lord, this isn't fair. Sin must show itself in all of its horrors so that even the ungodly will say we deserve this punishment. The development of sin and the filling of the cup of iniquity is accomplished by Christ in part also through the running of this pale horse. What does man do when this pale horse comes and brings death? Natural man, he rebels. He puts his fist in the face of God and shows his true character. I have two things that stick out vividly in my memory that I think are representative In a small town in the Midwest where I served in a church, there was a man in the community who I'm told berated the living God, lividly berated him because he took his wife in death. This man belonged to one of the churches in the community. I'm told a first-hand account of a man who, in the Vietnam era, was in the Army Reserves in this area. That was your ticket to stay home from Vietnam. You could get in the Army Reserves. And the Army Reserve Unit in this area was a medic corps. So, many of these men spent time in the emergency room of St. Mary's Hospital. This man tells me of A man who was in the last stages of alcoholism, dying in the emergency room, cursing God for what was happening. And while he was cursing God, he died right there. That's representative of how natural man faces death. proper punishment, and he rebels and he curses God, showing the true character of his heart and sin. Through the riding of this pale horse, man takes upon himself also to kill in ways that are monstrous, that he has no right to kill. Through the riding of this pale horse, our society has decided it's all right to butcher unborn babes for any reason a mother chooses. Through the riding of this pale horse, wars have been generated out of greed, only greed, showing the true character of man's heart And man fills the cup of iniquity, making himself ripe for judgment, hastening the day when the Lord can come and sweep them all into hell. And the kingdom then may be complete. The second thing is this. Through the running of this pale horse, Christ prevents the premature coming of the kingdom of Antichrist. Remember, Christ has established His kingdom. When He was exalted into heaven and seated at God's right hand, He poured out the Holy Spirit upon the church. That's the beginning of the kingdom. We belong to this kingdom. The kingdom is developing as, through the power of the gospel, Jesus Christ gathers his church and his people one by one and brings them unto himself. But in response, the devil also is trying to establish his kingdom. And the Lord is going to let him. In the counsel of God, this is the future. The devil will have his day. He will be allowed to have his kingdom, a universal kingdom with one political leader, but a kingdom that is completely anti-Christian. It will have a false thin veneer of Christianity, but in its essence it will be anti-Christ, anti-the church. And it will be a terrible time for the Church and for the true people of God as Satan makes one last attempt to destroy the work of Christ. But that anti-Christian kingdom must not come prematurely. The tribulation that will come upon the church is so great in that unless the days were shortened, the very elect will perish off the face of the earth. No, it must not come prematurely. Through the running of the pale horse, Christ controls history so that the Antichrist can come only in God's good time. Consider how Christ controls history by mowing down, as He has in history, millions upon millions through various horrible events. There were the plagues of the Middle Ages that nearly devastated Europe. There were the millions that were destroyed in World War II Sixty million people swept into the grave within a space of five or six years. Through this pale horse, Christ is able to control the pace of history. And just think, just think he can take one man and change the course of history. Just think, if Christ, executing the counsel of God, went through this pale horse, have swept into the grave an Adolf Hitler in his youth, a Joseph Stalin, a Saddam Hussein, just think how different history would have been. And did the pale horse, did Christ, prevent the premature coming of the Antichrist by mowing down in death a family that became very prominent in the politics of this country, the Kennedy family? John F. Kennedy, elected to be president in the early 60s, Camelot, they call it. He introduced Camelot. We were on the verge of great things. Not great things for the kingdom of Christ, but for the devil. And the pale horse came and mowed him down and brought him into the grave through an assassin's bullet. His brother, Robert, stepped in his place and was going to carry the torch. The pale horse came and swept him away with another assassin's bullet and then brought disgrace to another member so he could never attain the leadership and the power of his brothers. And the oldest of that family was swept into the grave in World War II. That's the running of this pale horse. even mowing down great leaders to prevent the premature coming of the Antichrist. Finally, through the running of the pale horse, Christ purifies and saves the church. The church, and her members, us, we, we can inherit the kingdom of God in all of its fullness. Only after we have been purified. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of righteousness. Only those who are pure can enter in. This purifying process has begun in us. But it's not finished, is it? The way we are now, we cannot live in the kingdom in its final form. Look at the sin that clings to us. This life is a purifying process. That's the significance of this life. And how does God purify us? Well, He does that through the power of the Gospel, but He does that through affliction and suffering. He does that through war and poverty, but, oh, He does that through death. When through the pale horse He comes and takes our loved ones away. One at a time. How painful that is. But how purifying that suffering is. And then there will be, if the Lord tarries, the day of your own death. And you may see death approach. You may not see it at all. It may take you suddenly, but it may be that which you see approach with pain and suffering and struggling with the loss of death to purify, to cleanse, to make you ready for your place of glory in the kingdom. And mind you, when death does come, that is the ultimate purifying work of Christ. Because when you die, you leave behind your body, the old man of sin, the outward man, anything that's not purified is left behind and destroyed in the grave. And the soul, free from all sin, is brought into heavenly glory to be with Christ. to await the second return and the resurrection of the dead, when all will be pure, finally and completely. And so, this pale horse, with death, the grave, suffering, for us and for many, serves the great purpose of the kingdom. All of us have been touched by the agonies of death, the pain of separation. And that will continue. When it comes, remember, the pale horse has ridden into your life. But that pale horse is Christ, who has the authority to bring death. Not for your punishment, but for your salvation. Not to destroy you, but to accomplish His purpose. The final establishment of the Kingdom. And so, when the pale horse comes and rides through your life, yes, cry and grieve, but not as those who have no hope, but with the contentment and the confidence that all these things work together for our salvation. Amen. Father in Heaven, we ask Thy blessing upon Thy Word. We have dealt with some staggering realities. But when we see them in the light of Thy Word, they are beautiful. And we have peace and contentment and confidence. And the victory is ours. Give us, O God, that in faith, so that as we deal with the ride of the pale horse in our lives, we may deal with this in confidence, knowing all is well, for Jesus' sake. Amen.