PALE RIDERS AND OTHER MYSTERIES...

One of the most enduring ideas on the endtimes is that of the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse. It would seem that everytime the world goes through a major war, or crisis, people will point and say "See, that's IT, that's one of the four horsemen!" So it is critical to understand the times and timing of the events leading up to the "final conflict" or "The Tribulation".

Paul alludes to this in 2 Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were going through similar troubles and some preachers had been going around saying "See, that's IT, we are in the end times..." But here is Paul's response:

2 Thessalonians
1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

So some things can be seen here, first there must be a "falling away first". This is just not any "falling away" or apostasy but it must be a world wide one, where the church goes very, very wrong in her doctrine. Then the man of sin must be revealed, this is THE Antichrist, not just your everyday garden variety would be messiah but the grandaddy of false Christs must be revealed. Next we see that he must be seen to sit in the "temple of God","shewing himself to be God".

Some things we can conclude, we are NOT in the last days, no matter what sort of tribulation you see the world and nature going through. That is not the gauge he gives. First off there has been no great "falling away" of the church from the true faith. There have been a lot of LITTLE falling aways. But even if you maintain that we have "fallen away" there are three more components that must be in place before we can say we are in the last days; 1) no Antichrist on the scene, hasn't made his presence known to the world. He may be OUT there but he's not letting it be known yet. 2) There is no temple for the Jews in Jerusalem, in fact Temple Mount is still under Moslem control! 3) There is no temple so he cannot "shew himself to be God" yet either.

Conclusion: This isn't the end times, its not even the BEGINNING of the end times. But we MAY be able to see the sign from here as the old saying goes. Many, many elements that are involved in Daniel's 70th week are seen in their infancy in the world today. But the "child is not born yet". More on the seals and what it all means NEXT blog...