JOY of Living

Revelation

“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!The splendor of the Lord shines on you!For, look, darkness covers the earthand deep darkness covers the nations,but the Lord shines on you;his splendor appears over you.

Isaiah 60:1-2

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Conquest, War, Famine & Death, an 1887 painting by Victor Vasnetsov. The Lamb is visible at the top.

“Christ’s followers face the future by embracing the truth about the present. Each of the events triggered by the release of the seals prepares the believer for life as we experience it today. Evil has to be understood if it is to be overcome. John’s inspired vision begins by exploring the extent and complexity of evil.”

Doug WebsterHeaven’s Perspective on Evil

AD 60 Earthquakes.AD 62: Defeat of Roman army by Parthian Vologeses on eastern frontier.AD 64: Persecution of Christians following the fire of Rome.AD 70: Four year war of Jews and Romans ending with Jerusalem in ruins. AD 68 Suicide of Nero, followed by political chaos.AD 79 Eruption of Vesuvius which obliterated Naples and

created a pall of darkness so widespread that men feared that the end of the world had come. When

volcanic dust covers the sky the moon would appear red.AD 92 Serious grain famine.AD 81-92 Reign of Domitian, institutes emperor worship,

persecution.AD 95 Writing of Revelation.

The bad news is that the four horses of the apocalypse are still riding hard – evil runs wild. The good news is that Christ and his salvation are the supreme realities, not evil. And living by God’s grace for the sake of Christ does not remove us from these harsh realities, but places us in the midst of them. “Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. (Romans 12:21) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. (John 16:33)

Doug WebsterHeaven’s Perspective on Evil, page 142