The Third Horseman

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

[Rev 6:5-6]

The obvious picture here is of trade and exchange, of wages and money, and of value and prices; and thus in essence, commerce and, more generally, economics. And trade, exchange and barter are perhaps as old as mankind itself.

Economics today is justified today as the efficient distribution of goods and services. And in capitalist systems, which is apparently the only system in the world today - or perhaps from a long time ago, even when the Communists were around - this is achieved through the market, ie Adam Smith's invisible hand, which is ultimately founded on and created by every person pursuing his greed to the utmost.

This, to me, is the most direct and intrinsic interpretation from these few words. Many have interpreted this horseman to mean famine, which I think is farfetched and unnecessary. Perhaps it conjured up images of people coming to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain during that famine or maybe of Elisha's prophecy in 2 Kings 7:1 where a price is put on the flour and barley. Or maybe it is an attempt to create a consistent interpretation following the wars in the 2nd horseman.

But I think such associations are all unnecessary, especially as a straightforward interpretation is available.

And today, right at this moment in time, it is also obvious that this third horse is very strong and alive and in the world today. (Or is it ?)

OK, so what is being revealed?

Perhaps Revelation not so much reveals what is to come in the future, for which Prophecy may be more accurate, but rather functions as insights, revealing the true nature of things, and giving meaning and comprehension to the myraid events in all the world for all times, past, present and future.

So the first horseman reveals that man has usurp God's dominion of the earth, and striving to achieve this to the ends and depths of the earth, and beyond, and exercising and enforcing this dominion through kingship, politics, governments, etc which is ultimately based on the force of arms and the threat of death directly or otherwise. (The effectiveness of the law of the land, and even of God's, specifically the Torah, is ultimately based on this too.)

And this fear of death, the reason for the lack of peace, is what the second horseman reveals. It is effective, and it is the basis for all relationship between Man ever since the beginning. For where we ought to act in love, now it is the compulsion of others to act for you, and, in turn, being compelled to act for others, by threats to their or your peace respectively.

And the third horseman continues in this relationship, but with the introduction of a new thing, namely money and trade.

So where once I am fed when I am hungry, and given drink when thirsty, clothed when naked, and reciprocally, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, and giving shelter and warmth to the pilgrim and poor, now we trade our strength, wits, and for some even heart and soul for our food and drink, and sometimes wine, through the medium of money.

And where the reason for relationship - any relationship - ought to be love, now it is trade or exchange; and with the accompanying attitude of "What do I get in return" or "What's in it for me?" in any transaction and relationship.

(And we relate to God with the same attitude too.)

And whereas love is the currency in God's economy, it is money in the world's.

The one who can pay gets to eat.

(And why are prices of food rising? And who suffers most for it? And Jesus said there will always be the poor in the world.)

You get medical treatment not because you need it but because you can pay for it.

And so we have cosmetic plastic surgery, something entirely unnecessary for health but it is a nevertheless a thriving industry, for wealthy, healthy people needs to be beautiful too.

And where it could be give and take - take what you need, give what you have (even if you need it later) - it is now all buy and sell, in kind or in cash; and even the cash - or the worthless tokens of worth itself - and other vacuous things, like options and indices, are themselves bought and sold.

And with money, where once you give me wheat and wine for you fear me, now I fear no one if I have money. And conversely unless you have money you are nothing - even if you can beat to death anyone with your bare hands - and you will be the scum of the earth.

Money in a perverse way is a great demonstration of the collective power of faith: everyone acting on their belief that others too will have the same faith in this same token as a promise of value, gives that same token that very promised value, and even more, when it has none intrinsically on its own.

Thus money becomes a monster of its own, created by the overwhelming faith of Man, and it becomes god. And arguably even death is less feared than money, or the lack of it.

Money in fact is the Great Prostitute that sits on the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The latter being the economic power in the world, which is presently the G8 or G10; and these powers worship money, their true god.

And indeed all the world, even the so called church included, have prostituted themselves to the god of Money, eg have you not heard pastorpreneurship?

More on Money later on, but for now these have been prophesised:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

[1 Tim 6:10]

The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

[Rev 17:16]

What will the scenario be when the world monetary system collapses? And when the world economies turn on Money and hate it - to "eat her flesh and burn her up with fire"

Or perhaps, and I think more likely, Money will take on a monstrous life of its own - sitting on and and dominating the seven-headed, ten-horned beast - beyond the control and influence of anyone.

We may have had a glimpse and a hint of these scenarioes in the Great Depression in 1929, and in the Asian currency meltdown in 1997.

It is fearfully amazing to even think what else may come.

Even so, Lord Jesus, Come! Maranatha! Amen!

(And now the Fourth Horseman ... )