7   And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

  8   And I looked, and behold a pale horse:  and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.  And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

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     What was the fourth thing of which Jesus warned His disciples when He spoke to them on the Mount of Olives?  Once again, from Matthew 24:

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  9   Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you:  and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake.

 10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

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     It is clear that what Jesus here says concerns the persecution and martyrdom His followers were going to face.  We looked earlier at what He said about "wars and rumours of wars" and the parallel of this with what we read concerning the 2nd Seal.  But, what Jesus said about wars has to do with people killing one another.  What He is now talking about is a little different.  Martyrdom is about people killing others, and more particularly, over their faith.  Paralleling this, the 4th Seal can certainly be about the killing or martyrdom of Christians.  What John here recorded concerning the various means employed for killing would do for a brief summary of what Old Testament Saints faced for their faith (see Heb. 11:32-38).  Such has been the experience of multitudes in the New Testament days as well.  James, the first apostle martyred, was killed by a sword (Acts 12:2).  Christians have been fed to wild beasts and starved in dungeons.  Since the days of the apostles, even unto our day, the rider on this pale horse has not been too particular about the manner he has utilized to kill off the children of God.

     But, what does it mean to kill "with death" (Rev. 6:8)?  The Greek word from which death is translated means the following and nothing more---DEATH.  This horseman named Death has not only been granted the power to kill with sword and hunger and beasts of the earth, he has also been granted the power to kill with death.  What does this mean?  It simply means to make someone die.  When God granted Satan his opportunity with Job, He put a limit on his liberty with these words:  "Behold, he is in thine hand;  but save his life" (Job 2:6).  Satan was allowed to go as far with Job as he wanted to go, only he could not cause him to die.  However, he could have if God had let him.  Among the ways listed that the rider on the pale horse can kill Christians, it appears that he has also been granted the power or liberty to simply cause some to die.  How many Christians, especially those who seem to be in the prime of their service for Christ, have experienced what is commonly referred to as an "untimely death"?  I submit that this is often linked to the activity of the horseman of the 4th Seal.

     Having spoke of the efforts of Christ's Bride being rode roughshod over, how long have those who make up His Bride been themselves rode roughshod over by something, and for so many, even to the point of martyrdom?  Is the rider on the pale horse of this seal the sinister influence Satan has employed to push for the persecution and martyrdom of Christians since the days of the apostles?  If so, then it can truthfully be said that the "gates of hell" (Matt. 16:18) have long followed with this rider called Death, both bent on doing as much damage as they can to the cause of Christianity, even to the point of mercilessly killing Christians.  Whatever one may believe about the seals, millions of Christians have been subjected to suffering and death, but the Church has yet to be prevailed against (Matt. 16:18).  Amen!

     Now realize this:  A big reason the gates of Hell have not prevailed against the Church is because God has put some limits on things.  One of these limits is the subject of my next proposition, and it should not be too difficult to understand.

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