Provided for

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

PROVIDED FOR

Rev 6:5-6

5 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. 6 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!"

NIV

So the third seal is now opened and more of the scroll is available to either read or view. As before one of the living creatures invites John to come and see what is now exposed. This time he sees a black horse with a rider holding a pair of scales. The rest of what was said about this rider is somewhat in the form of a proclamation. We have no idea who made this proclamation as we are simply told it was a voice from among the four living creatures. It might have been the voice of Jesus or of God the Father, but in either case what was said has importance to our lives. First as in other cases within the scriptures the color black denotes distress in some form, or famine or even calamity. Combined with the references to different foods we are to garner the idea of a time when the necessities of life will be rationed out. Of course we have seen famines in different parts of the world in various times in history and even in our day, but this rider on the black horse will bring this to the world in a widespread distressful period. It seems difficult to imagine that here in American with our fruited plains. We seem to have a virtual horn of plenty. Yet a day is coming when even this land will experience the effects of the rider on the black horse. In recent years there has been a greater number of ads for survival foods. Food that is freeze dried and has a long shelf life. We also know that the Mormon’s believe in storing up certain foods. Perhaps all this is due in some sense to people believing a time of great distress is coming. But this should not be of any concern for us. Jesus has repeatedly told us not to be concerned about tomorrow, not to store up treasures here on earth where rust and rot will destroy. He has always told us that he would provide for our daily needs. What we should always remember is the character of God. He desires that all men should come to repentance and accept his Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. All that happens upon the earth, any form of distress, famine, and calamity would be intended to bring people to repentance and accepting Christ. This famine or distress is not of natural causes, it is not because we have harmed the earth, or the environment. This distress is sent forth by God, with the rider on the black horse. This is a supernatural event the whole world will witness. But we have nothing to fear from God. He will always provide for us. We also should remember that although we are seeing things within the scroll revealed in somewhat of a linier fashion that does not necessarily mean they happen in that particular sequence. At some point we are told we will be changed in a twinkling of an eye and we will be raised or raptured up out of this earth into the presence of God. Whether that happens before all the distress or not is really of no matter because God will still sustain us. We can remember the time when the Israelites were in great distress in Egypt and God sent all the plagues onto the Egyptians, including pestilence and famine. He also ended it all by sending the death angel to kill all the first born. But he provide for his people. They applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts and the death angel passed over them, Hence they celebrate the Passover to this day. But we also have applied the blood of the Lamb, but not to the doorposts of our home, but rather to the doorpost of our hearts. We will not experience the effects of this rider on the black horse. God has provided for us.