Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

[JehovahsWitness]

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mentioned in the book of Revelation (chapter 6) represent Jesus (first) and the present world conditions (horsemen 2 through 4) particularly in evidence since 1914

What, do you think the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are and why?


My question really is directed to those that believe that the book of Revelation does have some kind of spiritual meaning.

[JehovahsWitness]

I don't think anyone is going to care, other than your god perhaps.

Perhaps more would If they knew the significance of the events we are all exoeriencing. For example the present war in Ukraine is just one example of the SECOND horesman, namely the increased impact of WAR, violence and civil conflict since 1914, signalling we are living in the last days of this present system of things.

[JehovahsWitness]

INDEX



THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

What is represented by the white horse of Revelation chapter 6?
viewtopic.php?p=867841#p867841

What is represented by the pale horse of Revelation chapter 6?
viewtopic.php?p=1080375#p1080375

What is represented by the black horse of Revelation chapter 6?
viewtopic.php?p=1080376#p1080376

What is represented by the FIERY "RED" horse of Revelation chapter 6?
viewtopic.php?p=1080386#p1080386

To learn more please go to other posts related to

THE LAST DAYS , .THE SECOND COMING * and ... THE BOOK OF REVELATION

*The Return of Christ

[Tcg]

Does anyone doubt THE PALE HORSE is riding?

This cat believes.






Tcg

[Miles]

I don't think anyone is going to care, other than your god perhaps.

Perhaps more would If they knew the significance of the events we are all exoeriencing. For example the present war in Ukraine is just one example of the SECOND horesman, namely the increased impact of WAR, violence and civil conflict since 1914, signalling we are living in the last days of this present system of things.

You talk as if war is something new; first created in the 20th century, and with WW I no less.

HOWEVER

"List of wars ordered chronologically by the year that hostilities were initiated.
.
.
.

1700–1800

Second Northern War (1700–21)
War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14)
War of the Emboabas (1708–09)
Carnatic Wars (1746–48; 1749–54; 1758–63)
Queen Anne’s War (1702–13)
Yamasee War (1715–16)
War of the Polish Succession (1733–38)
War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739–48)
War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48)
King George’s War (1744–48)
French and Indian War (1754–63)
Silesian Wars (1740–42; 1744–45; 1756–62)
Seven Years’ War (1756–63)
Lord Dunmore’s War (1774)
Rohilla War (1774)
American Revolution (1775–83)
First Maratha War (1775–82)
War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79)
Cape Frontier Wars (1779–1879)
French Revolution (1787–99)
French revolutionary wars (1792–1801)

1800–1900

Cape Frontier Wars (1779–1879)
French revolutionary wars (1792–1801)
War of the Oranges (1801)
Tripolitan War (1801–05)
Second Maratha War (1803–05)
Third Maratha War (1817–18)
Napoleonic Wars (1803–15)
Black War (1804–30)
Peninsular War (1808–14)
War of 1812 (1812–15)
Creek War (1813–14)
War of Greek Independence (1821–32)
Padri War (1821–37)
Naning War (1831–32)
Pastry War (1838–39)
Mexican-American War (1846–48)
Crimean War (1853–56)
Bleeding Kansas (1854–59)
American Civil War (1861–65)
War of the Triple Alliance (1864/65–70)
Seven Weeks’ War (1866)
Selangor Civil War (1867–73)
Franco-German War (1870–71)
Acehnese War (1873–1904)
Red River Indian War (1874–75)
Serbo-Turkish War (1876–78)
Anglo-Zulu War (1879)
War of the Pacific (1879–83)
Gun War (1880–81)
Sino-French War (1883–85)
Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885–86)
Sino-Japanese War (1894–95)
Spanish-American War (1898)
Philippine-American War (1899–1902)
South African War (1899–1902)
The War of a Thousand Days (1899–1903)

1900–2000

Acehnese War (1873–1904)
Philippine-American War (1899–1902)
South African War (1899–1902)
The War of a Thousand Days (1899–1903)
Boxer Rebellion (1900–01)
Moro Wars (1901–13)
Russo-Japanese War (1904–05)
Pig War (1906–09)
Mexican Revolution (1910–20)
Italo-Turkish War (1911–12)
World War I (1914–18)
.
.
.
source

So why are you picking WW I (1914) as the beginning of the "ride of the first horseman (Jesus)"? WW II had over 5 times as many deaths, and the Mongol wars that preceded it (1206–1368) had twice as many deaths as WW I. And way before that the Three Kingdom Wars in China (184-280 AD) had almost 2.5 times as many deaths?

And let's not forget some of China's other significant wars.

The An Lushan Rebellion in China (755 and 763 AD) with 13,000,000–36,000,000 deaths.

The Manchu invasion of China (1616-1683) that took 25,000,000+ lives

The Taiping Rebellion in China (1850- 1864), which killed 20,000,000–70,000,000. Outstripping WW I deaths by 1.25 to 4.33 times.

Or don't Chinese lives count?

To tell the truth, it appears you're picking cherries here. But why? Why zero in on 1914 and the outbreak of WW I and disregard the other notable wars?


.

[JehovahsWitness]

I don't think anyone is going to care, other than your god perhaps.

Perhaps more would If they knew the significance of the events we are all exoeriencing. For example the present war in Ukraine is just one example of the SECOND horesman, namely the increased impact of WAR, violence and civil conflict since 1914, signalling we are living in the last days of this present system of things.

You talk as if war is something new; first created in the 20th century, and with WW I no less.

No, you misunderstood.The wars and the conflicts (as well as all the other features associated with the four horsemen of the apocalypse) ONLY concern those that follow the ride of the first horesman namely Jesus Christ in his capacity as King, which started in 1914. So the wars, food shortages, diseases and other causes of premature death, prior to the 21st century, were just that wars and problems; they did not signal anything as regard to end time prophecies.

The wars and conflicts AFTER 1914 (ie after the first horse set out), signal the end of the present system of things.



JW




RELATED POSTS

Are we living in the last days?
viewtopic.php?p=1008292#p1008292

How can the features Jesus spoke about constitute a sign when they are not unique to our era?
viewtopic.php?p=1000232#p1000232

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

GENTILLE TIMES , LAST DAYS and ...THE SECOND COMING *

*The Return of Christ

[Miles]

I don't think anyone is going to care, other than your god perhaps.

Perhaps more would If they knew the significance of the events we are all exoeriencing. For example the present war in Ukraine is just one example of the SECOND horesman, namely the increased impact of WAR, violence and civil conflict since 1914, signalling we are living in the last days of this present system of things.

You talk as if war is something new; first created in the 20th century, and with WW I no less.

No, you misunderstood.The wars and the conflicts (as well as all the other features associated with the four horsemen of the apocalypse) ONLY concern those that follow the ride of the first horesman namely Jesus Christ in his capacity as King, which started in 1914. So the wars, food shortages, diseases and other causes of premature death, prior to the 21st century, were just that wars and problems; they did not signal anything as regard to end time prophecies.

The wars and conflicts AFTER 1914 (ie after the first horse set out), signal the end of the present system of things.

Okay, but why start with 1914 when there were wars with far more killings both before and after that date? Why was 1914 specifically selected?

.

[JehovahsWitness]

Okay, but why start with 1914 when there were wars with far more killings both before and after that date?

It's not about how many people, obviously more people have been killed in wars and conflicts from the beginning of human civilization to 1914 than have been killed since. Its a matter of understanding the events since 1914; seeing the sign or signal in the events since that year.

Why was 1914 specifically selected?

Why 1914? Because according to bible chronology, that was the year Jesus began ruling as King (riding the white horse) marking the final countdown for this world system. Therein lies the significance of the horses of the apocalypse for those that have eyes to see it.





JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

GOD'S KINGDOM, 1914 and ... THE GENTILE TIMES

[Difflugia]

Okay, but why start with 1914 when there were wars with far more killings both before and after that date? Why was 1914 specifically selected?

Charles Taze Russell calculated the 1914 date in the late 1800s. If you're more than just curious, read his three-part series of Bible studies. There are scans online of editions that predate 1914 and The War: The Plan of the Ages, The Time is at Hand, and Thy Kingdom Come.

The Time is at Hand is the one most concerned with the 1914 date and The Plan of the Ages doesn't mention it, but I recommend reading all three together. They're not that long. The Plan of the Ages (or The Divine Plan of the Ages) is still influential with and published by a number of Seventh-Day Adventist grouops. I live in Southwest Michigan where there are tons of SDAs and I'm occasionally handed copies at events that attract proselytes.

If you want a tl;dr, read the Wikipedia article.

[Miles]

Okay, but why start with 1914 when there were wars with far more killings both before and after that date? Why was 1914 specifically selected?

Charles Taze Russell calculated the 1914 date in the late 1800s. If you're more than just curious, read his three-part series of Bible studies. There are scans online of editions that predate 1914 and The War: The Plan of the Ages, The Time is at Hand, and Thy Kingdom Come.

Thanks, but after reading about Russell and his failed predictions,

"Founded by Charles Taze Russell who disputed many aspects of "mainstream Christianity", The Jehovah's Witnesses have put forth many doomsday predictions. Russell predicted the world would end in October 1914 or October 1915, whichever one proved to be correct. When World War 1 broke out, Russell and his devout followers took it as a sign that their predictions were correct. Although Russell died in 1916, the last years of his life were spent preaching that the war would end in 1918, as well as the world with "the battle of Armageddon and the rapture of the church" (page 46). The world, of course, did not come to and end, but with the Spanish Flue running rampant, one could look to the pale horsemen, who brings plague and death. Even though the flu killed millions of people, their predictions fell short yet again. The Bible study that Russell created almost fell apart because of his death and with the threat of the flu, but the Jehovah's Witness did persevere, and continued (and still do today) make the next apocalyptic predictions.
source

I'd be a fool to believe anything he, or his followers, said. ( ) Although, if some day I'm really pressed for entertainment . . . . . . . . .

.

[Difflugia]

I'd be a fool to believe anything he, or his followers, said. ( ) Although, if some day I'm really pressed for entertainment . . . . . . . . .

Different strokes, I guess. One of the things I enjoy about where I live is the intense, but eclectic mix of religion surrounding me:

• Calvinists and Zondervan's headquarters in Grand Rapids
• Catholics and Notre Dame university in South Bend
• Seventh-Day Adventists in Berrien Springs and Battle Creek
• The Amish and Mennonites in Shipshewana and Goshen

Those things are at the top of my entertainment list and I have trouble finding time for all of them.

Of course, that makes the local political process "interesting," but I guess I can't have everything.