The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

[SteveMR200]

Graphic Version:
https://images.theweek.com/sites/default/files/141_217572.jpg?resize=807x807

ObQuote:
Various Horsemen are abroad, doing their various
Apocalyptic things.
--George Alec Effinger (1947-2002)
_Mixed Feelings_ [1974],
"Wednesday, November 15, 1968"

--
Steve

[SteveMR200]

On Sat, 03 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0800, SteveMR200 wrote in message:
<6jdstdl31ur6dq37c...@4ax.com>:

>Various Horsemen are abroad, doing their various
>Apocalyptic things.
> --George Alec Effinger (1947-2002)
> _Mixed Feelings_ [1974],
> "Wednesday, November 15, 1968"

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its
rider was named Death, and Hades was following
close behind him.

They were given power over a fourth of the earth
to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the
wild beasts of the earth.

--Revelation 6:8 NIV
https://biblehub.com/revelation/6-8.htm

--
Steve

[SteveMR200]

On Sat, 03 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0800, SteveMR200 wrote in message:
<6jdstdl31ur6dq37c...@4ax.com>:

I recently found myself Googling the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, because,
you know, it just seemed like the respons-
ible thing to do.

As a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, horror and the New
Testament, I am reasonably familiar with the
Book of Revelation . . . and while I've never
been a big fan of John's prophesy (so much
violence, so little character development),
these are strange days, and it never hurts
to check in.

I think it was an image of the lightning
storm setting off the deadly fires in
Northern California that sent me to
the way back of the Holy Bible.

(It's not that I don't trust Wikipedia or
Christianity.com, but when you're researching
the end of the world, primary sources are best.)

I quickly discovered that while fire is
frequently discussed in Revelation, it is not
one of the horsemen who appear when the first
of seven seals--enclosing a mysterious scroll
no one is worthy to open save the Lamb of
God--is broken and the deadly, colorful and
complicated series of events preceding the
creation of the New Jerusalem commence.

Nor is, I was relieved to discover, plague--at
least not technically. The horses are given
definite and potentially symbolic colors, but
the men who ride them are described in
maddeningly vague terms.

First comes a guy with a crown and a sword
sitting on a white horse; he rides out as a
conqueror to conquer [sic], which I guess
sounds bad--though frankly, he reads more
like Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings" than
Damien in "The Final Conflict."

The second horseman has more instant brand
clarity--fiery red steed, check; the power to
take peace from the earth and make men
slay one another, check, check; definitely
War, definitely bad.

Then comes the third, who, weirdly, holds a
pair of scales and is heralded by four voices
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."

This has been interpreted as Famine, but
doesn't it sound like some super-finicky
rich guy talking to his caterers?

"Do not damage the oil and the wine"?
I'm sorry, what? Is the third horseman
of the apocalypse Gordon Ramsay?

Then Death shows up fourth on his pale
horse followed by--just to be clear where
this whole thing is heading--Hades, and
they are "given power over a fourth of
the earth to kill by sword, famine, and

plague, and by the wild beasts of
the earth."

So while not one of the quartet of horsemen,
plague is still a name-checked participant in
the Apocalypse, as are wild beasts, which I
guess could include murder hornets, the
unofficial wildlife mascots of 2020.

Also worth noting in the prophesy is that
"fourth of the earth" statistic--while the
United States holds only 5% of the world's
population, we do have 25% of the world's
coronavirus cases; adjust your origin-of-
world's-end bets accordingly.

I'm not trying to make light of how truly awful
this year has been for so many, nor to downplay
the legion of crises, tragedies, crimes and
conflicts that have erupted. I am not making
fun of the Bible or anyone's interpretations
of same.

I grew up in a small town with people who
believed in the Rapture and at least one of
my friends had a fully stocked basement in
preparation, which surprised me only because
hers was such a lovely family that I assumed
they would be plucked to heaven immediately.

I may not be a true believer (if it should
come to pass, I will definitely be enduring
all seven years of the Tribulation), but my
reacquaintance with Revelation was sincere.
I mean, at this point, why take chances?

There have been more than a few days of late
when I've wondered if the apocalypse was nigh.

--Mary McNamara
_Los Angeles Times_ [September 2, 2020],
"I Thought The Apocalypse Would Involve Fewer
Zoom Meetings And More Lava. Lessons Of 2020"

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-09-02/covid-19-racism-inequality-2020-feels-like-apocalypse

--
Steve