Revelation 6:4; A Great Sword

Posted on Posted in Devotions Tagged with , ,

Revelation 6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 

The “sword” that this second horseman wields is literally a weapon for close combat (small) sword, a stabbing dagger, a relatively short sword used for cutting and stabbing as with Abraham’s offering of Isaac as a sacrifice (Gen. 22:6). [Lee] Symbolically, it spoke of bloodshed, violent death (Romans 8:35), war (Gen. 31:26) and international strife [Swete; Charles; Ford] [1] Swindoll said, “It’s dagger-like machaira of assassination, uprising and warfare.

There will be great killings that will take place.

Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:6-7 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

MacArthur observed, “As he was prominent in promoting the false peace, the final Antichrist will play a major role in the wars that follow it. Though the chief architect of the false peace, when wars brake out all over the world he will have no choice but to resort himself to war himself in order to preserve his authority and power. Antichrist will be as skillful at war as he was at promoting false peace. Daniel 8:24 describes his career as a warrior.”

Daniel 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 

MacArthur further observed, “Antichrist’s setting up of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31; 12:1; Matthew 24:15) will touch off a massive conflict.”

The great sword indicates war’s ravages will let loose on a universal scale throughout the earth. [Feinberg]

God reveals the chronological events of the end days so that His people may know that He is still on the throne!

Psalm 46:9-11 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

Amen.


[1]Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7 An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1992, 423.