Similarities Between Exodus and Revelation, Part 5

This is to continue from where I left off on Part 4 (which I ended rather abruptly).

When looking at the seal judgments, there are far more parallels with the major and minor prophets than with the plagues from Exodus.

One of the biggest parallels you’ll find between the four horses and the OT prophets is with the fourth horse, the pale or pallid horse.  With this horse we read about four things that it brings:

sword
famine
plague
wild beasts

 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”8 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.

Rev. 6:7-8

Let’s compare this to the four dreadful judgments found in Ezekiel 14:21:

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!”

In this instance we find:

sword
famine
wild beasts
plague

All the same sorts of judgment, yet we see a slight change in order.

We can also compare this to the judgments we find in Jeremiah 15:2-3.

“‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,

and those who are for the sword, to the sword;

those who are for famine, to famine,

and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. “

Verse two carries parallels with this passage in Revelation 6:7-8, but more so with Revelation 13:10. We’ll look at that later. For now, let’s look at the judgments in verse three.

sword
dogs
birds of the air
beasts of the earth

Although there are a few differences, such as the dogs and the birds of the air, the similarities are quite striking. And we’ve seen in recent years how the birds of the air can bring disease or plague. I don’t see any parallel between dogs and famine. If you do, I’d love to hear your insight!

While writing this post, my approach so far has been scholarly and reserved. While I read these verses in the Word, my heart is gripped with a sense of urgency, reverence and sorrow. Revelation 6:8 talks about how 1/4 of earth’s population would be decimated by this judgment. If this were to take place right now, 1/4 of the earth’s population would equal 2 billion people. This is unfathomable sorrow, and a pastoral crisis unlike any that most of us have faced in our lifetime. I don’t think we could imagine the devastation a judgment like this would bring. I can’t. And I pray that if I ever face an hour like this that I would have a strength of relationship with my Savior where I could offer, even if to one or two people, the comfort with which He comforts me.

Some may ask, “Isn’t God bringing this judgment?”

Here’s where I’ll draw a parallel between this chapter, with the seal judgments, and Revelation. In Exodus, God brought the plagues upon Egypt, but at the same time, Pharaoh’s hardened heart brought the onslaught of plagues. Pharaoh hardened his own heart against the Lord way before God hardened his heart. But because God unleashed these judgments against Pharaoh, over a million slaves were set free in a day.

Should slavery be permitted all for the sake of not having these judgments? I’ve wrestled with this question in the face of modern slavery. Should we stay the hand of the Great Abolitionist during the worst bout of slavery this world has ever seen? His judgments are terrifying, but just and true (Rev. 15: 3). The alternative, allowing the slavery to continue until we can properly legislate morality, is horrifying.

Yes, these judgments in Revelation 6 are the beacon for the worst time in all of history. But the light at the end of the tunnel (Rev. 21&22) give hope in the midst, as well at the realization that the Lord comes on behalf of truth, humility and justice (see Psalm 45:4).

Do you have any thoughts to share? I’d love to hear them! Do you see a place where I’m wrong? Please show me, because I only see in part.

God bless you!