Judgements Decreed

We all know that God has declared,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9

Because of this truth, the Bible should be off limits to mankind. It should be too difficult for us to understand or believe. But this is not the case for two reasons. First, He has written His word for the purpose of being understood. The inspired word of God is Him, reaching out to a lost world to reveal our sin and His plan to save us from condemnation through Jesus. The Old Testament and the old covenant of the law were written in plain language for all to read, understand, and be convicted. The covenant of grace, however, cannot be understood without the gift of faith. By faith we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Faith in Jesus opens the Word of God to us.
In Revelation chapter 6, we find the risen Christ seated on His throne, opening the seals on a scroll. The scroll, I believe, is the Lamb’s Book of Life. Our names are written on it, for we have been chosen for salvation. By Judgment Day, the seals will all be removed and the scroll will be opened so that our names can be declared as those belonging to God.
So then, what are these seals? They are decrees of “What must take place after this.” Rev 4:1. Because Jesus has suffered the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, the final period of history can begin. His victory over sin and death allows the next phase to begin. This period is the time of the Church and the Holy Spirit. He is Lord of the harvest, and these “end times” are about bringing in all the chosen from the four corners of the world so that every seat at the wedding supper of the Lamb is filled.
My interpretation of the first four seals is this:
1st seal-the Rider on a white horse: He is the Holy Spirit going out into all the earth to begin the harvest and seal those who are already saved.
2nd seal-the rider on a fiery red horse: God’s decree that men will not achieve peace on the earth. There will always be wars. Men will always slay each other.
3rd seal- the rider on the black horse: God’s decree that men will never establish justice on the earth, but will abuse and exploit each other because of their love of money and power.
4th seal- the rider on the pale horse: God’s decree that the sword, famine, and plague will persist as partial judgments issued according to His will at certain times and places, to stem the tide of sin and bring salvation to some.
When we acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than ours, His thoughts different than ours, we don’t often think about things like the above. We think about His love and grace being far beyond our own, and of spiritual matters we do not understand. But God is the Judge of all men and His righteousness is opposed by Satan’s world. Those who love darkness will suffer according to these events, while others will be rescued.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Jn 3:17-18
So, we find that though Jesus came to save the world, many will reject Him. The sin of this world will persist and judgments have been decreed. We must see all these things with spiritual eyes and walk in faith. God knows what He is doing and such things MUST take place. Therefore, to take sides within this world is to fight against the very decrees of God! The ideas of men will all perish. We are gifted not only to know these things and therefore have peace within, but also to be harvesters sent by the Holy Spirit. This is why we are still here. The world must know! The Gospel must be shared! The love of Christ is in you, by His Spirit