God's Miniseries, Part Six

“Television is perhaps an even worse offender. Malcolm Muggeridge has commented on this. He points out that people think they see reality when they see those television pictures, but what they do not realize is that they are looking at pure fantasy. They are looking at an edited situation that does not present what is, but what the man at the console wants you to think is. You feel you know everything because you have actually seen the picture with your own eyes, but in every situation you have been given the edited version.”

- Francis A Schaeffer – “The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century"

The saga continues. God’s miniseries, part six, the real thing, follows:

Revelation 6 (New Living Translation)

Revelation 6

The Lamb Breaks the First Six Seals
1 “As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then one of the four living beings called out with a voice that sounded like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked up and saw a white horse. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
3When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!" 4And another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to remove peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
5When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6And a voice from among the four living beings said, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day's pay.[a] And don't waste[b] the olive oil and wine."
7And when the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!" 8And I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green like a corpse. And Death was the name of its rider, who was followed around by the Grave.[c] They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease[d] and wild animals.
9And when the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their witness. 10They called loudly to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge the people who belong to this world for what they have done to us? When will you avenge our blood against these people?" 11Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters[e]--their fellow servants of Jesus--had been martyred.
12I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. 13Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from trees shaken by mighty winds. 14And the sky was rolled up like a scroll and taken away. And all of the mountains and all of the islands disappeared. 15Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy people, the people with great power, and every slave and every free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who will be able to survive?”

Footnotes:
Revelation 6:6 Greek A choinix of wheat for a denarius, and 3 choinix of barley for a denarius.
Revelation 6:6 Or hurt.
Revelation 6:8 Greek by Hades.
Revelation 6:8 Greek death. Revelation 6:11 Greek their brothers.