Red Horse Of The Apocalypse VIII

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

(Proverbs 16: 18)

 "pride hath budded" 
(Eze. 7: 10)

The Apocalypse and its judgments begin with the opening of the seven sealed scroll, the unsealing of which brings redemption; But, part of the work of a "kinsman redeemer" was to avenge the blood of murdered kin in addition to delivering from bondage. This is what we see beginning to transpire when the red horse rider brings anarchy and slaughter to the world. It will be a time when the pride of man blossoms or buds, when it has reached the limits of divine forbearance, and when the Lord brings swift retribution.

When World's Iniquity Passes The Limit

"But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." (Gen. 15: 16)

What is meant by "iniquity" being "not yet full"?

"The idea is that the wickedness of the people of Canaan must reach a certain degree, before the Divine penalty can be inflicted. The postponement of the penalty, which indicates Divine forbearance, means also a terrible, but gradual, accumulation of guilt." (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

"For the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. - From this simple sentence we have much to learn. First. The Lord foreknows the moral character of people. Second. In his providence he administers the affairs of nations on the principle of moral rectitude. Third. Nations are spared until their iniquity is full. Fourth. They are then cut off in retributive justice. Fifth. The Amorite was to be the chief nation extirpated for its iniquity on the return of the seed of Abram." (Barnes)

"All men’s sins are kept by God as in a book of remembrance, not one of them is lost; and as God exactly observes the number and measure of men’s sins, so he determines within himself how far and how long he will bear with sinful men or nations, and what shall be the period of his patience; and when that comes, their measure is full, and their destruction infallibly comes." (Matthew Poole's Commentary)

"...wicked people have a measure of iniquity to fill up, which is known of God; some are longer, some are quicker in filling it up, during which time God waits patiently and bears with them; but, when it is completed, he stays no longer, but takes vengeance on them, Matthew 23:32." (Gill)

At the time of the red horse rider the sins of man will reach its height, a point of time when God says it is enough. The above comments elaborate this. When the Apocalypse begins the sin of man will be "full" to the brim.

"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." (Matt. 23: 32)

This is another passage where the same idea is put forth as in Genesis 15: 16.

"The English fails to give the pathetic abruptness of the original: And ye—fill ye up the measure of your fathers. The thought implied is that which we find in Genesis 15:16, and of which the history of the world offers but too many illustrations. Each generation, as it passes, adds something to the ever accumulating mass of evil. At last the penalty falls, as though the long-suffering of God had been waiting till the appointed limit had been reached, and the measure of iniquity was at last full." (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers)

"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Of their sins; for there were bounds and limits set how far they should proceed, and no further; as yet they had not got to the end of their iniquity: their fathers had gone great lengths in sin, but their iniquity was not yet full, as is said of the Amorites, Genesis 15:16 these their sons were to fill it up." (Gill)

Again, this is what we see happening when the judgments of the Apocalypse begin. Notice this prophecy of the very last days:

"And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise." (Dan. 8: 23)

"That is, when the state of things - the prevalence of wickedness and irreligion in Judea - shall have been allowed to continue as long as it can be - or so that the cup shall be full - then shall appear this formidable power to inflict deserved punishment on the guilty nation. The sacred writers often speak of iniquity as being full - of the cup of iniquity as being full - as if there was a certain limit or capacity beyond which it could not be allowed to go. When that arrives, God interposes, and cuts off the guilty by some heavy judgment. Compare Genesis 15:16 : "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." Matthew 23:32 : "fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." 1 Thessalonians 2:16 : "to fill up their sins alway." The idea is, that there is a certain measure or amount of sin which can be tolerated, but beyond that the Divine compassion cannot go with safety to the universe, or consistently with the honor of God, and then the punishment may be expected; then punishment must come." (Barnes)

When the Apocalypse begins with the four horsemen the forbearance of God will have reached its end. God will no longer tolerate the sins of man, especially the superlative sins of those "days of evil." God will only "put up with" man's rebellion and blasphemy so long. God has suffered long but it has an end.

Well do the following words of the prophet Ezekiel apply to sinners at the time when the Lord sends the judgments of the coming days of the great tribulation:

“See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd—none of their wealth, nothing of value. The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd." (Eze. 7: 10-12 NIV)

"The day of judgment is here; your destruction awaits! The people's wickedness and pride have reached a climax." (NLT)

Well do these prophetic words fit the scene when end time calamities and tribulations begin with the coming of the four horsemen. With the coming of the Lord (white horse) and the red horse (executor of the first judgment) we may well say "doom has burst forth." Further, we see that what precedes this bursting forth of doom, the result of divine wrath, is hubris or arrogant pride, a cause of the wickedness of the end times.

Notice also the reference to the "violence" that is promised for the punishment of wicked men. Is this not what we see under the red horse rider? The violence is between men in those turbulent days, but it is a judgment coming from God, as previously shown, by his removal of restraints upon the wrath, pride, and wicked doings of men.

Sin and lawlessness will become so prevalent and dominantly characteristic of the world at the time of the end when the longsuffering and forbearance of God becomes exhausted. In the last days of this evil age the stench of sin will become no longer tolerable and the Lord will not only no longer restrain the wrath of wicked men, but he will no longer restrain his own wrath either! This height of sin and rebellion will bring on the divine action of restraint removal and this action will bring on the judgments of the Apocalypse, beginning with the four horsemen of the first four seals.

End Time Hubris

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Cor. 12: 10 kjv)

The word "reproaches" is from the Greek ὕβρεσιν (hybresin) a form of the word ancient Greek ὕβρις (hubris). Most other English translations give the word "insults" as best one word translation of the Greek. Yet, neither word (reproaches or insults) captures the depth of meaning of the Greek idea behind the word. The meaning of hubris has been altered and expanded over time. Strong says: "hubris: wantonness, insolence, an act of wanton violence." Thayer says it means "insolence; impudence, pride, haughtiness." Other word scholars show that it includes "outrage" and "arrogant treatment."

Says one scholar on the Greek word:

"Only here and Acts 27:10; Acts 27:21 is ὕβρις found in the N.T., while in the LXX., as in classical Greek, it is very frequent...In all three places ‘injury’ is the best translation: but the word implies wanton infliction of injury, just because it pleases one to inflict it; it is insolent maltreatment. Its use in Acts of the storm is metaphorical: comp. Joseph. Ant. III. vi. 4. Similarly, ὑβριστής is rare in the N.T. (Romans 1:30; 1 Timothy 1:13), but frequent in the LXX." (Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges)

The two references given are these:

"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents." (Rom. 1: 30 kjv)

“Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (I Tim. 1: 13 kjv)

Here the same Greek word (hubristes) is in the KJV given two different English words to impart the meaning of the Greek; the words "proud" and "injurious." We could therefore call hubris a kind of injurious pride.

The term hubris originated in ancient Greek and had several different meanings depending on the context. In common usage hubris was outrageous behavior of abusers in shaming or humiliating the victim, such as raping or assaulting a victim.

Wrote one writer:

"In ancient Greece, hubris (ancient Greek ὕβρις) referred to actions that shamed and humiliated the victim for the pleasure or gratification of the abuser. The term had a strong sexual connotation, and the shame reflected on the perpetrator as well. It was most evident in the public and private actions of the powerful and rich. The word was also used to describe actions of those who challenged the gods or their laws, especially in Greek tragedy, resulting in the protagonist's fall."

Hubris, though not specifically defined, was a legal term and was considered a crime in classical Athens. It was also considered the greatest crime of ancient Greek society. The category of acts constituting hubris for the ancient Greeks apparently broadened from the original specific reference to mutilation of a corpse, or a humiliation of a defeated foe, or irreverent "outrageous treatment" in general. It often resulted in fatal retribution or Nemesis. Atë, ancient Greek for "ruin, folly, delusion," is the action performed by the hero or heroine, usually because of his or her hubris, or great pride, that leads to his or her death or down-fall."

"Violations of the law against hubris included what might today be termed assault and battery; sexual crimes ranging from rape of women or children to consensual but improper activity, in particular anal sex with a free man or with an unconsenting and/or under-aged boy; or the theft of public or sacred property.

Aristotle defined hubris as shaming the victim, not because anything happened to you or might happen to you, but merely for your own gratification. Hubris is not the requital of past injuries—that is revenge. As for the pleasure in hubris, its cause is this: men think that by ill-treating others they make their own superiority the greater." (see here)

The world will be full of hubristic people when the Apocalyptic judgments begin. Some call these proud and arrogant people "outragers," a word that many spellcheckers will not recognize. However, the Oxford English dictionary says this:

"A person who subjects another to outrage or gross violence; a violator; an affronter or offender of other people, their feelings, laws, morals, etc."

Do we not see these people in abundance today? Do we not see them among the riotous crowd? Do we not see it in the "bullying" that is prevalent today? Do we not see it in many assault and murder crimes?

We must distinguish between hubris in the mind or character (in the psychology), in one's disposition or "attitude," and in the hubristic deed. There is hubristic thought and hubristic deed.

In literature hubris is often closely related to hamartia (translated as "sin" in NT), which is the tragic flaw that leads to a character's reversal of fate and downfall. While there are many different types of tragic flaws, hubris is one of the most common.

End Time Arrogance

"And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible." (Isa. 13: 11)

Hubris has been defined also as "extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence - often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance."

When the Lord speaks of "the arrogancy of the proud" and "the haughtiness of the terrible" he is describing hubristic people. Truly they are "outragers"! And what is arrogance? It is an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions. Well does this describe the Omega Generation of sinners!