Death

 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
Revelation 6:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.6.8.ESV

I can't read the first half of this verse without hearing the voice of Johnny Cash in the song The Man Comes Around. I don't think the Apostle John is envisaging only the time of Christ's return in this verse. Instead, I think John is covering the entire era between Christ's first and second advents.

Hasn't that been our human experience these past two thousand years? We've had wars, famines, pandemics and even (not so much in the UK of late!) death by wild beasts! If we include fleas and mosquitos in the wild beast category we could include the 'Black Death'/bubonic plague and malaria.

Never mind the past two thousand years- if God hasn't used the last couple of years as a megaphone warning of Christ's return, I don't know what would get our attention. First we've had the covid pandemic and now war in Ukraine as well as less well documented places like Yemen and Ethiopia. Christ will soon return- are we ready?

If we are ready, then it is our duty to call others to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In fact, that is why He delays His return, to bring more people into His Kingdom before the end arrives. That is our raison d'etre in this life- to glorify God and call others to glorify Him.

'Glorious Lord, we long for Christ's return. We pray that You would help us to be faithful to make You known until that great day. In His mighty name we pray, amen'

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