In Reading Revelation 6 the Lamb opens the first of 7 Seals and immediately are the hoofbeats of the 4 horses being sent out. I can almost hear the sound. Their riders were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. A fourth of the earth.

I love watching the Kentucky Derby. I love the powerful, beautiful horses. The thunder of their hooves when that gate is flung open I would imagine you would feel if you stood close to the barrier gates. Fearless and determined.

Then (the man in the vision) continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” Daniel 10:12. In my commentary in Revelation 7 is a table showing events in Revelation described elsewhere in the Bible and Daniel is mentioned twice along with many others.

I have always loved the Book of Daniel. I have always loved his absolute faith, humility, dedication to God. I’m so grateful his story was recorded in our Bible along with so many others of the faithful, many who were ordinary men and women just like we are.

Can you imagine seeing in vision from God the things Daniel, John, Ezekiel and others saw? Many of those visions came true and are described in detail. Jesus Himself foretold what would happen to Jerusalem in A.D. 70. “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’” then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” Luke 23:28-30. And again back to Revelation 6:15-17: Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

I keep thinking about those powerful hoofbeats of heavenly horses we will never see coming but whose ride will be felt for a fourth of the earth. I keep thinking about Daniel who set his mind to gain understanding and to humble himself before his God whose faith was strong and enduring.

God tells me it’s not for me to understand all things but to trust Him and walk faithfully with Him guiding me. It doesn’t matter exactly when those powerful horses ride. It matters that I’m walking humbly with God now and open to all He would like to teach me. I want to be with the faithful ones whose eyes are on the Lord. I pray that for you. There is so much to learn and experience with our Lord and it’s exciting. We may never live to experience the final days of mankind on this present broken world but we will experience trials and tribulations that are common to humans living in a broken world. His hand is there. He can and will guide you to Him and walk with you through every one. There is a poem written by Anonymous titled Footprints in the Sand which I love. 2 sets of footprints are seen by the person walking along the beach. When severe trials came there was only one set of footprints and as is our way as humans, the author asked why the Lord left him in his darkest moments. The Lord answered him, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”