The author compares the Book of Revelation with the current state of world affairs.He equates the ancient symbols with the modern terrors that pursue us: war, violence, deception, economic chaos, unemployment, poverty, hunger, disease, and death. His message is one of hope--and direction.

Rated: F ( )

'They come as a warning, and grow louder by the day, ' says Billy Graham, who equates the ancient symbols with the modern terrors that pursue us: war, violence, deception, economic chaos, unemployment, poverty, hunger, disease and death. But for those who will heed the warning, Dr. Graham's message is one of hope - practical, creative and clear direction for men and women, young and old who will read and be transformed by this book

The four horses and their riders are described by the Apostle John, while a prisoner of Rome on the island of Patmos, in Revelation 6. They repeat the four signs of the end of the age that Jesus gives in Matthew 24. The first horse has to do with counterfeit religion (white), the second with war and peace (red), the third with famine and pestilence (black), an the fourth represents the trauma of death and the sufferings of "Hades" (pale). [10]

Compare Schaeffer's four global events; 1st (crowned white sword-wielding) - Colonialism; 2d - (Red making war) Communism; 3rd - (black, scale-wielding) African slavery and equality movement; 4th - (pale) atomic weapons.

Graham points out that Revelation is the only book of the Bible for which we are promised a blessing if we read it. [10] He admits not understanding it. In this book he only covers the first six chapter. He does not touch Rapture, Tribulation, Millennium, and such other topics of prophecy. He writes to make the "warnings" relevant to the great problems we face as individuals and as a world.

"I have become more deeply convicted about the responsibility those of us who are Christians have to declare and live the gospel and to fight against both individual and corporate evil." [11]

Although Billy claims to be an evangelist, not a scholar, this books is well-researched and written. It seeks to understand a remarkable book by a remarkable man.

In a penultimate chapter, Billy notes that after the four horsemen have ridden past John on their journey of warning, a fifth seal is severed and he hears countless voices of the martyrs "under the altar" crying out "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" [207] Then, as now, God was silent. ( )

Billy Graham's preaching became famous for it's apocolyptic flavor and verve; here Graham began to tonedown some of his rhetoric from fear mongering into actual theological thoughtfulness on eschatology. ( )