In Matt. 16 when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees to show them or give them "a sign from Heaven" to prove to them that He was the Messiah, Vrs. 2-3 — "He answered and said unto them: 'When it is evening you say: It will be fair weather" (tomorrow) "for the sky is red" ("because the Sun is going down red").
     "'And in the morning:" (you say) "'It will be foul weather today for the sky is red and lowering'" ("the Sun is coming up red") "O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky, but can you not discern the signs of the times?'"

In these verses I see that Jesus wants us, as believers, to be "discerning the signs of the times" as they relate, particularly to "the end times" and the returning of the Lord.

With that thought in mind I want to point out the fact that on the Chinese Zodiac, which has been accepted by all the postal departments of nearly all the nations of the World this year of 2014 has been designated as "The Year Of The Horse", which I think could be "end-times" prophetically significant because of the fact that both the rise of the Antichrist at the beginning of the "Great Tribulation" years (in the Bible) and also the "Second Coming Of Jesus Christ" is identified, in the Bible, with the symbol of a "Horse", which tells me that it is very possible that the event of the "Rapture Of The Church" (I Thess. 4:12-17) could very likely occur in this year of 2014 and then the rise of the Antichrist would take place and the "Great Tribulation" (Matt. 24:21) would be underway.

Concerning the Antichrist being identified with "horses", we note that Jer. 8:16 says (of the Antichrist): "The snorting of his" (Antichrist's) "horses was heard from Dan" (indicating that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the Tribe of Dan) "the whole land" (the "land" of Israel) "trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones, for they are come and have devoured the land" (the "land" of Israel) "and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein."

According to the Book of Revelation, the current "Church Age" is prophetically indicated by the first 3 chapters of the Book of Revelation, which concerns "The Church" in that the "Seven Letters To The Seven Churches" of Rev. 2 and 3 are prophetic of the events of the "Church Age" and Rev. 1 concerns Jesus Christ ministering among the churches as the "Great High Priest" in the "Church Age" that we are currently living in.

The "Church Age" concludes with the end and closing verses of Rev. 3 and then the event of the "Rapture Of The Church" (which takes place at the end of the "Church Age") is prophetically depicted in Rev. 4:1 where the Apostle John the Revelator sees "a door opened in Heaven" (which is prophetically depictive of "the door into Heaven" that will be opened for the believers at the Rapture of the Church) and at the same time John hears a great voice "that sounds like a trumpet" (which will be "the trumpet of God" of I Thess. 4:16), which says "Come up here!" And when the Lord Jesus Christ, with "the trumpet of God" sounding issues the cry: "Come up here", (I Thess. 4:16-17) "the dead in Christ will rise first, Then we" (believers) "who are alive and remain will be caught up" ("Raptured") "together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

The next events of the Book of Revelation is Rev. 4 and 5, which concerns the "Judgment Seat Of Christ" referred to in II Cor. 5:10, in Heaven where the believers will appear to judged and rewarded after the "Rapture of the Church".

While the "Judgment Seat Of Christ" will be taking place in Heaven for the resurrected and "raptured" believers, upon the Earth the events of the "Great Tribulation" will begin to occur, which will begin with the coming of a rider on a white horse, which is prophetically depictive of the rise to power of the Antichrist:

Rev. 6:1-2 — "And I saw when the Lamb" (Jesus Christ) "opened one of the Seals" (of the "Seven Sealed Book" of Rev. 5:1) "and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts" (4 Cherubim Angels) "saying: 'Come and see.'
     "And I saw and behold a White Horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given to him and he went forth conquering and to conquer."

This "rider on a white horse", which is the "1st judgment" of the "Great Tribulation", is prophetically depictive of the rise of the Antichrist at the beginning of the "Great Tribulation". Concerning this we note that "a white horse" would be depictive of both a conqueror, in that many ancient conquerors like the Caesars, Charle¬magne, and Napoleon, when they went in to take possession of a conquered city or kingdom would go in riding on a white horse, and "the white horse" is also prophetically depictive of the coming of "Peace" (as a white flag is a "peace flag"), which the Antichrist will appear to be bringing world peace when he first rises to power. Dan. 9:27 says of the Antichrist: "And he will confirm a Covenant" (Peace Agreement) "with many..." and Dan. 8:25 says of Antichrist "and by Peace he shall destory many..."

Continuing with "the white horse rider" (Antichrist) of the "white horse" of Rev. 6:2 we note that he has a bow in his hand but no arrows, which indicates that he at first conquers peacefully as we also read in Rev. 6:2 — "he went forth conquering and to conquer", and in doing so he also obtains control of a Kingdom as "a crown was given unto him". That "Kingdom" will be a 10-Nation Kingdom in Europe depicted by "ten horns" of "the beast" (Antichrist) in Rev. 13:1.

This "Peace Covenant" that the Antichrist will "confirm" and set into motion when he first appears upon the world scene will cause many to think that "world peace" has finally come, as I Thess. 5:3 says: "For when they shall say 'Peace and Safety', then sudden destruction comes upon them..."

Suddenly, to break the "peace and safety" that Antichrist will appear to bring when he rises to power, War (perhaps a 3rd World War) will break out with the opening of the Second Seal of the "Seven Sealed Book":

Rev. 6:3-4 — "And when He had opened the Second Seal, I heard the second beast" (2nd Cherubim Angel) "say: 'Come and see.'
     "And there went out another horse that was Red and power was given to him that sat thereon to take Peace from the Earth, and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword." — Note that "a sword" is an implement of War.

War always brings famine and starvation that is depicted by the next event of the "Great Tribulation" — the opening of the 3rd Seal of the "Seven-Sealed Book", which brings forth a rider of a black horse:

Rev. 6:5 — "And when He had opened the Third Seal I heard the third beast" (3rd Angel Cherubim) "say: 'Come and see.' And I beheld and lo a black horse and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand."

The fact that this 3rd horse is the color of "black" is depictive of the coming of famine and starvation. Lam. 5:10 says "Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine." Jer. 14:2 says: "Judah mourns and the gates thereof languishes" (because of famine) "they are black unto the ground..."

The shortages and high prices that will accompany this famine of the 3rd Seal is prophetically described in the next verse: Rev. 6:6 — "And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say: 'A measure of wheat for a Penny" (Greek: "Denarius") "and three measures of barley for a Penny" (Greek: "Denarius") "and see that you hurt not the oil and the wine."

The word translated "Penny" in this verse is the Greek word "Denarius", which was a Roman coin, silver in color, about the size of a dime, that in New Testament days was a man's salary for an entire days work. This is seen by the fact that in Matt. 20:1-2 Jesus told a story, saying: "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Man that is a house-holder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.
     "And when he had agreed with the laborers for a Penny" (Denarius) "a day, he sent them into his vineyard."

"A measure of wheat" or "three measures of barley" are equivalent to a loaf of bread, which means at that point in the Great Tribulation it will cost an entire day's salary just to buy a loaf of bread. We also note that there will be great shortages in Oil and in Wine.

Finally, in this scenerio there will be the opening of a Fourth Seal that brings forth a rider on a "pale" (green) horse depicting great wide-spread death, which will be followed by another rider on a horse called "Hell":

Rev. 6:7-8 — "And when He had opened the Fourth Seal I heard the voice of the fourth beast" (4th Cherubim Angel) "say: 'Come and see.'
     "And I looked and behold a Pale" (Green) "Horse and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the Earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death" (disease) "and with the beasts of the Earth." Since Antichrist and his co-hort — the False Prophet — are depicted in Rev. 13 as "Beasts", this indicates that Antichrist and the False Prophet, through warfare" ("the sword") and the control over the distribution of food" ("with hunger") and "disease" (caused by the taking of the "Mark Of The Beast") will bring about the deaths of one quarter of the people of the Earth, even as Rev. 13:16-17 says: "And he" (Antichrist and his co-hort the False Prophet) "causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a Mark in their right hand or their forehead.
     "And that no man might buy or sell except for those who had the Mark or the Name of the Beast, or the Number of his name."

Now, while I am speaking about "horses" and "horsemen", which I believed is foreshadowed prophetically by 2014 being "The Year Of The Horse", let me point out to you one more Great Horseman that will come to the Earth also riding a white horse, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ who is described prophetically in Rev. 19:11-16 as returning to the Earth, riding a white horse, at the end of the "Great Tribulation" to fight and defeat the armies of the Antichrist, to capture the Antichrist and the False Prophet and cast them into the eternal Lake of Fire and to take possession of the Earth to establish a 1000 year "Millennial Reign" to be followed by an "Eternal Reign":

Rev. 19:11-16 — "And I saw Heaven opened and behold a White Horse, and He that sat on him was called 'Faithful and True', and in righteousness He does judge and make war.
     "His eyes were as a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns" (of all the Kingdoms of the Earth) "and He had a Name written that no man knew but He Himself.
     "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and His Name is called 'The Word Of God'.
     "And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses clothed in linen white and clean.
     "And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should smite the Nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
     "And He has on His vesture and on His thigh a Name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Rev. 19 goes on to describe the victory of Jesus Christ over the Antichrist and False Prophet and the armies of the Nations of the Earth who are allied with Antichrist, and then the establishment of Christ's Kingdom upon the Earth.

And like the Apostle/Prophet John the Revelator, I say — as is written in Rev. 22:20 — "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" And I also say that the fact that 2014 has been designated as "The Year Of The Horse" is a strong indication that this year — 2014 — is quite possibly the year that these "horse events" could soon begin to unfold. This is a "sign of the times", and if we "can discern the face of the sky, even more so should we be able to discern the signs of the times."

Pastor/Evangelist Len Hutsell is available for "End-Times Bible Prophecy Seminars."
Contact him at: cclande@yahoo.com or telephone: 361-815-5299
Mailing address: 5817 Kerry Drive; Corpus Christi, TX 78413