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The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse 49

For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-
law against her mother-in-law, so that a man’s enemies will be the members of his own
household (Matthew 10:35-36, JNT).

Yeshua’s words in Luke 12:49-53 throw additional light on this subject. Speaking propheti-
cally and using highly figurative language (vs. 35ff.) about the time of his absence, he uses these
words: “I am come to send FIRE on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled.” It is very
clear from what follows that the word “fire” in this verse is descriptive of the same thing as the word
“SWORD” in Matthew 10:34 (we should understand that “fire” and “sword” are commonly joined
together when used figuratively). For Yeshua goes on to say: “Suppose ye that I am come to give
peace on the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather DIVISION. For FROM HENCEFORTH” (he had just
referred to his approaching crucifixion) “there shall be five in one house divided, three against two,
and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the
mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The words of Yeshua, cited above from Matthew 10:35-36, are a quotation from the Book
of Micah, where it is written –

For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter
-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

The birth of Yeshua in Bethlehem is foretold a little earlier in this same prophecy (Micah
5:2), and his sacrificial death is implied in Micah 6:6-7. It is extremely interesting to follow the con-
nection between the going forth of the gospel and the various forms of strife -- including wars -- that
are sure to follow. The evangelists carry the gospel message into regions far beyond the reaches of
civilization; they encounter opposition from the natives -- and often pay for their faith with their
lives. But eventually animosity and suspicion are overcome by kindness and gentleness; the natives
listen to the message; the gospel begins to do its work; and the community is slowly raised out of the
depths of paganism. Also, their confidence in the evangelists has been gained, so that later, when
the trader arrives on the scene, with an eye to business, he finds a favorable situation of which he
proceeds to take full advantage. The natives are shamelessly exploited; and if the country is rich in
natural resources, one nation after another presses into the opening made by the missionary; compe-
tition and rivalry follow; the natives start to realize (to their sorrow) that the men from “Christian
countries” are not Christian at all; resentment and hatred of foreigners arise; agitators and terrorists
seize the opportunity to fan the embers of hatred into a blaze; uprisings and other disturbances oc-
cur; and soon the whole country is seething. Thus the RED HORSE gallops hard upon the heels of
the white horse; and when the seething turmoil comes to a climax, someone who has the ear of the
public will, in all likelihood, rise up and lay all the evils brought about by a greedy and unscrupu-
lous commercialism right at the door of the missionary.

Such, then, were the various kinds of “wars and fightings” that were to follow the gospel
message everywhere that it went. This has been the state of affairs from the days of the apostles of
Yeshua until now. The gospel has divided families into hostile camps, tearing apart the very closest
ties of nature. Then, with its effects widening, it has divided communities into antagonistic groups;
and then nations; and finally it has set nation against nation. Sometimes the warfare has been con-

The Berean Voice September-October 2002