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The Horsemen of the Apocalypse—How Their Ride Affects YouThe Watchtower—1986 | January 15
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The Fiery-Colored Horse
One of the mounts seen by John was “a fiery-colored horse; and to the one seated upon it there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him.”—Revelation 6:4.
This horseman’s “great sword” symbolizes warfare. Accordingly, since 1914 some 69 million people died in the two world wars. What a slaughter! Truly, a huge crowd of widows and orphans attests that the rider of the fiery-colored horse, denoting international warfare, has directly affected their lives.
Moreover, continuing wars and war threats weigh heavily on the younger generation. In lands where active conflict rages, teenagers are doing much of the fighting. The effect of war on these young people is summed up in this question posed by the chairman of one human-rights agency: “How can they ever grow up as sane and balanced adults?”
Youths in various countries directly affected by war have learned to count time in hours and days instead of in months and years. They ask: “Later, who cares about later? Can you guarantee that a shell won’t come into my room tonight when I go to bed?”
What of the children living in peaceful lands? Do they feel the effects of the war horseman? Yes, the gloomy threat of nuclear warfare has had profound psychological consequences for them. Regarding the despair expressed by her students, one teacher remarked: “Over and over as I heard these comments I was just washed with a feeling of disbelief. These young children felt a level of despair that I don’t allow myself to feel.” Dr. Richard Logan of Quebec, Canada, adds: “Helplessness and powerlessness is the psychological definition of depression. That’s what we’re seeing in a great many young people.”
But what if you do not live in a war-torn country or do not feel you are emotionally affected by the problem? Still the rider of the fiery-colored horse affects your life. Every minute $1.3 million is spent for direct military purposes—some $660 thousand million a year worldwide. Who pays for all of this? You do. Wherever you live, you are affected by the rider of the fiery-colored horse.
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The Horsemen of the Apocalypse—How Their Ride Affects YouThe Watchtower—1986 | January 15
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FIERY-COLORED HORSE: The rider of this horse denotes warfare. Peace is taken from the earth, and the outbreak of world war is marked.
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