Page 7 - lesson36.vp

Lesson 36 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 7

The Red Horse Begins to Ride Paganism, Greek philosophy, and Roman
cynicism -- which afterwards changed to
In the Book of Acts we are given to see FIERCE PERSECUTION. Everywhere the
clearly the beginning of the career of the Red White Horse caused STRIFE. The Red Horse
Horse rider. After such a start -- such booming, was now riding at full gallop.
powerful growth under the White Horse -- the
infant Ecclesia seemed to be overwhelming the Pax Romana
world. But it was not long to be so!
1. What kind of reception did the world It should be noted that there is nothing in
give YEHOVAH’s Ecclesia? Acts 2:13. the symbols of the second seal (Red Horse) that
2. Does the TRUTH make some people indicates actual PHYSICAL war. That is seen
MAD? Acts 4:2. under the fourth seal where we find the words
3. Had the Messiah prophesied “to kill with the sword.” In the case of the Red
persecution? John 15:20; II Timothy 3:12. Horse the words “to take peace from the earth”
4. Did persecution come early? Acts implies a time when there was PEACE on the
5:17-18. earth, and does NOT imply war in the ordinary
5. Did “a great persecution” arise about sense. The word “peace” in its Biblical signifi-
Stephen? Acts 6:9-13. cance means WELFARE, PROSPERITY,
6. Did Saul -- who later became Paul -- TRANQUILITY.
persecute the fledgling Ecclesia? Acts 8:1, 3. To
what did this lead -- to a complete scattering of
the members of the Ecclesia? Verse 1.
7. Did the newly converted Saul
narrowly escape death after the Judeans plotted
to kill him? Acts 9:23-25.
8. What happened when Herod the king
started to harass the Ecclesia? Acts 12:1-4.
9. At Antioch in Pisidia, did the “Jews”
persecute Paul and Barnabas and expel them out
of their coasts? Acts 13:45, 50.
10. At Iconium did the Judahites
(”Jews”) stir up the Gentiles against them? Acts
14:2, 5.
11. At Lystra did the Judahites actually
The Roman Empire at the height of Pax Romana.
STONE Paul and drag him out of the city
thinking him dead? Acts 14:19-20.
At the time of John all of the known
12. At the first appearance of the Good
world was embraced in the PEACEFUL STATE
News of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God in
known as the Pax Romana -- a state of political
Europe -- at Philippi -- antagonism and perse-
tranquility maintained by the iron hand of
cution immediately raised their ugly heads. Acts
Imperial Rome. Historians describe this remark-
16:19-27.
able era as “The two centuries of peace” that
13. Next, at Thessalonica, the entire city
began with the reign of Augustus Caesar (30
was set in uproar. Acts 17:5-9.
B.C. to 14 A.D.). The Pax Romana was
COMMENT: At Corinth and Ephesus it
thoroughly established over the entire Roman
was the same story. The Good News was making
world in the days of Tiberius Caesar, the
its way against the united opposition of Judaism,

The Red Horse of Revelation 6:4