The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age^(A)

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, ^(B)the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ^(C)“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: ^(D)“Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For ^(E)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ ^(F)and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of ^(G)wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for ^[a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For ^(H)nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be ^(I)famines, ^[b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now ^(A)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the ^[a]seals; and I heard ^(B)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ² And I looked, and behold, ^(C)a white horse. ^(D)He who sat on it had a bow; ^(E)and a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(F)conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

³ When He opened the second seal, ^(G)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come ^[b]and see.” ^4 (H)Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to ^(I)take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

⁵ When He opened the third seal, ^(J)I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, ^(K)a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of ^(L)scales^[c] in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A ^[d]quart of wheat for a ^[e]denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and ^(M)do not harm the oil and the wine.”