J. Webb Mealy states,
“The first four seals (Rev. 6:1–8), for example, far from revealing divine chastisements, reveal the catalysts through which sinful and murderous humanity is brought to witness against itself. The four horsemen thus represent demonic agencies whose release into the arena of nations and societies tempts them to express their true nature.” [Mealy continues], “The idea that God uses (evil) spirits to accomplish this kind of judgment (i.e. the revelation of true motives) is an old one (cf. Job 2.2, 7; 2 Kgs 22,.19–23, and the term satan, i.e., prosecutor). It is also to be found in the eschatology of 2 Thess. 2.8–12.”[1]
[1] Mealy, After the Thousand Years. 67.
This is also analogous to the OT when God would use Israel’s idolatrous nations to judge Israel and then turns around and judge those same nations for their idolatry.
See also:
