And thus confirmed - the horsemen ride again, with appellations new to prove their fearful destiny upon the earth unleashed.

The Bison goads the Bear! And Eagle and Lion forge plague-filled arrows that fall with fetid breath from God.

The Bear now turns at bay... the heavens roar... and with a single scream of terror... man is wiped away...

And in the crucible of a thousand suns... a new world is formed... a binary world of lifeless desert and barren sea... and all is still... so very still... it's over...

...but the sea is a hungry sea... a fertile womb of possibility... that yearned to spawn new life.

Within the new world, all was silent... except... except for the warm breeze whose tongue licked the emptiness.

Within the new world, all was still... except... except for a single lingering shadow moving slowly in the desert.

The shadow was only disguised as a shadow... in reality it was pain. It undulated in the rhythm of pain... and it was clawing painfully onward... onward... moving ever in one painful direction... searing pain... moving over searing earth...

The pain was but charred skin... fused to brittle bone... A shadow of something that once had been.

Was there intelligence behind the shadow's sightless milky eyes and gaping toothless mouth? Only its movement betrayed purpose... forward... forward... moving ever in one painful direction... searing pain... moving over searing earth...

What, then, did this pain with purpose mean?

It meant nothing... it was reality... it was man... it was the last man.

Did the shadow know it was the last man... the last hope... the last exhalation... of that which was once?

Only its movement betrayed purpose... forward... forward... moving ever in one painful direction... searing pain... moving over searing earth...

And what of this direction... was there purpose here?

A voice unbidden speaks: "Who dares to beckon this man onward... this man who needs to die? This man who must die!"

"I... It's I who beckons this man onward..." cried the sea. "This man does not 'need to die'; his need is to live... his need is to plant his seed in my womb... his need is for his children to gestate... and to come forth... and lift their innocent faces to the stars... his need is for his children to cry out as one... and declare as one... 'We are man!'"

"And who shall be responsible?" asks the voice unbidden.

"I... I will," softly answered the sea.

Did the shadow's blackened ears hear the sea's words... did the shadow's charred nose smell the sea's cool breath? Only movement betrayed purpose... forward... forward... moving ever in one painful direction... searing pain... moving over searing earth...

At last... shadow touched sea... And shadow was gently lifted into sea's arms...

She tenderly cradled him against her breast... and she carefully caressed the agonised body with her cool and healing hands.

"It's all right," she whispered, "I've got you... you're safe now... you're home... Hush now... I'll take away the pain..."

The shadow relaxed... but was it his, or was it the sea's tears that filled his milky sightless eyes?

"Thank you," he sighed, "is this the end?"

"No, my child," whispered the sea, "it's not the end... it's the beginning..."

The man snuggled sleepily into the sea's loving embrace. The pain was gone now... and he gently drifted into a dream-filled sleep of the future... "Children," he murmured, "I see children..."

The sea smiled on the man as his eyes closed, and she whispered softly in his ear, "O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in't!"

End

In the Bible's Book of Revelation, the Seven Seals play a pivotal role in the unfolding of apocalyptic events. The opening of these seals, particularly the first four, unleashes the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, each representing distinct calamities that befall humanity.

The seals provide a framework for understanding the tribulations characterising the "end times". They illustrate the ruthless themes of law, judgement, justice, and the ultimate restoration of God's totalitarian order.

Each seal contributes to the development of the Revelation Narrative, emphasising the consequences of human actions and God's final acknowledgement and response to those actions.

Despite having been given Free-Agency by God in the beginning, Man will still be called to account for his every action and stewardship, and will be judged against every Commandment, law, statute, Judgement, and Decree handed down from God, which is published in God's Handbooks — The Torah, The Old Testament, and The New Testament.

Additionally, God has warned that The "Hearings" and any "Judgements" handed down will be harsh and exacting.

In His own words, God said:

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10 - KJV)

"I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." (Exodus 20:5 - KJV)

(Rev 6:1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

(Rev 6:2) And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

(Rev 6:3) And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

(Rev 6:4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

(Rev 6:5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

(Rev 6:6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

(Rev 6:7) And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

(Rev 6:8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

(Rev 6:9) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

(Rev 6:10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

(Rev 6:11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

(Rev 6:12) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

(Rev 6:13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

(Rev 6:14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

(Rev 6:15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

(Rev 6:16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

(Rev 6:17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

End