In his book "Communism, Democracy, and Catholic Power", Paul Blanshard contended that the world is controlled by three international forces. He stated that most every conflict among nations can be traced to the struggle among these three powers.

Interestingly, one of America's foremost Roman Catholic writers Malachi Martin has reached the same conclusion! In his book "Keys of This Blood", Martin states that the world is now certain to move into world government. The only question is _ who will rule this New World Order? He says there are only three geopolitical forces with the necessary structure and power base to rule the world ___ Catholicism, Communism, and Capitalism. He believes the '90s will determine the victor.

This is all so intriguing because the Bible prophesies that these are the powers which will struggle for world dominion at this time. Even more amazing is that the Bible prophesies who will win!

Catholicism, Capitalism, and Communism in the Bible

The Bible speaks of four great spirits which control the actions of human beings, leaders of governments, and ultimately, even the governments of the world themselves. One of these spirits will become the dominating force in the program of the future world dictator known as the Antichrist.

In Revelation 6:1-8 in the Bible, there is a prophecy of four horsemen. The horses are white, red, black, and pale colored.

In Zechariah 6:1-8 the same prophecy is given depicting white horses, red horses, black horses, and grisled and bay horses. In verse five Zechariah was told what the horses symbolize--"These are the four SPIRITS of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." Each of these horses symbolizes a "spirit", and the color of the horses is very important.

What international spirit or power on earth is known as the "red" power? Communism, of course! The communist nations of Red China, Red Russia, Red Romania, et cetera are nations conquered by revolution at the cost of many lives. The prophecy states that "Power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth". Everywhere communism raises its ugly head, war breaks out. Korea, Berlin, the Congo, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua are just a few of the many examples. Communists, as the scripture says, even kill one another (Revelation 6:4). Many world figures feel that war will eventually break out between Russia and China, the two main bastions of communism. Finally, in the same verse (6:4), there was given to the rider of the red horse a great sword. The prophecy is completely fulfilled! What greater sword exists in the world today than the combined military might of Russia and China? Is there a nation that would like to go to war against these two giants?! The red spirit which takes peace from the earth is communism.

The Black Horse

The December 9, 1966 issue of Time Magazine, page 34, reported that a new coalition government had recently been formed in Germany between the Socialist and the Christian Democratic parties. A comment made concerning the union said, "... a grand coalition of the two major parties -- the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, that have bitterly fought each other for years...(has been made). A union of black and red, it was a marriage of convenience -- but a stunning match nonetheless". In political and news circles socialism is referred to as the "red power", and capitalism is called the "black power."

Let's apply the rest of the scripture about the black horse: "...he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hands" (Revelation 6:5). Capitalism thrives on commerce. The world's capitalistic nations enjoy higher standards of living than the other nations of the world! The capitalistic message to the world is the message of trade. This is reinforced in the next portion of the prophecy: "A measure of wheat for a penny; and three measures of barley for a penny" (Revelation 6:6). One of the things heard daily in the news of capitalistic countries is, "Dow Jones Industrials up 3 cents; AT&T down a penny; Xerox is steady". This passage is a prophetic stock market report! The stock markets are at the center of capitalistic economies.

In verse 6 of the same passage, the Bible says "... and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." One of the quickest ways for a man to lose office in the political world of capitalism is for the economy of that nation to suffer under his administration. One of the major issues

of any political campaign in the free world countries is that of the economy. The black horse is the spirit of capitalism foreseen by God 2,000 years ago!

The White Horse

White is used as a symbol of peace. Usually, the Roman Catholic pope wears white garments. His personal helicopter is white. It should be noted that the predominant message of Roman Catholicism is the message of peace. The Vatican has become a diplomatic peace center. When peace is being negotiated between rulers of our world, the pope and other high officials of the Roman Catholic Church are many times consulted. Newspapers, magazines, books, television, and radio applaud his efforts towards peace. Pope Paul VI was the world's first religious leader to speak before the United Nations assembly. His message was, "Lay down your arms. War no more. Never again!".

Notice that the rider of the white horse in Revelation had a bow, but no arrows. He had weapons, but was not shooting live ammunition. His weapons are peace, religion, and diplomacy. A crown was given to the one sitting on the white horse. History teaches that the pope originally had no crown. But today the pope wears a tiara consisting of three crowns.

Finally, Revela-tion 6:2 states that the rider of the white horse went forth conquering and to conquer. Although Catholicism at present has no standing army, it is certainly a conquering power. When the majority of the people of a nation becomes Catholic that nation is referred to as a "Catholic" nation. This is the spirit of the white horse conquering and to conquer!

The Pale Horse

The Bible plainly states that the name of the man who sat on the pale horse was "Death", and "Hell" followed with him. The significance of Hell following Death is what we must understand.When people die their individual fate is sealed. People who die in wickedness go immediately to hell (see Luke 16:20-31). So the sooner death can claim individuals, the less chance they have of being saved and entering into the Kingdom of God.

Notice the tools of "Death": first the sword, which includes war, crime, and revolution; second hunger or famine (many Bible scholars interpret the black horse to be famine, but if this were true, the fourth spirit would duplicate the third spirit); and third the beasts of the earth, a tool of Death which would exist mainly in the more backward nations of the world.

The four seals of Revelation 6:1-8 represent Catholicism, Communism, Capitalism, and Death. Each of these spirits are international spirits: there are Catholic nations, communistic nations, capitalistic nations, and nations where famine, the sword, hunger, and the beasts of the earth rule.

The Bible even prophesies in which parts of the world these international spirits would have dominion! The angel speaking with Zechariah told him that the black horses went forth into the "north country" (Zechariah 6:6). More than 2,500 years ago, God foretold that capitalism would exist in the northern countries! Look on a world map. You will find that every major capitalistic country is in the northern hemisphere! Note that Germany, France, Great Britain,

the United States, and Canada are all northern countries. Isn't it wonderful that God gave us His divine, supernatural word so that we could have understanding in these last times?

In Zechariah 6:8 the angel cried, "Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country." God is saying here that capitalism has hindered the moving of His spirit in the northern countries. It is easier to persuade people to serve God in poverty stricken countries and in communist countries than in America and other capitalistic nations. Capitalism breeds a spirit of selfishness and a "do-as-I-please" attitude which cannot exist in a true Christian. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

The grisled horses of Zechariah 6:6 went toward the south country. The grisled and bay horses represent one of the four spirits in the earth. We have learned from Zechariah 6:5 that there are four spirits: the white horses, the red horses, the black horses, and grisled and bay horses. These grisled & bay horses seen by Zechariah represent the same thing as the pale horse seen by John in the book of Revelation. Webster's Dictionary says that a "pale" horse is one lacking in intensity of color, or void of luster. The colors "grisled" and "bay", according to Webster, are both lackluster colors; the grisled being a gray and the bay being a dull reddish brown. The "bay" horse was the spirit of death which walked to and fro through the earth (Zechariah 6:7). John's pale horse in Revelation is identical to Zechariah's

grisled and bay. The grisled horse represents the forces that work with death in Revelation 6:8 -- hunger, poverty, disease and beasts. The nations located in the southern hemisphere have suffered these fates the most, because the grisled horses went into the "south". These countries include Africa, South America, India, China, et cetera. The average life span in some of these southern countries is as low as 40 years! Certainly God knew this spirit was going into the southern countries.

The most important thing about this prophecy of the four horses is the identification of the form that the last world government will assume. In Rev 17:3 the beast representing the kingdom of the Antichrist is a "red" beast. This indicates that this last world government will be socialistic. Perhaps communism is not quite as dead as we have been led to believe!

It is obvious that the economy of the Antichrist depicted in Revelations 13:15-18 is a socialistic economy. Every person's economic activity will be controlled by a number without which he cannot buy or sell. Government controlled economy is socialism.

Paul Blanshard contended that 3 international forces, communism, Catholicism, and capitalism, rule the world. Malachi Martin graphicly stated the exact same thing. The amazing thing is that the Bible prophesied concerning these 3 spirits 2,000 years ago.

Right now the world is in great revolution and upheaval. People are questioning the validity of capitalism and communism. When the victor of the present struggle emerges, some form of socialism will rule the New World Order. Malachi Martin said he believed the winner for world control would be determined in the '90s. I have to agree!