REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 6.1

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

 

Chapter Six

 

 

(Verse 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.

 

As the scene shifts from Heaven back to Earth, the Great Tribulation Period commences to manifest itself into reality. The Apostle John will see the future unfold before his very eyes through a series of visions of judgment and terror in advance. Global events that follow are unimaginable.

 

The central theme of Chapter 6 is the opening of six of the seven seals spoken of in Chapter 5. In effect, God is saying, "This is the end of man's day and the beginning of My day." What is about to be let loose, is the beginning of birth pains, the first 3½ years of Tribulation. Jesus spoke of many occurrences preceding the following statement:

Matthew 24:8 - All these (things) are the beginning of sorrows (birth pangs or pains).

 

Come and see

One of the living creatures in a voice very loud and sonorous excites the attention of John. Come forward or go forth (erchomai) is not an invitation, but a summarization of proceedings he is to witness and record.

 

 

(Verse 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.

 

The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Someone created the idea to outline the first four seal judgments of Chapter 6 by identifying them as the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. However, it may characterize the launching of Tribulation, but it is not an accurate representation of the Apocalypse in its entirety.

 

Technically there are five, not four, horsemen during the Great Tribulation. Four horsemen emerge delivering the first four seals that sweep across the world, one from each corner of the earth [north, west, south, and east (cf. Zechariah 6:5)].

 

Word Study

Apocalypse: A revealing of divine knowledge, namely, of Jesus Christ.

Horses: Horses in antiquity, apart from courier transportation (cf. Esther 8:10), had a great position of importance as being a vehicle of combat either carrying cavalry horsemen or pulling war chariots. Now they will be used as instruments of God's avenging judgments.

 

The Five Horsemen are identified as such:

1.  Horseman number one [Seal number one (Verse 2)] – The rider on a white horse

 

2.  Horseman number two [Seal number two (Verse 4)] – The rider on a red horse

 

 

3.   Horseman number three [Seal number three (Verse 5)] – The rider on a black horse

 

4.  Horseman number four [Seal number four (Verse 8)] – The rider on a pale horse

 

 

5. Horseman number five (cf. Revelation 19:11-16) – The true victorious rider Jesus Christ, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

 

A white horse

1. Horseman Number One

This first jockey enters the scene riding on a mighty white warhorse. White in Scripture is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and purity, therefore, a white horse of conquest.

 

And he that sat on [the white horse] had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer

The rider on the white horse is identified by possessing two items:

1.  A Crown

As previously discussed, this is a victor's crown (stephanos) and not a regal crown (diadem). Also, notice the crown was given to the rider before the campaign begins. The rider will come conquering through diplomacy and ascend to (world) dominance. He also takes a leadership role in religion gradually defecting from good theology and sound doctrine, amalgamating it with politics.

 

2.  A Bow

Even though the Hebrew word is used interchangeably, this bow is not a rainbow, but a weapon or an instrument of war. It is a sign of military power. Because the text does not include arrows, we can deduce the rider is bringing a package of peace signifying a bloodless victory during the first 3 ½ years.

 

Both the crown and the bow are the power basics of politics and religion. The white horse rider is also mentioned performing two things:

1.  He went forth conquering

2.  He went forth to conquer

 

The rider is none other than Antichrist. Daniel Chapter 9 predicts Israel will sign a seven-year peace treaty with him. Everyone welcomes him to sit on the throne of power and assume sovereignty over the world. He will claim himself to be the Messiah (in reality, the false messiah), prophesied by Daniel and reiterated by Paul in his letter to Thessalonica:

Daniel 11:36 - And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.

 

Paul's Perspective

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12:

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him [i.e., The Rapture], 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first [apostasy], and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition [the lawless one]; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I [Jesus] was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only He [The Holy Spirit] who now letteth will let, until He [the Holy Spirit] be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked [one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish [unbelievers]; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness [emphasis mine].

 

Hence, Antichrist will come to conquer the hearts of men offering a false peace treaty by the power of deception. This will be accomplished through mighty signs and demonic supernatural lying wonders.

 

Note the length of time, as we know, between the seal judgments is not specified in terms of days, weeks, months, or even years before each horseman's mission is completed. Since our minds are limited, there is a strong possibility of 3½ years of apostasy and chaos on earth existing between the first and fourth horsemen. Jesus calls this period, "The beginning of birth pains" (cf. Matthew 24:8).

 

(Verses 3 - 4)

 

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 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.

And there went out another horse that was red.

 

2. Horseman Number Two

As the Lamb unrolls the scroll (the second seal of judgment), someone depicted riding a red horse trails the white horse rider. In the Bible, the colour red is used as a symbol of blood, bloodshed, or fire. The following passage is one of global bloodshed.

 

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

It is observed that power was given unto the horseman to take peace from the earth with the sole intention to promote war. The rider did not possess the power but was granted its possession. Power was given, or to him was given the power, designates the jockey to accomplish a specific three-fold purpose:

1.  To disrupt the false peace promised by the first rider

2.  To cause and incite anarchy and war

3.  To destroy a part of humanity

 

The mission coincides with Jesus' Mount Olivet discourse:

Matthew 24:6-7 - And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

 

During this period, peace and harmony will vanish from the planet and be replaced by worldwide rebellion, revolt, violence, slaughter, bloodshed, and a Holocaustic reign of terror, lawlessness, war, and murder will ensue. Isaiah confirms:

Isaiah 57:21 - There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

 

Maintaining war and its threat has been part of man's experience since the murder of Abel by the hand of Cain (cf. Genesis 4:8).

 

And there was given unto him a great sword.

Sword – An interesting use of the word sword is used in this phrase. It is not a rhomphaia, a long battle sabre, but a machaira, a short stabbing sword often used by Roman soldiers during close combat.

 

About the Gog and Magog (meaning Russia or Russian) wars:

Ezekiel 38:21b - Every man's sword shall be against his brother.

 

No doubt this sword is great, however, many Bible scholars believe this one, in particular, will be a weapon of mass destruction. Understand, the ultimate war of all wars will be the Battle of Armageddon during the pouring out of the seventh bowl of judgment – The final war before Christ returns (cf. Revelation 16:16).

 

Prophecy

Revelation Chapter 6 should be read in light of a Jewish comprehension of the End Times through the following prophetic passages:

Zechariah 14:13 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

 

Isaiah 19:2 – And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

 

During the following study, two more horsemen emerge dispensing the third and fourth seal judgments.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   What does the colour white symbolize?

2.   Who is the rider on the white horse?

3.   How does this rider carry out his purpose?

4.   What does the colour red symbolize?

5.   What is the name of the rider on the red horse?

6.   The second rider was given the power to do what?

7.   In the first four verses, at what juncture are we on God's timetable?

 

 

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