Revelation 6:2

 

Transcript © Faith Dialogue, Inc 2020

Pastor Ken Behr

Welcome today to our Wednesday message.  We are in our new series called “Pondering Prophecy”

Thank you for tuning in today.   In our services on Sunday we are presently going through the Acts of the Apostles, verse by verse in a series called “unstoppable”   Be sure to tune in on Sunday’s to hear that complete worship service.

Last Wednesday, we dove in with both feet and did an overview of the entire Tribulation period, a seven-year period of trials and judgment and the bible is very exact about the time period.  It will be seven years and that period of time is  given to us in days, in months and in years and always adds up to seven years. 

While I hope you enjoyed the teaching on the tribulation as much as I enjoyed preparing and delivering the message, it was a massive amount of material. 

 

So today our message is the “Rise of the Antichrist” and it’s taken from the first of the Seven Seals spoken of in the 6th chapter of the book of Revelation.  And this first seal speaks specifically of a rider, or a horseman on a White Horse.  Our focus today will be on this first seal as we’ll focus on ONE VERSE.  Revelation 6:2

 

The verse reads: 

 

2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

 

Likely you have heard of The four horsemen of the Apocalypse, there have been many references to the four horsemen over the years, even from people with little or no knowledge of the Bible or Bible Prophecy.   There was a coach at Notre Dame named Knute Rockne whose Football team in 1924 went  10-0 and brought Notre Dame their first National Championship.   Earlier that year, a  Sports writer in New York covering this team gave the name “The Four Horsemen” to the starting offense backfield of this team from Notre Dame.   I don’t know what he knew about bible prophecy but the name stuck.

 

Sticking with sports and more recently in 1986, the WWF (a professional wrestling television program) named their top wrestlers the “four horsemen.” The people at the WWF didn’t understand prophecy but knew that somehow these four-horsemen were bad dudes.  Interestingly there were fifteen wrestlers that were part of the ‘four-horsemen’ but if the Big Ten can have 14 teams, it shouldn’t be surprising.

 

So let’s depart from professional and college sports and begin to dig into what the Bible has to say about these four horsemen.    To begin with, they are not four men at all but are represented in the first four of seven seals in the sixth chapter of the book of Revelation.    These first four seals are symbolized by a rider on a different color horse:  The colors are identified with these four horsemen in the first four seals are WHITE, RED, BLACK and PALE GREEN.

 

As we will see today, as we look at the first seal with the rider on a white horse, this first rider is the only identifiable individual.  The other seals revealing the three successive riders represent judgements that we would expect during the tribulation but not idealized by an individual.

 

This first seal, this first sign is by far the most significant and warning sign of the end of days and the beginning of the Tribulation—this initial sign of the antichrist seems relatively innocuous at first reading.  It is a rider on a white horse however the Bible devotes many chapters to this individual both in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament—Here in Revelation 6:2 we see our first glimpse of the antichrist who is the featured character and world ruler during the time of the tribulation.   The book of revelation as well as Old Testament prophets show him to be a devil-possessed tyrant also known as the little horn of Daniel 7, usually called "the Beast” in the book of Revelation.   This rider on the white horse will set up a world government and rule "over every tribe, tongue, and nation"  (rev 7:9)

 

We have already seen many indications that the world is heading toward the global government that the antichrist will ultimately head up. Along with the United Nations and the European Union, we have multiple trade associations and there has been talk for years of a coming new world order and quite frankly there are many people today that would openly welcome its establishment.

 

This rider on the white horse, this antichrist is revealed in the first of  SEVEN seals that are on a scroll that is handed to Jesus and are then opened one at a time.   These Seven Seals are then followed in the Book of Revelation by Seven Trumpets and finally Seven Bowls or Vials.  During the seven years of the Tribulation, these Seals, Trumpets and Bowls that are written on this scroll represent the final judgments of God that are poured out on an unbelieving world.  These ancient scrolls are similar to our modern books except that our books have a front and back cover.  These scrolls were rolled up and then sealed with wax seals. 

 

Many scholars are confident that this individual described in Revelation 6:2 is the antichrist.   Jesus spoke clearly of the time preceding his second coming and we’ll see that there is a strong correlation in these six seals in the book of Revelation, and what Jesus refers to in Matthew 24 as the “Birth Pangs”  at the beginning of the Tribulation.

 Just prior to his death on Calvary, Jesus points to the Temple and says, “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Then a little later, Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Matthew 24:4-8)

Many have noticed the correlation in Matthew 24 of these events and the sequence of events:

 

1) The first is many that will come saying “I am the Christ and will deceive many”    We’ll see in a moment how that relates to the first seal, the rider on the white horse.  Just remember the word ‘Deception”

2) Secondly, are the wars and rumors of wars represented by the second seal and the red horse

3) Third, Jesus speaks of Famines and that is represented by the third seal and the Black horse, and then we’ll see finally Jesus refers to #4

4) Fourth, earthquakes and we will see when we get to the fourth seal, there are earthquakes and all kinds of cosmic disturbances.

Just to provide further support to this correlation Jesus continues in verse 9 of Chapter 24,  Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

This correlates with the fifth seal in Chapter 6 of revelation which reads: When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

So, now that we’ve put this first seal into context and illustrated how these seals fit into what we would call the beginning of the Tribulation, let’s remember the verse, Revelation 6:2

2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

 

As we said, this first seal and the first rider on a white horse is the only seal and horse and rider associated with a man. And this man is the antichrist.

Because he is on a white horse, many mistake him for Jesus Christ after all, he has a crown on his head and he is a conqueror. However, the key thing to remember about the antichrist and actually the coming of the antichrist is deception.  He is riding a white horse but unlike all of the westerns we see with the good guys riding white horses, this is not a good guy.

The key to understanding this time of the tribulation and the antichrist is Deception deception, deception, deception.  I said it four time because Jesus also said it four times.

Matthew 24:4-5 (NIV)

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.

5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

And then in verse 11  and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

And then in verses 23-25 of the same chapter:

23       At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24       For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

25       See, I have told you ahead of time.

This is a masquerade.  The antichrist masquerading as the true Messiah, he wears a crown, just as Jesus wears a crown.   We mentioned before that he has in his hand a bow but there are no arrows likely signifying that he does not use weapons to acquire power but he is more likely a brilliant politician, able to strategize and make dazzling political moves along with an incredible charisma.  

In the Rise of the antichrist…he will be especially well liked, he will fool the people, fool that leaders of the nations and the Jews as well.  If there is an election, people will vote for him.  If there is an opportunity to give him power and rule, it will be given to him, it won’t be seized.

By the time the Jews realize who he really is, it will be too late.   It is however, not too late for us.    We likely will never know who the antichrist is even through I believe he is most assuredly already alive, already in some position of governance, waiting for the opportunity for his plan to unfold.    

In the second letter to the Thessalonians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul teaches that the Antichrist is not revealed until after the rapture of the church, our departure.  

Paul writes,  in verse 3 of chapter 2 “That day will not come until a falling away or departure occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

Paul goes on to say that this man, we call the antichrist will ultimately oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (verses 3–4).

Also, The Apostle Paul continues and says that the Antichrist will not come until that which is restraining him is taken away and many scholars identify that which is restraining him to be the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the Body of Christ.

The Old Testament prophet Daniel has much to say about the Antichrist, who Daniel refers to as the “little horn’ and the ‘prince who is to come’ and speaks of him in the 9th chapter of the book of Daniel.  It’s in this 9th chapter of Daniel that we read about the prophecy of the 70 weeks and in my teaching on the Tribulation, we identified that the 70 weeks are actually seventy weeks of years or seventy times seven or 490 years and that the final week or the final seven years is yet unfulfilled.   This is the time of the tribulation and much of the tribulation is ruled by an earthy ruler, the man called the antichrist

So in verse 26 chapter 9 we read that after these 69 weeks

Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

Verse 27 continues:

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

But in the middle of the week

He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

Notice in verse 26, it says that messiah is cut off – that is the death of Jesus…yet not for himself….signifying that Jesus actually died for the world….it wasn’t about him.

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

This prince who is to come is the antichrist.  He has many names.  Prince who is to come, the man of sin, the man of perdition, the lawless one, the beast (that is the name used most often in the book of Revelation), the little horn, and of course, the antichrist

Notice that this prince is associated with the people that destroyed the city and sanctuary.

It was TITUS, a Roman General that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70.   This is one of the reasons why scholars say that the antichrist will come from the territory held by the Roman Empire.

Verse 27 then continues….

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

This rider on the white horse, the first seal has a bow, but no arrows and we said that the key here is that he ‘conquered’ through deception.   He comes to power by confirming a covenant with many for one week.  We already have determined that the one week refers to one week of years or SEVEN YEARS

So the antichrist comes to power, after the restrainer, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ is removed and this tribulation actually starts with a peace treaty, a covenant with many.  That refers to many nations.

Notice that he CONFIRMS the peace treat, he doesn’t propose it, or create it, or initiate it but he somehow is put into the position where he pulls it all together.   He takes credit for it.

Let’s go back and take a look at this verse because even though it is short it is packed full of clues on how we will see the Rise of the Antichrist

Revelation 6:2 begins. I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals: WE can understand this scroll to be the title deed to the earth.  It includes the history and destiny of mankind and creation, we find out in the previous chapter that only Jesus – the Lamb – has the right to loose the seals on this scroll.

The verse continues: And I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” Each one of these seals is associated with one of the four living creatures referenced in a previous chapter, Revelation 4: 6–8. These appear as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, and are similar to what Ezekiel saw 600 years earlier.  They call out “COME” (and that can be translated as “go forth”)

And the verse continues: Behold, a white horse: This white horse can easily confuse the reader as many understand the rider on the white horse is Jesus. Jesus does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16; but at this point, it is Jesus who is removing the seals.

The verse continues and says He that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him:. meaning that this is a ruler and he exercises dominion over the earth

The verse says, “He went out conquering and to conquer” Taking this to be the final satanic dictator over men, we see that he will be more terrible than all previous dictators.   As terrible as Hitler was, and I believe Hitler was in many ways a type of the antichrist, the antichrist is worse.    For example: Adolf Hitler desired to rule the world, he had global designs. Part of his global plan was that he would destroy the Jews.   This makes him anti-god as well as antichrist.  Adolf Hitler embraced the occult, he was fascinated with magic and psychic powers and was most likely demon-possessed and controlled by demonic forces.   According to John Macarthur of Grace Community Church, Those close to him said that when Hitler spoke in public, he had a completely different voice than his normal voice, because demons were speaking through him.

This coming antichrist will be crueler than Hitler, more violet than Stalin, as evil as Genghis Kahn and as volatile as Ivan the Terrible.   

All of these rulers were types of the antichrist but this rider on the white horse with a bow signifies that the final satanic superman is being unleashed.

In our remaining time, let’s talk a little about how this antichrist comes to power as most understand that his rise on the political stage is based on a platform of peace and security.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this even in connection with the labor pains for in 1 Thes 5:3 Paul says, For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and security, destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Like Satan himself, who can appear as an angel of light, this evil world leader will deceive the world into thinking that he is a great man of peace, a hero.

If you have been paying attention to the news (and I don’t necessarily recommend that you do) you may have read the headlines back on August 13.

Trump announces 'Historic Peace Agreement' between Israel, UAE

This peace treaty interestingly is referred to as the Abraham Accords.  Referencing the fact that Christianity, Judaism and Islam all revere Abraham as the founder of their faiths.  This peace treaty is truly remarkable as the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, all of them Arab and Muslim countries have agreed to formally normalize their relationships with Israel.  What is even more fascinating is that Saudi Arabia, is supposedly ready to sign the same peace treaty.

While this peace treaty is NOT the ‘Covenant made with many’ that the Antichrist brokers, it does give us a glimpse of what is coming regarding the alignment of nations that is very close to what Ezekiel speaks of in the War of Gog and Magog.

The Scriptures clearly state that this ultimate peace treaty will have a planned duration of seven years, and that it will catapult the Antichrist to a position of world leadership. This pact will also accomplish the seemingly impossible task of bringing peace to the middle east, however it is short-lived,  only for a period of 3 and ½ years…..half way through the planed duration of seven years.

One of the scenarios that could easily fit into Bible prophecy is that this present Abraham accord brokered by President Trump that supposedly provides access to the Temple mount runs into trouble, and becomes difficult to maintain.  However, a world leader comes on the scene, confirms the peace treaty, provides the opportunity for the Jews to not only have access to the temple mount but then build a temple, and this rider on the white horse that we see in Revelation 6:2  is heralded as the greatest peacemaker of all time.   

As the time get’s closer and closer to the end, we will see more and more indications of the coming tribulation, including the one-world government, the one-world religion, a cashless society, and a mark that the Bible says no one could buy or sell without this mark, this mark of the beast.

Calvary Chapel pastor JD Farag says that we are so close to the end times including the coming rapture of the church and the Rise of the Antichrist that we are within a ‘gnats eyebrow’ away.  I didn’t know that gnats have eyebrows but I can affirm that we are closer today than ever before.   God’s timeclock, the countdown to the tribulation began when Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948.   We are in the period that immediately precedes as well as commences the tribulation called the time of birth pains.

I’m not a date-setter, however the Bible clearly gives us signs.  Jesus answered the apostles questions when they asked him what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

If you find yourself fearful when you begin to think of these end times or read prophecy, let not your heart be troubled.   Jesus said, you believe in God, believe also in me.  Jesus is coming back for his church just as a bridegroom comes back for his bride.

Jesus said, As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.    Until the rapture occurs, until the antichrist arrives, we have time to be able to share the gospel with those we know and love.  Our family, our friends and our neighbors.   God is not willing that any should be lost and has given us the green light to share the gospel, to tell the good news, to announce his coming Kingdom.

Today we touched briefly on the antichrist, this rider on the white horse from Revelation 6:2   This is just the beginning,  we’ll see the antichrist again often as we travel through end-time prophecy.   

Let us pray

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God Bless!