To begin with five seals will be
opened speaking of terrible events; conquest, war, famine, pestilence, and
death all around. It is a singular catastrophe for the earth. Is this the
history of the last two thousand years as some would say, Historicists, or are
these first five seals future events with the first rider being the conquering
Beast of later in Revelation, with the wars
and rumours of wars of Matthew 24 as Futurists believe? Historicists have
seen this as a reference to current events like the 1600s Thirty Years War in
Germany or perhaps the American Revolution or World War Two as others in
history have done or even now in our political squabbles and conspiracies. We
shall investigate.
Revelation 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. 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.
Unless this is historical, a
reference to events of the last two thousand years of which there are many conquerors
like this, there will be, in time, a human conqueror above all conquerors that
went on previously. He will be greater than the Mongols under Genghis Khan, who
some historians estimate killed 20% of the world’s population at the time of
the 13th century. He will be greater even than Alexander the Great
who brought together a kingdom from Egypt to India to Greece.
Christ opened the first seal and a
noise like thunder was heard. One of the beasts, and we don’t know which one, said
to Come and see. John sees a white
horse ridden by a conqueror carrying a bow. Who was the first Biblical
character who is known as an archer?
Genesis 21:20 And God was with
the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of
Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
This is Ishmael, son of Hagar and
Abraham, who resulted from Abraham’s lack of trust in God’s promise. Who is
another Bible character who is known for being an archer?
Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take,
I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and
take me some venison; 4 And make me
savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul
may bless thee before I die. 5 And
Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to
hunt for venison, and to bring it.
King Saul taught the use of the
bow to the people of Israel and we know how Saul ended.
2Samuel 1:17 ¶ And David
lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade them teach the
children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of
Jasher.)
Christ rides a white horse in
Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw
heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
But, this is not Christ or
Christianity, the Vatican’s claims aside. Christ is equipped with a sharp sword
that proceeds out of His mouth.
Revelation 19: 12 His eyes were as
a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written,
that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And
he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word
of God. 14 And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.
And remember what Paul wrote in Hebrews;
Hebrews
4:12 For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.
If this is historical the first
seal represents Satan’s conquerors throughout the last two thousand years as he
keeps trying to draw humanity together to stand against God as they will at the
end of the millennium. He keeps drawing people together and God keeps driving
them apart. Roman, Persian, Muslim, Mongol, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese,
French, English, German, Japanese, Soviet Russian, and even American empires
have tried to rule the world through sheer force or influence. For the
historicist this seal is the archetypical conqueror. For the futurist this is
the Beast to come, the Antichrist according to many commentators.
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