The First Seal Within Revelation
There are some seals that generate more confusion than others. For some reason the first seal seems to be one that trip people with misinformation. This seal depicts a rider on a white horse. It is impossible to understand the seals without first identifying who this rider is.
A misidentification can cause one to misplace events and sequence of time. A further problem concerning this seal is how some within the Christian community wish to portray these events as symbolic. We now must also verify that this rider is an actual person of future history.
A Real Person In A Real Time
The beauty of Scripture is our ability to cross reference with other passages to verify things such as literal events and also someones real identity. Symbolic references do not have historical weight within other Scriptures when it comes to time, place, or people. In other words if a passage speaks to a literal event or person it can often be cross checked for verification.
Revelation 6:2 gives us the information concerning this rider with a description of his appearance:
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.
Revelation 6:2
One of the greatest blunders by some has been attempting to claim that this rider is Christ. Some who seek to do this are attempting to place the start of the seal judgments as beginning with the life of Christ on Earth. It also places far more symbolic meaning to Revelation. In doing so it breaks the entire Bible especially when one begins to run it against Old Testament prophets.
To give an example, if we accept this more symbolic approach then replacement theology wins the day as some will claim that the Church has replaced Israel. Additionally conflict arises in that Ezekiel 37 speaks to a literal return of Israel as a nation in the latter days. So now today there are people who are among us living with an idea of this symbolic meaning while each day Israel is in the news for some rockets being launched at them. It is okay for these Church people though for they go out to lunch at Chili’s after church while supposedly living within the time of seal judgments in the Tribulation.
In my opinion it is pure insanity and rejection of the text as it is written. When you decide to make a symbol or metaphor of everything the only things which remain true is gravity with the rising and the setting of the sun. They only believe what they can see, touch, and feel around them. It is blindness.
To add to this nonsensical idea which is carried they have no issues contradicting the writing of Isaiah, both Thessalonians, Daniel, and Johns writings just to name a few. As for the Church vs Israel issue they completely ignore God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis which were given non conditionally. There is not a single principle within Scripture which can survive including the very premise of their Salvation.
The Bible then becomes a mere storybook for having good morals. Peter warned of such things in the latter days. Revelation promises judgment for those who pursue it. It really is not something to play with unless one enjoys playing with fire.
How To Identify This Person
There are multiple passages which speak to the Antichrist. Each gives a unique insight as to a measure of identity by actions taken. Each would lend credibility to this passage of Revelation 6:2 in its own way. Yet for the sake of keeping this article from becoming a book I wish to zero in and hit the target with one passage.
The most specific passage to the identity of time and actions comes from the book of Daniel. There is a prophecy which was given to Daniel concerning the amount of time left to the end of the world. As is typical the measurement of time is event driven as well as physical time. In the life of Daniel they were waiting on the Messiah. It was before the life of Christ.
The prophecy which God gave Daniel was a picture of time that would be required to fulfill the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. After this there is a pause in time concerning events. This period is our present day called the Church Age. Yet once the Church is removed the time clock begins ticking again. This prophecy is the 70 weeks prophecy.
At the end of this prophecy a description is given of a man who will rise to power. This passage can be found in Daniel 9:27. This person brings a false peace to the world. He conquers the world but in a way unlike other tyrants of history. Rather than using war or intimidation he does it with paper and pen, at least initially.
Daniel goes on to describe in that verse how this peace will only last half a week, or 3.5 years. In the last half week Israel is displaced and a whole new series of events begin to unfold and judgments intensify. Nevertheless it is this peace agreement found within Daniel which begins the Tribulation. No other event starts it. No virus, no war, no nuke, there is literally no other way which the Tribulation begins.
Daniels time line held true to the first coming of Christ, you might want to trust it for the Second. Consider how the wise men knew the prophecies concerning Christs birth. Certainly they saw the star. Yet they knew the time and season to be looking for the star to begin with. They were descendants of Jews who remained in the region after the captivity of Babylon where Daniel served.
What is shocking to me is also another time based prophecy concerning Ezekiel and Israels return. Sir Issac Newton knew this prophecy. It measures to the year of 1948 at their return. Yet in Churches we continue to shove these amazing pieces of prophecy under the pew and pretend that they do not exist. People ask for evidence yet refuse to look at it.
Antichrist Identity In The First Seal
As you begin to read this depiction of the rider of the first seal we will begin to see a few attributes about him. He has a crown for starters unlike a later depiction of Christ who has many crowns. Additionally if this is supposedly Christ then who did Christ conquer? It was never a people or nation. He conquered death and hell.
The event of what Christ conquered was singular. Paul states that there is no need for Christ to die again and again for sin. He did so only once. Yet this rider in Revelation 6 goes forth to conquering as in a continual state of action and with intent to conquer.
The bow depicted within the hand of this rider shows he has power. Yet a later depiction of Christ in Revelation 19 He needs no weapon to show His power. His name which only He knows as his clothes were dipped in His blood is what we see. Two very different persons.
The rider of Revelation 6 has no arrows despite having a bow. Therefore while he is going forward in a continual state to conquer he does not use armies or war to accomplish this. Rather he does so through peace. This coincides with Daniels description of him. Yet it doesn’t end there.
There are additional passages in Daniel 7 which give insight into this continued need to conquer. Daniel has a vision of beasts which rise out of the sea. As the vision continues he sees the rise of the little horn. This narrative is also speaking to the Antichrist. Often people consider this passage to be a historical telling of past history, yet it is not. There are absolutely amazing insights to be found in these passages I hope to one day detail as time allows.
There is another way to identify this rider as the Antichrist. This can be done through chronological order of events from Revelation 4 to chapter 6. The breakdown is quite simple. First John witnesses the Rapture and the scene in heaven which then continues to Jesus being recognized as the slain Lamb. With this recognition He receives all power and authority from the Father through the handing over of a book which has seven seals.
We then turn to chapter 6 to see Him loose the first seal where we find this rider on a white horse. Chronologically it also fits in the time line and sequence of events. Here we have cross referenced a passage from John with that of Daniel and also the progression in the oder of events as detailed by many writers from Old Testament to the New Testament. It fits if one accepts the literal translation.
Impact Of The First Seal On The World
Knowing what this first seal is for and who it identifies we can look into how this impacts the world. Globally there is a shift in power structure. As a child I remember hearing how the whole world would be under his control. This is partially true.
His power is more through paper initially but gains in strength quickly as a little time moves forward. By the midpoint of the Tribulation he is strong enough to move on and take Jerusalem and the new Temple. Also he makes war against the new Saints who came to know Christ within this period.
His power is based upon lies and illusion through the false prophet. Make no mistake that while the power is based upon lies and illusion he is very deadly. It would seem that the rise to power may come more from gaining economic control of the world through the early alliances made with the nations. This surrounds the mark of the beast and the one world economic system which will emerge.
There are pieces of events that we do not fully understand about this man and all that surrounds him. More specifically his identity cannot be known before he is revealed. In fact I believe it may take a short amount of time after this covenant with the nations for him to be fully revealed. It is possible that while the event could be recognized in that time the man still may not be.
Once he gains this alliance of nations moving in the same direction the clock is ticking whether or not he is known in that moment. I would take the date of this alliance as the start of the 7 years. Interestingly enough how time is calculated in the Bible is based on a 360 day year as compared to our modern contemporary 365 days. To measure the end of the seven year period for people in that time would need to be adjusted accordingly.
Until that moment in time we are left waiting. First we wait for the Rapture and then those left behind are looking to that confirmation of this covenant with whatever form it brings.
Judgments Which Come With Him
When the Church is removed from the world in the Rapture the Holy Spirit begins to take on a role more like that of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the world but rather it seems more like the times of old. This still doesn’t give an accurate depiction but it is almost as if God intercedes in selective ways.
Paul gave some insight into this with his writings yet not going into descriptive details. For those who choose to follow Christ within this period it is almost a prerequisite that they must die for Christ. Not all will, yet most. The judgments which follow such as the 7 Trumpets are the worst which the world has ever seen.
I personally find it interesting how today people fight over concepts like climate change and worry about rising sea levels or the ozone. In the time of Revelation finding a habitable place in Earth will be hard to come by near its end. The horror will be so prolific that men will cry out and seek death but Scripture states that death will flee from them so they cannot die but rather suffer.
Revelation 9:14 details how demons are loosed from the Euphrates River to torment mankind. There is no place to hide. The judgment and torment seems endless. Yet it will end on that final day of Christ’s return. Nevertheless this rider of the first seal brings with him hell on Earth in a literal way.