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The White
Horse – The First Seal
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nd 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. (Rev 6:1-2)
Throughout
the ages, scholars of God’s Word have attempted to conjecture the identity and
meaning of this personage on the White Horse. Many commendably reformed
theologians have suggested that it is the Lord Jesus Christ. Others have
averred that it could not be Christ for reasons discussed herein at a later
point. One problem in arriving at any consensus on the matter is harbored in
one’s view of Eschatology (doctrine of last things). We often stake out a
position based on only those parts of Scripture that support our view of last
things. I refute any sense of dispensationalism as regards the sovereignty and
works of God in His plan for mankind. He is the same God of Abraham in the Old
Testament Church as in the modern New Testament Church. He has not changed in
His nature or mode of operation. He is no respecter of persons – He does not
discriminate by race or gender involving salvation. (Of course, man’s attempts
at surgical manipulation of gender does not alter the gender revealed in one’s
chromosomal makeup). Abraham was a Christian by forward-looking faith. We are
Christian by faith that looks back on the accomplished fact of salvation.
My
view of the Rider on the White Horse differs from some traditional theories of
his identity. I do not believe this is Christ as many other sound men believe.
If I was not privy to more modern events in history, as were good men of old, I
may have considered this Rider to be Christ; however, the trends in history
point to a different conclusion than that which may have seemed reasonable to
Godly men of two hundred years ago. I do not presume to know precisely these
shadows and meanings presented in this chapter, but allow me to reveal my
impressions and conclusions of those impressions.
First
of all, be aware that Christ has already completed His redemptive work at the
time of these visions to St. John. Observe the words of Jesus just before His
ascension from the mountain: “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth.” (Matt 28:18) “All power in Heaven and earth” means exactly that – ALL POWER! We can see that confirmed as well in
the preceding chapter: “11 And I
beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under
the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev 5:11-13)
In
fulfilling His redemptive work on the cross, and conquering death and Hell
(man’s certain enemy), our Lord received all power, and the crowns of a
thousand kingdoms (and more if they existed). So now, we read that
the Lamb of God is seen by St. John in his vision. “And I saw when the LAMB
opened one of the seals.”
Who
opened the seals? It is the Lamb of God. This suggests to me the Rider on the
White Horse envisioned could not be our Lord as He stood without the seals
to open them.
Immediately
following the opening of the seals, one of the four beasts (perhaps the Gospel
messengers who had proclaimed the Gospel broadly), speaks with a thunderous
voice, “I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts
saying, Come and see.” These are servants of God who do the bidding of the
Lord. They do not act on their own volition, but by commandment. The Lamb opens
the seals because He is the only one worthy to do so, and His messengers invite
John to come and see what is behind the seals. James and John, too, were
zealous in proclaiming the Gospel message so Christ referred to the two as the
“Sons of Thunder.” All true ministers will desire to thunder the
Gospel message to all who will hear. So, a voice of thunder is no uncertain sound
of the trumpet. It does not seem to fit the literary narrative for Christ to be
called forth by the beast. The Lamb today opens our eyes to the beauty of God’s
Word, and His ministers only proclaim it.
Yes,
it is true that WHITE most often signifies purity and righteousness; however,
Satan has a counterfeit for every aspect of the work of God. The horses
depicted do not define the power of the riders upon them. They go where the
Rider directs. This White Horse may symbolize a counterfeit Gospel. Why do I
say this? It is because the Rider does not meet a known description of Christ.
The favored weapon of the Lord is a Two-edged Sword which symbolizes His Word.
But this rider on the White Horse has no sword. Neither did the Roman Church of
that period to follow. This Rider has only a bow – no arrows even mentioned.
His spiritual power is a proud presumption. Consider carefully the true Lord in
His coming:
“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.
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. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev
19:11-16)
I agree with my friend, Bishop Dennis Campbell of
Virginia, who, in his book titled, “He
Shall Reign,” comments: “Everything about
him seems to symbolize the pride and arrogance of the conquering Romans
gloating over their vanquished foe. He represents military conquest and shows
the fast approaching defeat of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.” Jerusalem
fell almost contemporary, but shortly after, St. John penned his writings on
Revelation. I believe there is, like the youth, Isaac, and the ram
whose horns were caught in the thicket, represent in each case our Lord as the
Lamb of God, represent a double application to this Rider.
I do agree it symbolizes the Roman legions of Titus
who surrounded and wasted the City of Jerusalem in 70 AD., but also the greater
Roman Church that sought out believers to persecute them. (see Rev.
17) “I saw a woman sit upon
a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and
ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her
hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And
upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with
the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I
saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (Rev 17:3-6)
The Roman pontiff, if you hadn’t noticed, also
carries a crucifix that is bowed at the top. He has no spiritual power such as
the Son of God has in the Sword which is the Word of God. There is no mention
of arrows or a quiver in which to place them.
One
final point: If this is the resurrected Christ depicted on the White Horse, why
does he have only ONE crown? He may be a despotic ruler, but his kingdom is
only of this world and a limited and temporary kingdom; but our Lord Jesus
Christ is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He has “on his head…. many
crowns.” His vesture appears crimson as dipped in blood. None of the
descriptive adjectives of Revelation 19 describing Christ seems to apply to the
Rider on the White Horse. If they did apply, it would have warranted
John’s making mention of it.
In
my view, the Rider on the White Horse was an anti-Christ whose deceitful works
began early in the Gospel age and continue even to our age. The spirit of
anti-Christ has been evident in every age of the Church; and he is having a
ball in this latter stage of the Church. “8 The beast that thou sawest
was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into
perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold
the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind
which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman
sitteth.” (Rev 17:8-9) Whether Imperial Rome, or the False Roman Church (or both) each did
persecute the true Christian believers.
We
will undertake a study of the remaining Horsemen of the Apocalypse in our next
devotion.
