And I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I Heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of
thunder, 'Come.' And 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.
(Revelation 6:1, 2 NASB)
Other names in the Bible for the Antichrist: Beast, Little horn, Man of Sin, Prince who is to come, Wicked.
This is the Antichrist who impersonates Christ by riding a white horse as Jesus does at the second coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-8
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin
be revealed, the son of perdition; And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The Antichrist is revealed after the church, in which dwells the Holy Spirit, has been removed by the rapture.
Daniel 9:26
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The people of the Roman empire under general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. Therefore, the Antichrist will
come from the reborn Roman empire (probably the European Community or some other nation that was part of the Roman empire).
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: for that that is determined shall be done.
The Antichrist claims he is God/Messiah and will persecute Christians until the Day of the Lord
How does the Antichrist Rise to Power?
Daniel 7:7-8, 23-24
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had
great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the
beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little
horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes
of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be
diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse
from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
The fourth beast is the confederacy of former Roman empire countries. It consists of 10 nations led by kings or horns. After the 10 kings
are in place the Antichrist or little horn takes over 3 of those nations and will lead the new Roman empire or fourth beast.
The initial European Economic Community consisted of 10 nations. False Prophet is Revealed
Revelation 13:11-15
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the
first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth
in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight
of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword,
and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause
that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
The false prophet performs great signs and miracles in the presence of the Antichrist causing the unbelieving people to further worship
the beast and his idol. The false prophet also has great economic power and establishes the mark of the beast.
Much has been said about the first seal, the white horse, of Revelation; the traditional dispensationalist's view generally agrees that
this is the Antichrist conquering and consolidating the nations in the beginning of the seven-year period referred to as Daniel's seventieth week.
The last seven years of history as we know it.
Six seals of Revelation have their counterparts in Matthew chapter twenty-four. Seals one through three are compared with
"the beginning of birth pangs" (Matt. 24:3-8). The forth seal, the ashen horse, is often compared with
persecution (Matt. 24:9-14). The fifth seal, the martyrs, is compared with the "great
tribulation" (Matt. 24:16-22). And the sixth seal, the sun, moon, and stars, is logically compared
with the sign of the sun, moon, and stars in Matthew (Matt. 24:29). What follows in the book of Matthew
is the Second Advent of Christ and the rapture of the church, according to the pre-wrath rapture view (Matt. 24:30, 31).
With this view, at this point, one can also see the Raptured body of Christ in heaven in the book of Revelation (Rev. 7:9-17).
Following the rapture, then, with the seventh seal of Revelation (its counterpart is not included in Matthew) begins God's wrath on the
inhabitants of the earth (Rev.6: 17; 8:1).
Second Seal
Red Horseman of WAR
The Second Seal of Revelation
"And when He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come and see.' And another, a red horse, went out;
and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another; and a great sword was
given to him"
(Rev. 6:3, 4 NASB).
Peace is removed from the earth.
MARK OF THE BEAST (666)
Revelation 11:16-18
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is
Six hundred threescore and six.
To buy or sell (food, housing, car, job) the False Prophet will require each person to receive a mark on his forehead or right hand.
No one knows what this mark may be. It is speculated that this could be a computer chip embedded under the skin that would contain a person's
financial and personal records.
The white horse first seal "conquering" for world peace is short lived. For "while they are saying, 'Peace and safety (security)!'
then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (1 Thess. 5:3).
This "sudden destruction" coming upon the world while they're celebrating peace and security by human effort through the United Nations
and N.A.T.O., is the red horse, second seal, of Revelation. It's counterpart in Matthew 24:6 and 7 is the "rumors of wars" and "nations
rising against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms", part of the "beginnings of birth pangs".
The red horse rider of the second seal is "granted to take peace from the earth, and that men should slay one another (italicizing mine).
Note also that "a great sword" is given to him. One can only imagine the enormity of world destruction caused by this great war.
Third Seal
Black Horseman of FAMINE
The Third Seal of Revelation
"And He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come.' And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it
had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for
a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.'" (Rev. 6:5, 6 NASB).
The deranius was equivalent to one day's wage. The basic survival needs, barely, for humans and their livestock! This famine will result in
death and will be especially devastating to the third world. Here's an often overlooked and curious comment about not harming the "oil" and
the "wine." What do these have to do with famine? They must be symbolic.
Perhaps the "oil" represents the spirit filled church and the "wine" represents God's covenant people, Israel. If this is so then it sets
these two groups up for hatred and persecution from an envious world, which leads us into the forth and fifth seals of Revelation.
Food represented by wheat and barley cost more than a day's wages. While luxury goods such as oil and wine are still available to the rich.
Two Witnesses of God
Revelation 13:3-6
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth
out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to
smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
God's prophets speak against the wicked people of the earth and the Antichrist.
The ministries of the two witnesses must begin in the first 3 and 1/2 years because they are killed 1260 days later during the
second 3 and 1/2 years by the Antichrist.
Most bible scholars feel that the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah as Moses also smited the Earth with plagues and Elijah had
the power to shut heaven or cause a drought. Elijah was also predicted by Malachi before the Day of the Lord.
Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse.
Forth Seal
Ashen Horseman of DEATH
The Forth Seal of Revelation
"And He broke the forth seal, I heard the voice of the forth living creature saying, 'Come.' And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse;
and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a forth of the earth,
to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence (or death) and by the wild beasts of the earth."
(Rev. 6:7, 8 NASB).
Ashen is a sickly pale color, the "color" of death. Whether a quarter of the earth is meant geographically, or a quarter percentage of the
entire population, is not yet known. "Wild beasts" is not literally wild animals gone berserk. It's symbolic of unscrupulous, bestial men
following the dictates of barbarous nature, without conscience. This could involve the hunting down and persecution of the church and/or
Israel (c.f., Matt. 24:9-14).
Fifth Seal
The Fifth Seal of Revelation
And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God,
and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and
true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And there was given to each of them
a white robe; and they were told that they should test a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also.
(Rev. 6:9-11 NASB).
These are the martyrs that have been killed for their faith in Christ during the persecution of the forth seal (Matt. 24:9-14)
and are now being killed during the "great tribulation (Matt. 24:21, 22)." These are truly blessed (Rev. 16:13)
who are the believing of Israel and "the rest of her offspring" (Rev. 12:17), the true church, both
make up the body of Christ at this time (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11; Eph. 5:30, 32).
The cry, "How long", means the great tribulation is still going on "until the number of their fellow servants (the Church) and their
brethren (believing Jews)" are "beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God. And those who had not
worshipped the beast and his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand"
(Rev. 20:4 NASB).
Note: they are "given" white robes as encouragement, not yet to be put on until the SECOND RAPTURE when they receive their glorified
bodies. (1 Cor. 15:35-58).
Sixth Seal
The Sixth Seal of Revelation
And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair,
and the whole moon became as like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken
by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of
their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free
man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us
and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come;
and who is able to stand?
(Rev. 6:12-17 NASB).
Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal of Revelation
And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God;
and seven trumpets were given them.
(Rev. 8:1, 2 NASB).
Immediately after the SECOND RAPTURE of the church (body of Christ) and the sealing of the 144,000 Jews
(See: Rev. chapter 7; c.f., Rev. 14:1-5) is the breaking of the seventh seal that opens the scroll which contains the wrath of God
(c.f., Zech.5: 1-4). The awesome "half an hour" of silence in heaven precludes the seven trumpets of God's terrible wrath; one of the
trumpet judgments lasts as long as five months.
(E.g., Rev. 9:5,10)
In spite of these horrible drawn-out judgments, by the end of the sixth trumpet "the rest of mankind, they did not repent."
(Rev. 9:20, 21 NASB).
By the conclusion of the sixth trumpet the mystery is finished (Rev. 10:7; c.f., Rev. 11:17) and we have the great harvest
(Rev. 14:14-20); Daniel's seventieth week is ended and Christ has taken possession of what has legally been His all along--the earth.
The seventh trumpet then introduces the seven bowls (vials) of Gods undiluted wrath in rapid succession to cleanse the earth before
His millennial kingdom begins.
