Revelation 6:1-8 HORSEMEN ON THE HORIZON Intro: Revelation chapter six is a shock to the senses. In the past two chapters, we have been allowed to witness scenes of heavenly worship. In this passage, we are going to see images of divine wrath. We have been a place where there is praise and shouting. We are about to examine a scene filled with pain and suffering. In chapters four and five, we have been seated in “heavenly places” observing “scenes of joy”. In chapter six, we are brought down to “earthly places” to observe “scenes of judgment.” Beginning in chapter six all the way through chapter nineteen, we are placed in the middle of “Tribulation Period”, or the time known as the “Great Tribulation”. This period of seven years is broken down into two parts, with each portion lasting 3 ½ years. This period of time is clearly described in the Word of God. · Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacobs trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” · Daniel 12:1, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” · Matthew 24:3-24 · Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened.” In this passage, the seven seals on the book in the hand of the Lord Jesus begin to be broken, one by one. As the seals are opened, a series of divine judgment is poured out upon the earth and those who dwell on the earth. The four seals that we will consider in this message describe events that will take place during the first 3 ½ year portion of the Tribulation. We are about to witness a time of destruction, devastation and death that can hardly be comprehended by our mortal minds. These verses describe events that will take place on the earth after the church has been removed in the Rapture. The world we are about to see is a world that has no Gospel witness. There are no Christians, no Gospel singing or preaching, and no peace. This is a world that is in rebellion against its Maker; and it is a world that stands on the brink of terrifying judgments. We are told in verse one that when the Lamb opens the first seal, there was “the noise of thunder” in Heaven. Just as thunder signals the approach of a storm, this heavenly thunder indicates that a storm is about to be unleashed upon this world that is almost beyond description. Let’s examine these verses together as I try to preach about “Horsemen On The Horizon”. Let’s study some of what a lost world will world will face when Tribulation begins. I. v. 2 THE WHITE HORSE OF DECEPTION (Ill. There are some who read this and say that this rider is Jesus Himself. They cite the similarities between these verses and those in Rev. 19:11-16. While there are some similarities, there are many more differences. The man on this horse is not the Christ, he is the Antichrist! There are several reasons why this man cannot be Jesus. · It is Jesus Who is breaking the seals, Rev. 6:1. How can Jesus be in Heaven opening the seals and riding this white horse at the same time? · This rider wears a “crown”; Jesus wears “many crowns”. · This rider wears a “stephanos”, a victor’s crown. His crown is a prize. Jesus wears many “diadems”, the many crowns of the King of Kings. · The rider in these verses has his crown “given unto him”. This man was appointed a king be men. This rider is given a crown that he has earned. Jesus wears His crowns because of Who He is, not what He has done. He is the King of Kings by birthright. Jesus is not given a crown, He “gives” crowns, Rev. 2:10. · This rider carries a “bow”. Jesus carries a “sword”, Rev. 19:15. · The similarities between this rider and the Lord Jesus indicate that this man is the Antichrist. We will learn more about him as our study progresses. For now, it is important to note that he is not Jesus Christ. Now, we know who this man is not; now let’s see what we can find about who he is. A. He Is A Man Of Peace – You will notice that this rider has a “bow” in his hand, but he has no arrows. This implies that he will conquer the world without bloodshed. He will accomplish this by providing the answer to the problems faced by the world today. He comes on a white horse, bringing a promise of peace to this world. When the Antichrist comes, he will come with the solutions for the world’s problems. He will come with an explanation concerning the disappearance of all the Christians. He will come with a plan to bring peace to this world. When he comes, the world will fall at his feet and honor him as their ruler. He comes as a Savior to a world desperate to be saved. Our world is in a state of turmoil, and things are only going to get worse. Historian Arnold Toynbee said, “We are ripe for someone who can promise to give peace and to give tranquility to the earth. We will deify that individual if he comes.” Well, he is coming and the world will love him. (Ill. The problems that face our world today. Most of the turmoil centers on the nation of Israel. Iran, the Palestinians, and the rest of the Arab world, desires to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. When the Antichrist comes, he will have the solution to the problem and he will establish a peace plan that will satisfy the world, Dan. 9:27.) B. He Is A Man Of Power – We are told that “he went forth conquering, and to conquer”. We are also told that “a crown was given to him”. By whatever means he uses, the Antichrist will be given the key to the world. The leaders of the nations of earth will bow at this man’s feet and grant him the right to rule over the entire world. They have denied this right to the King of Kings. They have denied it to the Savior of men. They have denied it to the Son of God. But, they will grant that privilege to this child of Hell. C. He Is A Man Of Pretense – The problem with the Antichrist is that he is not the man he appears to be. He portrays himself to be one person when he is in fact another person altogether. He comes riding a white horse. Ill. The world is programmed to trust the man of the white horse! He is the good guy. He comes portraying himself as a man of peace. He will appear on the world stage promising peace, safety and prosperity; but he will be the most evil, dictatorial ruler the world has ever seen. Everything he is and everything he says will be a study in lies and falsehoods.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 04:05:45 +0000