The Rider on a White Horse

1. The book of Revelation reports John's vision, at the opening of the first seal: «And I looked, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a ; and a was given to him, and he went out and to .» Now, the symbolism of the first seal can be understood with the help of God's Word.

2. The message of the first seal perfectly corresponds to the first letter, addressed to the church of Ephesus, also found in the book of Revelation. Which historical period covers the events foretold by the first letter and the first seal?
   The period from A.D. 1 to 31.
   The period from A.D. 31 to 100.
   The period from A.D. 100 to 313.
   The period from A.D. 313 to 538.

3. By paralleling two passages of the book of Revelation, we can identify the rider on the white horse, who appears at the opening of the first seal. This rider is:
   the apostle Paul.
   John the Baptist.
   the Holy Spirit.
   Jesus Christ.

4. To understand the meaning of the first seal's white horse, we referred to the book of Zechariah, in which a similar vision is reported. The prophet asks: «My lord, what are these [horses]?» and receives the following answer: «These are the ones whom the has sent to walk to and fro the .» So the horses are sent by God to carry out His will here below.

5. The rider on a white horse is armed with a bow. By reading many passages of the Word of God, we have discovered that the bow symbolizes the following elements (check off all the right answers):
   God's determination to execute His judgments.
   The persecution of faithful believers.
   The work blessed and supported by God.
   The compromises of a Church greedy for power.

6. The book of Psalms says that God uses a bow to kill the wicked who won't repent. Now, in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul renders this fact in evangelic terms: «For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of to , and to the other the aroma of to .» The rejection of salvation in Jesus Christ therefore leads to eternal death.

7. At the opening of the first seal, the rider on a white horse receives a crown. The Epistle of James explains to whom this crown will be given: «Blessed is the man who temptation; for when he has been , he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who Him.»

8. The rider on a white horse «went out conquering and to conquer». In his Epistle to the Colossians, the apostle Paul reports the lightning growth of the evangelic work, writing to his readers that the gospel «has come to you, as it has also...»
   «... in Jerusalem.»
   «... in a few remote lands.»
   «... in most countries.»
   «... in all the world.»

9. In his Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul still bears witness to the lightning growth of the evangelic work, symbolized by the rider on a white horse, going out conquering and to conquer. He says: «Have they not heard? Yes : their sound has gone out to the earth, and their words to the of the world.»

10. Finally, another chapter of the book of Revelation describes a scene in which Jesus is presented as a rider on a white horse. What is the event illustrated by this scene?
    The ascension of Jesus to His Father.
    The Pentecost.
    The signing, by political leaders, of a worldwide peace treaty.
    The glorious return of Jesus.

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